Customer spotlight: Fluid IT Services provides future-proof infrastructure with Internap
Fluid IT Services offers small and medium-sized businesses a full range of IT solutions, from hands-on desktop support to senior engineering, networking, security and even virtual CIO services. Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Fluid acts as a full-service IT department for many of their clients, providing direct access to an experienced, knowledgeable IT team.
While larger organizations have in-house experts capable of making informed IT decisions and procuring the necessary technology, SMBs often do not have the resources to manage IT themselves. Migrating to the cloud is a great way for SMBs to simplify management of their IT and alleviate worries about hardware maintenance, business continuity and security, but most clouds are designed for enterprise-level companies. In 2011, Fluid built their own cloud to better meet the needs of the SMB market.
Fluid strives to reduce the IT burden on its clients and provide future-proof infrastructure that will stay relevant even as technology changes. Since transitioning applications to the cloud is central to their service offering, Fluid requires a reliable IT infrastructure with secure, scalable colocation services and a high-performance network.
Future-proof infrastructure
Technology changes quickly, and Fluid needs to stay ahead of the curve to make sure they can meet the evolving needs of their customers. As new regulations and security requirements emerge, particularly around HIPAA and SEC compliance, Fluid must provide the right infrastructure in the right locations to accommodate these requirements.
Company-owned and operated data centers
After more than 7 years with Sungard, Fluid evaluated several providers in their search for company-owned facilities. While many providers claim to have nationwide or global data centers, these are often sister sites that could potentially change ownership and negatively impact customers. Today, Fluid has a private caged environment in Internap’s Plano data center and recently expanded to a second location in San Jose, California.
Faster performance and consistent uptime
With Internap’s Performance IPTM service and Managed Internet Route OptimizerTM (MIRO) technology, Fluid’s customers benefit from faster Internet performance and a reliable, highly available network. Access to multiple carriers provides consistent uptime and allows Fluid’s customers to focus on their core business instead of worrying about connectivity and Internet performance.
Long-term relationship and support
Not only did Fluid require a provider that could meet their clients’ needs, they wanted a true partner for their business. The relationship with Internap is a key factor in Fluid’s ability to provide cloud solutions to their SMB clients.
With data center services and Performance IP from Internap, Fluid IT Services can focus on taking care of their customers and making sure they provide an IT environment that can handle the demands of the changing business landscape – today and in the future.
