Law Firm SmithAmundsen Engages SWC for Managed & Virtual CIO Services

OAK BROOK, Ill., Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- In a wide-ranging IT outsourcing arrangement, SWC Technology Partners today announced a broad managed and strategic IT services agreement with SmithAmundsen LLC, a 130-lawyer firm headquartered in Chicago with a total of 250 employees and additional offices in Wisconsin and Missouri. The agreement encompasses 24/7 remote monitoring as well as patching and updating of the firm's IT infrastructure, two full-time SWC staff stationed at the firm's main office in Chicago, a 'virtual CIO' relationship for long-range technology planning, and access to SWC's IT specialists for upgrades and special projects.

In the first few months, SWC's team has enabled SmithAmundsen to:

• Consolidate the server infrastructure through virtualization to reduce the number of physical servers by 40%, freeing data center space as well as significantly reducing power and HVAC costs.
• Adopt a 12-month strategic IT roadmap created by SWC including plans to upgrade the firm's dated Microsoft Office and Exchange platforms, and leverage Microsoft SharePoint to replace the firm's intranet, add an extranet, and implement document management.  These strategies will eliminate one-off application purchases for individual projects.
• Improve desktop performance and stability by implementing best practice standards for desktop deployment and patching. 
• Reduce licensing fees on new Microsoft products by 40% by engaging in a three-year Microsoft enterprise agreement, laying the groundwork to execute key portions of the strategic plan.

SmithAmundsen also has gained 24/7 IT oversight that reduces the risk of system downtime, a team of more than 80 SWC consultants with wide-ranging technical expertise unavailable with its previous in-house IT staff, implementation of best practices to optimize its technology services, and expert guidance in selecting and deploying IT systems that will increase the efficiency of the practice.

This extensive array of services reflects SWC's ranking as one of the world's top 100 managed services providers in the latest MSPmentor 100 report.

"Having the right technology performing at the right level is critical for servicing clients. SWC's ability to provide both daily and long-range technology services increases our ability to do that exponentially as well as cost-effectively," said Larry Schechtman, Managing Partner, SmithAmundsen. "If one of our on-site SWC engineers is on vacation, they provide the needed coverage. If we're planning an upgrade, SWC can efficiently design and implement the solution.  If we need software development for a big case, we don't need to pay another consultant $30,000 for an initial assessment because SWC knows our environment and has software developers on staff. This combination of technical expertise and 24/7 support would be impossible to staff internally at any price."

"Most managed services providers concentrate on remote monitoring of network resources, but midmarket organizations need more than that. Depending on the business, they need a mix-and-match combination of network monitoring, break/fix, long-range planning and other services ranging from remote help desk to disaster recovery planning, hosting and management – a 'Managed Services Plus' model, if you will," said Susie Cummings, VP, Managed Services, SWC Technology Partners. "SmithAmundsen's requirements showcase the need for a flexible but comprehensive set of outsourced IT services that can provide expert coverage that is not affordable on an in-house basis."

About SWC Technology Partners

SWC Technology Partners is an award-winning provider of IT solutions to midsize businesses. For more than 30 years, SWC has excelled at delivering technology solutions that optimize productivity, strengthen customer relationships, enhance data sharing and drive profitability. SWC specializes in the technology solutions that match the business needs of midmarket organizations including managed services; infrastructure solutions such as Unified Communications, virtualization and network security; and software solutions including SharePoint, business intelligence and custom development. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, SWC is a Microsoft Certified Gold Partner and was honored as a Microsoft Central Region Partner of the Year in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2012. To learn more, visit http://www.swc.com or email [email protected] or call 630.572.0240. Follow SWC on Facebook and on Twitter @SWCTechPartners

About SmithAmundsen LLC: 

SmithAmundsen LLC is a rapidly expanding law firm comprised of 130 attorneys practicing from offices in Chicago, St. Charles, Rockford and Woodstock, IL; Milwaukee, WI; and St. Louis, MO. The firm represents business entities and individuals engaged in most all commercial endeavors. Major practice concentrations include commercial litigation, labor and employment, banking and financial services, construction, insurance services, commercial transportation, health care and medical devices, products liability/manufacturing and corporate transaction, and enterprise services. Click here to visit SmithAmundsen's media room.

SOURCE SWC Technology Partners