Apogee Announces Expansion of its Managed Campus Services Portfolio

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Demonstrating its ongoing leadership as a highly valued and trusted strategic technology services partner to higher education, Apogee today announced the expansion of its Managed Campus services portfolio with the addition of new Managed IT Services and Professional Services. These new leading-edge services enable colleges and universities to partner with Apogee to free in-house teams from IT operational headaches so they can pursue strategic innovation and digital transformation initiatives. The expanded portfolio unlocks time and delivers peace of mind by relieving institutions from the ongoing struggle of finding, hiring, and retaining scarce IT talent, and by providing a higher ed-friendly and predictable OPEX funding model.

Recognized as a leader and expert in managed networks at scale for both residence halls (ResNet) and administrative and academic networks, Apogee today expands its menu of Managed Campus technology services with:

• Apogee Managed IT Services is a customizable suite of IT services designed to provide the performance and reliability essential to a productive, secure campus technology environment. These services ensure consistent access to applications and data, improve IT efficiency, and create new opportunities for IT innovation. The suite includes the following discrete services that may be bundled together:
  
  
  • Managed Infrastructure provides proactive monitoring, updating, and remediation of critical Windows and Linux systems. Managed Infrastructure services protect infrastructure and data with antivirus monitoring, updating, and automated remediation of antivirus violations; address security and data concerns through industry-standard backups of physical and virtualized servers, test restorations, and server remediation; and provide 24/7 access to Apogee experts.
    
  • Managed Endpoints maintains efficient operation of campus PCs, laptops, and iOS devices. With more than 100 monitors, antivirus updates, URL filtering, and customized remote management capabilities built in, Managed Endpoints identifies and remediates known threats quickly to maximize device uptime and reduce risk to network resources and data.
    
  • Active Directory provides efficient end-user access and protection of network resources, limiting access to sensitive data while maintaining faculty and staff productivity. Routine and 24/7 critical server support ensures uptime and availability, while customized group policies limit access to institutional research, student data, or other sensitive information. Apogee integrates single sign-on (SSO) into essential applications, while standardized policy enforcement and daily oversight of multi-factor authentication (MFA) ensure VPNs and applications are highly available and accessed appropriately.
    
  • Office 365/Google Workspace maximizes the uptime and efficiency of email, chat, and file storage. Apogee works to understand campus-specific use cases for email, chat, and file storage; ensures efficient operation of applications while enhancing the security of end-user data with standardized policy, implementation, and enforcement; and delivers monthly insights reports to isolate key usage trends and identify opportunities for operational improvements.
    
  • IT Service Desk eliminates the burden from campus IT teams for call-in support. Campuses can depend on Apogee for 24/7 IT service desk support to eliminate challenges associated with receiving and routing Level 1 and Level 2 support tickets. Highly trained Apogee staff receive, resolve, and escalate incoming calls fast, freeing in-house staff from operational pain and helping improve campus technology reputation.
    
• Apogee Professional Services deliver immediate help to campus IT leaders struggling with staff or expertise challenges and include:
  
  
  • Networking and IT assessments help define and prioritize the repair of critical gaps in infrastructure, processes, or tools.
  • CIO advisory services help with strategy development, planning, budgeting, and short-term guidance of in-house resources to achieve operational steady state.
  • Staff augmentation addresses immediate gaps in in-house expertise or staffing.
  • Project-based engagements resolve specific operational or systems issues.

“Campus leaders are facing extreme pressure to deliver high educational ROI (return on investment) and exceptional student experiences at a time when finding, hiring, and retaining IT talent is challenging. Apogee is excited to expand our Managed Campus portfolio with nine new innovative and leading-edge managed technology services designed specifically for higher education,” said Scott Drossos, Apogee chief executive officer. “By partnering with Apogee, colleges and universities can offload IT operational challenges to an expert, rapidly scale IT to address emerging needs, and eliminate annual budgeting pain. Apogee helps put institutions on a path to IT efficiency, unleashing their ability to deliver innovations and programs that give them a competitive edge in student experience, education, research, and community outcomes.”

Located in Saint Joseph, Mo., Missouri Western State University (MWSU) has a student enrollment of 3500+. In 2021, MWSU faced daunting challenges: financial exigency, several new leadership transitions, and an aging technological infrastructure. Darrell Morrison, MWSU chief financial officer, sought Apogee CIO Advisory Services to provide strategic planning prowess, uncover IT problems, and complete numerous institution-wide IT projects. Apogee then ensured a successful implementation of Apogee ResNet and Managed Campus Services while shepherding the campus through the process of hiring a permanent Chief Information Officer.

“The days of break/fix IT and silos are over,” said Mr. Morrison. “Working with Apogee means the MWSU IT team can focus and collaborate on the projects that will drive transformation across the entire campus. Apogee is particularly adept at understanding the big technology picture on campus while also homing in on the most urgent IT priorities that need to be addressed. And they do this without pressure or trying to sell us more than we need. I am thrilled to see Apogee expand its Managed Campus portfolio and look forward to a continued long and productive partnership.”

New Website and Availability

Apogee has launched a new website with the expansion of the Managed Campus portfolio to help higher education leaders quickly access information about all Apogee managed technology services. Campus leaders are invited to explore a wealth of resources, such as e-books, case studies, videos, worksheets, blogs, and on-demand webinars, to learn how partnering with Apogee to offload IT operations can meaningfully contribute to realizing campus outcomes. The full Managed Campus portfolio is now available, and institutions may schedule a consultation with an Apogee higher education expert by filling out this form.

About Apogee

Established in Austin in 1999, Apogee is a leading provider of managed technology services that enable colleges and universities to innovate to enrich the campus experience and foster student vitality. Uniquely positioned to serve higher education, Apogee supports a community of more than one million students and administrators at over 350 colleges and universities nationwide. The company’s comprehensive managed services portfolio includes Managed Campus networks and IT services, residential networks (ResNet), campus engagement, and video. Visit Apogee at apogee.us.