case study
from old
school to
cutting edge
THE CHALLENGE
A 95-year old insurance agency
realized its dire need to leapfrog
from significantly antiquated
technology services to cutting
edge solutions, for the sake of
business growth as well as
data security.
THE SOLUTION
CLIENT
Prompted by an emergency
INDUSTRY
SERVICES
Insurance
voice
situation, a wholesale update
across the board brings the
business up to speed with
internet
cutting edge technology in a
data center
matter of months.
consulting
case study: old school to cutting edge
p. 2
“Not only were they familiar with
the system, they took one look
at our computers and bandwidth
and informed us it wouldn’t work.
We...would have crashed upon
launch had we remained on that
migration path.”
OVERVIEW
When Vice President of Operations Sydney
Jamison joined Bagwell & Bagwell in 2009,
she knew well the business’s tradition. The
great-granddaughter of the agency’s founder,
Sydney understood Triangle area families
and businesses relied on the long-standing
company for insurance protection, generation
after generation.
What she didn’t know was that while the
agency’s coverage had led its clients into the
21st century, its technology solutions were
mired somewhere in the latter decades of the
previous era.
THE CHALLENGE
An agency employee responsible for
outsourcing technology support was proud to
solely manage this area. However, adoption
INTERNET
DATA CENTER
of “new” technology occurred years after its
introduction, and the long-term staff of 15 was
comfortable with its DOS-based systems.
Client data was archived on paper records,
and data security for the agency management
system involved employees taking tapes
home each evening. The agency contracted
with a collection of seven vendors, each
for a different service — computer support,
phones, fax, email hosting, Internet
connection, client data management, and
document imaging.
Fast-forward to 2011. Ownership began to
transition from Ronnie Bagwell, a 45- year
agency veteran and the grandson of founder
Walter Bagwell, to Drew Honeycutt and
Haynes Sherron, chief operating officer
and chief financial officer, respectively.
Additionally, the employee responsible for
outsourcing technology left the business for
personal reasons.
Drew, Haynes, and Sydney were three of
the youngest at the agency, and the lack of
technology tools had become a sore spot for
them. The trio saw an opportunity to make
desperately needed technology updates, all
with Ronnie’s support.
THE SOLUTION
“Our first orders of business were to
incorporate a cloud-based insurance agency
management system, AMS360, and to back
up data on employees’ computers,” Sydney
remembers of the process that began in
April 2012. The current computer support
company assured the agency it had the
appropriate hardware and bandwidth to make
the desired changes.
VOICE
CONSULTING
case study: old school to cutting edge
“Unfortunately, on day one of computer
backup, four employees’ computers were
wiped clean of all data,” she continues.
“Most of what was lost still existed in PDF or
hard copy, but would need to be recreated.
There was no telling how much time would
be needed to recreate all of the documents
that were lost. At that point we stopped
everything.”
Fortunately, Haynes and Sydney were familiar
with celito from previous employers. Sydney
placed a desperate call for help to celito
President & CEO Sharat Nagaraj. He was in
their office with his team the next day.
“Within the first 10 minutes,” she tells the
story, “we told them we were migrating to
AMS360. Not only were they familiar with the
system, they took one look at our computers
and bandwidth and informed us it wouldn’t
work. We were already half way through
a 65-day conversion process, that, once
completed, would have crashed upon launch
had we remained on that migration path.”
“It was a wild couple of months,” Sydney
says with a laugh, “and celito helped us
with everything — the acquisition and set
up of new computers, increased Internet
bandwidth, a new phone system, relocation
of our servers to their secure location,
new wiring, migration to AMS360 — they
addressed every single one of our needs.
“It was a lot of work, and we trusted their
expertise implicitly,” she continues. “A
celito network engineer even had a key to
our office because he would arrive at 6:30
in the morning to complete work without
interrupting us.”
To ensure a smooth transition, celito worked
directly with the existing seven vendors
to transfer services, and provided agency
employees with thorough training. When
Bagwell & Bagwell relocated offices in March
2013, celito was again in step, making sure
Over the course of the next five months,
with celito by its side every step of the way,
Bagwell & Bagwell transformed from old
school technology to the cutting edge.
“It was a wild couple of months and
celito helped us with everything...they
addressed every single one of our needs.”
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DATA CENTER
VOICE
CONSULTING
p. 3
case study: old school to cutting edge
p. 4
the technology aspect of the move was
buttoned up. Business interruption was held
to a minimum, with a Friday to Sunday move.
“We didn’t miss a beat, thanks to celito’s
diligence and dedication,” Sydney comments.
“Now that we are up and running, we don’t
need them as often, but when we do, they’re
very responsive,” she says. “Whether we
want to run a new software product by them,
need to set up new staff, or have questions
about a Cyber Liability policy, they’ve got
our backs. We tell them what we want, and
they can interpret and provide what we need.
They are also proactive and inform us of new
technologies or equipment that could help
improve our efficiencies.
“celito is truly our IT partner,” she asserts.
“They help us run each and every day. Their
professionalism and commitment to the
services they provide allows us to work and
serve our clients and not spin our wheels
dealing with IT issues.
“Not only are they an outstanding
professional partner, they have become real
friends,” Syndey says. “Their staff is a fun
and dynamic group, and we enjoy being
around them. This is a rare find in today’s
business environment and just one more
thing that sets celito well above the rest.”
“Not only are they an outstanding
professional partner, they have
become real friends. Their staff is
a fun and dynamic group, and we
enjoy being around them.”
INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH AN INTERNET SERVICE
PROVIDER WHO IS DIFFERENT THAN THE REST?
Proudly rooted in Raleigh, NC celito is a NC telecommunications company
committed to the communities and the clients we serve. With more than a
decade of experience in telecommunications and a wide client base, celito is
your top choice when searching for a reliable, local internet service provider.
Bagwell & Bagwell Insurance
2626 Glenwood Avenue
Suite 300
Raleigh, NC 27608
bagwellandbagwellins.com
Visit celito.net or call 919.852.1238 to learn more about our capabilities and
how we can help your business succeed.
INTERNET
DATA CENTER
VOICE
CONSULTING