Modernization in Motion: How a Chicagoland Insurance Provider Future-Proofed Its Infrastructure with Summit & Paradigm

Challenge: Outgrowing Current Data Center & Rebuilding on Stronger Ground

When a trusted partner finds themselves in a challenging situation, Summit steps in to help turn disruption into opportunity. That’s exactly what happened with Paradigm Technology Group and their customer, a large privately-owned insurance company, when they were forced out of their data center location because it no longer fit their needs.
Rather than viewing this as a setback, Paradigm used this moment to reimagine their customers’ IT foundation. Their goal: to modernize, re-architect, and build for the future.

The customer needed to:

• Exit an under-supported facility that they had outgrown
• Re-architect their network to accommodate their future business growth
• Find a reliable partner with physical security and uptime guarantees
• Minimize disruption during a live migration

Initially, Paradigm sought a new secondary location to serve as the customer’s backup site while maintaining production at their headquarters. But once the team toured Summit’s Elk Grove, IL facility, they quickly realized Summit’s data center was better suited to become their primary production environment.

Solution: A Relationship-Driven Migration to Summit

Working closely with Paradigm, the client initiated a competitive bid process. They evaluated multiple providers and ultimately chose Summit to help poise them for growth.

The decision wasn’t only about facilities and pricing, though Summit’s next-gen data centers excel in both. The client’s decision to choose Summit was about relationships. Many of the leaders involved in this project have worked together for more than two decades, and those bonds of trust made all the difference.

A few additional reasons Paradigm and their customer chose to work with Summit on this project:

• Smooth, white glove migration with expert hands-on support
• Competitive pricing and transparent billing
• 100% uptime SLAs and proven power/network reliability
• Physical and operational security that far exceeded previous provider
• 24/7/365 onsite staff and spare parts depot for fast troubleshooting
• Room to scale, without the overhead of on-prem management
• Seamless support and transparent incident communication for mission critical data

Most importantly, the client’s IT team no longer needed to be physically present at either location - freeing them up to focus on strategic priorities rather than racking servers or responding to local hardware issues.

“We’ve got a small team with a long list of responsibilities. Knowing Summit has eyes and hands on-site means we can focus on what matters—without being tied to a physical location.”
- Senior IT Leader, Chicagoland Insurance Provider

Core Services

The migration was executed deliberately in two tightly coordinated phases:

• Phase One – Backup First: The client moved its disaster recovery systems to Summit. This allowed them to validate performance, support, and comfort with the new environment without impacting production workloads.

• Phase Two – Production Cutover: After experiencing the facility’s quality and operational stability, the team shifted course - promoting Summit’s Elk Grove site to their primary environment and moving their on-prem systems into a backup role.

This measured, low-risk approach is a blueprint for other mid-sized enterprises looking to mitigate without business disruption.

• Colocation: Enterprise-grade space with on-site staff, blended carrier options, and around-the-clock access
• Network Connectivity: Blended Internet circuits with improved resilience and carrier diversity
• Migration Services: Carefully planned and executed hardware relocation with zero business disruption
• Operational Support: 15-minute SLA-backed support response and clear, proactive communication

The Role of Paradigm: More Than a Connector

Kevin Ihde, Principal Consultant at Paradigm Technology Group, served as a trusted advisor from day one. With over 20 years of experience working with the client’s leadership team, Kevin brought context, credibility, and hands-on expertise to the decision-making process. His involvement underscored the value of trusted relationships in executing complex IT transformations.

Paradigm Technology Group helps clients:

• Evaluate colocation and cloud providers
• Architect scalable infrastructure strategies
• Serve as a true extension of the IT team
• Ensure every solution fits the client’s business, not just their tech stack

Kevin also helped vet providers, structure the evaluation process, and ensure the final migration strategy aligned with both technical and business goals. This project showcased Paradigm’s value as a technical strategist, relationship builder, and client advocate.

Results: A Stable Platform for the Future

• A flawless migration experience with no downtime or business disruption
• Stronger security posture with SOC-compliant physical infrastructure
• Responsive support replacing the opaque, slow service of their previous provider
• Significant operational relief for a lean IT team
• A scalable, secure footprint with room to grow with a long-term infrastructure partner invested in their success

The client now has a foundation built not just on better technology, but better partnerships. The migration marked more than a move - it was a mindset shift. With Summit and Paradigm at their side, the client is now focused on building the future, not maintaining the past.

Partner Perspective: Built on Trust and Follow-Through

By choosing Summit, Paradigm and their client gained more than a new data center—they gained peace of mind. With Summit’s always-on support and modern infrastructure, their teams no longer need to spend valuable time at a data center facility. Instead, they can focus on the other priorities demanding their attention.

“This wasn’t just about picking an infrastructure company - it was about finding the right people, the right approach, and the right path forward. Summit had clear alignment and delivered the expected results.”- Kevin Ihde, Paradigm Technology Group