The Challenge: What Platform to Provide Full Remote Access to Information Systems?
Community IT guided the client in choosing and implementing a next generation technology platform that would support their global operations.
The client aims to prioritize hunger issues through advocacy, policy and coalition work, and with leadership development fellowship programs. Fellows are working around the United States and in Asia, Africa, and Latin America; and most of their interaction with the organization is through email and online.
The client had 13 staff, but no in-house IT staff. They sought better global communications, better access to their information systems, and improved availability of their systems.
They faced a number of challenges in achieving this, regularly running into limitations giving fellows full access to their information systems. With a minimalist on-premises server and application infrastructure, they also could not maintain the availability needed for an organization working at all hours across many time zones.
The Solution: Cloud Management from Community IT
The client needed to find an information systems solution that would allow them to work with Fellows in the office and remotely. A Cloud-based platform was the answer.
The first steps in Cloud Management are an assessment of needs and evaluation of solutions.
Community IT worked with the client to
- understand their business needs
- document functional requirements
- perform a highly-detailed analysis of leading cloud platforms to consider
- develop estimated costs for each of the platforms, including implementation and training
- consider ease-to-implement and cultural constraints within the client to ensure successful implementation
- plan and support implementation and training
In performing the work, Community IT relied heavily on its considerable experience with non-profit organizations, its business analysis capabilities, and its experience in helping organizations to select and successfully implement Cloud-based systems.
The Results: Assessment and Implementation Delivered in a Timely Manner
The client relied on Community IT to guide them in choosing and implementing a next generation technology platform that would support their global operations.
Community IT worked with the client to:
- narrow the pool of potential solutions that would meet their business requirements
- help the client understand the strengths and weaknesses of the potential solutions to make informed decisions
- handle the technical aspects of implementation
- facilitate a smooth adoption for end users, providing training and support
The client appreciated having a vendor-agnostic partner to guide and support them through the process. They now have a more robust solution than they could have afforded to build on premises, and they have the added advantage of having an industry standard solution. Feedback in the first year of use was very positive. Staff and Fellows around the world are more connected than ever, with email always available on the many devices they use to connect, and new knowledge sharing capabilities across their network.
The client appreciated the excellent technical support and consultative relationship Community IT provides. Careful planning and implementation are key to any technology change. Community IT’s long-standing expertise in nonprofit constraints set your nonprofit IT project up for success.