When the housing market took a tumble, it wiped many construction companies off the map. Determined to be a survivor rather than a casualty, Brayson Homes turned to DynaSis for help downsizing its IT needs and budget while remaining customer-focused and competitive.

DynaSis recommended its cloud-computing solution, ITility by DynaSis, as the best means for Brayson Homes to minimize IT costs and increase operating agility. Brayson Homes said yes, and now the company reports it is stronger than ever.

"DynaSis provides what we need at a reasonable, affordable rate," says Brayson Homes Office Manager Kim DeLong. "We’re still getting the same excellent service, even though we don't require the level of support we used to."

At the Office to in the Cloud
Brayson Homes has been a DynaSis customer since 2002, when the DynaSis team set up a peer-to-peer network for the expanding company. DynaSis grew with Brayson Homes, transitioning them to a networked client-server environment during the heyday of the housing boom. When the housing market collapsed quickly, DynaSis was ready to help Brayson Homes sidestep the fallout.

With ITility by DynaSis, Brayson Homes' data and applications are hosted at DynaSis's world-class data center, enabling the firm to eliminate the expense and hassle of maintaining and upgrading on-premise servers. Employees access company data and applications through a dedicated Internet-based portal, anytime and anywhere, which enables Brayson Homes to save even more money through workshifting.

"ITility by DynaSis gives us the flexibility to access work wherever we are, so we can succeed with fewer employees," says DeLong. "When I am on vacation, I can access what is happening at the worksite. We have at our fingertips what we need, as we need it, and we can produce an effective outcome for our clients."

Future-Proofing
Another benefit of ITility by DynaSis is built-in system scalability, which will enable Brayson Homes to ramp up its server capacity almost instantaneously when the economic forecast improves. "We will grow again and need more of their support," says DeLong, who is confident that when that time comes, DynaSis will be eager to assist them. "DynaSis has always been willing to listen and work towards a solution," she says. "No matter what the stage or size of our business, they have been flexible and able to provide what we needed at the time. They were efficient and effective when we were small, then got large, then went back to being a small firm."

DeLong  says DynaSis's dedication is more than an attitude—it's a mission. "They really care and want to provide services not only for today but for tomorrow," she says. "They are very proactive in reaching beyond the current boundaries to see what people and businesses are going to need—and be—in the future."

For the present, DeLong couldn't be more pleased. "Going from standalone computers to accessing our information anywhere, at the click of a button, has added tremendous value," says DeLong. "The system helps us to be more productive and efficient, providing savings for the company. I definitely would recommend ITility by DynaSis to anyone."

Electronic Health Records (EHR) organization TactusMD, Inc. is one of only a few firms that offers its doctor-clients a streamlined, workflow-based solution for creating and retrieving patient data. To allow flexibility of use, the EHRs need to be highly accessible to authorized individuals. Yet, patient privacy acts (HIPPA) and doctors' own beliefs that patient confidentiality is paramount—means TactusMD's cloud solution offering must be extraordinarily stable and secure. When TactusMD sought a new hosting environment, it found the perfect combination of accessibility, security and cost effectiveness with DynaSis.

"From a security and reliability standpoint, we wanted to bring everything into a single datacenter," says TactusMD CEO Dr. Anthony Mari. "I had met Dave (Moorman, DynaSis's President of Managed IT Services) and had heard great things about DynaSis's service organization. They are personal and professionals and that is the way I like to run our company. Dave worked with us to help architect the type of hosting solution we knew we needed to ensure success for our business."

Building Meaningful Patient Health

Even though TactusMD’s software communicates with hospitals and ties into their systems (through a third-party gateway), it is the local community doctors who actually use TactusMD EHR to record, update, access and share patient data. TactusMD’s unique ability to configure workflows for different doctors based upon the way they practice medicine, combined with visually pleasing user interface and health information exchange capability, makes trading and viewing patient data easy enough for any referring/referral doctors to review patient data in a meaningfully way.

"We offer an ambulatory health record system with the ability to trade patient data with larger enterprise medical systems and any other relevant third party healthcare software provider," says Mari. "We can hook directly into the hospital system and trade patient data in real time, adding true life saving capabilities."

TactusMD also enables universal access to patient records for the doctors themselves, via smartphone, tablet, notebook or through the hospital system. This enables TactusMD's doctors to meet the criteria for meaningful use (a component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which provides a financial incentive for healthcare providers that use data in a meaningful way).

Supporting this criteria was a crucial step for TactusMD (the firm, which is still in its early growth phase and is 100% Meaningful Use 2012 Certified), but it made accessibility, security and reliability vital elements of its IT solution. TactusMD can implement an on-premise client-server solution or a SaaS cloud/hosted solution with in-house customer support. Prior to engaging DynaSis, TactusMD’s cloud solution was divided among hosting providers from Chicago, Atlanta and New York.

"I believe sharing data is key and essential in providing quality healthcare in todays market, but you have to have the appropriate security and permissions in place to allow access to third parties. Our client-partners are counting on us to keep the data not only accessible but secure," says Mari.

All-in-One Convenience

Thanks to its breadth of offerings and expertise, DynaSis was able to help TactusMD transition to a fully hosted solution with best-practices security and reliability for medical data. DynaSis hosts TactusMD's cloud infrastructure, its business and client side infrastructure, and its development servers. "Novatefch provides consistency," Mari notes.

"They provide as close to perfect uptime as anyone possibly can," he continues. "And, they are responsive. I like to be able to pick up the phone and get in touch with someone. That is a big deal for me." When speaking to the security aspects of the DynaSis solution, Mari likens it to that of a bank. "We are confident that when you log-in, there is security that will protect your ID and information."

TactusMD is in the process of developing a web-based application, and DynaSis is ensuring the firm has the right foundation as it makes code modifications for that transition. "It’s a matter of attending to the right things," says Mari. "We needed an environment to be stable as we were a developing company and preparing to scale. We started with a few servers and the relationship just grew."

Mari says DynaSis's solution is also the most cost-effective option for TactusMD, both now and as it scales up to being a larger enterprise. "It was the best business decision for us," he says. "Add to that the capital investment; the learning curve; everything would have been twice as expensive, if not more. Besides, who needs the stress of doing it yourself?"

“Technology isn’t just a tool, it’s a weapon,” Executive VP Ed Steinman said. “Your technology should support your business in ways that allow you to discover more quickly, respond more quickly. IT should never hold you back, it should be pushing you ahead.” Through the Digital Veins program, DynaSis constantly monitors the operation of Whitaker’s systems, performing regular maintenance, executing backups and installing upgrades and patches proactively.

When automotive, commercial and industrial lubricant supplier Halco Industries found service going down and prices going up with its former IT support firm, the company decided it was time for a reboot. After discussing the situation with its current firm, the company called DynaSis for a consultation. The result was a retooling of Halco's IT strategy that not only increased satisfaction but also is helping them explore adoption of new technologies.

Business Basics.
Halco's 29-user IT configuration centers around five on-premise servers running either Windows Server 2003 or 2008. The firm uses MS Exchange 2010 for email messaging and archival, Multiview Financial software, plus Microsoft Office (with Excel power users) and heavy reliance on Internet access. Despite having sufficient infrastructure running leading software products, prior to DynaSis's arrival things were always going wrong.

"We were continually having downtime across the organization. On different systems and at different times our Internet, email and order entry would be down," says Halco Accounting Manager Joann Carney. "The president of the company was familiar with of DynaSis, so we had them come in a few times to discuss how they would address our needs. We liked their approach and we switched."

DynaSis recommended its Digital Veins service, in which it manages, monitors and patches the on-site servers and other IT equipment for its customers, either remotely or on premises. The solution adopted by Halco also includes a backup and disaster recovery system as well as spam filtering and patch management. DynaSis also provides problem alerting and support notification to Halco users.

Service First.
DynaSis installed a dedicated software solution that placed an icon on the desktop of every Halco user. When users have a problem, they click the icon to initiate a service ticket.

"DynaSis responds directly to the user, as opposed to our previous solution where only one or two people could call in with issues," says Carney. "I love the fact they are willing to talk to every user, and will talk to folks in the warehouse about how to reboot a computer so I don’t have to go out there and do it."

According to Carney, DynaSis's proactive approach ensures she is notified of problems before she is aware of them. "I get a text message telling me the server is down before I get to work," she says. "The monitoring on their end watches our servers."

While she is driving into the office, Carney relates, DynaSis works to restore the problematic server remotely. "They ask me to call when I arrive if the server isn’t restored to normal operations," she says.

"I just had a nasty virus and they dialed in and repaired it," she continues. "While they were there, they noticed a patch missing from my machine and checked all the other workstations to make sure they had the patch, then reported back to us on the resolution."

On the Spot and Within Reach
Carney reports that she has timed DynaSis's response time and found it to be "excellent." She says the average is around seven minutes, and if DynaSis cannot repair a problem remotely, they are quick to arrive and take care of the problem, on site. "We’re a sales-based business, and sales people are taking orders all day, so if a server goes down it puts us in a backlog," says Carney. "We are unable to take orders and make our money."

DynaSis also supports the Blackberries and iPhones of Halco's outside sales force, who call DynaSis directly for support. DynaSis's engagement has also extended the reach of Halco's employees, in some cases enabling them to perform tasks they never before considered. "Some of us work at home and have the ability to dial-in; they have made a big difference in our remote capabilities," says Carney.

"Our sales manager just got an iPad and is trying to do quotes from it," she continues. "DynaSis is helping him enable direct desktop access from his iPad." So successful has the effort been, so far, that Carney says DynaSis will soon be helping Halco integrate more iPads with their system as well as easing the transition into a new CRM solution.

"One of our oil company partners recently provided iPads to our representatives and invited us to join a beta program for order taking," says Carney. "Now, our sales people are exploring what else they can do with the devices, and DynaSis is helping them out."

Successfully running a meeting and event management company is a challenging pursuit. Competition is fierce, reputation is everything, and enabling communication between widely dispersed office and field workers is critical to success. After Caldwell Group, Ltd took a technology plunge and developed its own in-house IT infrastructure, the firm realized that the solution was not furthering its ability to meet these challenges—or powering its success.

Maintaining the new IT systems required expertise that in-house personnel lacked, and it took the focus away from the Caldwell Group's core business. Equally important for the company's operations, an on-premise implementation lacked the flexibility to support staff outside the office.

In 2007, Caldwell Group President and CEO Polly Bermingham turned to DynaSis for a solution. The company recommended ITility by DynaSis, its cloud-based, fully hosted solution for company applications and data. Half a decade later, both the partnership and Caldwell Group are still going strong. "ITility by DynaSis allows us to work remotely and share all our files, which makes us so much more efficient and effective," says Bermingham.

With ITility by DynaSis, Caldwell Group personnel access the firm's applications and data from any location and on any device through a dedicated, secure Internet portal. Whether staff is working locally on a corporate meeting at a trade show or halfway around the world at a pre-site visit for a corporate incentive event, ITility by DynaSis keeps proposals, contracts, menus and other documents and details at their fingertips. And, since ITility by DynaSis supports 24/7/365 access from any Internet-connected device, staff can also work at home or on vacation if needed.

A Refreshing Change

Bermingham credits not only ITility by DynaSis but also the DynaSis staff itself for helping propel Caldwell Group's success. "DynaSis team members are professional, friendly and warm, and they never make you feel like your questions are stupid, even though what you are asking might be," says Bermingham. "It's so unusual to find somebody that offers great, professional service. It is really refreshing."

If problems ever pop up, Bermingham says, the DynaSis staff "knows how to fix them and will work on them until they get them fixed." So pleased is Bermingham with ITility by DynaSis that she credits them with the firm's continuity.

"There is no better decision we could make, for the service; the product; the money," Bermingham concludes. "They keep us in business, and that's the truth."

When disposable medical supplies provider Remington Medical began searching for a new technology provider, management knew it wanted to be on the cutting edge of emerging technologies. With three locations—one outside the U.S. in the Dominican Republic—robust remote networking and data exchange was a core requirement.

"I wanted somebody who could handle those areas and had technical competency," says Remington Medical CFO Steve Garner." DynaSis, which already hosted Remington's email server and had previously provided other services to the firm—was ready with the perfect solution.

Early Adopter
Since DynaSis already had a relationship with Remington Medical, it was a natural fit for DynaSis's VP of Managed IT Services Chas Arnold to make a presentation, and Garner had full confidence in DynaSis abilities. "I always thought they were technically competent," Garner says.

In addition to needing a new IT provider, rapidly growing Remington Medical also needed to upgrade its technology infrastructure. Initially, Arnold recommending Remington Medical move to DynaSis's cloud computing solution, ITility by DynaSis. However, Garner had previously researched cloud computing and says he "hadn't reached the comfort level of having my operating data stored offsite."

At the time, DynaSis was rolling out Ascend, a new Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offering. For a low, fixed, monthly fee, DynaSis installs, monitors and maintains a custom-engineered, end-to-end, on-premise hardware and software solution. The fee includes remote monitoring and maintenance of the entire infrastructure from DynaSis's network operations center, and users can access the 24 x 7 helpdesk, 365 days a year through a trouble-reporting icon on each workstation.

Ascend was a perfect match for Remington Medical, as it enabled the firm to avoid the substantial capital outlay of new equipment. As part of the solution, DynaSis also provides secure Web-based access to the company's applications and data for remote users in offices outside the Georgia headquarters. With Ascend, Garner knows the company will remain on the cutting edge, as DynaSis handles all necessary software and hardware upgrades as part of the contract.

"Ascend appealed to me because it includes things I like, such as its ability to backup my whole system rather than rely on tape system," says Garner. "It was a mental step for me, rather than having to lose control of my hardware completely."

In the Clouds
With the transition to the new system complete, Garner is thinking ahead. Despite not being ready for cloud computing just yet, Garner says Ascend is the perfect transitional step that will enable his firm to harness the power of the cloud, down the road. “Moving to a cloud-based solution is a more real and practical possibility today than in the past,” says Garner. "ITility by DynaSis is probably where we’ll head. If I were a brand new company, ITility by DynaSis would make a lot of sense. There are a lot of advantages, and we’ll probably get there eventually."

For now, he's content with Ascend and DynaSis, which completely eliminates the need for him to have even a single in-house IT staffer. "Chas was smart enough to keep our relationship going," says Garner. It took five years, but it paid off for him."

A DynaSis Case Study
When Goldleaf Data outgrew the capabilities of its managed IT services provider, it knew it needed a change. However, management wanted more than a vendor prepared to support a larger staff. Goldleaf sought a firm that would provide rapid, on-site response when support issues could not be resolved over the phone; one with dedicated personnel who understood that downtime was unacceptable.

“We now have more employees—more PCs to support,” says Chavarous Kennebrew, Data Analyst I with Goldleaf Data. “Our other vendor was not able to meet some of the time restrictions we have. We are a data reseller, so we cannot be down.”

Goldleaf Data had worked with DynaSis previously, under an earlier management team. When the company was ready to make a switch, they chose DynaSis again. “We were happy with them before, and the services they offered were competitive based on what we saw with other firms in the area. We went back to DynaSis.”

Full-Service; Genuine Commitment
With Digital Veins, Goldleaf receives a comprehensive menu of support services, beginning with 24/7/365 critical systems monitoring, automated software updates and network patch management to automated backups, network policy enforcement and managed security. Goldleaf also enjoys helpdesk, onsite support and after-hours service (remote or onsite) for infrastructure components covered under the plan.

According to Kennebrew, DynaSis’s support platform is one of the great benefits they have realized through Digital Veins. “The process for support—whether it is a call or placing a ticket online, is easy to use,” says Kennebrew. “I prefer to pick up the phone and call someone—and there has always been someone to help me when I call. That is definitely important.”

In describing the commitment and tenacity of DynaSis’s staff, Kennebrew cites a specific incident, noting, “We were up and down with rolling blackouts prior to DynaSis. One of their support technicians—Jim—was here to do Job A, but he stayed here through Job B to Job M until we reached resolution,” says Kennebrew. “DynaSis has a very knowledgeable; very dedicated staff.”

Kennebrew reports that Goldleaf Data is planning to upgrade some of its network hardware to reduce network bottlenecks, and DynaSis will also be assisting with that project. “Their services are great, and they have been very well received,” Kennebrew continues. “If I were looking to refer someone to an IT support company, DynaSis is the first company I would suggest.”

Alpharetta, Georgia – January 31, 2012 – DynaSis, Atlanta’s premier provider of IT services and support for small and medium businesses (SMBs), today announced it is adding Vu Telepresence^® to its roster of business-boosting services. Vu Telepresence enables any company with a standard broadband Internet connection to conduct HD-quality videoconferences with customers, colleagues and vendors.

“We are constantly seeking innovative solutions to enhance our clients’ business success, and Vu Telepresence is one of those solutions,” said DynaSis Executive Vice President Chas Arnold. “Vu Telepresence includes everything our clients need to conduct remote face-to-face conversations—with document and application-window sharing and session recording—yet it’s affordable and uncomplicated to setup and run.”

What makes the Vu Telepresence system especially intriguing is its VirtualFacets compression technology, which supports the two-way exchange of HD video without the need for a dedicated, ultra-high-speed connection or special cabling. This means even the smallest office with only an ordinary broadband connection can leverage the benefits of professional-quality, crystal-clear video and audio that is usually available only through dedicated conferencing centers or in larger firms.

Vu Telepresence supports connections with up to five locations and can record 1500 hours of session time. The heart of the solution is the VU Media Control Unit, which clients simply plug into their broadband connections. The system also includes a performance matched camera with remote pan, tilt, and zoom. Vu Telepresence also offers a built-in Rich Web Client, so companies using Vu Telepresence can even host callers that do not have a VU unit.

“With the DynaSis’ hardware-as-a-service delivery model, our customers can lease the VU Media Control Unit from us for a nominal monthly fee, which includes our signature 24/7/365 support and maintenance,” says Arnold. “We’re tremendously excited about the potential this product has to enrich our clients’ business environments, connecting them with customers and associates without the need to travel.”

About DynaSis
DynaSis is a managed IT service provider for small and medium sized businesses in Atlanta, Georgia. DynaSis specializes in offering on-premise and on-demand managed IT service plans, managed hosting and professional equipment installation. For more information about DynaSis services visit www.dynasis.com.

If your office is located in Atlanta, Georgia, there is absolutely no reason you can’t work from Paris, or perhaps a beach in Cabo. After years of going to the same place, at the same time, just to sit at your desk, the habit becomes second nature. We get comfortable with a routine. But there are downsides of these strict habits. For example, even if you get sick, would you think twice about coming into the office to accomplish your daily to-do’s?

We go to great lengths to protect our office environments, even if it can pose a risk to our health and our coworker’s health. These risks aren’t just unhealthy, these routines can become stale and result in loss of time and money. There are better, affordable alternatives to a strict office-only work environment.

Remote Working

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work away from the office. Normally, all it takes is a username and password. If you can login to your e-mail. You can remotely login to your desktop and work on any device, like your iPad, and work anywhere there is an Internet connection.

The benefits of being able to access your work environment, untethered to your desktop, are staggering. Suddenly, you will be able to make your kid’s dance rehearsal, take a sick day without risking the office’s health, and travel to the destinations that were too far to justify the time off. With the ability to work remotely, geography becomes much less of a barrier to action.

Increased Productivity

Traditional office environments are an expensive luxury. Rent, equipment, IT management, and all of the bells and whistles that are required to maintain a healthy work space are extremely costly. Remote work environments are much more affordable in comparison and you don’t need to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Maintaining a smaller office space while having the ability to work remotely offers employees the best of both worlds.

Not only will a remote desktop environment save you money, it will also make employees more productive. Gone are the days of writing ideas down in a notepad. Why bother with that extra step when you can just login and get to work on it? At any time in the day, employees have the ability to be productive. That’s why Microsoft doesn’t think remote working is a nice add-on, they call remote working a, “business imperative.”

Alpharetta, Georgia – January 4, 2012 – DynaSis, Atlanta’s premier provider of IT services and support for small and medium businesses (SMBs), announced today that LPS Laboratories, a division of Illinois Tool Works Inc.  U.S. manufacturer of chemicals for industrial, aerospace, military and telecommunications facilities worldwide, has signed an agreement with DynaSis for its Digital Veins service.

Digital Veins is DynaSis' proactive IT monitoring and maintenance solution that provides 24/7/365 oversight, problem resolution and disruption prevention. Under the terms of the agreement, DynaSis will provide fully managed service for LPS on-premise equipment as well as round-the-clock Help Desk support for its workers.

“In addition to its headquarters in Atlanta, LPS has a large dispersed workforce, making remote support and problem resolution essential to its operations," says DynaSis President Dave Moorman. "With Digital Veins, it doesn't matter where or in what time zone their workers are stationed. If a problem or a question arises, there is always someone available to help."

LPS  selected DynaSis after a detailed search of providers that specialize in servicing companies of equivalent size to LPS. "We narrowed it down to DynaSis as the best solution to provide the services we needed," says LPS Operations Manager Andrew Lisska. "It is very important to us that they can remotely resolve problems."

In contracting for Digital Veins, LPS is replacing its internal Help Desk solution with DynaSis 24/7/365 service, as well. "Our internal Help Desk took several days  to fix problems; we’re looking to DynaSis to help resolve those things much faster," says Lisska.

About LPS Laboratories
LPS Laboratories was founded in 1961 when LPS 1® Greaseless Lubricant was first introduced. Since that time, LPS Laboratories has provided convenience-packaged maintenance chemicals to industrial, aerospace, military and telecommunications facilities world-wide. In 1999, LPS was acquired by Illinois Tool Works (ITW), of Chicago, Illinois, a 18 billion-dollar specialty products and technology company with nearly 100 years of diversified manufacturing history. LPS' world headquarters is located in Tucker, GA. For more information, visit www.lpslabs.com.

About DynaSis
DynaSis is a managed IT service provider for small and medium sized businesses in Atlanta, Georgia. DynaSis specializes in offering on-premise and on-demand managed IT service plans, managed hosting and professional equipment installation. For more information about DynaSis services visit www.dynasis.com.

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