Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
The Challenge
A provider of services to the homeless did not have a regular source of technology support and relied instead on volunteers or expensive on-call support. In addition, this agency, The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, had older equipment that frequently broke down, taking valuable staff time. Their technology challenge was compounded when they were given the opportunity to move to better and larger quarters on just six weeks notice. They did not have the knowledge to manage the technology aspects of the move without a major disruption to their services.
The Solution
Washington Area Legal Clinic contacted NPower and we quickly helped plan phone and computer lines and cabling for the new office as well as addressing their need for ongoing technology support. The Clinic vacated the old office on Friday and opened the doors to clients on Monday morning without skipping a beat. In the process, NPower evaluated their technology needs and recommended replacement of selected equipment that would be within budget. We helped them purchase and install the new hardware and software within a tight time frame.
More important, we maintain their equipment on a regular basis via NPower ON! our world-class, afforable, remote IT management solution.
NPower ON! automates critical technology functions like:
- Application and security patch management
- Remote, real-time desktop support and management
- Disk drive analysis and management
- Spyware and virus management
- System auditing
- Backup monitoring and management
- User policy enforcement
- Reporting and informational alerts
This support enables Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless to focus on their mission instead of IT.
The Impact
NPower's technology expertise meant that there was no interruption of services to clients. In addition, the Clinic staff has found that maintaining their computers on a regular basis is a time and money saver. In fact, they have discovered that it is sometimes just as costly, if not more expensive, to maintain outdated equipment as it is to invest in new technology. They have also found it very helpful to have continuous and proactive IT support. Most importantly, they are finding ways to use their new technology resources to help them do their jobs better.
"I couldn't have asked for more patient and professional assistance," said Patricia Mullahy Fugere, Executive Director. "They are extremely sensitive to our needs, as well as to our very broad range of experience and comfort with technology amongst the staff. With our newfound technology, we are able stay in better touch with other agencies. We are finding it easier to collect the kind of data that we need to measure our progress with individual clients that our funders request."
