“JCMR Technology offers the experience and expertise to complete a thorough and best-practices implementation of Microsoft’s System Center. Thanks to their help, knowledge, and expertise, we now have better control of our infrastructure.”
Chris Hirst, Sr. Network Administrator, AmWINS Group, Inc.
Summary
AmWINS Group, Inc. (AmWINS) was experiencing system downtime due to server crashes and poor system reliability. Additionally, the network infrastructure patching was not current and there was no established method of tracking patch history. AmWINS selected Microsoft System Center as the unified management system that best fit their requirements and engaged JCMR Technology as the local technology partner to advise them on a best-practice approach to the installation, configuration, and implementation.
Challenges
In order to resolve network issues before they became a problem for their users, AmWINS needed a way to monitor the network to identify the root causes of the crashes. Because equipment and software patching would be a first step towards any solution, AmWINS needed to establish and implement a network-wide patch management and tracking process.
These problems resulted in considerable downtime, which cost AmWINS lost revenue as well as IT resource time to research and correct vulnerabilities. Beyond those immediate issues, the unreliable network also presented challenges for IT budget and capacity planning.
By gaining visibility into the network, AmWINS would be able to monitor and report on network performance and track patch management across the network.
Solution
After some research, AmWINS selected Microsoft System Center as the unified management system that best fit their requirements. However, the AmWINS IT resources had limited knowledge and expertise with this solution and selected JCMR Technology as their local technology partner to advise them on a best-practice approach to the installation, configuration, and implementation of Microsoft System Center.
JCMR Technology assisted AmWINS with completion of their Microsoft System Center 2012 Operations Manager (SCOM) implementation. This engagement began with a group overview of SCOM’s capabilities and a practical explanation of the importance of properly configured monitoring and alerts. This overview was followed by extensive high-level solution planning and design discussions between AmWINS and JCMR Technology.
Once the planning and design discussions were complete, JCMR Technology worked with individual AmWINS system administrators to configure custom SCOM alerts and configurations. Eric Jones, JCMR Technology’s Lead Engineer, provided expert guidance and practical experience throughout the SCOM implementation process.
The AmWINS Testimony
“We enjoyed working with Eric Jones and Crystal Wood during the SCOM implementation, and we continue to rely on JCMR Technology’s expertise. We continue to look for ways that we can work together to strengthen the AmWINS environment monitoring systems. The changes we have made allow us to respond faster to problems, monitor patches, and schedule maintenance. Since JCMR Technology is a local partner, we have limited our costs by using an experienced, local consulting firm that understands our needs and provides valuable advice and services as we grow as a company.”
AmWINS Group, Inc. (“AmWINS”) has been a leader in the wholesale insurance industry since its formation in 1998. The firm is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina and has 90 locations across 17 countries, including 60 in the United States. The firm has expertise across a diversified mix of property, casualty and group benefits products. AmWINS also offers value-added services to support some of these products, including product development, underwriting, premium and claims administration and actuarial services.
By partnering with JCMR Technology, AmWINS: