Case Study: DeSoto Public School District
THE CHALLENGE
When Gary Olson took over as Director of Technology for the DeSoto Public School District in 2002, he was part of a completely new executive team put in place by the district’s school board. It didn’t take long before Olson realized that the district’s IT network required an equally comprehensive overhaul.
“There really were all kinds of problems,” says Olson. “We had spaghetti wiring and a lot of aging computers which weren’t conducive to networking or Internet connectivity; multiple formats running over the network…some seriously troublesome issues. There was no way I could begin to develop a plan for the district without getting our infrastructure in shape.”
“I came to realize that we couldn’t do it on our own; that we needed to find reliable people who handle network protection issues full-time. At that point I began looking for some companies to help us and soon discovered Professional Network Solutions.”
THE SOLUTION
With much-needed fiber optic cable in place, Professional Network Solutions provided the required core switches.
“At that point,” says Gary Olson, “we decided to work with Professional Network Solutions exclusively and have ever since. They handle everything, including design specifications and strategy.”
“Now we’re a pure HP ProCurve environment, with ProCurve core switching and wireless technology in all our buildings, providing a seamless way to manage the network. We have re-wired every classroom and office in the district, and have fiber links from MDF to IDFs in every building that can profit from that configuration. I never have to worry about compatibility issues and Professional Networks Solution provides us with all of our HP ProCurve support.”
“For example, if we have a switch issue,” continues Olson, “the first thing I do is call PNS – even before calling HP! Because, quite honestly, PNS can get me a replacement switch in a critical situation faster than HP ProCurve can deliver me one overnight. That’s no fault of their’s. It’s just that sometimes, waiting until the next day is too long for us. And Professional Network Solutions has never let me down.”
“Basically,” says Olson, “any heavy duty network matters that I can’t manage myself, I hand off to PNS and they help me. In fact, currently, we’re working together on two new projects: One is a wireless access system to all of our buildings through a central command center. The other is the implementation of Professional Networks Solution’s “ProVision” Remote Monitoring Solution, which will more effectively monitor our network, create benchmarks and detect bottlenecks.”
According to Olson, the Professional Network Solutions-HP ProCurve team provides the DeSoto Public School District with the perfect combination of quality components and service.
“With an HP ProCurve switching solution, you have the lifetime warranty on the switches, which is vital for me when planning for and managing the capital investments for our network infrastructure. Hey, when we lay out $3,000 to $4,000 for a switch, it’s nice to know it’ll always be covered.”
With Professional Network Solutions, Gary Olson and the DeSoto Public School District get the top level service that’s important to any customer.
“We get approached by companies all the time wanting to be our network resource,” says Olson, “but I never talk to them because we are happy with PNS.”
“…any heavy duty network matters that I can’t manage myself, I hand off to PNS and they help me.”