Server Upgrade for a Safer IT Infrastructure

Experiencing problems with its network and knowing it was a result of the server being overworked, the staff at the National Employment Law Project (NELP) was nervous that their inability to properly backup and save important files would someday come back to haunt them.

Challenge

Experiencing problems with its network and knowing it was a result of the server being overworked, the staff at the National Employment Law Project (NELP) was nervous that their inability to properly backup and save important files would someday come back to haunt them. The server supported nearly fifteen workstations and had reached its disk capacity such that staff could no longer save important files without first making room on the disk drive. For a non-profit that thrives on the information that is shared between staff on behalf of their clients, the situation was precarious. The search for an affordable, reliable technology assistance provider had thus far been unsuccessful.

The only person on staff who knew anything about computers was Allison Palmer, NELP's administrative assistant. Allison is a classic "accidental techie" within a nonprofit organization, having learned most of what she knows about computers on the job and becoming the "go to" person when someone in the office has a technology question. Allison heard about NPower NY's arrival at a panel discussion and called us for advice on the network situation.

Solution

NELP became one of NPower NY's first clients when it opened its doors in spring 2001. Our consultants recommended that NELP add a server and upgrade its current server to the current version of Microsoft's network operating system, Windows Server 2000, as well as segregate the Exchange server from the file, print and backup functionalities in order to increase performance. In addition, we would document the configuration of their network and train Allison on the basics of server administration. NPower NY facilitated the purchase of a server through a group discounting program as well as a software donation from Microsoft.

NPower NY staff also interviewed Allison at the project's inception to benchmark our performance and NELP's satisfaction with our services. NPower NY has a rigorous performance management system which will gauge our success in delivering on our promise of high quality service, technology information transfer and measurable outcomes for the client.

Impact

At the project's close NELP has a stable and reliable network operating system based on two servers instead of one. Staff are able to save important documents and backups are regularly conducted to ensure information protection. Allison is more knowledgeable about her network and knows she can call NPower NY if she ever has a question about technology for her organization. A follow-up survey was conducted with Allison to measure our effectiveness and NELP's satisfaction.