When IT goes untouched for 15 years, the problems extend far beyond old hardware.
A skilled nursing organization with approximately 115 employees had an IT environment that had gone largely untouched for 15 years. Aging infrastructure, legacy systems, inconsistent licensing, and deferred maintenance had gradually turned technology into a source of daily friction.
The organization was experiencing over 25 support cases every day, along with frequent infrastructure issues and an environment that was becoming increasingly difficult to secure, maintain, and support.
With took a top-down approach we determined what the organization actually needed, eliminated what it didn’t, and rebuilt the systems that had reached the end of their useful life.
The existing environment had accumulated years of technology, contracts, and systems that no longer made sense for the organization. The answer wasn’t to replace every component one-for-one. It was to step back and determine what could be eliminated, what could be consolidated, and what genuinely needed to be modernized.
Approximately 20 legacy servers were reduced to eight modern systems running on a redundant HPE server cluster. Aging network infrastructure was replaced, wireless coverage was redesigned to half the size with better coverage, and obsolete systems were decommissioned rather than carried into the new environment.
At the same time, we eliminated unnecessary recurring expenses. The legacy Ascom communications system was removed, along with its support contracts and dedicated servers. Veeam, Zix, excess Microsoft licensing, unused phone lines, excess fax capacity, and unnecessary software subscriptions were also eliminated or reduced.
More than $120,000 in estimated annual technology expenses eliminated or reduced.
The result was more than newer technology:
- More than $120,000 in annual savings: Estimated recurring technology expenses were eliminated or reduced through contract consolidation, licensing cleanup, infrastructure rationalization, and removal of unnecessary systems.
- Approximately 80% fewer IT tickets: Daily ticket volume fell from roughly 25 tickets per day to fewer than five on most days, dramatically reducing the operational friction staff had been experiencing.
- 60% fewer servers: Approximately 20 legacy servers and workloads were reduced to eight modern systems, while adding redundancy and removing obsolete systems from the environment.
- 50% fewer wireless access points: Approximately 80 legacy Ruckus access points were replaced with roughly 40 modern APs, eliminating the old controller infrastructure and associated licensing requirements.
- A substantially stronger security and recovery posture: Legacy server operating systems were replaced with current platforms, endpoint security was standardized, phishing testing was implemented, and backups were rebuilt across on-premises, cloud, and off-site locations.
Built to stay manageable
Modernizing the infrastructure was only part of the project. The bigger goal was to leave the organization with an environment that could be maintained, secured, and supported without recreating the same problems a few years down the road.
Obsolete systems were removed instead of replaced. Critical infrastructure gained redundancy. Backups were designed around multiple recovery locations. Routine processes were automated and standardized. Even small operational frustrations—such as inconsistent printer deployment and naming—were addressed so staff could spend less time working around technology.
The result was an IT environment that cost less to operate, created fewer problems for staff, and provided a substantially stronger foundation for the organization going forward.
What could better IT look like for your organization?
If your technology costs keep climbing while your team is still dealing with recurring problems, aging systems, or unnecessary complexity, it may be time for a fresh look.
IndyIT can evaluate your current environment, identify opportunities to simply and improve it, and help you build an IT strategy that’s more reliable, secure, and cost-effective.