Download the Piedmont Trust Company Case Study PDF
A Good IT Partnership Can Benefit All Your Relationships: A Case Study
How Working with Apex Technology Brings Relief to a Financial Service Company’s Leadership
Meet Piedmont Trust, Which Has a Fascinating History:
Piedmont Trust came into existence as the result of a very different business venture’s success. Back in the late 1890s, Lundsford Richardson’s work as a pharmacist led him to create an assortment of salves and other assorted remedies…one of which being Vicks Vaporub.
The Vick Chemical Company became a public company in 1925, and in 1928, the Richardson family decided to secure its financial future by forming the Piedmont Financial Company. Today, the sixth generation of Richardsons are amongst the hundreds of families that Piedmont serves, attending to financial planning, estate services, and other similar needs.
To Serve These Clients, Piedmont Now Requires Much Different Technology
In fact, according to Chief Operating and Compliance Officer Maria Sturges, everything they do is now technology based. This made it particularly troubling that their IT partner at the time was unresponsive and therefore wasn’t reliable enough for them to have confidence in their IT. As Sturges put it, her methods of dealing with IT problems at this point involved blood pressure pills, walks to blow off steam, and more than a little hands-on troubleshooting.
Obviously, this wasn’t good for Sturges or the company overall, so Sturges resolved to find a real IT partner that the financial company could entrust its technology to so their team could focus their energies on general business improvement.
One day, the phone rang, and that IT company was on the line.
Piedmont’s Relationship with Apex Technology Started with a Cold Call
Apex Technology had reached out to inquire about any IT needs that Piedmont Trust may have had, and the financial services company did not hesitate to share these needs. Considering that Piedmont Trust Company’s contract with their existing provider was coming up on its expiration date, there was a lot to be done in not all that much time
Apex Technology Acted Quickly and Effectively
Fortunately, Apex Technology got right to it, implementing their CyberProtect Advanced service to provide a comprehensive assortment of cybersecurity protections and safeguards to ensure that the financial services company’s network was sufficiently protected.
In addition to the endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication requirements, and cloud-based backups that now protected Piedmont Trust (along with many other defenses), the company’s team was also given a resource to turn to for assistance with any IT issues that they experienced during their workday.
Piedmont Trust also subscribed to the managed service provider’s vCIO services, which meant that Apex Technology would act as a virtual Chief Information Officer and strategize the financial company’s information technology trajectory moving forward.
A Smooth Installation Meant This Process Moved Quickly
Thanks to the professionalism of Apex’s team, the implementation of all of the above went smoothly and was able to be expedited to fit Piedmont Trust’s brief timeframe. While this entire process would normally be a three or four-month endeavor, Apex Technology was able to deliver much more quickly than that.
Piedmont Trust Now Trusts Apex Technology Handling their IT
From the very first meeting, Sturges felt a partnership forming that emphasized the goals and needs of the financial services company. Based on the improved efficiency and consistency that she has seen in the time since—and her claims that her husband has noticed her calmer demeanor since the switch—she would certainly recommend that other companies take advantage of Apex Technology and what she describes as a great partnership.
If you’d like to work with Apex Technology or even just find out more about the managed services they offer, getting in touch is as easy as calling (704) 895-0010, or visiting their website at www.trustapex.com
About Apex Technology
Apex Technology has been serving the Carolinas area since 1998, providing IT support and consulting services to small and medium-sized businesses. Partnering with many types of businesses in the area, Apex Technology strives to eliminate IT issues before they cause expensive downtime, so their clients can continue to drive their businesses forward towards success. Learn more about Apex Technology and its managed IT services by calling (704) 895-0010, or visiting www.trustapex.com.
