Brown & Brown Case Study
Brown & Brown, LLP, Builds “Cutting Edge” IT Infrastructure to Expand CPA Services and Facilitate Future Growth
When it comes to information technology and the Internet, there is only one certainty: Things change fast. For instance, consider the auditing and tax accounting profession, which must constantly keep pace with new accounting practices, revisions to state and federal tax codes, compliance regulations, information privacy guidelines, and client communication policies. One such company is Brown & Brown, LLP, (www.browncpas.com), one of New England’s leading full-service certified public accounting firms, offering quality auditing, tax and management consulting services to clients of all sizes and from a wide range of industries. Operating out of offices in Boston, Worcester and Portland, Maine, the firm currently has more than 80 employees, many with “Big Four” experience.
Sophisticated IT Approach Essential to Support Sophisticated Clientele
According to David Burger, the Partner who oversees Brown & Brown’s tax and IT departments, “One of our key differentiators is our focus on businesses and individuals who require a higher level of service and expertise than is typically found in other CPA firms. Supporting such a clientele requires us to use the most sophisticated information systems and Internet technologies available.”
Step One: Update Web Site to the “State-of-the-Art”
“During the summer of 2002,” recounts Burger, “our Web site needed significant updating to make it more ‘cutting edge’ in its look, feel, and content.” Based on the recommendation of a mutual client, Brown & Brown retained Spade Technology to do all site development and deployment work and to help the firm migrate to a new Internet Service Provider. Says Burger, “We were so impressed with Spade’s efforts that we also asked them to do a top-to-bottom study of our entire computer networking system, which we had outgrown and which, as a result, was running too slowly and experiencing too much downtime.”
Step Two: Build a New IT Infrastructure to Support Rapid Growth
Spade Technology identified a number of areas that needed enhancement, including the network infrastructure, server platforms, switches, applications, operating system, software licensing, virtual private network, Internet security, virus protection, disaster recovery, remote and on-site support, and so on. Says Burger, “We liked Spade’s plan, and, based on our Web site experience, we felt comfortable working with them and were confident in their technical abilities to meet our needs.” Once the go ahead was given, Spade made all the major enhancements in approximately two months, and, since then, has continued providing a combination of on-site and remote support for the Web site and network.
Results: Everything Runs Better and Faster with Maximum Uptime
As a result of Spade Technology’s efforts, Brown & Brown has seen some significant benefits. Says Burger, “All the network infrastructure and system improvements have put us well ahead of the curve compared to most other accounting firms. Everything works better and faster. Downtime is practically non-existent. In addition, we are now well positioned to move to a state-of-the-art paperless audit system and also to set up a wireless office to further enhance the efficiency of our staff. Most importantly, we are comfortable with Spade and are confident that they have enough depth to do whatever we need. We look at Spade Technology as our partner in IT.”