Akron Children's: SoftwareOne migrates system’s endpoint security in 90 days

Akron Children's has one key mission: improving the health of children through outstanding patient care, education, advocacy, community service, and research. Caring for the most vulnerable members of society means that all their actions must uphold the highest standards — and IT security is a critical part of their successful operations.

The health system’s current security system was functional from a protection perspective, but it was proving difficult for their security team to manage in terms of configuration and extensibility. Often, minor changes to the system would lead to unexpected complications. They needed a system that was more manageable and scalable in the long term.

With the complexity and critical nature of their endpoint security, the health system approached the task carefully. This was more than simply a transaction for them. “What we are looking for is somebody who realizes the value that we provide,” explained Deepesh Randeri, vice president of information security at Akron Children's. “We said, we can go with any vendor. What we are looking for is a partner.”

The hospital turned to SoftwareOne (formerly Crayon), with whom they had recently partnered on a Microsoft licensing project. Microsoft Defender’s inclusion in the health system’s E5 license made it a clear choice from a cost perspective, but even more importantly, it would provide the long-term scalability they required as well as all the features and functionality of their existing system. Given the health system’s scope and the critical importance of round-the-clock security support, there was no room for error or disruption. “You have a very strong technical team. At the end of the day, just like with any procurements, the technical side and the cost side are not weighted equally in my books,” said Randeri. “Having the technical expertise and acumen is much more important.”

The health system’s end user systems resemble other businesses, but they also include a variety of health care systems. Controlled environments such as carts, scanning systems, and other medical equipment running Epic (an electronic health record system) need to be incorporated into its security protocols. While Defender does not directly interface with Epic, it must be deployed and protect each of these points running the platform.

Adding to the complexity of the project, Akron Children's was up against a licensing renewal deadline, putting their timeline for security migration at a short 90 days. Randeri explained, “When we implemented the previous platform, it had taken the team almost two years to not only implement it but fine-tune it. Standing up something is very easy, but then when you have to fine-tune something, especially when it concerns Defender and what you're going to allow and what you're not going to allow, that becomes challenging.”

Over the next 90 days, SoftwareOne and the Akron Children's IT team worked together to establish the Microsoft Defender solution across its thousands of endpoints, operating within the complex and highly controlled network.

First, SoftwareOne conducted discovery on the existing security environment, cross-checking that each capability could be matched as closely as possible within Defender. Next came the actual Defender implementation, in conjunction with the removal of their old solution, ensuring that there were no gaps in coverage.

With Defender in place and stable, Akron Children's and SoftwareOne turned to monitoring and tuning the system. With many complex requirements and specialized systems, this was a highly precise process. Finally, with Defender fine-tuned to meet the health system’s specifications, SoftwareOne was able to train staff on its use and turn over full control.

“The whole perspective changes when there is more communication, and I felt that was the important piece here — we were constantly in communication with not only the engineering staff but with project management,” explained Randeri.

By eliminating their current security licenses and using the extended capabilities of their existing Microsoft E5 agreement, Akron Children's realized six-figure cost savings. Their new system was launched and fine-tuned within their 90-day deadline, and they are enjoying the benefits of improved security functionality and ease of use.

Asked what advice he would give to organizations undertaking a similar project, Randeri said, “I would say planning, give yourself ample time, and get a partner that has done this before. That is the recipe for success.

“If you go live without the requirements or without selecting a partner, you will fail. If you get a partner without knowing what your end goal is, the project will fail. So you have to have all of those three components in order to have a successful completion.

“We were blessed in the fact that we had good teams, both externally and internally, and that we were able to meet the timeline within budget. I think that's because we planned it correctly. We didn't box ourselves in, and we had the right partner at the table, so I think that’s the recipe for success.

“It's been a great relationship thus far, and we're looking forward to many more years together.”