GreenPages Lays Down The Law For New Firm

GreenPages, a small solution provider that recently bolstered its established hardware and software sales business with a growing professional services offering, was selected to design and implement a technology infrastructure. There was just one catch: The entire project had to be completed in six weeks, by May 28.

"We had 50 legacy desktops, but we didn't have any servers, printers or infrastructure,no anything," said Jenn Steele, IT director at the new law firm, Donovan Hatem. In fact, the Boston office space was empty, she said.

Douglas Hirt, director of professional services at GreenPages, said he quickly assembled a certified team, including a project manager, business development manager, solutions architect and support staff. "This project was definitely a challenge, made more sensitive by the fact we had to migrate data from their former law partners' system," said Hirt. "But we were able to quickly solve their business issues with the right solution."

GreenPages assessed Donovan Hatem's business requirements and then went to work on a solution consisting of LAN and WAN design, network operating system design, network security planning, remote connectivity, data storage, disaster recovery, document management, implementation and migration. It used an array of products including Compaq's ProLiant Servers and Evo desktops, KDS' monitors, Cisco Systems' PIX firewall and Catalyst switches, Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Exchange 2000, Symantec's Norton AntiVirus Corporate Edition and Research In Motion's BlackBerry wireless devices.

Hirt said GreenPages' longtime relationships with hardware and software vendors allowed the solution provider to gain a competitive edge because it could offer the law firm an affordably priced system.

"Vendor management is key to [our professional services strategy," said Hirt. "We worked with five vendors, and [Donovan Hatem got one invoice. Everything came through us, so there was a single point of contact."

As the May 28 deadline approached, GreenPages' staff worked through Memorial Day weekend to put the finishing touches on the project and make sure the law firm was ready to go live on time. "We had three days to get it right," Hirt said. "There was zero margin of error."

At one point during the weekend, there was a delay in response from the telecom provider that was contracted to deliver Donovan Hatem's T1 high-speed Internet access, Steele said. Dale Lahue, infrastructure solutions architect at GreenPages, brought in a router from home to test the systems and dealt directly with the telecom provider to resolve the delay, she said.

The hard work paid off. At the end of May, Donovan Hatem was online for business. Over the following two weeks, GreenPages stuck around to help with any problems and train the law firm's 105 users.

GreenPages' work was an "impressive team effort on a unique project completed in a scant six weeks," Steele said. Apparently, the law firm was equally impressed, because GreenPages is already on tap for other IT projects being considered by Donovan Hatem, she said.

"GreenPages was there to help set up user passwords and even helped move desks," Steele said. "They moved heaven and earth to get the equipment and servers up and running, way before I expected it could be done."