Challenge: Outdated Network Environment
UFCW Local One needed professional help upgrading its outdated network environment. Their network issues stemmed from growing on an as-needed basis over the last several decades under a single systems administrator. UFCW Local One is a well-respected union representing employees across nearly every industry throughout Upstate New York and Northern Pennsylvania. The organization’s network issues called for M.A. Polce’s hardware and professional IT services team.
The existing network design was affecting performance and exposing UFCW Local One to a high risk of downtime and security breaches. Investigating the most economical way to fulfill their vacant Systems Administrator role led to a full assessment of their current IT environment.
After assessing the current network and systems design, we determined it significantly deviated from IT and cybersecurity best practices. These deviations lead to latency issues, difficulty managing and troubleshooting issues on the network, multi-vendor charges, and an unreliable environment that is critical to their clients. The organization’s outdated network would need a modern and cost-effective IT solution.
Solution: Professional IT Services for Outdated Network
M.A. Polce created a services team from various internal support structures to work with the client. The professional services team analyzed the functioning of the client’s critical applications. This allowed the professional services team to put together a brand-new network design, phase an implementation plan, and cutover. M.A. Polce’s New York network and security consultants then put forth a detailed proposal. They proposed a solution that utilizes Cisco Next Generation Firewalls and switching to consolidate into a Tier-One Managed Solution.
Recommending an industry-standard firewall that has the capability to support more advanced features. As IPS, URL filtering, and AMP protection configured in a stateful active standby pair would deliver the most cost-effective, secure network solution. Consolidating their firewalling solution to handle VPNs and internet links has resulted in a more reliable and efficient environment.
M.A. Polce also worked with UFCW as a trusted IT advisor to recommend more reliable, powerful, and less expensive methods for connectivity to their remote sites.
Business Outcome: Cost Savings from Upgrades
The partnership with M.A. Polce Consulting transformed UFCW Local One’s technical landscape from a variety of outdated platforms into a consolidated, secure, reliable, and well-documented robust network. The network upgrade ensures the safety of their network infrastructure and data. It also increases the organization’s overall efficiency and ability to serve the workforce. The hardware was selected and installed according to industry standards and best practices. Additionally, the guidance M.A. Polce provided on selecting data circuits has generated thousands of dollars in savings per month, allowing UFCW Local One to invest in proactive services.
