How SFAR Modernized a Decade-Old IT Infrastructure and Finally Slept at Night
The San Francisco Association of Realtors (SFAR) needed to overhaul outdated IT infrastructure and strengthen cybersecurity - servers nearly a decade old, a server room in disarray, and a firewall no one could make sense of. Partnering with ITS modernized SFAR’s technology and gave its IT director the ongoing support to finally stop worrying about it.
- Real Estate Industry
- Cybersecurity Type of service
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A Legacy Real Estate Association, Modernizing Its Technology
“When I started at SFAR, I arrived to find the server room in disarray,” says Jay Pepper-Martens, Director of Multiple Listing Services and IT. “The cabling was all over the floor, the machines weren’t being treated properly, and one of them was even lying on the floor for cooling purposes. It looked like the whole thing needed to be overhauled.”
At a Glance
- Trade association for San Francisco-area real estate professionals
- Small internal team led by Jay Pepper-Martens, Director of MLS and IT
- Servers were 9 to 10 years old before the partnership
- Cybersecurity-focused engagement with ITS
Pepper-Martens knew what needed to be done but didn’t have the time to do the work directly himself. He needed a partner who could keep him looped in on projects, communicate on his timeline, and help him modernize the infrastructure.
A Server Room in Disarray
SFAR’s firewall and wireless system were badly out of date, and its servers were at least 9 to 10 years old - cooled, in one case, by simply sitting on the floor. Firewall configurations had piled up over the years from projects long since finished, with no one left to make sense of which rules still mattered.
Pepper-Martens needed a partner who would answer the phone, respond quickly to support tickets, and communicate in the way he needed given how often he traveled for business. “Working with ITS has been fantastic,” he said. “They always answer the phone when I call.”
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SFAR on Working With ITS
“Working with ITS has been fantastic! They always answer the phone when I call. If I put in a support ticket using their online ticketing system, I get a response back very quickly... Now we have a secure infrastructure running on the latest hardware and operating systems, and I don’t have to worry about anything.”
‘Now I Can Sleep at Night’
“The projects have all been completed time and on budget, and even sometimes under budget,” Pepper-Martens said.
“And, I don’t have to worry about anything! Another goal that was crucial for me was to be able to sleep at night. Now I can, because I know ITS is watching the servers.”
Strengthen Your Organization's IT Infrastructure
“Gladly! The team has been fantastic to work with... ITS has been a phenomenal partner and I would recommend them strongly,” Pepper-Martens said.
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