SAGE Seamlessly Upgrades Porter Wright Morris & Arthur’s Desktop

Lisa Johnson :: ljohnson@sagesol.com
Doug Daniel :: ddaniel@sagesol.com
Adam Lowe :: alowe@sagesol.com

Did you know that your computer has an image? While that flat screen monitor on your desk or razor thin laptop may say that you are a smart, stylish, go-getter, the term ‘image’ actually refers to a standard configuration of operating system, software, and settings on a computer desktop. Someone upgrading a computer’s operating system or software is upgrading its ‘image,’ albeit in a rather unfashionable sense of the word.

So you could say that SAGE is in the makeover business because we help law firms upgrade their operating systems and desktop software—their desktop image. For Ohio-based Porter Wright Morris & Arthur, LLP (PWMA), we gave their 600 computers in 6 cities one fantastic makeover that came in on schedule and under budget. Better still, their attorneys and staff love their new image.

Upgrading a computer’s image is far from a cosmetic undertaking. Besides the significant technical issues that were addressed, a number of extra ingredients went into making this image upgrade so successful:

  • the close working relationship we have had with PWMA over the years;
  • our flexible approach to building and deploying upgrades that facilitated rapid deployment; and
  • our experience earned over many previous upgrades.

For PWMA, the result was an improved IT environment, a seamless transition, and most important, attorneys and staff happy with their makeover.

The Project

PWMA’s makeover was more than putting a pretty face on its desktops. As the saying goes, real beauty comes from inside. PWMA’s IT staff upgraded their IT infrastructure, specifically their back-office file system from Novell Netware to Windows Server. This set the stage for upgrading the desktop computers’ operating system from Windows 2000 to Windows XP and their primary software applications like document management, including moving from Office XP to Office 2003. Both the infrastructure and desktop upgrades needed to be completed in about 3 months and covered the Ohio offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton; and other offices in Naples, FL, and Washington, DC.

Familiarity Breeds Success

Great teams meet lofty goals and high standards, and this was certainly true as PWMA’s IT staff and SAGE combined forces to tackle the upgrade. The firms have had a strong working relationship dating back many years; SAGE had worked with PWMA on their last upgrade. We were already familiar with both their team and their requirements. PWMA is a proponent of “managed” computing environments and have become quite expert at it. We all benefited from the excellent information stored in their system regarding desktop applications and settings, a vital component often lacking when upgrading.

Such a close working relationship with our client’s IT staff is not unusual for SAGE. We seek to foster long term relationships with our clients that—given our in-depth knowledge of their systems, practices, and business objectives—allow us to provide better advice, focused service, and tailored solutions. Given the trust that had developed between us, PWMA bought into the flexible approach to deploying their desktop image that we proposed.

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