The Challenge
A San Francisco Bay Area financial planning & investment advisory firm was increasingly concerned about the risks and inconveniences of maintaining decades of confidential client financial data onsite. Although the firm performed regular offsite backups, downloading that data back to new hardware after a fire, earthquake, or other disaster would be both slow and risky. Its unreliable remote access solution also prevented the staff from working efficiently on their frequent travels. Moreover, the existing systems couldn’t support the online portal the firm wanted to create to allow clients to store, access, and update their own accounts and documents.
The Solution
The firm quickly recognized that moving its computer systems to the Cloud was the best way to safeguard them against physical threats while giving employees and clients secure, reliable remote access. After hearing rave reviews about Xantrion’s IT support, Xantrion was asked to present a proposal.
Xantrion recommended that the firm adopt a completely hosted business environment, from server to desktop. Xantrion’s Cloud Strategy solution hosts all the firm’s data and applications, while allowing staff to work anywhere, at any time, using almost any device. This includes smartphones and tablets as well as desktop and laptop computers. Xantrion’s Backup and Recovery solution protects sensitive data with continual, automated offsite backups that are quick and easy to restore to Xantrion’s hosted systems. Xantrion’s Certified Support solution provides all IT support and maintenance.
“We’re not technical people, so it’s a relief to have Xantrion handle all our IT,” says the principal and founder. “To our amazement, our applications actually function better in the Cloud, because Xantrion’s hardware is so much faster than ours was.”
The Outcome
Today, the firm has no worries that a disaster might interfere with their ability to serve their clients. “I believe our data is now secure, and that gives me a great deal of peace of mind,” the principal and founder says.
In addition, the firm’s staff now has fast, dependable access to email and other critical data anywhere, at any time, on almost any device. Secure remote access is also allowing staff to beta test a client portal system from its CRM vendor, with plans to roll it out to clients in the near future.
“On top of everything else, the technical consultant Xantrion assigned to work with us is superb,” the founder adds. “I’ve never met a more unflappable, patient guy. No matter how basic our IT support questions or how many times we asked them, he always answered them calmly and completely.”
