JERSEY CITY, N.J-Just months after winning the $100,000 Extreme Network Makeover sponsored by Horsetail Technologies and Credit Union Journal, Liberty Savings FCU is already realizing improvements to its operating system.
"At this point we are about 85% done with the assessment and plan to deliver the completed document to Liberty Savings next week," said Horsetail Principle Mark Berman.
Liberty Savings FCU Chief Information Officer Jim Miller said the process is unfolding smoothly. "Until now it has been in the assessment phase, but we are starting to see changes such as the ability to control our network remotely."
In August, Liberty Savings FCU was chosen from more than 100 credit unions that applied for the $100,000 Extreme Network Makeover from Horsetail Technologies and Credit Union Journal. In addition to the assessment it is currently undergoing, LSFCU will also win new hardware offerings from Dell, updated security from Sonicwall, network monitoring services from n-Able, help desk ticketing from Autotask, server room cabling services from Powersum, disaster recovery services from OGO, certified project and strategic planning from Horsetail, as well as email encryption from Horsetail powered by Zix.
Credit Union Journal is profiling the progress of the makeover as it proceeds.
Referring to the addition of N-able, a monitoring remote control patching antivirus solution recently installed by Horsetail, Berman observed, "We usually do this later, but it helped with the assessment process. This will have a definite impact on their ability to manage their network in real time and give them the monthly reporting that they need for compliance. It gives them the ability to fundamentally manage what they own."
While Miller said he wasn't initially aware that there was a single interface that could remotely monitor the approximate 100 components within Liberty Savings' entire operating system, he was impressed with the ease-of-use functionality.
"I don't [necessarily] have to be in the office," he said. This newfound ability was essential when Superstorm Sandy hit [recently] leaving the credit union without power for one week. "We both knew the minute a device went offline [or came back online]," said Berman.
The added benefit of the N-able is that it satisfies approximately six critical National Credit Union Administration compliance regulations.
"There is a repository for remote access monitoring that only Horsetail and Liberty Savings has access to," said Berman. "So if there is an issue on say, July 22, that information is sitting there should there be a reason for review. This allows credit unions to be well-protected."
Makeover Next Steps
The assessment review includes digesting hundreds of pages of findings, a process that takes a few hours. Berman explained that he and Horsetail Principle Christopher Sachse will meet with Miller to review assessment findings and offer recommendations. "This will be a technology roadmap for the next three years. We will focus on the immediate needs first which is the first twelve months."
Each assessment category is assigned a letter grade. For example, if a credit union has not updated its firewall in 10 years, it would receive a D. Horsetail would then recommend an upgrade that would change the grade to an A. "This is a dialogue to establish what the facts are on the ground," said Berman. "Often credit unions do not realize what is working and what is not working, which is why a program like N-able helps us."
To date, Liberty Savings' technology department hasn't experienced many physical modifications, but that is expected to change in the coming weeks and months. "We have done some consolidation of the racks, which is a small change," said Miller. "We are in the preparation stage right now and still have to focus on the day-to-day maintenance and operations."
Report To Follow
At the end of the assessment process, Miller will be given a detailed "easy to follow" report that includes all explanations of existing operations and suggested upgrades, the majority of which will occur in the first quarter of 2013.
"There will be two lists: one for the essentials that need to be completed in the next year, and a wish list for the future," said Berman. "Jim and Liberty will be able to make those decisions."
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