First Call &
Montana Credit Union Network
Partner in Strategic Alliance!


First Call has been honored to serve and better the technology for many Credit Unions across Montana over the past several years. We are pleased to be taking this service once step farther by becoming a strategic alliance to the Montana Credit Union Network!
As technology evolves, cyber security threats increase, and regulatory compliance is ever changing, The Montana Credit Union Network believe that having a strategic partnership with a world class managed services provider with over 20 years of experience and within the industry and with over 50 employees across the state will benefit the Credit Union members in many ways!
Let's explore what this partnership means.
What does this partnership mean to you?
We make IT better for montana credit unions
First Call has been providing top notch cybersecurity and Information Technology Solutions for Credit Unions across Montana for over 20 years. We have a skilled team of experts to consult, plan and implement the right solution for your business.
We understand the challenges Credit Unions face when it comes to technology, cybersecurity and more and are here to help your business succeed!

We Work with Credit unions like YOURS!

Ready to take the Next Steps?

Meg Ross
Business Development Director
IT & Business Advisor, Pricing & Information
mross@firstsolution.com
406.544.0933
Get in touch today:
How do we measure IT Succes?
Fewer issues
- Key Performance Indicators:
- Number of issues
- Severity/impact of issues
- Hours of technical resolution time divided by the number of endpoints (PC’s and Servers)
Less risk
- Key Performance Indicators:
- Regulatory Standards/Gaps/% of alignment
- General Cybersecurity Standards/Gaps/% of alignment
- Advanced Cybersecurity Standards/Gaps/% of alignment
Fiscal Alignment
- Key Performance Indicators:
- IT Operational Expense % of Budget
- IT Capital Expense % of Budget
Business Alignment
- Key Performance Indicators
- General IT Standards/Gaps/% of alignment
- Quarterly IT Objectives % Completed
- (Scope, budget, schedule, satisfaction score)
- Annual IT Objectives % Completed
End User Satisfaction
- Key Performance Indicators:
- IT Support Client Satisfaction Score
- IT Project (end user facing) Client Satisfaction Score
What are the distinct roles of IT?
A true IT team will be formed spanning the leadership team, internal IT team, First Call, Key Line of Business Application providers, Telecommunications, Internet Service Providers, Cloud Providers, Copy/Print/Scan, Physical Security/Access Controls/Cameras, and Professional Skills Development resources.
INTAKE/TRIAGE/DISPATCH
All IT issues and user requests will be logged into a shared ticketing system. First Call’s dedicated intake and dispatch personnel will take the information, triage, and dispatch the appropriate resource. First Call has personnel dedicated solely to this function to ensure high quality information, scheduling, communication, and technician utilization.
HELP DESK: HOT DESK
There are a variety of issues that are dispatched for immediate work and resolution. Example: password resets. These issues are low complexity but do create work stoppages for end users. Help Desk: Tier 1/2/3 Technicians
Issues that do not meet “Hot Desk” requirements must be dispatched to the appropriate technical resource based on complexity, impact, and severity.
ONSITE SUPPORT
Statistically IT needs to aim to resolve 95% of all IT issues using a remote/team-based approach. 5% require a field technician be dispatched to the client’s physical location.
The Technology Alignment Manager could also address non-urgent issues during their proactive onsite to avoid non-optimal use of Help Desk resources.
SECURITY EVENT RESPONSE
Certain IT issues/requests have security implications and are designated as security events. Example: password resets, new user additions, access permission change requests. First Call has various standard operating procedures in place to ensure these and other security events are managed, such as to minimize risk.
SECURITY INCIDENT RESPONSE
A security incident or an assumed security incident requires First Call to utilize its incident response standard operating procedures which include forming a security response team, security response leader and a combination of both technical, incident response management, formal communication (stakeholders) and logging/reporting.
HELP DESK QUALITY ASSURANCE
First Call has a Quality Assurance Manager on staff who reviews every ticket against standards to ensure the proper communication, end user experience (😊, ☹), confirmation of resolution and records are for both documentation and trend analysis prior to closing the ticket. This “overhead” is a critical control to keeping both the support experience and outcomes at a high level on every issue and request submitted.
Trend Analysis and Reactive Hours Per Endpoint Per Month (RHEM)
Quality IT support data leads to quality information which leads to quality trend analysis. At First Call we have a saying: “what do we need to do to get the noise to go away?” IT issues are noisy for our clients, that is keeping them from their jobs. Our goal is to cut our clients’ IT issues in half and then cut them in half again. Example:
Client X: 100 endpoints
- RHEM: 1 hour per endpoint per month
- Total RHEM: 100 Hours of tech support needed.
- Initial RHEM Goal: .5 hours per endpoint per month
- Total RHEM: 50 hours of tech support needed.
- Ultimate goal: .25 hours per endpoint per month
- Total RHEM: 25 hours of tech support needed.
With high quality records, a team-based support approach, quality assurance and management towards measurable goals the client will experience fewer issues and a predictability both for users and customers.

CENTRAL SERVICES
A variety of tools and services are needed to successfully manage, administer, and secure IT systems. Examples: firewalls, patch management, antivirus, monitoring, automated maintenance, backups and disaster recovery, other cloud services: documentation, ticketing etc. Central Services provides proactive maintenance to keep organizations aligned with standards around these services.
First Call provides a standard stack of tools and services to all clients to keep a high level of standardization, automation, and reporting in place to meet not only technical demands, but also regulatory reporting needs.
In our “Done With You” approach to the IT department all resources must learn and leverage the same tools to gain the efficiencies, outcomes, and left hand/right hand awareness.
Special note on backups: First Call’s data retention policy for cloud backups provides a 6-month recovery window and a variety of ransomware encryption protections stored offsite in a regulatory compliant data center.
TECHNICAL ALIGNMENT MANAGER (TAM)
First Call has a variety of standards it works proactively onsite with customers to align with.
- General IT Standards
- Regulatory Standards/Gaps
- General Cybersecurity Standards/Gaps/% of alignment
- Advanced Cybersecurity Standards/Gaps/% of alignment
Each client is assigned a TAM. Th e TAM is scheduled a year in advance for 1 -2 on-site per month. Their job is to audit clients against these standards, working proactively with the team to create and maintain alignment. The greater the alignment as a % of standards the lower the risk and the lower the number of issues clients experience. All client locations managed by First Call would stay audited and aligned. The TAM elevates Documentation quality as they go. Every on-site is focused not only on standards alignment and documentation but also on building strong relationships on the ground, establishing greater awareness of issues, needs, variables etc.
Beyond our standards over time, clients also want to implement their own standards, specific either to their organization or a division therein. The TAM helps establish these standards and then audits at a specified interval (minimum once a year) to ensure alignment.
Minimizing technical gaps and variables is key to driving successful outcomes both in the day-to-day but also in longer term planning.
VCIO (VIRTUAL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER)
The vCIO that intimately understands the organization’s mission, objectives, leadership team and desired organizational and departmental outcomes
This is a key role that First Call does provide with its agreement and can add extensive value for highly regulated organizations.
- What does a vCIO do?
- Manage the overall account
- On-boarding
- Ongoing services and outcomes
- Formal IT Planning & Budgeting
- 4 Formal tech steering meetings a year
- Helping the organization avoid variables/misalignment with standards
- Solution Proposals
- Additional services available for additional fees
- Regulatory Audits
- IT main point of contact
- Communications and reporting
- Q&A etc.
- Regulatory Audits
- Manage the overall account
First Call will assign a vCIO with experience in IT, credit unions/banking, and the ability to work with your leadership team, and the Technology Alignment Manager, to drive organizational value.
PROJECTS/PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Similar to support, First Call takes a team-based approach to helping clients implement new technology into an organization. First Call’s professional services teams implement solutions ranging from new PC’s and printers to servers, cloud, networking, phone system, and security infrastructure.
Projects small and large are delivered with formal project management and communication. Changes to client environments are communicated to other delivery areas. Technical and business outcomes are understood and delivered with each project.
The Professional Services engineers are supported by a Quote Desk, Design Engineer, and a Procurement Specialist to ensure solutions are designed, quoted, and materials are available to meet delivery schedule requirements.
All these resources have access to both the documentation and IT standards to ensure alignment stays in place with each solution/addition.
REGULATORY AUDITING/ALIGNMENT
The Technology Alignment Manager will review audit the organization annually against security/privacy technical standards. Gaps will be communicated by the vCIO to the leadership team that need executive level support and/or infrastructure investment.
To provide formal proof of regulatory compliance, formal policies and procedures, evidence, 3rd party vulnerability scans are required, additional fees apply.
USER BEHAVIOR/DEVELOPMENT
IT is primarily responsible for making the tools available where users need them, secure and predictable. How to use the tools (software applications) should be an operational function, not an IT function. First Call would work with the Credit Union and IT staff to establish who are the application specialists within the organization. What are the skills gaps? What is the strategy to address these?
Where IT is focused on user behavior / development is around security awareness training, testing and alignment.
RESULTS MANAGEMENT
While IT has many functions, personnel, and accountabilities someone must be both the leader, manager, and driver of outcomes. The personal accountable can either be inside the organization or the vCIO. Either way the person must embrace the people, processes and tools and take ownership of them.
*ODD JOBS
IT gets pulled into a lot of different systems: websites, facilities, physical security, phone systems, document management, print/copy/scan etc. Generally, First Call recommends the internal IT staff list these, know their roles and operate these functions to the satisfaction of the organization’s leadership team.

Conor Smith – CEO Firs Call Computer Solutions
Montana Credit Union Network – Annual Power up 2022
Our IT Services
DONE FOR YOU IT
By outsourcing your IT, you can expect to see improvements in:
Productivity
Morale
Competitiveness
Security & Risk
Bottom Line
DONE WITH YOU IT
Co-Managed IT solutions can help support your existing IT team by providing:
Vision & Planning
Security & Compliance
Support & Staff Augmentation
Infrastructure Projects
Better Tools & Processes
ADVANCED CYBERSECURITY
No matter who you are, face the fact that you CANNOT AFFORD a cybersecruity breach. Security Hardening Isn’t Tough. Or, at least, it doesn’t have to be with the right cybersecurity partner. Cybersecurity assessments & implementation can help you:
Strengthen your workforce
Manage risks both inside and outside your network
Establish an approach or even decide where to start
Become compliant
UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS
Do you know what to do if your communications go down at your business? There are numerous options for office communication systems. Do you know which one would work best for you?
Cloud Based Phone Systems
Small Business Phone Systems
PBX Phone Systems
Microsoft Phone Systems
Allworx
Resources:
Case Studies
Industry News
It is Time to Partner with a Managed IT Service Provider
If you are unhappy with your current IT provider or simply feel that you are lacking the necessary tools and solutions, it may be time to revisit and make changes to your IT Structure!
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