Small Company with Security Needs

In the bustling world of print media, there was a small but ambitious printing company. As a team of twelve people, they took pride in delivering high-quality print products to their clients. They didn’t have that same pride in their network quality. When their longtime IT person retired, they were referred to a local IT company.  

The new owner reached out to The AME Group to tackle some projects. The former owner did not value quality business technology and used consumer grade solutions.  She soon discovered they were left in a bit of a technological mess.  The AME Group sent an engineer onsite to review their network setup.  

What we found was a company running on outdated technology—a 2012 server, low-end Netgear firewall, and ancient phones and computers. To start with, we recommend replacing some of their hardware, including getting them set up with new laptops. Their phone system needed upgrading and we recommended a modern 3CX system.

During our discussions, we learned that this company narrowly avoided a scam where their accountant almost paid a $10,000 fake invoice. This incident highlighted the urgent need for improved security measures. We had already spoken to them about the importance of security, and this close call convinced the owner to take action. She agreed to a Best Practice Security Evaluation, followed by guidance on securing their network.

The plan included not only hardware upgrades but also software improvements, such as implementing Microsoft Defender and considering a managed IT services contract. We presented the benefits of a proactive and predictable monthly service agreement, rather than relying solely on reactive fixes and time-and-materials work.

The long-range plan includes options like next-gen business grade firewall, cloud services, as well as backup solutions to ensure the company’s data was safe and secure.

The AME Group is confident that with our help, this printing company would not only overcome their current IT challenges but emerge stronger and more secure than ever before.