Keep Your Legacy Equipment in Production: How Morefield Helped a Manufacturer Extend the Life of a 30-Year-Old CNC Lathe

In today’s fast-paced manufacturing world, most production facilities depend on computer-controlled (CNC) equipment like lathes, mills, presses, ovens, and mixers. While these machines are built to be reliably operational, the computers that control them rarely keep pace. On average, a desktop computer has a lifespan of just 3 to 4 years. When this controller fails or becomes obsolete, a common concern is whether the entire machine will need to be replaced—a costly and disruptive process.

But what if there was another option?

In the article ahead, you will learn how Morefield working alongside of our client developed an innovative, cost-effective solution to keep a 30-year-old CNC lathe running—despite its outdated hardware, unsupported software, and lack of vendor assistance. It is a real-world example of creative problem solving, legacy system expertise, and a commitment to keeping our clients’ operations moving forward.

The Challenge: A 30-Year-Old Lathe and No Support in Sight

Our client, a manufacturer with an operational production floor, was facing a potential disruption. One of their CNC lathes—over 30 years old—was running on a computer that relied on Windows 3.1 and a proprietary file transfer system. Worse yet, the equipment manufacturer no longer existed in its original form, and there was no available support or upgrade path.

This lathe was essential to the client’s production. Replacing it would be a sizable investment, require retraining staff, and disrupt operations. The machine itself was functional. The area of concern was the outdated computer that controlled it.

This is the kind of scenario where many IT partners would throw up their hands. But at Morefield, we saw an opportunity for innovation.

Step One: Find a Working Stopgap

Our team began by digging into the technology stack behind the lathe. The first discovery was that the computer communicated using a unique file transfer process that only worked with its original software—no longer supported or compatible with modern operating systems.

After some research, we found a legacy application that could replicate the original file transfer process. However, this application required an older version of Windows to function. Fortunately, the client had a legacy PC that still ran this required version of Windows OS. We used it to test the file transfer process, and—success—the lathe could still receive and send data.

While this confirmed the viability of the workaround, we knew the solution wasn’t sustainable. The aging PC could fail, and spare parts for the older hardware would be difficult to find. Relying on this as a permanent solution was not going to work.  We needed to continue the investigation and develop a solution that the client could rely on to operate the lathe

Step Two: Develop a Sustainable, Long-Term Fix

The longer-term solution would have to work on modern hardware, ensure reliable file transfer, and reduce dependence on obsolete systems. Our first instinct was to get the legacy software working natively on Windows 11, but despite best efforts and compatibility tricks, the application refused to cooperate.

That’s when we turned to Oracle VirtualBox—a powerful virtualization tool that supports older operating systems to run in a simulated environment on new hardware. This approach would allow the client to keep using the legacy application within a secure, virtualized copy of the older Windows OS—while running on up-to-date hardware.

It took time, testing, and creative problem-solving. But after tinkering with various settings, we successfully virtualized the legacy Windows environment and got the file transfer application up and running.

The final piece of the puzzle was connecting the new computer to the lathe itself. The original setup used a DB25 serial connection—an older standard. Luckily, we found a DB25-to-USB cable that was compatible with the new hardware and supported the correct data flow to the lathe. The file transfers worked, and the lathe was back in business—now supported by reliable, modern computing hardware.

Lessons Learned Along the Way

This project revealed key takeaways for other manufacturers facing similar challenges:

1. Check with the OEM (if they still exist)

If the equipment manufacturer is still in business, always consult them first. They may have established upgrade paths or replacement parts designed specifically for this kind of scenario. A supported hardware migration is almost always preferable to a custom workaround.

2. Start with Virtualization

If no OEM support is available, start by virtualizing the old OS instead of spending time trying to adapt legacy software to a new environment. Virtual machines are safer, more flexible, and reduce dependency on failing hardware.

3.  Use VirtualBox to Bridge the Gap

Oracle VirtualBox proved to be a reliable tool in this case and can be used in many similar scenarios—especially where older Windows versions, serial port connections, or legacy applications are involved.

4. Modern Hardware + Legacy Software = Future-Proofing

By running old software in a virtual machine hosted on modern hardware, businesses can extend the life of their older essential machinery while maintaining security and performance standards.

Innovation in Action: The Morefield Difference

At Morefield, we believe in meeting our clients where you are—with our support you will make the smart technology decision for your operation. Our goal is to keep your business running, even when a key system is challenged, unsupported, or seemingly obsolete.

This project showcases the value of inventive thinking, deep technical experience, and a “never quit” attitude. Rather than forcing our client into an expensive and disruptive replacement cycle, we found a smart workaround that allowed them to maintain continuity in their production line—without sacrificing capability or reliability.

When Solving Tough IT Problems – Morefield is Your Trusted Partner

Manufacturers know that downtime equals lost revenue. And as technology continues to evolve, legacy equipment creates an increasing challenge. Whether you’re dealing with outdated control systems, unsupported software, or irreplaceable hardware, you don’t have to face these challenges alone.

Morefield is your trusted partner for solving tough IT problems.

If you have aging production equipment or unsupported control systems, don’t wait until failure forces your hand. Contact Morefield today. Let us help you turn today’s issue into tomorrow’s opportunity.

In today’s evolving regulatory landscape, cybersecurity compliance essentials protect sensitive data and preserve operational continuity. Organizations can choose from manual, automated or hybrid compliance solutions to address these challenges, and Morefield can help you identify the most efficient and scalable solution tailored to your organization.

Manual Compliance: Processes, Pros and Cons

Manual compliance involves traditional processes such as spreadsheets, static checklists, paper-based audits and offline documentation. Teams track risk registers manually, compile evidence for internal controls via shared drives and prepare reports during audit cycles without centralized tools.

Benefits of manual compliance include:

• Lower initial costs.
• Flexible workflows without the requirement of new technology stacks.
• The ability to personally validate data before submission, which is especially valuable when dealing with nuanced industry standards.

However, manual compliance drawbacks can be significant:

• This process is time-consuming and resource-intensive, requiring constant input from IT and compliance officers.
• Human error is a risk.
• Manual approaches lack scalability.
• Visibility is limited, and real-time reporting becomes nearly impossible without significant resources.
• Over time, the cumulative cost of labor-intensive processes often outweighs initial savings.

Manual compliance can be a solution for small businesses with very modest requirements.

Automated Compliance: Technology, Benefits and Drawbacks

Automated compliance uses
governance, risk and compliance (GRC) platforms, with endpoint monitoring tools to centralize compliance tasks.These technologies enforce security policies automatically and maintain an audit trail.

Automated compliance can:

• Increase efficiency and speed by automating data collection, control validation and reporting.
• Reduce human error.
• Improve scalability.
• Enhance visibility with real-time dashboards that track compliance posture across networks.
• Reduce long-term costs by decreasing the human labor required for compliance.
• Improve risk response with real-time alerts and continuous monitoring.

Despite these benefits, automation has challenges, including:

• High initial investment in licensing, training and deployment.
• The technical expertise required to integrate automation with existing infrastructure.
• False positives or negatives from misconfigured logic.
• Dependency on the accuracy of rule-based engines, where a flawed rule may generate misleading data.

Key Factors: Choosing Between Manual and Automated Compliance

When deciding between manual and automated compliance, consider these factors:

• Company size and IT complexity: Small businesses with straightforward infrastructure can manage with manual methods. Enterprises with complex operations or cloud-native assets benefit more from automation.
• Regulatory compliance standards: Frameworks like HIPAA, PCI DSS, and GDPR carry strict audit requirements. Automated systems ensure audit-readiness with historical logs and change management tracking.
• Budget and resource allocation: Manual systems reduce upfront costs but require more staffing. Automation demands higher capital investment but saves time and resources long term, especially when bundled within managed services.
• Cybersecurity risk tolerance: Higher-risk industries, like healthcare and finance, often require automation to meet evolving obligations with confidence.
• Scalability and future planning: As an organization grows, manual tracking becomes unmanageable. Morefield helps clients scale compliance operations to meet future needs without overhauling core systems.

Hybrid Compliance: Combining Manual and Automated Strategies

Many organizations find value in hybrid compliance by blending manual oversight. This approach allows internal teams to review high-priority controls manually while leveraging automation for routine checks, reporting and policy enforcement.

For example, a growing business may choose to conduct internal audits manually to ensure human oversight but may rely on automated data collection for audits to make the process more efficient.

Benefits of a hybrid model include:

• Balanced cost and efficiency.
• Flexibility to handle nuanced controls with human oversight.
• Improved accuracy, combining the precision of automation with the discernment of expert teams.

Optimizing Your Compliance Strategy

Manual compliance may be sufficient for small operations with limited scope, while automated compliance provides scale and resilience for growing, complex environments. In many cases, a hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds for dynamic organizations.

At Morefield, we recognize that cybersecurity compliance is not a one-size-fits-all. Our experienced team will help you implement the best manual, automated or hybrid strategy that will mature compliance
processes for your organization.  Contact us today to get started with a compliance expert.

We’ve all heard it—or said it ourselves: “Ugh, what a day. The phones were down at work.” It’s a familiar headache for any business, whether you’re in a fast-paced law office, a busy clinic, or a services-driven company. In today’s connected world, losing phone service doesn’t just cause confusion—it can cost money, clients, and your professional reputation.

And it’s a question more people are asking as their telephone systems migrate to the cloud and rely on broadband: If our internet goes down, do we lose our phones?

The short answer: maybe, but not necessarily. Let’s break it down.

Phones Are Still Critical, Even in a Multi-Channel World

While businesses today are communicating across more channels than ever—email, live chat, SMS, collaboration tools like Microsoft Teams —the telephone call still holds a special place. In fact, many new client relationships start with a phone call.

And when that first call is missed? It could mean more than just an inconvenience. According to some industry estimates, a single missed call can cost a services business over $1,200 in potential lost revenue. That’s just one call. For customer-facing teams who rely on voice communication, disruptions can quickly become expensive.

Why Do Business Phones Go Down?

The truth is, phone service can be interrupted for several reasons, and not all of them are internet related. Let’s take a closer look at common causes:

• Loss of carrier service – Your service provider could experience an outage.
• Equipment failure – A failed power supply, interface, or power outage can halt communication.
• Network failure – A local network issue can disrupt your phones even if the broader internet is fine.
• Failed system updates – A maintenance update could cause feature conflicts or result in a system crash.
• Database corruption – Voicemail, automated workflows, and call routing tools may stop working.
• Compromised system – Security breaches can shut down or reroute your calls.

And not on the list, but also capable of disrupting your operation is a loss of internet service, a contributing factor for causing telephone outages.

How is the Internet tied to your Office Phone?

In the past, business phone systems operated over copper lines (POTS or PRI circuits). Today, most modern business phone systems use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)—meaning your calls are delivered “over the top” of your internet connection.

Here’s how it typically works:

• Your carrier delivers dial tone over the internet to your office or cloud-hosted system.
• Your handsets connect over the internet to your hosted service provider or softswitch.
• Your remote employees connect to the system via the internet, allowing full access from anywhere.

That’s a lot of reliance on a single path to support this important infrastructure. And if your singular internet connection goes down? Yes, in many cases, your phones go with it.

Industries Hit Hardest by Phone Downtime

All businesses feel the sting of a communication disruption, but for some industries, the consequences are particularly costly. Those who rely heavily on real-time voice communication—either for direct revenue or critical operations—feel the pain immediately.

Industries most impacted include:

• Healthcare – Missed patient calls, lost referrals, or inability to respond to emergencies.
• Construction – Jobsite coordination, vendor communication, and contract closings depend on phones.
• Technology – Help desk, support, and project calls are all mission-critical.
• Real Estate – Inbound calls from prospects are time-sensitive and high-value.
• Legal – Missed calls from clients or court personnel can have major repercussions.
• Financial Services & Insurance – Clients rely on their advisor or rep to be available at the right time.
• Manufacturing – Vendor coordination and supply chain timing can be affected.
• Automotive – Service appointments and sales inquiries are largely driven by inbound calls.

Can You Prevent Phone Loss During an Internet Outage?

Absolutely. While you can’t always prevent an internet outage, there are effective strategies to mitigate or even eliminate phone downtime when it happens. Here are some smart ways to keep your business reachable even during disruptions.

 1. Invest in Multiple Internet Connections

This is a simple but effective failover strategy. Most businesses rely on the internet for more than just phones—cloud apps, email, payroll, marketing tools—all go dark if the internet is down. By adding a secondary broadband connection (possibly from a different provider or wireless technology like 5G, LEO), you gain a backup path that keeps you online.

2. Talk to Your Voice Carrier About Disaster Services

Most carriers deliver their service from a centralized softswitch located in a data center. That means your dial tone isn’t gone when your office internet goes down—it just can’t get to you. Many carriers allow call redirection or automatic failover routing, where calls can be rerouted to:

• Alternate sites
• Remote workers
• Mobile phones or apps
• Virtual receptionists

You can work with your provider to set up predefined routing rules in the event your system becomes unreachable.

3. Leverage Hosted Features Like Mobile Apps & Virtual Agents

If you’re using a hosted or cloud-based phone system, each handset or endpoint connects individually over the internet. If the office connection fails, other endpoints—like remote workers’ laptops or smartphones—can still function.

Most hosted platforms offer:

• Mobile apps that turn your smartphone into a business extension
• Desktop softphones that can be used from home WiFi
• Virtual agents or auto-attendants that handle calls, even when no one’s available
• Cloud voicemail, ensuring messages are still recorded and delivered

By planning, you can keep essential staff answering calls even during a localized outage.

4. Consider a Hybrid Architecture

If you’re running a premise-based phone system, you don’t have to choose between old-school and cloud. A hybrid solution allows you to:

• Host the system apps & carrier connectivity in a data center
• Maintain local handsets, gateways and features on site
• Benefit from the resiliency of cloud-based carrier services

In this setup, your dial tone lives in the cloud, not your building—so even if the internet at your location fails, calls can still be answered elsewhere, or by remote users.

Planning for the unexpected: Be Proactive, Not Reactive

The question “Do we lose our phones when the internet goes down?” isn’t just theoretical—it’s a real concern that businesses face every day. But it doesn’t have to mean panic, silence, or lost revenue.

With the right planning, you can:

• Identify your risks
• Understand your system’s architecture
• Work with your provider to build in failover & rerouting options
• Enable staff with apps or alternate endpoints
• Upgrade your infrastructure to include redundancy

Final Thoughts—and a Call to Action

Losing phone service isn’t just frustrating—it’s expensive. A missed opportunity, a frustrated client, or an unanswered emergency call can do lasting damage. But the good news is, you can take steps right now to avoid it.

At Morefield, we specialize in building voice solutions that are resilient, flexible, and tailored to your business needs. Whether you’re using a hosted platform, a premise system, or a hybrid model, we’ll help you develop a plan that keeps your business talking—even when the internet isn’t.

Don’t let the next outage catch you off guard. Contact us today to schedule a Voice Resiliency Review.

Technology drives modern business. When it fails—whether a workstation won’t boot, email service is interrupted, or a key application goes offline—it’s not just an inconvenience, it’s an operational disruption. In many cases, these disruptions can lead to lost productivity, missed revenue, and frustrated employees or customers. That’s where a professional Service Desk becomes essential.

At Morefield, our Service Desk doesn’t just react to incidents, but we actively manage toward resolution with a goal of reducing the impact to your organization. Whether you rely on cloud collaboration tools, on-premise servers, voice communication platforms, or a secure network infrastructure, the Morefield Service Desk is your front line of defense against IT disruptions.

A Little About the Service Desk Team

Our Service Desk is staffed by full-time Morefield employees who work Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. These dedicated professionals represent every major technical discipline across the Morefield catalog. From workstations and laptops to complex network infrastructure, surveillance and access control systems, voice/telephony solutions, and carrier connectivity, our team is trained and ready.

Importantly, the Morefield Service Desk operates across (3) tiers of technical expertise. This allows us to manage both quick fixes and complex escalations with precision. Whether it’s resetting a user password or troubleshooting a persistent network performance issue, we route incidents to the right level of support the first time, minimizing delays to your operation.

What to Expect When You Work with the Morefield Service Desk

We believe the key to reliable support lies in process and accountability. That’s why our Service Desk operates under clearly defined standards and procedures that are repeatable, measurable, and proven effective.

When you contact the Morefield Service Desk—by phone, email, or chat—your issue is not sent to voicemail or buried in an inbox. All calls are answered live by a real person, and every incoming request is triaged on a central service board. From there, we assign each incident a priority level based on the potential impact to your organization:

• Priority 1: Critical outage affecting a majority of the organization
• Priority 2: Major disruption impacting multiple users
• Priority 3: Moderate issue affecting a single user or non-critical system
• Priority 4: Informational requests or non-urgent tasks

Each request is logged and assigned a ticket number, so you can track its progress from start to finish. Tickets can move through up to (18) different statuses, with automatic updates shared with your point of contact each time a change occurs. If a resolution isn’t progressing per your expectations, you have a choice to escalate to our senior management.

The Daily Work of the Service Desk

While no two days are ever quite the same at the Service Desk, we see consistent trends across our client base. For larger customers, we average about 500 tickets per month, and across the board, we meet or exceed our Service Level Agreements (SLAs) 95% of the time.

The busiest times? Monday mornings—when employees return to work—and Thursday afternoons—when last-minute requests are submitted before the weekend.

The scope of our support spans a broad range of services:

End User Support Troubleshooting software & peripherals, onboarding | offboarding users, resetting passwords

Device & Infrastructure Management Workstation setups, network connectivity issues, server maintenance, backup and restoration

Network Security Reviewing logs, responding to threats, patching vulnerabilities

Behind-the-Scenes Help Asset management, reporting, and contributing to knowledge base documentation

We don’t just respond to incidents—we partner with your organization, supporting your employees and together we deliver a better IT experience.

Why the Service Desk Matters to Morefield Clients

Our clients count on technology to run their operations, but most don’t want the cost or complexity of staffing a full-time internal IT department. That’s why they choose Morefield.

Our Service Desk supplements internal staff or serves as the primary source of IT support. In both roles, we provide value by, acting as an expert escalation point.

1. Proactively monitoring systems and alerts
2. Ensuring friendly, expert, and accountable assistance
3. Taking ownership of incidents until resolution
4. When an incident occurs, our clients expect a fix—and we deliver.

Embodying Morefield Core Values

The strength of our Service Desk doesn’t come just from our tools or processes—it comes from our people. Every member of the Service Desk team operates under Morefield’s core values:

• Growth: We continuously train, learn, and improve. Our technicians | engineers stay on top of emerging technologies and processes.
• Service: Our team focuses on the customer experience, prioritizing empathy, clarity, and timely response.
• Culture: We foster a collaborative; inclusive environment built on mutual respect and shared passion for solving problems.
• Excellence: We take pride in the details and strive for top performance that builds client trust and confidence.

These values translate into real-world results—and satisfied customers.

What Our Clients Say About the Morefield Service Desk

We believe in transparency and accountability, which is why we ask every ticket contact to rate their experience once their service request is resolved. Each feedback request includes a three “smile” feedback option, so users can quickly and easily rate their satisfaction.

The results speak for themselves: Morefield’s Service Desk consistently earns a 99% customer satisfaction score.

Here are just a few of the comments we’ve received:

• “Always the best, quick to respond and quick to complete the job.”
• “Fast response and great work. Thank you!”
• “Prompt response and knowledgeable staff.”

For more client testimonials, visit morefield.com

Your Trusted Partner in IT Support

scalable support, or an enterprise searching for a reliable partner, the Morefield Service Desk is built to meet your needs.

We combine people, processes, and technology to ensure IT disruptions are handled quickly, efficiently, and professionally—so you can get back to doing what matters most.

Ready to experience the Morefield difference?

Let’s talk about how our Service Desk can help your organization reduce downtime, increase productivity, and gain peace of mind. Contact us today to schedule a consultation or learn more.

Is your company considering a migration from a premise-based telephone system to the Cloud? You’re not alone. Across Central Pennsylvania, organizations of all sizes and industries are rethinking their communications infrastructure—and many are finding that voice services delivered from the Cloud are the future.

From increased flexibility to predictable monthly pricing, businesses are seeing measurable benefits from leaving behind aging PBX hardware and embracing unified communications platforms like RingCentral. Whether you’re a not for profit, manufacturer, or healthcare provider, this article explores how your peers are making the move, what the transition typically costs, and how Morefield supports every step of your journey.

The Rise of Voice Services from the Cloud

As remote work and digital collaboration continue to shape the modern workforce, traditional phone systems are becoming increasingly outdated. Companies relying on aging premise systems such as Avaya, NEC, and Allworx often face limitations in scalability, remote access, and maintenance costs. Cloud-delivered voice services, by contrast, offer a streamlined, cost-effective, and highly mobile solution.

Morefield has worked with a growing number of clients interested in more than just “cutting the cord.” These organizations want fully integrated, cloud-native platforms that integrate with line of business applications, support automation, enable remote work, and reduce the burden on internal IT staff.

But who exactly is making this switch?

Industries Leading the Cloud Migration

In Central Pennsylvania, Morefield has migrated more than 4,500 seats to the Cloud across 12 different industries. These migrations aren’t limited to any one sector—they’re occurring in businesses large and small, public and private.

A look at Morefield’s customer base reveals successful transitions in:

• Utilities
• Veterinary Practices
• Houses of Worship
• Not for Profits
• Financial Services
• SLED (State, Local, and Education)
• Retail & Wholesale Commerce
• Manufacturing
• Automotive
• Construction Trades
• Healthcare
• Professional Services

This broad spectrum of industries illustrates that the move to Cloud Voice isn’t a niche trend—it’s a mainstream strategy that delivers universal business benefits.

What Does a Typical Migration Look Like?

For organizations contemplating the move, one of the first questions is often cost. Based on Morefield’s deployments, the average organization has around 60 seats, with a cost per seat of $24.85. That translates to a typical monthly invoice of about $1,491.

These numbers are valuable benchmarks for IT leaders and finance teams building business cases for cloud migration. When you compare this to the hidden costs of maintaining legacy systems—equipment failures, lack of remote capabilities, expensive technician calls—the case for migration becomes clear.

Morefield: Your Migration Partner

For over five years, RingCentral has been a strategic Cloud Voice partner for Morefield, providing a reliable, scalable, and feature-rich platform for customers transitioning from older systems. RingCentral’s unified communications tools are AI enabled and include voice, video, messaging, and contact center—all delivered through a secure, cloud-based interface.

But success depends on more than the platform—it hinges on a well-managed migration process.

That’s where Morefield comes in.

Our experienced team follows a proven methodology to ensure a seamless transition, free from disruption:

System Review & Site Assessment

We begin by auditing your current phone system, including an inventory of handsets, switches, and other voice infrastructure. Many customers are surprised to learn which components are outdated or incompatible with modern platforms.

Cost Analysis

We help you understand your current telecommunications spend—both fixed and variable—and model the anticipated cost impact of moving to the cloud. This includes factoring in legacy contracts, carrier penalties, and bandwidth changes.

Budget Planning

We provide clear pricing structures and formal budget forecasts for the proposed RingCentral solution, helping CFOs and procurement teams plan for the investment with no surprises.

Business Case & Benefit Forecast

Beyond cost, we quantify the organizational gains from the shift. These include:

• Seamless remote and mobile communication
• Better integration with Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and other LoB applications
• Improved call handling and reporting
• Simplified billing and vendor management
• Future-proof scalability

Regional Leadership and Recognition

As a Gold Partner of RingCentral, Morefield has the top performing implementation team in the region. We’re proud to be a top RingCentral lead generation partner in Central PA, which is a direct result of the trust local organizations place in our knowledge and expertise.

Whether you’re a single-location business or a multi-site enterprise, Morefield tailors its professional services to your needs. Our team handles porting numbers, coordinating with carriers, training staff, and configuring your new system to match how you work—not the other way around.

A Trusted Path Forward

The Cloud Voice journey doesn’t have to be complicated or disruptive. With Morefield as your partner, you’re not just signing up for a Cloud subscription—you’re investing in a modern communications platform that grows with your business.

Organizations that make the switch often report better employee experience, fewer IT headaches, and improved client communication—all while keeping costs predictable and support accessible.

Let’s Talk About Your Voice Strategy

Are you still on a legacy premise-based phone system? Curious what others in your industry are paying? Or maybe you’re ready to explore how cloud voice fits into your broader IT modernization plan?

Contact Morefield today to schedule a no-obligation consultation. We’ll walk through your current setup, provide a tailored ROI analysis, and help you build a voice communications strategy that’s aligned with your goals