A major group television broadcaster, Liberty Corporation owns fifteen network-affiliated television stations and is the sales representative for the WB network cable channel in five markets.  In addition, Liberty owns CableVantage Inc., a cable advertising sales group serving eight cable companies, which represents approximately 500,000 subscribers.  Also under the Liberty Corporation umbrella are Take Ten Productions, a video production facility, and Broadcast Merchandising Corporation, which is a broadcast equipment distributor.  

In November of 2000, the Liberty Corporation announced the sale completion of its insurance operations to the Royal Bank of Canada for approximately $650 million in cash.  This transaction allowed Liberty Corp. to pursue the expansion of its core broadcasting business and new media/digital opportunities.  (www.libertycorp.com) 

  Along with this sale came the necessity of relocating from the now RBC Liberty campus to their current location on South Main Street in Greenville , S.C.   Given today’s integration of daily business operations and the reliance on technology, an efficient move was paramount.  The challenge was to minimize down time to one business day.  

Enter CreekPointe.  Liberty Corporation had been using CreekPointe before the planned move but now their services were to be utilized in new ways.  A new location meant new servers with a new LAN.  Even the client machines were to be new.  About nine months prior to the move, CreekPointe began collaborating with Liberty Corporation’s Anthony Onofrio, the Corporate Director of Information Technology, to design their network.  CreekPointe developed a thorough understanding of the hardware requirements and conducted an exhaustive software inventory.  It was determined to keep all server and client purchases within the same brand, even down to model numbers, to help expedite future service needs.  

With the servers built and firewall installed, it was time to transfer all data and re-install all programs.  CreekPointe constructed a base image and then customized non-standard programs on an individual basis – all of which was tested prior to moving day.  Configuration of “group policy” was put into place on the servers to facilitate remote installation once Liberty Corporation arrived on site. CreekPointe remained in-house after the move was completed to resolve individual custom issues such as synchronization of hand-helds, network printer settings and the like.  

Reflecting on the move and current business workings, Anthony puts it this way:  

“When we sold the Liberty Insurance division to RBC Liberty and started our own IT department, one of my main objectives was to keep the corporate IT staff to a minimum.  To accomplish this we have installed two ASP applications hosted by IBM, and we have used CreekPointe as our in–house help desk and network consultants.  From the very beginning, they have been the IT department for the corporate office.  This includes the move, the setup of our LAN and email system and even the design of our internet connection.  They handle all day to day problems, allowing me to stay focused on managing our site.”  

Having to coordinate and plan a successful move, Nancy Smith, Liberty Corp’s Office Manager, knows first hand the importance of a vendor/client relationship.  Closing one office on a Thursday afternoon to re-open at 8:30 a.m. the following Monday in a new location meant that the plan had to be a good one and that it had to be followed.  

“What gives me confidence in our relationship is their (CreekPointe) in-depth knowledge of our network structure.  Before, during and after our move we never experienced a time when the communication flow became one-sided.  Their input and advice is sound.  If they don’t know the answer to something, they are honest and say so.  Not only are they honest but they research issues and get back to me quickly so that we can make informed decisions.”  

“Platinum Service was explained to us in a very ‘non sales’ manner.  The Platinum options were given without any pressure.  It has been our experience that it is a good investment.  I like the quick response and the in–depth reporting we receive on a monthly basis.  As Office Manager, a large portion of my time is taken up making cost justifications and giving billing approval.  Platinum has streamlined my time and freed me to work on other issues.  When we place a call for service, I am able to let our people know, with certainty, that their specific issue is being resolved.”  

CreekPointe provides continuous Platinum Service to the Liberty Corporation, including network support, desktop trouble shooting and hardware break/fix.  Their servers are maintained through monthly on site visits.   

 In Nancy ’s opinion,  

“CreekPointe has established themselves as the premier technical service provider in the Upstate.”