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The Challenge

Cifial USA General Manager Galen Stump was frustrated with his underperforming IT provider. For Stump and his workers, their provider wasn’t merely ineffectual, their inefficient approach caused Cifial USA to incur unnecessary expenses. “We were operating on old equipment running Windows XP, and we were experiencing regular breakdowns,” he says. “Our former IT firm was not encouraging us to upgrade anything, because the older our equipment was, the more service it needed and the more money they made. We were in an endless cycle of fix and repair.”

Complicating matters, the IT provider was located in Florida and only sent technicians to the Atlanta area periodically. “Most of the work was done remotely,” says Stump, “and I felt we weren’t getting the service we needed to be productive and up-to-date.”

The Selection

Stump evaluated several firms, but DynaSis was his first choice, thanks to his positive community interactions with DynaSis's Vice President of Managed IT Services, Chas Arnold. “I really liked Chas, and I had a lot of respect for him, so when the opportunity came to work with DynaSis, I jumped at it,” says Stump. The corporate office in Portugal, which conducted the final evaluation, agreed that DynaSis was the right choice.

The Solution

One of DynaSis's Technical Account Managers was assigned to the project and met with Stump to confirm Cifial USA’s budget and performance objectives, and then the DynaSis team performed an IT assessment for the firm. “The assessment was completely seamless,” says Stump. “We didn’t even know that it was done, then they came back and had all the information.”

After reviewing the company’s needs, network conditions and other key data, DynaSis recommended that Cifial migrate to its infrastructure-as-a-service platform, Ascend.

With Ascend, customers pay a fixed monthly fee to use infrastructure that DynaSis purchases, owns and maintains, with 24/7/365 system maintenance and support, as well as system upgrades as needed, all included in the price. The fixed monthly fee model meant that Cifial USA could avoid a large capital purchase and have highly predictable costs going forward, something both Stump and the home office in Europe liked.

“In their formal proposal, DynaSis said, ‘We could do it this way, but we have another solution we believe is more cost effective,’” says Stump. “They explained that if I became an Ascend customer, any downtime we experienced would cost them money, so making sure our systems and PCs are always operable would be in their best interest, too. Our systems are our lifeline, so that was the perfect solution for us.”

The Installation

DynaSis installed a new physical server for Cifial USA, configured into four virtual machines running Windows Server 2012 R2. User desktops were migrated to the new Windows operating system and Office 365, the cloud-based version of Microsoft’s industry-leading productivity suite.

The DynaSis team also deployed a redundant backup solution composed of an onsite backup appliance with data replicated to the DynaSis data center. “We had a computer crash before working with DynaSis and we lost some data,” says Stump. “DynaSis sold me on the security and reliability of the backup. I didn’t have that confidence with our prior provider.”

The Result

Today, Stump says, the new system is working beautifully, and he has the reassurance of knowing that if any problems occur, support will be swift and painless.

“The initial installation was probably one of the best transitions I have ever experienced,” says Stump. “Since then, they perform most of their updates and maintenance remotely, so there is no office disruption. With our former provider, my personnel were incredibly frustrated—every week, somebody’s system was down.” Stump concludes, “With DynaSis and the new equipment, everything is so much better and more efficient.”

According to Stump, his employees are delighted to be working on new, faster equipment without the interruption and downtime of technology problems. “We have 1,500 customers calling in, and our personnel are engaged in a constant flux of information exchange,” says Stump. “If anything goes down, we are dead in the water. DynaSis is committed to keeping us up and running.”

The Challenge

For General Solutions Associates (GSA), technology is not just a convenience, it is a powerful tool that the company must use appropriately to ensure meeting its own compliance requirements.

When GSA sought (and received) SAE-16 type II Certification*, the AICPA* auditors who conducted the certification, while comfortable with the firm’s cloud-based technology platform, recommended bringing technology in-house to bolster both security and disaster recovery.

*The Certification attests to the fact the company and its systems have been audited over a minimum six-month test period and that they conform to the requirements of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Service Organization Control.

The Existing Technology

Prior to the audit, GSA had initially utilized an in-house server but had, over several years, transitioned much of its data and some productivity tools to a hosted solution with a third party provider. After adopting this approach, GSA management came to the realization that while this particular cloud solution was convenient, it did not meet all their regulatory requirements and lacked the robust availability the firm needed for its personnel. “As the business grew and we added more employees, it became more difficult to ensure the same level of availability we had enjoyed with our own server,” says GSA Partner, Joe Solana.

Then, when during the SAE-16 Type Two certification process, auditors advised that internal technology would improve the security over the hosted cloud solution they were using, Solana knew it was time to make a change. “We wanted 100% uptime, and we placed extreme importance on stringent security for customer data we are housing,” he says. “We also wanted to meet or exceed all the requirements to maintain our certification as a service provider.”

The Selection

In the midst of the audit, another GSA Partner Matthew LaHood thought of DynaSis, whose leadership he had met previously, and mentioned them to the auditors.

“The auditors had heard of DynaSis and they were very happy with that choice,” says Solana. With the auditors’ enthusiastic blessing of DynaSis, GSA was ready to forge ahead and called upon DynaSis to upgrade its technology systems, and a great partnership was born.

The Solution

DynaSis assigned one of its Technical Account Managers (TAM) to the GSA account. The TAN met with Solana to discuss the firm’s needs and to develop an effective, affordable solution that would include secure backup. After completing its analysis and developing specific requirements for GSA, DynaSis recommended an on-premises virtualized infrastructure composed of two physical servers, or hosts―a Dell host server and a Dell backup and Business Continuity server―that would serve as physical hosts for a framework of five virtual servers. In addition to the continuous on-site backup provided by the virtualized backup system, GSA’s data would also be backed up securely to DynaSis’s offsite Data Center for 100% redundancy.

The Implementation

For the first stage of the process, DynaSis engineers began monitoring GSA’s existing servers and desktops to create a baseline for the new solution and to resolve any outstanding issues. DynaSis also backed up all of GSA’s existing data to a secure location to prepare for the cutover.

For the second phase, the DynaSis implementation crew installed the new servers and built the network over a three-day period, then began advanced configuration to secure optimal connectivity and operability for all GSA’s desktops and devices.

“It took DynaSis about a week to get everything up and running, with all the machines connected and working,” says Solana. “The process went smoothly, other than typical upgrade glitches like a machine not being compatible. At first they had a bit of difficulty getting our phone system to integrate with the new routers, but they got that resolved quickly. It was a growing pain more than a glitch.”

After the solution was complete, DynaSis began providing 24/7/365 monitoring, and proactive management and problem resolution, including round-the-clock Help Desk support. For remote connectivity, GSA workers were able to access the network through a secure virtual private network (VPN).

The Result

Since the implementation, Novatec has remained as committed to GSA’s satisfaction and success as it was during the initial implementation, Solana says. “The 24/7 system monitoring and proactive management is the biggest benefit …and savings”, he notes. “I am not spending hours of my time trying to figure something out when someone has a problem. Having someone to help out is a lifesaver!”

When asked to sum up his experience, overall, Solana offers high praise for the firm. “We are a turn-key service provider like DynaSis. We know from developing solutions for our own customers, how valuable it is to work with a company that provides everything you need.” Solana concludes, “There hasn’t been anything DynaSis couldn’t do, and I would recommend them in a heartbeat. In fact, I already have.”

Solana also applauds DynaSis’s TAM model. “Their consultative work is really valuable for a company like us without extensive technical expertise.”

The Future

The implementation been so successful that GSA is currently working with DynaSis on developing a failover disaster recovery solution. “They are working on a new network design and business continuity service for us that includes a redundant virtual server that could be hosted at their data center or wherever we want,” says Solana. “If our office building was not accessible, we could just flip a switch and be up and running.”

The Challenge

For Paradigm Chemical & Consulting, a functional IT system is mission critical. With 80% of its employees and contractors in the field rather than in the office, the company needs reassurance that everyone with a company-issued device can enjoy the productivity benefits technology affords them. The firm also relies on having a network that operates at an optimal level.

When it became evident to Paradigm Chemical President and COO James L. Herrin that its previous IT provider wasn’t able to meet those goals, Herrin began looking for other answers. He found the responsiveness, support and strong relationship he sought with DynaSis.

The Engagement

When he decided it was time to look for a new provider, Herrin discovered that he had already connected with one DynaSis's principals via social media. “Chas Arnold [DynaSis's VP of Managed IT Services] and I followed each other on Twitter, and when we realized who each other was, he started calling me directly,” says Herrin. “When the relationship with my previous IT provider began to break down rapidly and I needed to make a change, DynaSis was my first choice.”

According to Herrin, three or four other firms sent him information about their companies, but none of them were initially appealing. When Arnold visited him in person, Herrin says, the deal was sealed. “After Chas and I talked, and I discovered how long DynaSis had been in business, it was clear to me that I needed to move to DynaSis,” Herrin says.

The Solution

A DynaSis Technical Account Manager, was assigned to Paradigm and met with Herrin in advance of the technology and network assessments DynaSis would perform to assist in making its recommendations. After evaluating Paradigm Chemical’s IT infrastructure―and its technology and business requirements―DynaSis recommended its Digital Veins solution (now entitled “Ascend”). With Ascend, Paradigm Chemical would receive proactive, monitoring and support for its server and desktops (software and hardware) for a set monthly fee.

“DynaSis diagnosed that the previous company’s network monitoring tools were consuming 30% of our memory, by themselves,” says Herrin. “They were slowing our whole network down. With DynaSis, the system has really sped up. Their turn-up addressed every one of my issues.”

The Result

As part of the contract, DynaSis also provides 24-hour tech support for the company’s in-house employees as well as workers and contractors in the field, who use company-issued laptops. Connected employees can open tickets by clicking an icon on their desktop or laptop and request support directly. “With our previous provider, support tickets would go unresolved for weeks at a time,” says Herrin. “We haven’t had that problem, at all, with DynaSis. The speed at which they address our issues is phenomenal.”

Another problem, Herrin says, is that its previous provider didn’t assign a single point of contact for the account. “We would have tickets in for three or four issues, and I would get phone calls from four different technicians. With DynaSis, I have a single point of contact and a level of intimacy that I didn’t have with the previous provider.”

The Future

In addition to deploying Ascend, DynaSis is helping Paradigm Chemical implement a more robust firewall solution (hardware and software) and upgrade its backup system. DynaSis is also working on hardware upgrades for Paradigm Chemical and has helped the firm communicate more effectively with third-party technology and telecommunications vendors such as Dell and Cbeyond.

For Herrin, although speed, support and network efficiency are real business benefits, on a personal level, he’s happy to finally be heard. “When the DynaSis account manager came to visit me, he sat for an hour and a half, just listening,” says Herrin. “That’s the biggest thing that separated DynaSis from other providers― they actually listened.”

Ascend: DynaSis’s highly flexible and versatile IT Management solution:

YOUR location, YOUR equipment, OUR Expertise

YOUR location, OUR equipment, OUR expertise

OUR facility, OUR equipment, OUR Expertise

DynaSis, Atlanta’s premier provider of IT services and support for small and medium businesses (SMBs), today announced it has helped Johns Creek Baptist Church modernize its outdated technology infrastructure and IT operating model and transition the church to its Ascend solution. For the project, DynaSis designed, procured and installed new back-office server hardware, plus security and network devices, then configured the system for optimal benefit. Under the terms of the agreement, DynaSis also provides 24/7/365 managed IT services and support, with the church paying a flat monthly fee for both the services and the use of its new hardware.

“When our new Pastor, Shaun King, came on board in early 2013, part of his vision for our church was to use technology tools as a part of our ministry and we wanted to ensure we had the IT infrastructure to support those efforts,” said Johns Creek Baptist Church Director of Communications Stephanie Wright. “One of my projects was to find a vendor and overhaul everything from an IT perspective―hardware, software, wireless and networking. DynaSis won us over with its proactive approach to IT service―and its philosophy of partnership.”

For the project, DynaSis met with Pastor King, Wright and other key players, inspected the building and helped the church evaluate which approach would be both cost-effective and productive. DynaSis recommended its Ascend solution, an all-you-can-eat model whereby DynaSis owns all the installed hardware, and the customer pays a monthly fee to lease it back from DynaSis.

The Ascend solution also includes all hardware repair, upgrades and replacement, and DynaSis provides both remote and on-site troubleshooting and problem resolution, as well as proactive monitoring and problem avoidance through its network operations center.

“Our model in the past was reactive. Every time we made a call for support to our former IT provider, we got a bill,” said Wright. With DynaSis, our efforts became more proactive. They are constantly looking at our systems―checking things to be proactive about possible issues. They are looking out for us, even when we don’t know it.”

Wright is excited about the future with her church’s new IT systems―and service approach―and says she and Pastor King are hoping to eventually implement such advanced technologies as streaming live broadcasts of church sermons.

“Johns Creek Baptist Church is more than a house of worship in this area. It is a pillar of the community,” said DynaSis's Vice-President of Managed IT Services Chas Arnold. "We are delighted to bring them the latest technology with a pricing structure they can afford, and we look forward to working with Pastor King, Ms. Wright and the rest of the team for many years to come.”

 

 

The Challenge

When ECG (Electric Cities of Georgia) broke away from its parent company in 2009, the restructured operation needed to develop its own IT solution — including help desk support — from scratch.  With minimal technology expertise and a limited budget, Engineering and Energy Services Director Ellen Richardson and External Affairs Manager Michelle Holbrook needed a solution that would get them up and running quickly and cost effectively. They found the answer in the DynaSis's “Ascend” program, a hybrid cloud solution.

The Solution

“It was hard for us because we’d never done IT on our own. We needed someone to hold our hand and give us a roadmap to be seamless from the old company to the new,” says Holbrook. “DynaSis purchased and installed the infrastructure, and we didn’t have to think about what to buy or evaluate specifications for equipment we didn’t know very much about.”

DynaSis installed servers in three ECG locations and set up a joint-action service organization with hosted email, BlackBerry server and database support applications. DynaSis now provides maintenance and support for the entire infrastructure, both cloud-hosted and on-premises, including automated backup of ECG’s systems and data. DynaSis also provides Help Desk assistance whenever employees need it, in both the office and the field.

“Their Help Desk support is a big factor,” says Holbrook. “We had that at MEAG [Municipal Electric Authority of Georgia, the former parent company] and needed that same kind of expertise. We have a lot of people in the field, and having the hosted environment and support helps them around the clock with email and other needs. The field workers have come back to us and said, ‘Those people are great,’ and praise is hard to get from those guys.”

The Result

According to Holbrook, ECG is enjoying the same level of service from DynaSis that it enjoyed from the in-house solution of its former parent company. “DynaSis had us up and ready in a month, and we didn’t have any drop-off in service,” says Holbrook. “If something goes wrong, I send an email and say, ‘Hey, what’s happening?’ and they take care of it. If one of our servers goes down even in the middle of the night, they get everything back up and running.”

No Capital Expense

Although worry-free IT is a core benefit of Ascend, it was not the only factor in ECG’s decision, Richardson says. “We didn’t have a huge capital expense up front. DynaSis purchased and maintains the infrastructure and guarantees us the best technology available for a fixed monthly cost. Considering we operate on a strict budget, the monthly fee is perfect for our situation.” Holbrook concurs, noting, “The best thing is that we know what they are going to bill us each month. We pay by the person, by the month, and that is it.”

On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, Holbrook says she gives DynaSis at least a ‘’9” and would definitely recommend them to someone else. “The cost of dealing with DynaSis as a small user is much less than a do-it-yourself solution,” says Holbrook. “A lot of people have no computer expertise. There are so many companies out there for which Ascend would be a perfect fit.”

The Challenge

When Rodney Lester, Systems Manager for Gardner Metal Systems (GMS), began looking into upgrading his company’s Internet service, his efforts led him somewhere totally unexpected.  His exploration led him to a review of cloud services, and Lester was introduced to DynaSis. What he learned from them made him realize that he could accomplish even more for his firm.

The Selection

After speaking with the DynaSis team, Lester sensed he had found what he had long wanted―a local company with the knowledge, expertise and can-do attitude to support his company’s IT platforms.  DynaSis and Lester embarked on a journey of improvement that has resulted in his firm deploying new infrastructure, migrating to cloud-based productivity applications and storage, and allowing Lester to take a less-active role in supporting the network, servers and 30 computers his firm relies upon daily.

“I was the only person that maintained our systems,” says Lester. “We have been able to make it work all these years, but if something happened to me, there would have been a lot of things nobody knew anything about.  Now I am the backup and DynaSis is the main IT provider.”

The Solution

To achieve the transformation, DynaSis upgraded GMS to Ascend, its hybrid partly on-premises/partly cloud solution. With Ascend, GMS enjoys the reassurance of having new hardware on site, paired with access to software and services through a cloud-based model. Ascend also includes DynaSis’s signature, end-to-end, proactive IT management and support package. For the package, GMS pays a flat monthly fee and DynaSis handles all hardware troubleshooting and repair, as well as necessary system upgrades.

At the time of the deployment, GMS’ servers, workstations and network were all outdated or nearing their end of life, so Lester and DynaSis worked together to upgrade all components―data servers, workstations, systems and network―on a staged basis. “We had already had a major catastrophe with our server―a hard drive failure―and I didn’t want to deal with that again,” says Lester.

Still, he notes, nothing was going wrong, specifically, at the time he connected with DynaSis. Rather, Lester says, the project expanded organically after DynaSis introduced the “one fee covers all” Ascend solution. “This decision was about getting newer technology and an upgrade scenario,” says Lester. “We were running out of room on the server, and once we started looking at improvements we could make, it really snowballed. The owners started making suggestions and DynaSis took it from there.”

The Installation

DynaSis replaced GMS’ two outdated physical servers with three virtual servers (data, app and backup) running on two new physical units. Data on the virtual backup server is also replicated to an offsite data center. The new solution also included replacing the company’s Exchange server and its outdated Microsoft office productivity software with the cloud-based solution, Microsoft Office 365. “It was going to cost us $400 per workstation to upgrade Office, and we were having incompatibility problems with vendors and others outside the company,” says Lester. “With Office 365, we have access to the latest versions of Office―including Microsoft Access―for $15 per month, per seat.”

The implementation ran over a several-month period, Lester says, because his company wanted to minimize disruption for employees and complete each phase of the project before proceeding to the next level. “We started with an Internet upgrade, then we started on Ascend,” says Lester. We also went to a hosted VoIP telephony solution so we had to change over our whole phone system, and DynaSis assisted us in doing that.”

All through the complex, discontinuous process, Lester says, DynaSis ensured a steady flow of assistance and communication. “It was a little different for them, because they are not used to dragging it out as long as we did,” Lester says. “Even so, they stayed on top of the schedule, and they never had to say, ‘We cannot do that now.’”

The Result

Even before the project was complete, Lester began seeing tangible benefits. “Right away, they had access to the network and the computers, and they were pushing patches to the servers after hours,” says Lester. “We had several tickets where they took taking care of email issues – and they helped fix all of those. The whole support channel they have set up works really well.”

Lester is very pleased with the project and says he “wouldn’t hesitate to recommend DynaSis to anybody.” He cites many peripheral benefits, as well, such as better network performance, worker mobility (thanks to a new wireless network) and enhanced network security through a parallel network for guest-level, Internet-only access.

“Once we decided we were ready to migrate everything over, it went really well,” Lester concludes. “DynaSis has a great game plan for implementing a platform like this. Having someone to back me up; know our network and provide support is something we should have had a long time ago.” Lester’s already looking ahead to future projects, such as a database redesign and implementation of SharePoint, with enthusiasm.

The Challenge

When solar cell and module manufacturer Suniva made the shift from the Atlanta Technology Development Center (ATDC – a technology incubator) to a full manufacturing plant with 24/7 operations, having robust IT support in place was critical to not losing momentum because leaving the ATDC behind meant losing the built-in IT support the technology incubator provided its protégés.

Suniva company principals understood that the transition from ATDC to stand-alone operations would be a real test for the future of the new firm and decided on a course of action for IT infrastructure and networking support that would be based on on-demand, outside specialists. This decision let them side-step the sometimes lengthy process—and higher fixed-cost expense—of hiring in-house support.

Suniva began its operations with one production line and approximately 40 employees, Suvina CFO Jim Modak reports. Even with its small footprint, the firm had a broad reach with a global market for its solar cells and modules, resulting in 80% of its product exported to companies abroad in 2010. Because of this expansive customer base and the 24/7 operations model, achieving the best possible uptime for the network was a cornerstone of operating success.

The Selection

Modak interviewed candidate firms for on-demand IT services looking at the breadth and satisfaction of their customers, and the skills of the individuals who were going to be servicing their account, and he selected DynaSis and its managed services program. “We test drove DynaSis for awhile and had a very good experience. They met the criteria, had the right team, and we had access to their executive management,” he says.

Suniva soon discovered that DynaSis was a perfect fit. That was several years ago, and both Suniva’s business and the relationship continue to expand.

The Solution

DynaSis initially provided help desk support and ongoing monitoring, maintenance and patching, and continual analysis of the network to ensure proactive prevention of system failures. As Suniva’s business exploded from 40 employees to 180—and its IT requirements expanded dramatically—DynaSis kept pace with them.

“We established a broader set of criteria that we refined over time as we expanded to make sure DynaSis could still fulfill our needs,” says Modak. “We broadened the “laundry list” based on every-day performance criteria we could measure.”

The Result

Today, DynaSis supports all of Suniva’s network and infrastructure. When Suniva was ready for server virtualization, it turned to DynaSis, and Suniva has also ramped up from an on-demand to an in-house contract., DynaSis has consultants onsite at Suniva five days a week providing both network and desktop support for the firm. During evenings, night-time and weekends, DynaSis provides on-demand support for the company and its employees, no matter where in the world they might be. “DynaSis has grown along with us,” says Modak.

“We’re 24/7 operations, so keeping the network up 24/7 is number one. Number two is keeping our desktops properly operating. That is why the on-site support helps quite a bit,” says Modak. “It is full touch as opposed to remote touch support for employee and customer issues.”

“Having support for remote network access outside of regular hours is critical,” says Modak. With DynaSis on the job, Suniva can focus on growing its global, industry-leading business, knowing problems will be resolved wherever and whenever they occur.”

The Challenge

J-Drain’s VP of Operations, Ryan Hatrak, found DynaSis through an online search after the company decided that monetary losses from international emails not going through had become unacceptable.

“In today’s fast-paced business environment, email communication is becoming mission critical, especially for firms with a large international customer base,” said Chas Arnold, Novatec's VP of Managed IT Services. “It was essential that we provide JDR not only with proactive, best-practices IT support and management, but also with a reliable, trusted email solution that would support their business activities now and in the future.

The Solution

DynaSis, Atlanta’s premier provider of IT services and support for small and medium businesses (SMBs), transitioned JDR Enterprises to a new email platform (Microsoft Exchange) which has resolved the company’s email challenges. “If there is an issue—and there are always going to be some issues—they can tell us why something isn’t working and quickly get it fixed.” Hatrak said.

DynaSis also transitioned JDR Enterprises to its industry-leading Ascend solution for automated problem resolution and proactive IT support and website hosting services.

The Result

“With our previous IT provider, we were having a lot of issues—especially email issues—that the company could not resolve or didn’t know how to fix,” said Hatrak. “DynaSis takes a different approach. They are proactive about finding and addressing issues before problems arise.”

With Ascend, JDR Enterprises will enjoy the benefits of 24/7/365 IT systems and desktop management, automated data backup and disaster recovery, managed security services and automated Help Desk and onsite support, in addition to hosted Exchange and website hosting.

When LPS Labs, a U.S. manufacturer of chemicals for industrial, aerospace, military and telecommunications facilities worldwide, looked to replace its managed services provider in 2011, the company had specific requirements in mind. According to LPS Labs Network Administrator Sam Torke, the firm wanted a responsive, proactive firm with a local footprint and a team that had the IT expertise to evaluate their requirements and help plan future improvements. They found what they wanted, and more, with DynaSis and their Managed IT Services.

Going Local
“Having a local presence was very important to us,” says Torke. “We found three or four companies that said they had both a local and national footprint. Some presented themselves as being local, but when we met with them, there was no team. There was one person in a conference room and we never saw anyone else.”

“With DynaSis, when we did a site visit, we actually met the people who would be helping us. Everyone was really customer oriented and they had the broadest offering that matched our needs.” Nearly two years later, Torke says, he couldn’t be happier about the decision.

“Right after we started our contract with them, we installed a new firewall,” says Torke. “We have also virtualized servers and workstations, and they have been right up to task on everything we want to do.”

A Higher Level
Torke says that working with DynaSis affords him a higher level of expertise than he had previously enjoyed, as well as access to a wider pool of talent. “There is only one of me and there are a dozen of them,” says Torke. “It’s been a big improvement for us, their ability to handle complicated issues. They have resolved some very complex problems for us.”

Shortly after DynaSis began working with LPS Labs, Torke relates, the firm ran out of IP addresses, which limited employees’ ability to access the Internet. “Everybody was screaming, but the solution to the problem wasn’t immediately obvious,” Torke says.

“I needed more eyes to look at the situation from a broader perspective and find a solution. DynaSis pointed out right away that we didn’t have enough IP addresses. We went from one subnet to five subnets and everything has worked out great since.”

Self-Service Problem Resolution
As part of its Managed IT Services agreement with LPS Labs, Novatefch provides Help Desk support, maintains and updates the company’s server infrastructure, and maintains and manages its backups and disaster recovery appliances. LPS Labs has a dispersed workforce that accesses the company network via a VPN connection, and the DynaSis Help Desk provides problem resolution for all the firm’s remote workers, as well.

“In the past we wanted our users to go through a web portal to our helpdesk, or to send an email to our helpdesk,” says Torke. “With DynaSis, we now have a self-service model that lets personnel go directly to the DynaSis Help Desk when they have a problem.”

LPS has an assigned DynaSis Technical Account Manager to help them assess the current IT environment and develop a roadmap for the company’s needs in the future. “We’re now looking at document and workflow management solutions, and our DynaSis Technical Account Manager is working with me on this and helping me set realistic expectations.”

When asked how likely he would be to refer DynaSis to another company, Torke rates DynaSis a 10 on a scale of one to 10. If someone else asked him for a reference, he says, “I would tell them that you won’t find anybody better.”

 

All property management firms, no matter their size, play the game of "connect the technology dots" between the corporate office and remote locations. More than a decade ago, multi-family apartment management company HMI Property Solutions, Inc., won that game with help from the ITility by DynaSis Solution' "anytime, anywhere," remote access technology. Today, ITility by DynaSis has become more valuable than ever, and company management says they cannot imagine operating without it.

"At the time we began working with DynaSis, we had property management software running at eight remote locations," says HMI Enterprises, Inc. President Hugh M. "Don" Inman, Jr. "The software worked fine in its own silo, but the team in our corporate office didn’t have access to the data except through printed reports. DynaSis developed a solution that brought the data into the office so the corporate team could access it. This streamlined our ability to operate."

Far-Reaching Benefits
What began as a solution to centralize isolated data has grown into a fully hosted solution that also enables HMI employees to work from other locations, as well. Today, DynaSis manages and maintains all of HMI's applications, including the original property management software. DynaSis handles all software updates and license renewals, as well as monitoring and maintenance of any solution-related hardware located at the HMI office. For this service, HMI pays a preset monthly fee, per user.

Employees at all HMI-managed or owned properties access data and applications via a secure, dedicated interface, not only at the corporate or remote offices but at any location, any time they choose. This enables work-shifting, letting employees access email, applications and other data outside of office hours and locations to facilitate performance of their jobs.

"ITility by DynaSis gives us the ability to work with our employees and their schedules," says Inman. "One employee in our corporate office works from home on Fridays due to childcare-related issues. If I can’t get into the office, I can just pop onto my home computer and not have to lose a day of work. It affords us incredible flexibility."

Superior Performance
Inman says ITility by DynaSis not only expand HMI's functional footprint; they also make company operations—and his work day—more productive. "I can measure the success of our relationship by how infrequently I have to speak with them," Inman says. "It’s seamless. We are heavily reliant on the system being up and available and that has never been an issue. They provide all of the support and the virus scanning and backups—everything. It’s great because I don’t have to worry about it."

Inman also reports that adding and removing users is a breeze. "In our industry, there is a fair amount of turnover among workers at the site level. When a new employee comes on board, one call sets that person up, and if he or she has any familiarity with computers, the solution is straightforward and simple. We don’t have to worry about that user not being ready to go as soon as they hit the ground."

Ready to Work, Now and in the Future
"Because of our remote locations, If we had to bring applications and data hosting and management back in-house today, it would be a train wreck," Inman says. "We don’t have the technical expertise or scale to have an internal IT department. I don't need to know what DynaSis is doing, and that is the beauty of it."

DynaSis is currently helping HMI expand its use of technology to better communicate with tenants and the public at large. The ITility by DynaSis solution is providing the hosted access platform for other solutions that will invite tenants to send maintenance requests to leasing offices and pay rent online, and enable prospects to view apartment pricing for various floor plans in real time.

"We have been very pleased with the ITility by DynaSis solution, and we would highly recommend them," says Inman. In fact, he says he has already given other companies good reports regarding the firm. "I am in a position to give DynaSis a very positive reference," he notes.

"I’m in the business of running a business, not of being an IT expert," Inman concludes. "With DynaSis, this is one of the aspects of running a business that I don’t have to worry about. And, if I did have something to worry about, I would know who to call."

 

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