“As our architectural practice has continued to expand, the projects we do and the IT infrastructure required to support them have increased in complexity. Miller Systems has enabled us to make continuing expansions and adjustments to our systems in real time with a minimum of disruption and downtime. Our experience with Miller Systems has been extremely positive; they are timely, efficient and technically proficient. Partnering with Miller Systems has allowed us to keep our focus on the high quality architectural service that we provide to our clients.”
William Ryder Senior Associate Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond Architects
An architecture firm based in Hingham, MA, Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond Architects increasingly relies on technology to help its business grow. Miller Systems was brought on to help the firm manage the short and long term demands of its increasingly complex network. The team at Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond wanted to retain control of their growing network; however, they preferred to focus their resources on client accounts and architectural work rather than allocating bandwidth for IT needs and/or hiring a full time IT manager. Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond turned to Miller Systems to provide the firm with the technical support and system control they required.
Balance system demands with resource and budget limitations
Manage day to day network operations
Plan and manage long-term network requirements
As Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond grew, so did the complexity of its network and the firm’s reliance on technology. With two buildings at its headquarters in Hingham and a remote office in Natick, MA, Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond’s IT requirements included overseeing and monitoring the connections between the different locations; managing its Exchange email system, Windows network and backup; and providing desktop support for various help desk questions from end users. Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond was also in the midst of planning its network growth, determining IT budgets, and tracking its IT assets.
TECHNOLOGIES USED:
1) System and records maintenance 2) Help desk support 3) Strategic network planning 4) Network monitoring
Miller Systems worked with Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond to develop a plan that would support both its day to day and long term IT support needs, while meeting its budget and resource requirements. Maintaining daily system operations, Miller Systems monitors the firm’s network remotely throughout the week, ensuring that the backup runs regularly, virus definitions are kept current, and all services are functioning correctly. Miller Systems also pays regular visits to Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond offices to patch servers and workstations and troubleshoot any errors that have come up. Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond has also found that having a Miller Systems technical representative available by phone is a cost-effective and efficient way to troubleshoot technology problems and get questions answered.
Ensuring that the team at Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond retains ultimate control over their burgeoning network, Miller Systems meets with management throughout the year to determine how ongoing business developments will affect the firm’s IT demands. As part of that process, Miller Systems identifies systems that need to be expanded or replaced, and helps Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond allocate funds accordingly. Furthermore, Miller Systems maintains records of all Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond’s assets, contracts and warranties so that the firm’s staff can concentrate on architecture instead of IT services.
With Miller Systems’ help, Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond has a reliable computing environment that is consistently monitored, keeping the team focused on doing what they do best and not on IT support. With Miller Systems on board, the firm has an IT partner available to take ownership of major system problems, or simply to help local staff troubleshoot problems on the phone.
Moreover, Miller Systems helps Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond make good technology investments that will grow as the firm grows. By keeping the firm abreast of changes in the technology they rely on, as well as ensuring that their support contracts, licenses and hardware warranties are current, Miller Systems ensures that all systems and applications run smoothly—keeping the staff at Strekalovsky, Hoit, Raymond dedicated to their architecture.
Miller Systems, Inc. • 31 St. James Avenue, Suite 948, Boston, MA 02116 • Tel: 617.266.4200 • info@millersystems.com
