The pharmaceutical industry is fraught with rules and regulations, but that didn’t deter Nathan McBride, VP of IT, from moving AMAG Pharmaceuticals’ IT services to Google Enterprise.
This is the first in a series of profiles of the Constellation SuperNova Award semifinalists. Today I bring you the story of Nathan McBride, the VP of IT for AMAG Pharmaceuticals, that, faced with a shrinking IT budget, moved his company to Google Enterprise’s cloud-based productivity suite despite facing additional industry-specific regulations.
In 2009, Nathan McBride set out to build the leanest possible IT department by moving all IT services to Google Enterprise. IT budget at AMAG Pharmaceuticals was experiencing downward pressure, and migration to the cloud seemed a natural choice as cost reduction would allow AMAG to live within its budgetary means, while improved accessibility and collaboration could enable increased productivity. However, as with any migration to the cloud, security and access management surfaced as concerns. In addition, federal and state regulations for pharmaceutical companies meant additional security and auditing requirements needed to be met before complete roll out to Google Apps.
McBride knew that by moving to Google Apps and partnering with effective cloud security companies, he could enjoy the full benefits of the cloud-based productivity and collaboration platform without sacrificing security
Putting Cloud To Work In Technology Optimization and Innovation
McBride knew that partnering with the right cloud security and compliance companies would enable AMAG to take advantage of Google Apps’ productivity and collaboration benefits without sacrificing security. McBride selected CloudLock for Google Apps and Okta to resolve his cloud security, management, and audit issues, thus enabling full migration to the cloud.
McBride selected CloudLock for auditing control of Google Docs (where McBride currently stores almost 1 million documents) as well as security and authentication control. Okta was chosen to meet AMAG’s access management and security requirements.
The results: 60 percent savings achieved!
Since moving to Google Apps, AMAG has cut its $2.8 million budget to less than $1 million, a savings of over 60 percent.
Now AMAG employees can securely access any data they need from any computer at any time and it is always the same experience regardless of whether it is a Mac, PC, Tablet or Smartphone. As a result the company is able to allow employees to work from home, employ a smaller business footprint in the form of reduced consumption of energy and property resources, and improved productivity from employees who are happier and working faster.
Disruption: Migration To the Cloud and Google Enterprise In A Highly Regulated Industry
McBride’s efforts to move AMAG Pharmaceuticals embodies the disruptive spirit of the SuperNova Awards because AMAG Pharmaceuticals was one of the first companies of its size to move to its IT processes to Google Enterprise. With IT budgets shrinking across all industries, you can bet we will see more IT departments following in McBride’s footsteps.
“A pharmaceutical company is the last place I would expect to see a move to Google Docs for highly regulated documentation. McBride's advocacy for cloud document management and his work to ensure security of such documentation is inspiring. The dramatic reduction in AMAG's IT operating budget shows the power of cloud computing for technology optimization.” – Frank Scavo, Constellation VP, Principal Analyst, and SuperNova Award Judge on Nathan McBride’s successful technology optimization and innovation project.
More Information
The SuperNova Awards #SNA12
The Constellation SuperNova Awards celebrate and recognize leaders and teams who have overcome the odds to successfully apply emerging and disruptive technologies for their organizations. This annual search for innovators includes an all star judging panel, substantial prizes, invite-only admission and speaking opportunities at Constellation's premier innovation summit - Connected Enterprise. The winners of the 2012 SuperNova Awards will be announced November 9th, 2012 at the SuperNova Awards Dinner Gala on the first night of Connected Enterprise.
Connected Enterprise #CCE2012
Constellation’s Connected Enterprise 2012 is an intimate innovation summit for senior business leaders successfully using disruptive technologies to drive business value. The 3-day, 2-night executive retreat at the St. Regis, Monarch Beach will include mind expanding keynotes from visionaries and futurists, interactive best practices panels, The Constellation SuperNova Awards Dinner Gala, a golf outing, and an experiential companion program.
View full agenda and register: http://connectedenterprise.ontrackevents.com/home.cfm
Send questions to the Constellation team: contact[at]ConstellationRG[dot]com
