Customers
Please read our case studies to find out how Engler Consulting has helped improve our clients' departments and infrastructure. For more details on these cases, please contact us directly.
| Case One |
Case Two |
|---|---|
| Infrastructure Improvements, Disaster Recovery, Staff Development, IT Operations Planning | IT Relocation, Infrastructure Improvements, Staff Development |
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A medical devices engineering firm was in the process of transitioning their in-house IT support from one technician to another. The former technician had been with the firm for several years and had grown the infrastructure as needed, so the design was more organic than planned. The company was running Windows 2003 Server Standard on Dell desktop hardware and was exposed to data loss without RAID protection. The corporate firewall was strong but numerous translation rules allowed access to each workstation on the network from any Internet user. Applications and systems were undocumented and prone to failure due to poor design choices. Daily operations was focused on immediate results with little to no long-range planning. Fortunately, senior management was very supportive. We started working with them shortly before a network intrusion occurred, which potentially could have wiped out years of research and development data and accounting files overnight. In the process of helping them recover their systems, we developed a stronger and more flexible Windows security structure, migrated to new HP Proliant DL series servers, improved their backup strategy and helped manage a security and penetration assessment with a leading area security firm, drastically reducing the attack window offered to potential hackers. A migration from unmanaged Dell switches to Cisco equipment increased their ability to provide sections of their corporate network with appropriate security levels. After finishing the systems rebuild, we continue to advise the firm on ways to simplify and improve their ability to support the company. We are also providing on-the-job training for the new technician, allowing the firm to benefit from more sophisticated services. |
A San Diego food production company was migrating from an older campus to a brand-new facility. Their IT team wanted to "clean house" during the move and partnered with us. We helped develop a plan, budget and timetable with senior management to manage the process of preparing the new location's server room and infrastructure as well as managing the process of moving IT assets to the new location. Operational staff were integral to the decision-making process, minimizing the normal reluctance inherent in most improvement efforts. Our involvement kept the IT department on schedule while managing their senior officers' expectations, with significant spending on new phone and server hardware obtained with minimal objections. We helped select IBM BladeCenter hardware to replace their old server equipment and are deeply involved with their plans to virtualize their servers to reduce their management complexity and environmental footprint. We helped them with the selection of a Cisco phone system, citing advantages such as easy integration with a sister company's existing Cisco implementation and simplified future internal dialing plans using their WAN for connectivity. We also managed a subsequent project improving site-to-site communications using MPLS services to replace Internet-based VPNs, enabling the company to connect their VoIP systems to reduce costs and improve service. Both projects were turn-key, with documentation delivered upon completion in the form of a run book for use by internal IT staff from that point forward. We cross-trained internal IT staff members as we progressed, allowing them to get up to speed more quickly and take ownership of the new servers and network once more. We still serve as their point of escalation for complex or time-sensitive issues. |
