COMPANY PROFILE
The law firm of Johnson, Gardy & Teumer was formed through a merger of two law firms, Jesse J. Johnson & Associates and Glasscock, Gardy, and Savage, one of the oldest law practices in Suffolk. Specialists in a number of areas of law including transactional and litigation, the partners provide their clients more than 100 years of combined legal experience. Johnson, Gardy & Teumer has a deeply entrenched presence in Suffolk, Virginia and they routinely practice in all the surrounding Hampton Roads communities including the Southside and Peninsula.
BUSINESS SITUATION
Johnson, Gardy & Teumer had reached a point in their practice that their technology was lagging well behind the demands of their practice. The size of the practice did not warrant an IT staff position so the firm’s IT maintenance was outsourced in a break/fix model. Managing Partner, Jesse Johnson, Jr., became concerned about service delays and did not feel that they had adequate technical support for the demands of their law practice. Johnson said, “We need to be able to get a product out of here. We’ve got to produce documents. We’ve got to produce results. And if we’re tied to these computers and all the attachments therewith, we’ve got to have some reasonable reliance on them.”
In addition to concerns about service delays and lack of support, their equipment was getting old, the server was going to need to be replaced, and they needed an over-all upgrade to their system. The partners were in the process of evaluating all types of technology solutions when they reached out to Mode5 for an assessment.
TECHNICAL SITUATION
Johnson, Gardy, & Teumer utilized an HP ML110 Server running Microsoft Small Business Server 2003. Although this server met their needs for a time, the server had exceeded its useful life and needed to be replaced. Microsoft Windows Server 2003’s expiration was on the horizon and to make sure they were meeting their due diligence as required by the ABA, the server would have needed to be replaced or updated. The backup in place was only backing up data and not the complete operating system. This could have resulted in longer downtime should the system fail. Finally, several workstations needed to be updated as well.
The practice utilized several applications including Quickbooks, Softpro, Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and Word Perfect.
SOLUTION
Mode5 presented two solutions that would meet the needs of the firm. One solution was to upgrade the server and choose one of the Mode5 Managed service options. The other solution was to host the server in the Mode5 Cloud.
After Johnson and his partners ran the numbers and weighed the options, they decided that Mode5 Cloud was the best solution.
Although the initial cost was higher than managed service, the partners felt that in the long run the cost would balance out. In the meantime, Johnson said, the value of the reliability of Mode5 Cloud and the peace of mind from knowing they have the proper support is “immeasurable”.
Johnson said that he and his partners had no reservations about their decision. “Well, we had done our homework, and we understood that Mode5 was doing a good job, that they were responsive to the customers.” “… after meeting with the representatives for Mode5, (we felt) that they really were in touch with things. They knew what was going on. They knew how important it was to be responsive to our needs. And we were just impressed with the group as people, as well as the organization.”
BENEFITS
According to Johnson, “having confidence in what Mode5 has brought to us has probably been one of the biggest benefits.” The attorneys know that if they have a problem opening a program or anything else that is IT related, they can call Mode5 for a prompt solution. The support staff has a positive feeling about being able to rely on Mode5 for support whenever it is needed.
Working with Mode5 has also impacted their bottom line. For example, Mode5 Cloud makes it possible for Johnson, Gardy & Teumer to deliver on the promises that they make to clients regarding their document preparation. Johnson knows that his clients are telling people “We needed wills and trusts and powers of attorney, and these guys got them to us in no time.” According to Johnson, “In our business, word of mouth is still a big deal.” Endorsements from happy clients will obviously affect a person’s choice of legal representation. That in turn affects Johnson, Gardy & Teumer’s profitability.
ADDITIONAL CLIENT COMMENTS
“…in this world, the way things are, most people you call up, you get a machine. You can’t talk to a person. …But at Mode5, you get people. And you can talk to them. And they’re very pleasant. And they know what they’re doing… I do like the personal touch, even… with these computers.”
TECHNOLOGIES & SERVICES UTILIZED
Mode5 Mail powered by Microsoft Exchange
Mode5 Apps powered by Citrix XenApp, and Microsoft Office
Mode5 Support powered by the best support team in the business
Mode5 Easy Migration Service powered by the best implementation team in the business
Quickbooks software
Timeslips software
Softpro software
Adobe Acrobat software
Corel Word Perfect software