Hosted Data Center Puts Client at Ease with 24×7 Availability, Redundancy

Chris Pirwitz, MicroAge Solutions Expert, continues to receive accolades for innovative solutions provided to a leading financial services company that specializes in higher education. And if repeat business really is the ultimate compliment, Chris was gratifed when the company called upon him again recently to assist them in a data center solution.

The client needed a hosted data center solution to provide 24×7 availability, reliability and redundancy for ongoing operations

An established MicroAge client, the company provides various financial services for approximately 100,000 college students. As such, it relies on a powerful, customized Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 platform delivered by MicroAge on which to manage all elements. Proposed, designed and project-managed by Chris Pirwitz and his team, the CRM system has proved to be integral to the client’s business growth. Click here to read about the CRM solution.

Growth has been so successful that the client recently contacted Chris to explore a hosted data center solution to provide 24×7 availability, reliability and redundancy for ongoing operations. Further, the client needed specific Microsoft licensing that only a hosting partner can provide, particularly with reference to Microsoft Dynamics 2011.

“The client’s IT director knows we have the resource to find anything he needs,” Chris comments. “The client required a data center in which to rent virtual servers that could host its custom software, while also providing managed services—in other words, be capable of making server changes or add to the licensing with no downtime.”

Chris researched various data center options that best met the client’s criteria, ultimately recommending a partner with specific hosting expertise in Microsoft Dynamics software and which had a Scope of Work and facility that met his stringent expectations. He presented his recommendations to the client IT director and executive vice president of operations, with whom he regularly consults. With approval, the implementation was straightforward and speedy.

Once agreements were reached on overall architecture, including server number, licensing types, uptime requirements, bandwidth considerations, remote accessibility, and service levels, the process took less than two weeks to complete. Running on 12 servers, the platform will serve users numbering in the high hundreds and will be the foundation of the client’s business success going forward. Capability, flexibility and dependability were demonstrated MicroAge attributes when Chris initially managed the CRM solution; today, they remain qualities that support this client’s initiatives—a message that actually bears repeating!

Got an IT issue? Contact Chris directly at 480-366-2097 or chris.pirwitz@microage.com.