The YMCA is all
about building -- better communities and stronger families. Yet just three
years ago, the McGaw YMCA in Evanston, Ill., found itself without the
necessary information technology foundation on which to build a better,
more responsive organization.
Micro-Tech U.S.A. has since designed and implemented a network
architecture for McGaw YMCA that will allow it to better serve its patrons
and offer new services. On top of this new foundation, Micro-Tech U.S.A.
today provides ongoing support services that keep the systems up and
running, establishing a long-term relationship between Micro-Tech U.S.A.
and McGaw’s internal staff.
The future wasn’t always so bright for McGaw.
"We had a mix of computers, with everyone using different software. I
think only two people even had e-mail," said Rob Glaser, Director of
Information Solutions. "Most of the members of our board are from the
business community and are accustomed to networked systems and e-mail --
so they knew how far behind the times we were."
The Y’s executive director made the decision to hire Glaser and bring
the organization up to date, but Glaser knew he couldn’t do it alone.
"My first task, besides fixing the few systems we already had, was to
plan an entire network from scratch," Glaser said. "The first
recommendations -- understanding the budget considerations of a non-profit
organization -- went for the bare minimum."
Glaser set about finding a solutions provider that could fulfill the
requirements for the new network and systems. Several bids were submitted
from companies in the area to provide the hardware, software and
networking equipment necessary, but Glaser chose Micro-Tech U.S.A. for the
job because he felt the company, "was more interested in a long-term
relationship" than any other solutions provider.
"The other bids were sort of like, ‘We’ll build this for you, but then
you’re on your own,’" Glaser said. "Micro-Tech U.S.A. made it clear they
would be there for maintenance, training and upgrades. They just overall
had -- and continue to have -- a long-term approach to meeting our needs."
The McGaw YMCA now has a LAN that connects all points within its
facilities, including administrative offices and front desks. A WAN
connection links an offsite day care center to the rest of the system
using Citrix MetaFrame thin-client technology to deliver the applications
necessary to conduct Y business. The infrastructure, which includes more
than 50 workstations, has been streamlined to use Windows NT/2000
operating systems and applications. The Y also operates a
mentoring/tutoring program that uses two computer labs with six computers
each -- a huge maintenance headache for Glaser.
Glaser is the organization’s sole "computer guy." A service contract
with Micro-Tech U.S.A. removes some of the burden, particularly on
maintenance issues. Having a technology partner that can give him
expertise and service in areas where he is less experienced is very
important to him, because a full-time assistant isn’t justifiable, he
said.
"I stay pretty busy myself with day-to-day issues, as well as long-term
projects I work on," Glaser said. "It doesn’t make sense for me to do some
projects and regular maintenance."
Having a regular outsourced IT contract with Micro-Tech U.S.A. gives
Glaser two things: the expertise when and where he needs it, and the
ability to budget more effectively.
"With all of the expenses that a second IT person entails it’s a pretty
easy sell to say to the board, ‘pay $10,000 and you have help when you
need it for a year,’" Glaser said, versus the $40,000 to $60,000 it would
cost to have someone who is underutilized.
In addition to day-to-day support services, Micro-Tech U.S.A. is always
available to Glaser as an information resource for the latest
technologies.
"One thing that has really kept me with Micro-Tech U.S.A. and away from
looking at others is the simple fact that they are really nice people," he
said. "They are fair, they make every effort to be competitive from a
pricing standpoint, they are determined to solve whatever problems might
come up and they seem to take a genuine interest in the success of the
solutions they provide."
