Levin Management Corporation

When Levin Management Corporation learned that Microsoft would stop supporting its nine-year-old network application at the end of 2004, the firm decided to capitalize on the situation by investing in a new, cutting-edge enterprise network that would provide a high level of connectivity for employees. The 53-year-old, third-party retail property management company immediately turned to Integrated Business Systems (IBS), its technology partner for more than two decades, to orchestrate the project.

The IBS Network Services department configured a major Windows 2003 network upgrade with Exchange 2003 and installed multiple Citrix servers at Levin's North Plainfield, New Jersey, headquarters. "This solution enables Levin to remotely deploy applications across a wide area network, with a high level of manageability and performance," said Edward "E.J." Liggieri, IBS Network Services manager. "In essence, employees can access the system from any remote site. At the same time, the network is highly secure. We spent a lot of time ensuring that Levin's system is protected."

According to Harold Harris, Levin's vice president and chief financial officer, the upgrade process and end result have provided a number of new benefits for the company and its retail clients. "The remote access gives us the ability to work from any location, to access our company-wide network, files, email and the many applications that are vital to our business," he said. "Our property managers are working hands-on at our clients' properties regularly, and the new updated system enables them to operate efficiently through the Internet at any location."

Harris credits the IBS trainers and support team for a smooth transition from the previous IBS version to the new platform. "In essence, there was minimal disruption for us and for our clients, and the benefits of the Internet system are extraordinary. It's a stable system that provides real-time access anywhere and anytime."

IBS' Network Services department addresses PC network integration, Internet, and Wide and Local Area Network (WAN/LAN) requirements for clients of all sizes. The company provides in-depth analysis, strategic planning, network design and engineering, implementation, training, and ongoing support. The firm's team of Microsoft Certified System Engineers and Microsoft Certified Professionals are well-versed in the newest technologies. An entire department of network and systems engineers with broad experience supports their efforts.

The Network Services department complements IBS' turnkey real estate automation solutions. The Fairfield, New Jersey, firm is best known for its property management and accounting system, which serves more than 120 prominent real estate companies, including Levin Management Corporation. With a 26-year development history, IBS software addresses virtually all property management, accounting and construction management tasks.

Harris has been using IBS as Levin Management's main system since he joined the firm nearly 20 years ago. At the same time, the Levin organization works on behalf of many institutional, fiduciary and individual owners, which utilize a variety of property management systems. As a result, the company's staff operates a number of other property management computer systems to comply with its clients' requirements. The company maintains a growing management portfolio with more than 11.4 million square feet of diverse retail properties including more than 80 shopping centers in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina.

Recently, Levin committed to upgrading to IBS newly completed browser-enabled version, IBS 10.0i. The J2EE-compliant product can be run as an Intranet within a firewall and corporate network or over the Internet via an Application Service Provider (ASP) model. It has been designed so that it can be configured in a variety of ways, with as many systems and web servers as required by the clients' needs.

"The new version provides the same functionality that IBS has always offered, but with a more modern, user-friendly interface," Harris said. "We are excited about incorporating it into our operation and using it to benefit our own clients and their diverse operating and reporting needs."

Levin provides the fullest range possible of in-house services associated with retail property management, including leasing, marketing, construction management, tenant improvements, risk management, and legal and accounting services. In 2004, for the second straight year, the company was ranked the Best Owner/Manager in NJPA Real Estate Journal's "Best of the Best" and was listed 38th in Retail Traffic's most recent national ranking of retail property managers.

"Levin is one of our long-time clients and has always embraced technology as a tool to improve its operational scope and efficiency," said Robert Entin, IBS president. "It is highly gratifying to see this long-time client succeed so impressively, and we are proud to have evolved commensurate with Levin's changing needs. The new network and IBS 10.0i have provided the firm with the capabilities required to maintain its competitive edge in the coming years."