Rockhill Schools’ Transformation with Communication Square’s Managed Services

Executive Summary (Microsoft Teams Phone for Public Transportation)

Company: Rockhill Schools

Industry: Education

Employees: Approximately 2300
No. of Students: Approximately 16,500

Overview: Rockhill Schools, a leading educational district serving 16,500 students, faced mounting challenges in managing their Microsoft for education products like Microsoft Office 365 and Azure environments. Since 2013, the district had relied on Office 365 with an on-premises Active Directory but found increasing gaps in support as their technology needs evolved. To bridge the gap between reactive support and proactive services, Rockhill Schools turned to Communication Square for a comprehensive managed solution that would streamline technology adoption and enhance issue resolution across the district.

Solution: Managed Services solution for Microsoft Office 365 and Azure

Executive Summary

Rockhill Schools, a prominent educational district with 2,300 employees and 16,500 students, faced significant challenges in managing their Microsoft technologies, Microsoft for education and support. Since 2013, the District had been utilizing Microsoft Office 365 alongside an on-premises Active Directory. With a growing need for comprehensive support, Rockhill Schools sought a solution to balance reactive support with proactive services for optimal technology adoption and issue resolution. Communication Square was selected to provide Managed Services for Microsoft Office 365 and Azure, including 24x7 support, proactive risk management, and guided assistance for new technologies. The partnership resulted in improved support efficiency, enhanced security, and better utilization of Microsoft for education products.

Challenges

Rockhill Schools was experiencing several challenges before engaging with Communication Square:

• Support Gaps: The District had limited support for their Microsoft Office 365 and Azure environments, leading to delayed issue resolution and increased operational risk.
• Technology Integration: Managing updates, policy changes, and new technologies like InTune and Teams posed significant difficulties, impacting the effectiveness of their technology use.
• Security Concerns: With the growing complexity of managing data security and compliance, the District needed more robust solutions for spoof intelligence management and high-severity alerts.
• Resource Allocation: The District required a structured approach to manage the support of Microsoft technologies efficiently, ensuring issues were resolved quickly and effectively.

Solution

Communication Square provided a comprehensive Managed Services solution tailored to Rockhill Schools' needs:

• Support and Maintenance: Delivered a balance of reactive and proactive support, including up to 50 hours of assistance. This covered areas like Azure portal management, Office 365 updates, and troubleshooting for new products.
• Proactive Risk Management: Conducted an initial audit to identify immediate issues and implemented proactive services to mitigate risks associated with upcoming features and changes in online services.
• Enhanced Security: Managed spoof intelligence and provided support for High Severity Alerts, ensuring data protection and security.
• Guided Assistance: Offered access to Microsoft for education product experts for optimizing operations, creating a service dependency map, and providing feedback to Microsoft development teams.
• Crisis Management: Implemented a tiered service approach with guaranteed response times—1 hour for critical issues and 4 hours for standard issues—along with crisis management for prolonged cases.

Results

The implementation of Communication Square’s Managed Services led to several key outcomes for Rockhill Schools:

• Improved Support Efficiency: The District experienced a notable reduction in issue resolution times, with guaranteed response times ensuring critical problems were addressed promptly.
• Enhanced Security and Compliance: The proactive management of spoof intelligence and high-severity alerts significantly improved the District's data protection and compliance posture.
• Optimized Technology Utilization: The support for integrating new technologies and features allowed the District to fully leverage Microsoft for Education products like Microsoft Office 365 for education and Azure capabilities, improving overall operational efficiency.
• Effective Risk Mitigation: The proactive approach to identifying and addressing risks helped Rockhill Schools stay ahead of potential issues, minimizing disruptions and optimizing their technology investments.

Conclusion

Communication Square’s Managed Services provided Rockhill Schools with a robust solution to their Microsoft technology challenges. By offering a blend of reactive support, proactive risk management, and guided assistance, Communication Square significantly enhanced the District’s technology management and security. This partnership not only improved support efficiency but also enabled Rockhill Schools to better utilize their Microsoft investments, ultimately contributing to a more secure and productive educational environment.

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