Download - VSA Partners Font Management Case Study - Chicago Font Symposium

VSA Partners Case Study

VSA PARTNERS: Managing Fonts in a Fast-Paced Agency


Chris Stuart •  IT Manager

•  9 years serving creative agency IT needs


VSA Partners •  30 year old agency

•  Offices in Chicago, NYC and Detroit Notable clients:


Life Before Universal Type Server •  Single user font management

•  Ad-hoc installed with an system image

•  Not really updated


Server Configuration •  One Universal Type Server

•  Client Licenses: 180

•  Core Client Licenses: 120

•  LDAP & Kerberos Single Sign-on

•  Serve fonts to all offices from Chicago


Universal Type Server Initial Configuration •  Management of multiple font collections

serving disparate creative teams

•  Consistent and reliable server

•  Easy server configuration

•  Local administration

•  Three teams separated into separate workgroups

•  Local personal workgroups


Initial Configuration Challenges •  Local personal workgroups

•  Users shared fonts

•  Font compliance nonexistent

•  Multiple cuts of the same font in different formats

•  Lack of consistency


Universal Type Server Reorganized Configuration •  Ensure font licensing compliance

•  IT & Legal department push

•  Built New Workgroups •  Old Fonts

•  Client Font Workgroups

•  Adobe Font Folio

•  VSA Fonts

•  Reintroduced Personal Workgroups


Compliance Strategy •  Licensed Adobe Font Folio

•  All fonts purchased by IT

•  Requests made through helpdesk

•  IT uploads fonts to server

•  IT tracks licensing with UTS

•  IT can now view server-based personal workgroups


From the Client User’s Perspective •  Easy access to font collection

•  Ability to search and browse fonts

•  Precise font activation

•  Better ability to manage font libraries

•  Standard part of creative toolset

•  Easily recognized by new employees


Core Client User’s Perspective •  Users who need fonts who don’t know that they do

•  Account Management, Project Management, Strategy,

Copywriters, Finance, etc.

•  People who use Acrobat, PowerPoint, Keynote, Office

•  Headless, so no user interaction

Download - VSA Partners Font Management Case Study - Chicago Font Symposium

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