In July 2000, Microwave Data Systems was a business division of a larger company. As a result of a divestiture, their business unit became an independently functioning organization. During that change process, many of the IT team members transferred back to the parent company, leaving MDS with some major IT problems and a severely obsolete infrastructure.

MDS contacted The PinPoint Group to request consulting services. The PinPoint Group provided resources that enabled MDS to set a strategy for replacing almost all of their infrastructure over a period of two years. Because staffing was a problem, The PinPoint Group also provided resources to assist with Help Desk and Maintenance services.

Several improvements have been implemented through PPG's partnership with MDS:

1. A plan has been written that outlines a migration of network services from 11 servers running on obsolete hardware to 7 new rack-mounted high capacity servers in a climate-controlled server room.
2. A migration plan was established that will guide MDS through a migration to Win2000 Server for all servers and Win2000 Professional as a standard client operating system. This plan encompasses all current network services and future requirements.
3. The 384K Internet connection was replaced with a full T1 circuit at a fraction of the cost of the original connection. DNS services were migrated from a prior ISP to an in-house server at MDS.
4. A Standard Operating Procedures manual has been written that defines procedures that MDS uses to provide service to their internal and external clients.
5. Standard server, desktop, and laptop platforms were defined after multiple vendors were evaluated. Volume pricing was negotiated to get the best value for MDS. The PinPoint Group provided much of the hardware for MDS' upgrade plan, including Compaq Proliant Servers, IBM Thinkpad laptops, and much of the necessary software licensing.
6. A network redesign is currently underway which will include resegmentation of the current network. The growing requirements of MDS include test labs and an engineering environment that requires its own segment.