Austin Computer Support - Case Study

This Case Study shows how Austin Computer Support improved one company's I.T. system performance while reducing the I.T. support requirements from 40 hours to 15 hours per week!

Scenario: On the surface, this company, with 25 employees, appeared to be functioning well.
All servers and workstations were near new and support should have been nearly unnecessary. Yet, improper operating system and software configuration led to high maintenance requirements. Failure to use free or pre-paid automation feature and centralized administration tools compounded the problems. Indifferent tech support and poor I.T. recommendations led this company to suffer:

• Excessive Cost of Ownership for their technology.
• Security risks, both inside and outside the company.
• Reduced employee productivity.

Excessive Cost of Ownership:

Austin Computer Support achieved a 66% reduction in support cost by utilizing proper hardware and software configuration, process automation and centralized administration. Some highlights:

• Microsoft Group Policy and Update Server: (Free with MS Server software.)
• Control end user data flows in conjunction with Roaming Profiles.
• Restrict end user's ability to run non-supported software.
• Configure Internet Explorer homepage and control end user's Internet access.
• Control MS Updates, MS Office, MS Messenger, Shutdown options and much more.
  
• Virus and Spyware software was not properly configured on the servers or workstations. Symantec Enterprise antivirus software was on-site and paid for, but was not being utilized.
• Updated the antivirus software and installed free spyware protection software.
• Configured Symantec System Center Console to allow domain wide control and administration from one workstation. Updates and scans are now fully automated.

• VPN and Remote Desktop were not configured properly. All support had to be performed sitting in front of the system and end users were not able to work from home or offsite.
• Configured Remote Desktop on all systems to enable internal/offsite remote support.
• Configured VPN and Remote Desktop to enable specific users to work offsite.
  
• Excess Bandwidth - The company had two T-1 data lines - recommended by the I.T. Tech.
• Proved through testing that one T-1 line was more than adequate for company.
• Turned off one T-1 line with no difference in performance saving over $300 per month.

• Excess hardware and software was purchased based on poor I.T. Tech recommendations:
• A second expensive Server Class system was purchased based on a software vendor's wildly incorrect assertion and the lack of due diligence by the I.T. Tech.
• Dozens of VPN Client licenses were purchased and never used.

Case Study - Cost of Ownership continued:

• Server Configuration - All primary business apps (Exchange, SQL, PDC) and secondary applications (QuickBooks, accounting packages) were running on one servers.
• Removed a RAID 1 mirror on the second server - Installed additional hard drives already on-site and configure RAID 5 for additional space and superior performance.
• Load balanced the client/server applications improving performance for users.
• Reduced the risk of business function down time associated with the loss of a server.
• Non-client/server applications were moved off the servers to workstations.
  
• Poor documentation placed the company at risk in the event the I.T. Tech was unable or unwilling to perform his/her responsibilities. It placed too much power in the hands (head) of the I.T. Tech. Inadequate knowledge transfers led to inefficient support and end user training.
• Documented domain information and solutions to issues in knowledge base.
• Training led to higher productivity and end user confidence in their I.T. resources.

Improper Security Configuration:

• All Domain Users were members of the Domain Administrators group! This means, all users were able to see all company data including HR and Accounting Department documents. This high risk configuration was due to the desire for convenience on the part of the I.T. Tech.
• Secured internal data by placing end users in groups and assigning permission to resources according to industry standards and company policy.
  
• Improperly configured Roaming Profiles copied a user's data (including officers) to every workstation they logged into.
• Configured the Group Policy to prevented end user's data from being copied down while allowing them to utilize Roaming Profiles.

• Encrypted e-mail was require in some instances by government regulations.
• Configured e-mail encryption - then documented and trained users in its usage.
  

In addition to the items above, Austin Computer Support

• Configured secure logins for Web based e-mail using a local Certificate. https://
• Reconfigured backup to include e-mail and overlooked data for improved data preservation.
• Reconfigured the APC Battery Backup Utility in order to properly prevent data loss or server crashes in the event of power outage.
• Provided disaster recovery documentation and recommendations according to industry standards and company needs.

Productivity:

Productivity and moral suffered as employees struggled with recurring issues while requests for technical support went unheeded.

• Improved workstation configuration reduced issues while documentation and training reduced user frustration and support requirements.