96 Firm is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and trusted global advisor, delivering modern IT solutions to organizations worldwide. Founded over 20 years ago by Ricky Jordan, the organization specializes in enterprise-grade yet seamless and user-friendly security across Identity and Access Management (IAM), Mobile Device Management (MDM), and directory services.
Guided by a mission to transform business operations, save clients time, and reduce costs, 96 Firm operates as a fractional IT leader well-suited to today’s remote-first world. As part of this vision, the team identified legacy on-premise infrastructure as a key barrier to growth and began searching for a solution aligned with its innovation goals. This journey ultimately led to a transition from traditional hardware to a fully cloud-native ecosystem powered by JumpCloud.
The Challenge: Constraints of Legacy Infrastructure
Before adopting JumpCloud, 96 Firm relied on Active Directory (AD) and legacy Windows servers, systems that limited flexibility and scalability. This setup created several critical friction points:
- VPN Dependency: A heavy reliance on VPNs created a significant productivity burden. Remote employees experienced frequent connectivity issues, and the requirement to join a specific physical network to receive policy updates further reduced organizational agility.
- Limited Apple Device Support: As 96 Firm and its clients increasingly adopted a Mac-forward environment, AD’s Windows-centric design became a clear limitation. Managing Apple devices through a Windows-based server proved inefficient and unreliable. This mismatch resulted in fragmented user accounts, unmanaged local profiles, and increased security risks.
- Manual IT Burden: Repetitive tasks such as password resets and device provisioning consumed valuable IT resources. The lack of centralized visibility also meant that security remained reactive rather than proactive.
The Turning Point: From Search to Solution
Recognizing that their existing infrastructure could not support future growth, 96 Firm began exploring modern, cloud-first alternatives. During this time, the team discovered JumpCloud through a Google search for a cloud directory solution.
What initially started as a way to address internal Mac management challenges quickly evolved into a broader strategic shift. The team realized that the platform’s ability to unify identity and device management without reliance on on-premise infrastructure is exactly what their clients needed. Consequently, 96 Firm moved from being a customer to becoming a strategic partner within the JumpCloud ecosystem, enabling it to deliver more scalable and standardized solutions to its clients.
JumpCloud gives us a consistent and secure foundation that we can deploy across every client environment. It allows us to standardize best-in-class tools, reduce complexity, and deliver enterprise-level capabilities at a price point that makes sense for growing businesses. More importantly, it positions us to be proactive and strategic rather than reactive in how we support our clients.
— Ricky Jordan, Owner and Lead Tech, 96 Firm LLC
The Results: Transforming the Client Tech Stack
By placing JumpCloud at the center of its ecosystem, 96 Firm redefined how IT services are delivered to its clients.
Unified Identity and Device Management:
By leveraging JumpCloud as a comprehensive platform, 96 Firm eliminated the need for separate vendors for Mac and Windows management. This consolidation reduced tech stack complexity by 40% and enabled the company to scale its services to support over 400 global users without increasing internal headcount.
Streamlined Security and Compliance:
For clients performing government contract work, compliance previously posed a complex and time-consuming challenge. To solve this, 96 Firm utilizes Conditional Access and Single Sign-On (SSO) to deploy strict, instant security postures. By verifying every login and ensuring device compliance before granting access, 96 Firm significantly reduces potential security threats for its clients.
Visibility into Shadow IT and AI Usage:
Using JumpCloud’s SaaS management capabilities, 96 Firm gained visibility into unauthorized applications and unmanaged AI tool usage. This enables the team to identify and eliminate unnecessary licensing costs while protecting sensitive data that may otherwise exist in unmonitored environments.
Business Impact: Enabling MSP Growth
Becoming a JumpCloud Partner has become a key driver of business growth for 96 Firm. The partnership optimizes margins, allowing the company to deliver cost savings to clients while strengthening its own profitability. With automation and ease of use at its core, the platform has enabled the team to shift from reactive IT support to high-value strategic consulting. As a result, 96 Firm can scale its user base without a proportional increase in operational overhead.
As 96 Firm continues to evolve, its partnership with JumpCloud remains central to its innovation strategy. Future plans include deeper integration of AI-driven capabilities and continued refinement of its fractional IT model. By growing alongside JumpCloud, 96 Firm is well positioned to deliver enterprise-grade security with a personalized, client-first approach, regardless of size or location.
Our partnership with JumpCloud has fundamentally changed how we think about growth and service delivery. It has opened up new opportunities for innovation, especially as we look at AI and automation. We are not just keeping up with the industry anymore, we are helping shape how modern IT should be delivered. We see this as a long-term partnership that will continue to evolve as our clients’ needs grow.
— Ricky Jordan, Owner and Lead Tech, 96 Firm LLC