Case Study: Cloud Migration and Strategy for the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA)
Founded in 1876, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) shapes the development of law, provides education and information to the public, and responds to the ever-changing demands of the legal profession. NYSBA advocates for state and federal legislation and works to promote equal access to justice for all. With members found in all 50 states and more than 100 countries around the world, current membership exceeds 70,000.
“I feel really good about our partnership with cb20. They make good decisions, are very professional, and very responsive. I would highly recommend them.”
— Jessica Patterson, Director of Digital Business Operations, NYSBA
The IT Challenges: Outdated Infrastructure and Security Vulnerabilities
Before hiring cb20 in 2019, NYSBA’s IT infrastructure was outdated and on the verge of failure. Not only were there a number of systems nearing end-of-support from the manufacturer, they had also experienced several phishing attacks. Adding to their vulnerabilities, they:
- Owned and operated 14 servers.
- Rented space in a data management center.
- Relied on inefficient and costly internet connectivity lines that ran between their offices and the data center.
- Lacked an adequate back-up solution.
According to Jessica Patterson, Director of Digital Business Operations, “We rely heavily on IT—and use it every day and in a variety of ways. It was clear that we needed help in finding ways to keep our systems safe and secure. Despite having an in-house IT department, our Director of IT at the time left NYSBA. Instead of filling that position we decided to move to a Managed Services Provider.”
The Solution: Strategic Cloud Migration and vCIO Services
cb20 carefully analyzed the situation and implemented a plan that suited all of NYSBA’s IT needs while minimizing risk. Key accomplishments included:
- Performed migration to the cloud, including using the cloud-based UCaaS platform to eliminate multiple on-premise phone systems between locations.
- Upgraded workstation equipment to Windows 10.
- Enhanced the firewall infrastructure with new hardware.
- Improved security by locking down the environment and implementing Multi-Factor Authentication.
- Aided and assisted in a line-of-business software migration.
By migrating to Microsoft Azure cloud services, NYSBA no longer needed a separate data center. Consequently, internet connectivity expenses were eliminated, a more cost-effective backup solution was employed, and operating expenses were reduced significantly. Additionally, to fill in for the departed IT staff, cb20 moved a full-time employee into the NYSBA office to provide on-demand desktop support.
cb20 also introduced their virtual CIO services, which gave NYSBA access to Tim Nepus, a senior consultant, for planning, alignment audits, and risk evaluation.
The Outcome
“After a year of working with cb20, our systems run smoothly,” says Jessica Patterson. “I was surprised how much better moving to the cloud could be. Everything we need is always accessible and safe. We have not had any more ransomware or phishing attacks.”
NYSBA continues to work with cb20 on ongoing projects ranging from PCI compliance to Power BI resources.
About cb20
cb20 is a technology solutions provider of choice for organizations that value IT and Managed Services expertise and category-leading customer service. We partner with the world’s leading hardware and software companies to deliver end-to-end consulting, implementation and managed services across the U.S. With world-class engineering talent and 30+ years of experience cb20 delivers confidence, security, a true sense of control and the highest-quality, end-to-end customer experience in the business.