Lutheran Towers Success Story

Summary

Lutheran Towers' performance was thwarted by outdated technology. TechBridge's IT assessment provided the guidance needed to get Lutheran Towers back on track. And, with TechBridge's Scheduled Services, the Towers can focus on the care of its residents.

Lutheran Towers is a faith-based, wellness-oriented not for profit community for low to moderate income seniors promoting safe and secure housing in a caring and professional environment. A 15-story high-rise with 205 apartments, Lutheran Towers is in the heart of midtown, accessible to mass transit (MARTA), entertainment, and to the best hospitals and medical services in Atlanta. The Towers' goal is to provide safe, secure, comfortable housing in an active community setting while offering an affordable Midtown address for seniors on a fixed income. The Towers puts an emphasis on programming and services designed to keep residents busy, but still offers quiet, private apartment living that encourages independence. For more information, visit: www.lutherantowers.org.

Lutheran Towers is a growing nonprofit that desires to leverage technology to do its job better. An outdated server, limited network and poor connectivity inhibited the Towers day-to-day functionality. The organization needed to improve the reliability of its email and increase its capability to schedule meetings with one another.

"Everybody is on email, so if your system goes down, everything stops," said David Sprowl, Executive Director, Lutheran Towers. "With eight full-time employees, four part-time employees and a residents' computer lab, we wanted to enhance our ability to communicate and stabilize our network."

Lutheran Towers decided that it needed more support and capacity to meet emerging needs than a single IT consultant offered. The organization selected TechBridge as its technology partner based on TechBridge's reputation of responsive, reliable and competent service.

"Since TechBridge is a nonprofit, its staff understands our challenges and speaks our language." said Sprowl.

Software and hardware upgrades, reliable connectivity, and technical know-how often plague a nonprofit organization. As a nonprofit, the goal of the organization is to serve the community in some way, not to worry about the administrative, technical components of the infrastructure. Forward-looking, growing nonprofits rely on technology to reach their goals efficiently.

To determine the extent of Lutheran Towers' needs, TechBridge conducted an IT assessment. As a result, TechBridge recommended that it improve its technology base by installing a new server, upgrading its operating system and organizing its networking closet to stabilize the Towers' infrastructure. Initially, TechBridge worked with Lutheran Towers to purchase a new Dell server. With the installation and configuration of the new server, TechBridge migrated all the usernames, data, directory security and exchange mailboxes to the new server to allow better user collaboration and proper backup procedures.

Through TechBridge's affiliation with the NPower Network and the Microsoft Direct Donation Program, Microsoft donated Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. TechBridge loaded the new products and tested the functionality to make sure it met the needs of Lutheran Towers. Finally, TechBridge recommended a wiring vendor to organize and label Lutheran Towers networking wires that helped reduce connectivity problems.

Lutheran Towers' unique needs of its residents' computer lab necessitated a hardware refresh. The Georgia Aquarium, another TechBridge client, donated ten desktop computers to Lutheran Towers, and TechBridge integrated the newer computers into the Towers' network replacing the older lab computers. With all of its computers networked, Lutheran Towers gained greater visibility of its systems and minimized troubleshooting efforts.

Sidebar: "We help bring the community together by tapping our expansive network of partners." Michael Nachman, COO, TechBridge

Relying on email as a primary communication tool, Lutheran Towers considered connectivity, remote access and limited email SPAM imperative. Using TechBridge's Scheduled Services, Lutheran Towers' infrastructure receives ongoing monitoring of its systems and infrastructure. That way, if a problem arises, a TechBridge is on top of it to minimize the impact. Plus, Lutheran Towers' employees have access to TechBridge's Community Helpdesk to answer any questions whether those questions concern email, printer, closed circuit TV or any other technical issue.

To address Lutheran Towers' desire for enhanced secure access, TechBridge implemented remote access capabilities allowing employees to remotely access their applications and email. Email is accessed from anywhere using a regular Internet connectivity. The access for files and data is using a secure Virtual Private Network (VPN) technology

Unwanted email clogs inboxes and takes time to sort through thereby detracting from mission-critical tasks. Inundated by SPAM, Lutheran Towers looked to TechBridge for a solution. TechBridge recommended the GFI SPAM filter, and after testing the trial version, Lutheran Towers decided to purchase and install the filter. Now, TechBridge maintains and reports on the filter and Lutheran Towers' inboxes are dramatically cleaner.

Notable as TechBridge's first Scheduled Services client, Lutheran Towers helped shape that offering. As a proactive, preventative maintenance and support service offered at a fixed, flat, monthly price, TechBridge's Scheduled Services assists with routine technology tasks of a non-emergency nature. The scope includes the following major components:

• On-site server, desktop and network support
• Remote desktop and network support including technical helpdesk support
• Strategic planning and consulting services
• Creation and maintenance of network documentation

TechBridge is on site as needed with two 5-hour, prescheduled visits per month. Specifically, TechBridge's preventative maintenance visits include:

• Addressing any outstanding issues with servers, security and internet connectivity
• Standardizing users' workstations and laptops with Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Establishing secured remote access to data and applications (via VPN or thin client technologies
• Keeping systems current and properly maintained
• Securing and stabilizing desktop environments
• Supporting and maintaining all servers and workstations and their associated software
• Maintaining appropriate critical updates and patch levels
• Creating and maintaining all documentation associated with environment
• Managing logs, backups, user issues, virus protection, hardware, software, network equipment, RAS/VPN connections, thin client and remote users
• Managing critical services, systems and data to maximize uptime
• Overseeing network, server and workstation performance and disk space
• Managing and maintaining associated firewalls, routers and internet connections to maximize uptime
• Monitoring and maintaining the servers and related services, patches, and updates

The onsite visits offer assurance that everything operates correctly and efficiently. Lutheran Towers uses those visits as a means to address outlying issues and discuss future needs.

Our Scheduled Services give Lutheran Towers the advantages of technology without worrying about the routine IT tasks," said Michael Nachman, COO, TechBridge. "We are diligent about our documentation so that they always know the status of their infrastructure and can rely on us to provide the support they need when they need it."

The stable, reliable, up-to-date network ensures that Lutheran Towers focuses on its residents, not its technology. The rotation of TechBridge consultants throughout the engagement ensures that multiple people are familiar with Lutheran Towers' unique environment and can act quickly when needed. This knowledge transfer extends to Lutheran Towers' employees so that simple fixes can be executed quickly.

"We're becoming more technical because TechBridge is teaching us," said Mike Sickeler, Director of Operations, Lutheran Towers. "TechBridge responds to our questions and offers guidance on how we can address issues such as resetting passwords ourselves. This knowledge transfer speeds results and gets us back to work faster."

TechBridge's technical competency coupled with the ability to speak in layman terms offers Lutheran Towers an unparalleled service. As a nonprofit serving nonprofits, TechBridge is well qualified to meet the sensitive needs, unique to nonprofits. TechBridge's Scheduled Services keep Lutheran Towers in business efficiently and dependably.

"Since we are so dependent on our systems, we can't do our jobs if they go down," said David Sprowl, Executive Director, Lutheran Towers, "We have the peace of mind that TechBridge is taking care of our systems, which lets us focus on the needs of our residents."

Sidebar: Help Seniors with Computers - TechBridge partners with Lutheran Towers to launch a volunteer computer tutoring program. Community members are asked to spend time with Lutheran Towers' residents in the computer lab. Volunteers will spend time troubleshooting problems, explaining how to surf the web, and teaching how to use software programs.

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