A Smooth Migration into the Cloud
Power Kunkle Benefits Consulting is a full-service employee benefits firm focused on changing the traditional employer / broker relationship. Headquartered in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, they partner with more than 500 employers to obtain the most cost-effective employee benefits packages. Power Kunkle will identify strategies, but more importantly, solutions that support your business objectives and benefit goals. In addition to benefits consulting, Power Kunkle has added two subsidiary companies, Power Kunkle HR Solutions and Power Kunkle Wellness Matters, to further serve its clients.
Challenges
Sometimes things seem to happen at the perfect time. Power Kunkle was having great success and was in the process of moving to a new space. When deciding and planning the move, they had a few IT concerns they wanted to address.
- The move would require them to move their physical server and create a space for it in the new location which would require extra resources.
- This physical server would also require an investment to provide specific redundant power and internet connectivity.
- As with most companies, having secure, reliable, and redundant access to their systems for employees was a concern, especially since their employees are often scheduled to be onsite visiting clients.
- They had a change in IT staffing and were looking for assistance and support managing certain IT functions.
Realizing these challenges, Power Kunkle reached out to Weidenhammer, their technology partner of nearly 20 years, for assistance.
Solutions
Weidenhammer started the engagement by speaking with all the stakeholders and understanding their needs and wants for this move. They learned that Power Kunkle’s current physical server was still in the middle of its lifecycle. Weidenhammer was able to utilize Power Kunkle’s existing investment in hardware by moving the server and installing it into a fully managed, secure, and enterprise-class data center using Weidenhammer’s co-location services. This service also allowed Power Kunkle to save by eliminating the costs of redundant power and enhanced Internet connectivity in their new location.
With the servers now located in Weidenhammer’s data center, the next step was to ensure that the connection between employees – no matter if they were in the office or remote – was readily available, fast, and secure. This required an upgrade to their firewall infrastructure in order to maintain the level of security and performance they required.
By using Weidenhammer’s managed services, Power Kunkle’s new platform was able to receive the ongoing support and maintenance required to maintain its high level of quality and security, without the need to hire a large IT team. This allows the IT team at Power Kunkle to focus their efforts on more strategic initiatives that will allow Power Kunkle to continue to not only maintain their high level of client experience, but to position them for continued growth.
Results
The goal was to provide a seamless transition for Power Kunkle. Their environment was prepared in advance minimizing any impact to their operations.
With a staged approach to migration, the Weidenhammer team started with the foundational infrastructure, moved to their data center needs, and completed the migration with an eye on support by onboarding their systems into the Weidenhammer managed services solution. During the migration, systems were tested and validated to ensure proper functionality and security.
The timing was right for Power Kunkle to move their systems offsite. And Weidenhammer provided a smooth transition.
“The support team at Weidenhammer was with us every step of the way, ensuring a seamless transition. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience.“
Mark C. Kunkle, President of Power Kunkle