Doceo onboarded a well-known local non-profit, and over the first 6 months of our relationship simplified their environment, improved security and reduced their IT expenses dramatically.

Assessment & Discovery

Key findings included:

• Non-Profit Organization with 8 full-time & 16 part-time employees.
• Windows-based desktops and laptops and Mac desktops. 
• Server infrastructure included an on-premise Exchange Server and a physical server with 4 virtual servers.
• Backup relied on swappable hard drives with both onsite and offsite backups being manually rotated.
• Software applications included a wide array of Productivity, Creative, Point-of-Sale, Security and Audio-Visual applications.

In summary, it was the Doceo IT Team’s opinion there were several opportunities to simplify the technology infrastructure of this organization, improve the reliability of the systems in place and reduce the expenses associated with maintaining the overall technology.

Solution

Phase 1 has been completed and addressed the most serious issues as follows:

• Moved the key line-of-business application to cloud-based and re-deployed other software packages to suitable PCs. The physical server and virtual servers were eliminated.
• Migrated from an on-premise Microsoft Exchange server to Microsoft 365.  This allowed de-commissioning the on-premise Exchange Server.
• Through the consolidation of premise-based infrastructure, the conversion to Microsoft 365, and the elimination of other infrastructure supporting the server infrastructure, we were able to reduce the monthly expense associated with IT support by an additional $900 per month below our initial projection.

Phase 2 is continuing to implement changes that both reduce expenses and provide for productivity in the new Hybrid Work Environment by:

• By converting workstations from older desktops to new laptops as scheduled upgrades, the client can further leverage their investment in Microsoft 365 to support work-from-home initiatives. Microsoft OneDrive and SharePoint simplify access to files used in collaboration.
• Upgrading the phone system to a cloud-hosted VoIP platform reduces expenses and provides for secure communication from staff-owned devices or PCs using authenticated applications.  

Conclusion

A Technology Partnership should not be a one time, “set-it and forget-it” experience. Businesses are facing constant change in their respective competitive landscapes that require focusing their full attention on their business. They do not have time to worry about whether they are being taken advantage of by their IT provider. Instead, they need a partner with a business-focused approach to technology.  

Doceo’s approach to the Technology Partnership is rooted in this methodology. We are not buried in the “nuts and bolts” of technology and all of the associated buzzwords that proliferate in the marketplace today. Technology is just a tool that can be used, or misused, to execute an organization’s business plan. We are among the best at coming alongside a business partner to understand what they are trying to achieve, where their goals are focused and what needs to be done to get them there.  That is the Doceo Difference.