inPhronesis manages the data and intelligence that drives pharmaceutical companies with Microsoft 365.
This biomedical software expert turned to Rackspace Technology to modernize its email infrastructure and optimize its knowledge management portal.
Industry
Technology
Challenge
As a data platform trusted by eight of the top 20 global pharmaceutical companies, inPhronesis wanted to deploy Microsoft 365 and optimize security to address SOC 2 compliance requirements.
Solutions Rackspace Elastic Engineering, Email & Productivity Platforms Microsoft Office 365Our customer
Some of the world's most prominent biomedical and pharmaceutical companies count on inPhronesis for proprietary insights into their data. inPhronesis customers value its elastic approach to finding data that can drive decisions. “We combine data software, machine learning and human expertise to sort through all of the available information,” said Eric Tapley, IT director at inPhronesis. “Then we give people the information that's important – information that shapes their decisions.”
inPhronesis’ main product is a software called inVision, which delivers essential insights on the biomedical industry. The application is a hub of client information that’s used by over 3,500 pharmaceutical and medical technology professionals to stay up to date on the industry. The system sends out multiple daily alerts with reporting on different markets, classes of drugs and advancements at various companies. “inVision is what we use for communication, collaboration, supplying documents and managing client projects,” said Tapley.
“There's a ton of things to get done and rolling out Microsoft Intune for device management is a big chunk of that work. Having Rackspace Technology to help really was invaluable.”
The obstacles they faced
Having worked closely with several key clients since 2008, the company is seeking ways to prioritize those business relationships. Demonstrating the high level of support it provides to clients, inPhronesis underwent a SOC 2 certification process. For a small business, ensuring compliance and improving data security can be complex, with many moving parts. For this reason, inPhronesis wanted the flexible service delivery model available through Rackspace Elastic Engineering.
“There are so many different pieces, and there's so much to know,” said Tapley. “Because we had Rackspace Elastic Engineering, we knew that we could come up with any question on any part of it. We weren’t siloed into doing just one project.”
One of the Rackspace Technology® team’s first tasks was helping the inPhronesis IT team map out a plan for integrating dozens of different applications and tools. This plan needed to account for the management of mobile Windows iOS and Android devices used by employees in the field. Microsoft Intune solved for the endpoint management challenges while Microsoft 365 helped to account for data security and audit capabilities.
“Rackspace Elastic Engineering is giving us really good peace of mind. It's been really effective at helping us stay current and compliant with our policies.”
How we helped
When the company started planning for its SOC 2 compliance audit, Tapley knew Rackspace Technology® could help there, too. Timing for the SOC 2 audit was crucial. The company needed resources deployed within a specific window, and policies needed to be fine-tuned to meet specific goals and enhance its security posture.
“Our big project this year was doing the SOC 2 security compliance audit, and internally it means more than just checking a box,” said Tapley. “The purpose is to really get ourselves where we need to be in terms of serving enterprise clients.”
Throughout the audit process, Tapley was able to resolve obstacles at a moment’s notice. When there was an issue with Microsoft OneDrive synchronization or a question on settings for Microsoft Outlook, Tapley brought it to his Rackspace Elastic Engineering team. Just as inPhronesis relies on human analysts to sort through data for its software, Tapley found the human expertise at Rackspace Technology essential to optimizing software the company relied on.
“Without the human expertise behind it, what is the technology?” asked Tapley. “You know, the technology only goes so far. What’s made an impact on me is the people who work at Rackspace and their deep expertise.”
In addition to deploying Microsoft 365 for employees, inPhronesis was also able to set up device management on cloud-based endpoint management solution Microsoft Intune before the SOC 2 audit. With Microsoft Intune, endpoint managers can keep user devices compliant, and wipe company data from any lost or stolen devices. The company can also generate reports that help it keep remote devices updated and secured.
What we achieved together
After working closely with Rackspace Technology, inPhronesis deployed Microsoft 365, enabled endpoint management and adjusted security settings in time for the SOC 2 audit. The company now has a certification showing it complies with five trust principles and is safeguarding proprietary data for clients. Today, inPhronesis is in an even better position to attract new clients and prove its dedication to loyal partners.
All the work to provide tools and improve security was for more than just certification; the enhanced protection has proven to have real results for the organization. Months after working with Rackspace Technology and successfully improving security, there was an intrusion attempt.
Tapley woke up one Saturday morning to see thousands of intrusion attempts from overseas. He took action to respond to the attack and, because of all the protections that were in place, a breach was avoided.
“Because we put all this in place and worked with Rackspace Technology to lock down our systems, the attack was not a problem," said Tapley. "Business proceeded as usual. Nothing was disturbed, and nobody’s machine got hacked.”
Ultimately, inPhronesis makes better use of security tools within Microsoft 365 to protect proprietary data. And its relationship with Rackspace Technology continues. As technology evolves, the company continues to use Rackspace Elastic Engineering to better adapt to changes in Microsoft 365 Defender and protect against new threats.
About Rackspace Technology
Rackspace Technology is a hybrid, multicloud solutions expert. We combine our expertise with the world’s leading technologies — across AI, applications, data and security — to deliver end-to-end solutions. We have a proven record of advising customers based on their business challenges, designing solutions that scale, building and managing those solutions, and optimizing returns into the future.
As a global hybrid, multicloud technology services pioneer, we deliver innovative capabilities to help customers build new revenue streams, increase efficiency and create incredible experiences. Named a best place to work, year after year according to Fortune, Forbes and Glassdoor, we attract and develop world-class talent to deliver the best expertise to our customers. Everything we do is wrapped in Fanatical Experience® — our obsession with customer success that drives us to help each customer work faster, smarter and stay ahead of what’s next.
Let’s Talk Strategy
Tell us a little about your challenges and we’ll contact you.
You may withdraw your consent to receive additional information from Rackspace Technology at any time. Information collected in this form is subject to the Rackspace Technology Privacy Notice.
Rackspace Technology Support
To create a ticket or chat with a specialist regarding your account, log into your account.
Support Phone
1-800-961-4454
International Support
+1-512-361-4935
Help Documentation
System status
Rackspace Technology Careers
Rackspace Technology accelerates the value of the cloud during every phase of a customer’s digital transformation. Join us on our mission.