Blazing New Trails in IT Service

In colonial times, the Appalachian Mountains seemed like the edge of the world, a formidable barrier blocking access to the Western frontier. Only the hardiest of pioneers braved the Wilderness Road, a trail blazed by Daniel Boone through the Cumberland Gap to reach central Kentucky. Steep and rough, the “road” could only be navigated on foot or horseback in those days. It wasn’t until 1796 that an improved road opened that permitted wagon travel. This is the legacy of eastern Kentucky, the area served by Christian Appalachian Project (CAP). Founded in 1964 by Father Ralph W. Beiting, CAP is an interdenominational, non-profit Christian organization committed toserving people in need in Appalachia by providing physical, spiritual and emotional support through a wide variety of programs and services. Headquartered in Hagerhill, Ky., the non-profit organization has numerous locations throughout eastern Kentucky, and was finding it difficult to provide IT support to its remote offices. This challenge was overcome by outsourcing to NetGain Technologies. “We have five major locations as well as satellite offices all over the eastern counties,” said Debbie Adams, IT Manager for Christian Appalachian Project. “We used to have one IT person who would have to drive out to these remote offices. Our staff in these locations would sometimes have to wait two weeks for support because we could only schedule our IT guy to go out there every so often. Now NetGain Technologies takes care of them all and it has proven very beneficial for us.”

Managed Services Pioneers

Like any modern-day organization,CAP relies upon technology to supportits 225 employees and countless volunteers. Unfortunately, computers and networks malfunction and end-users have problems. The organization needed a technology partner who could provide seamless support for all of its locations. “In the past year or two when employees were being cut, we were down to just one IT person besides me. We decided we would look at outsourcing,” Adams said. “We were looking for somebody who could take care of all our IT needs and still be within our budget. That’s when we learned about Technology OneSource.” Technology OneSource is NetGain Technologies’ innovative managed services program with a high satisfaction rate and seven-year track record of success. Through the Technology One-Source program, NetGain Technologies provides remote monitoring, proactive maintenance and 24x7 help desk support to keep IT systems up and running. If on-site support is needed, a NetGain Technologies technician can generally be there within four hours. NetGain Technologies’ engineers and technicians can provide IT support when and where you need it. That made Technology OneSource the ideal solution for CAP. “With Technology OneSource, IT problems generally are resolved within a day. It makes things much easier and everybody is a lot happier,” said Adams. “And all I have to do is see that they do what I want them to do — which is easy because they are very responsive.”

Peak Performance

NetGain Technologies had partnered with CAP on various IT projects over many years, making it a logical choice for an outsourcing provider. Nonetheless, Adams did her homework and got other bids. “We’ve worked with NetGain probably ever since PCs came into being,” she said. “And, of course, Net- Gain was my first look because we had worked with them so long. We got other proposals but NetGain Technologies offered the most cost-effective solution. They were able to take care of everything for us and still stay within our budget.” NetGain Technologies’ first step was to upgrade CAP’s infrastructure. The Technology OneSource program includes a technology refresh to improve network reliability and performance and minimize support issues. “Our servers were getting to be three and four years old, so it was time to replace them,” Adams said. “We also got all new network equipment. Everything is much more stable — I don’t have to worry about the network crashing on us.” Today, NetGain Technologies hosts CAP’s servers in its state-of-the-art Network Operations Center, and provides expert technical support for the organization’s far-flung operations. Thanks to the Technology OneSource program CAP has seen improved productivity and fewer IT headaches. Like the pioneers who crossed the Appalachian Mountains in the 18th century, NetGain Technologies is leading the way in managed services solutions.