The EDGE Sports & Fitness: Reliable Wi-Fi and IT Support at Five Vermont Clubs

The EDGE Sports & Fitness runs five clubs in South Burlington and Essex, Vermont, and its Wi-Fi, mail, and support had to work the same way at every one. simpleroute, a managed IT firm in Colchester, rebuilt Wi-Fi at all five clubs, raised Wi-Fi bandwidth tenfold, moved mail and devices from an on-premises Exchange server to Microsoft 365, and gave staff a Vermont-based technician who knows their environment.

The EDGE offers preventative care, physical therapy, sports programs, and fitness classes for all ages and abilities. Its clubs in Chittenden County include swimming pools, tennis and pickleball courts, and weight rooms, and The EDGE is well known for its pickleball program. Staff and members both depend on Wi-Fi at every location.

What IT problems was The EDGE facing?

Before simpleroute, three problems kept getting in the way of staff and members:

• Weak Wi-Fi and failing voice calls: Wi-Fi was weak and inconsistent across all five locations. Staff struggled to communicate and run operations, and members could not count on using their devices at the clubs. Bandwidth was limited, links between the sites were slow, and the phone system had frequent voice connection failures.
• A legacy Exchange server: Mail ran on an on-premises Exchange server that needed regular manual work: updates, security monitoring, and storage configuration. It lacked the compliance controls a modern organization needs, and the previous IT provider could not keep up with it.
• Slow, impersonal support: Calls went into a queue and ended with a technician who did not know The EDGE or its environment. Someone came on site about once a month. The previous provider was not helping with vendor issues, and security was a concern.

The EDGE also needed an approach that fit its budget and still felt solid and friendly.

Why did The EDGE choose simpleroute?

The EDGE wanted a local managed IT provider that understood a multi-location fitness business, would give it personal and responsive support, and could modernize its systems.

“We wanted somebody local,” stated Deb Languasco, The EDGE’s Chief Operating Officer. “We wanted somebody approachable, somebody that we felt like we could tell what our challenges were and help us find our solutions that we needed.”

simpleroute’s technicians are based in Vermont. The EDGE got prompt phone support, fast response times, and frequent on-site visits. Any EDGE staff member can call simpleroute and speak with a familiar technician, a clear change from waiting in a queue for someone new.

How did simpleroute fit IT to The EDGE’s five clubs?

simpleroute started with how the clubs actually run: staff who move between sites, members who bring their own devices, and phone and club systems that depend on outside vendors. The work covered the network, mail, phones, and servers at all five clubs:

• Wi-Fi rebuilt at every club: simpleroute added and upgraded access points at all five locations and added SD-WAN between the sites. Staff and members now get fast, reliable Wi-Fi throughout the facilities, including members using their own devices.
• Exchange to Microsoft 365: simpleroute moved The EDGE off its on-premises Exchange server to Microsoft 365, migrating each employee’s device licensing and mail data. “If I’m working in South Burlington one day, in Essex the next day, I can just bring my laptop with me and it’s like I’ve been working in the same building all along,” noted COO Deb Languasco.
• Phone vendors: The previous provider was not helping with vendor issues. simpleroute worked with the phone vendors on the voice issues.
• Club systems: We also added and set up a heart-rate and activity tracking system, so members and guests can follow their effort on TVs in the clubs, and we helped the physical therapy team with its practice software.
• Servers and COVID-19: Servers were upgraded to match how the clubs actually run, including a cost-effective server upgrade during the pandemic. When COVID-19 closed the buildings, simpleroute made sure staff had the tools and support to keep working remotely.

What were the results for The EDGE?

The EDGE now has a network, mail system, and support model that work the same way at all five clubs:

• Wi-Fi bandwidth up tenfold across all five locations
• Reliable Wi-Fi for staff and members throughout the facilities
• No on-premises mail server to patch and maintain
• Staff can move between South Burlington and Essex and keep working on the same laptop
• Members and guests can follow their effort on TVs in the clubs
• Staff kept working when COVID-19 closed the buildings
• Around-the-clock monitoring and proactive maintenance
• A technician who knows the account when staff call

What IT problems did The EDGE have at its five clubs?

Weak Wi-Fi, failing voice calls, a legacy mail server, and slow support. Wi-Fi was weak across five locations, links between the sites were slow, and voice calls were failing. Mail sat on an on-premises Exchange server. Support meant a queue and a technician who did not know the account, with someone on site about once a month, and the previous provider was not helping with vendor issues.

What did simpleroute change for The EDGE?

simpleroute rebuilt Wi-Fi at all five clubs and raised Wi-Fi bandwidth tenfold. We also added SD-WAN, upgraded servers, moved mail and devices to Microsoft 365, and worked with the phone vendors on the voice issues. Members and guests can now follow their effort on TVs in the clubs. When COVID-19 closed the buildings, staff kept working.

How does support work across five clubs?

Staff call simpleroute and reach a technician who knows the account. The environment is monitored around the clock, and maintenance is proactive, not only when something breaks. Someone is dispatched on site once remote troubleshooting is done.