Discover Why Apprisen Works With EasyIT
Key points in this article:
- Investing in necessary IT services isn’t easy for nonprofits
- EasyIT offers high-value IT support for nonprofits like Apprisen
- We offer cloud expertise, project management, cybersecurity support, NSOC services, and more
Watch the full interview with Apprisen’s Johnny Cantrell to discover more:
Why Apprisen’s Johnny Cantrell Believes In EasyIT & Me
Managing a nonprofit organization is a complex process. Resources are limited and, therefore, even more, valuable than in profitable companies.
When the margins are thin and the operation is small and efficient, expenditures to keep your IT systems running correctly can be challenging to justify.
All this makes it difficult for you to operate effectively, but you keep at it—and we want to help.
After all, it’s about getting the best bang for your buck. You have to make every penny count when you don’t have any extra dollars to spend on additional features, surplus services, or other things enjoyed by for-profits.
That’s why Apprisen works with EasyIT…
Who Is Apprisen?
Apprisen was the first nonprofit credit counseling organization, established in 1955. They are a 501(c)(3) agency that provides budgeting and financial counseling, credit health education programs, and housing counseling.
A core service they provide is a program that offers assistance with debt management. This program is designed for people with more going out than they have coming in, which is often a matter of both struggling with a budget and negotiating with creditors.
Apprisen’s program determines an affordable set amount that the creditors take as a payment arrangement through the program. Apprisen reduces the payments to the creditors based on their guidelines, then pays the total of the reduced payments to our program. We then disperse the money to the creditors once a month. As a result of the program, many creditors offer concessions, such as bringing the account up to date, waiving the late fees, or reducing interest rates.
“It’s a program designed to help people get a fresh start back on their feet so that they don’t fall further behind,” says Johnny Cantrell, President and CEO of Apprisen.
How Did Apprisen Connect With EasyIT?
“We were looking for more solutions to several growing issues internally that we had never encountered before,” says Johnny.
In the search for an IT partner that could assist with the updating and evolution of Apprisen’s IT, Johnny connected with Willie Neuman, an EasyIT veteran. Willie then introduced Johnny to EasyIT CEO Kurt Hoeft.
“Kurt was able to work up a strategy to fit within our budget as a non-profit,” says Johnny. “Over the years, we’ve evolved and rely on EasyIT for more services.”
At first, Apprisen relied on EasyIT for a few services, such as data center management and security. Today, Apprisen has taken advantage of EasyIT’s full range of IT services and solutions, from help desk support to IT infrastructure management.
“Kurt and EasyIT have been our go-to source for everything IT,” says Johnny.
EasyIT Brought Apprisen Into The Cloud
“We’re now a hundred percent in the cloud, which, five years ago, was a dream,” says Johnny.
Cloud migration helps nonprofits like Apprisen achieve real-time and updated performance and efficiency. However, cloud migration requires careful planning and implementation to ensure the cloud solution is compatible with the organization’s requirements.
As their cloud partner, we helped Apprisen evaluate cloud solutions, find the right one, and seamlessly migrate to it. EasyIT worked with them to assess, design, implement and support cloud computing to increase and augment their capabilities.
“It was not realistic to think that, as a nonprofit, we could get there,” says Johnny. “But Kurt put together a plan, and EasyIT rallied around it.”
EasyIT Seamlessly Moved Apprisen’s Corporate Offices
“Another example of how EasyIT puts my mind at ease is how they helped us get through a relocation of our corporate office,” says Johnny. “Anytime you turn the switch off, and you’re relocating, I’m always nervous about turning the switch back on.”
When you’re moving your business, dealing with the relocation of IT systems can be a nightmare.
The many parts that must be carefully packed up and correctly deployed are a lot to handle. One wrong move and the team won’t get to work on time in the new workspace.
Whether you’ve outgrown your current space or are upgrading to a location that fits your needs and brand, planning your move carefully is critical.
This isn’t like moving from one house to another, where you only affect yourself. While moving a business, your clients still count on you to be available when they need you. That’s why the move has to happen fast, with minimal downtime and zero errors. It’s a lot to try and manage.
Setting up a new location can be complicated, but with the proper support, it doesn’t have to be stressful. Before you tackle your moving to-do list, consider handing off the technology aspect to a team of professionals that have the experience and knowledge needed to make your move a success.
This is what we did for Apprisen. We established a comprehensive view of their IT solutions. We then carefully planned the move to minimize downtime, mitigate the chance of data loss and configuration errors, and ensure their staff could get to work on the first day in the new location.
“This move was seamless. There was no interruption of service. We turned the switch back on
and it was just business as usual,” says Johnny.
EasyIT Eliminated Apprisen’s Security Stress
“The thing that keeps me up at night is cyber threats,” says Johnny. “With the 24/7 monitoring that EasyIT provides, they’ve eliminated the need for me to wake up at two in the morning worrying about that.”
The EasyIT team knows that the only way to maintain cybersecurity effectively is by building a culture of best practices combined with a range of carefully chosen technologies.
We provide a comprehensive suite of security solutions to help protect clients like Apprisen:
- IT Best Practices / Security Assessments
- Dual Factor Authentication
- Password Management /Vaults
- Intrusion Prevention System
- PCI Compliant Wireless Solutions
- Mobile Device Management
- Managed Firewalls
- 24/7 monitoring of critical systems
- Rapid response to cyber breaches
- Managed Antivirus
- Managed campaigns for End User Security Training
- Patch Management
- Server and Backup Monitoring & Management
- Vulnerability Scanning
- Web Filtering
- Advanced Threat Protection
- Remote Monitoring & Screen Connect
- Managed Detection & Response (MDR)
EasyIT Is The Expert IT Partner That Apprisen Needs
Working with EasyIT gives Apprisen the best internal and outsourced IT support. This arrangement allows them to take advantage of the expertise and skill of a team of IT specialists when needed and without paying expensive salaries or benefits.
