Chicago Architecture Center
Nonprofit Consolidates Their Network and Saves Thousands with S-NET
Industry
NonprofitHeadquarters
Chicago, ILFounded
1966Employees
100+Services
Joel Holt
Vice President of IT, Chicago Architecture Center
All-in-One Solutions & Savings with S-NET
Because I got the network infrastructure all in one place, I could afford to complete other important projects I couldn't before, like bringing on the security systems, pushing out my digital media streaming systems to all sites -- I mean, I was able to do everything! So, it goes without saying that if I ever leave and go somewhere else, I'm taking them right there with me.
The Challenge
When he was hired by the CAC, Joel discovered a very complicated and very expensive network. Each floor had its own internet circuit from a different provider and had to be managed separately. Several of the circuits were constantly being throttled by their providers due to bandwidth overages, leading to slower-than-average internet speeds throughout the building. And yet, the CAC was being charged top dollar for each circuit and service.
This doesn't even include the cost of their phone system. Even though they owned their own Yealink hardware they were paying over $3,000 a month for the software. In total, the CAC spent over $90,000 a year on their phone and internet services, a significant amount for a nonprofit.
The Solution
Joel knew what S-NET was capable of already. After all, they had been his go-to network partner 16 years earlier when he was the IT Director for the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago. He simply called S-NET, explained the situation, and the team got to work building a solution!
They began by bringing in a whole new network – one that was faster, more secure, and that provided central management software giving Joel and his team a far simpler way to manage their connectivity. Their network was also specially designed to integrate with the cloud management software Joel and his team wanted to use.
Not only that, but the S-NET team also included an enterprise-grade phone system in the solution, one that worked with their current hardware and gave the CAC employees access to the same set of features – no matter what department they were in.
The Result
Once the S-NET solution was deployed, one of the most impactful results was that their IT spend plummeted. They went from spending $90,000 a year on one building to only spending $54,000.
"I was able to bring in a whole new network that really fit the CAC's needs," says Joel, "And S-NET helps us manage it all – from the Wide Area Network to the phone system, giving my team the 24/7 support they need at a price we can afford. It's an all-in-one solution. So, we're definitely winning."
