By having its IT function supplied as a fully managed
service, architectural practice Hunter & Partners can now focus
on the work it does best.
Hunter & Partners (H&P) was set up 50 years ago and now
employs over 150 staff, including project managers, in offices in
the UK and the Far East. The company provides strategic planning
and design of new developments for education, housing, health and
business.
The practice has more than £300m of public sector work in
progress across England. H&P has intensive IT requirements due
to the fact that its architects and project managers produce large
volumes of data to complete the planning, design and monitoring of
new-build and refurbishment work.
The IT function was originally managed by the company’s group
finance director, Ian Hurlstone. When the time had come to boost
levels of IT support, Hurlstone opted to outsource this function
rather than bring technology expertise in-house.
“From the outset, I was keen to work with a managed services
provider which would supply the right solutions to suit the H&P
business model, and in a cost effective way,” he says.
In 2001, following a thorough analysis of potential IT partners,
H&P chose to work with hSo, a managed services provider
specialising in the SME sector.
Hurlstone says, “We were looking for a supplier that would
provide high levels of support, and a single point of contact. hSo
offered the flexibility you wouldn’t ordinarily receive from an
organisation that isn’t geared up to dealing with SMEs.”
H&P initially subscribed to a managed internet service with
security concerns addressed through a service that filters out
viruses and spam, and a firewall to prevent security breaches from
compromising the network. These services included complete network
management and 24-hour support.
Two years into the contract H&P opted to install an online
back-up and recovery system to protect its company data as part of
its disaster recovery process. The organisation previously
backed-up data on tape, a cumbersome process that required an
employee to physically transport back-up tapes to a separate
location. This system was insecure and data loss could mean
reproducing labour-intensive files, including CAD and 3D
presentation proposals.
With the managed service, all information is encrypted and then
transferred to a secure, remote datacentre. H&P can now access
company information online, and retrieve files quickly in the event
of a disaster. The service includes a data monitoring facility to
alert H&P when there are any data irregularities. Additionally,
H&P can prioritise what types of data are backed up, and at
what intervals.
“We have an excellent customer interface,” says Hurlstone. “We
have a dedicated account manager who we can call if a problem
arises. All our data is backed-up automatically. However, if a
member of staff does lose any information, we can phone hSo and
have it restored within minutes. A business continuity solution
like this is essential in a fast-paced, project-based
environment.”
In July 2004, following an analysis of the company’s spending
patterns, hSo advised H&P of the business benefits of
integrating its voice and data services. With voice over IP (VoIP)
becoming a mature technology, the company decided to subscribe to
an IP telephony product that allows companies to leverage its data
network to make telephone calls.
hSo installed the product directly onto the company’s PBX
network, without having to replace handsets, which can be
expensive. With VoIP H&P saved on the costs of dialled calls
and line rental and was able to upgrade its 2mbyte network to a
4mbyte network for the same cost. The VoIP installation has so far
helped H&P to save more than 10% on its phone bills and 30% on
its monthly line rental.
Ultimately, with the IT function now fully managed, H&P is
now able to focus on the work it does best. Hurlstone says,
“Managed services have revolutionised the way we handle IT,
delivering real and tangible value to the company. H&P now has
an effective disaster recovery system in place, and we have already
witnessed significant cost savings from the VoIP installation.
“Managed security services have significantly reduced the time
spent dealing with junk e-mails and viruses. Remote e-mail access
has enabled home working, and increased bandwidth has enhanced
overall productivity.”
Hurlstone adds, “hSo has provided solutions with the
functionality and scalability our business demands. As a mid-sized
company operating in a highly competitive market, our philosophy
has been to work with organisations with which we can build a
relationship.
We want to work with companies that can help to increase our
efficiencies, and effective IT management has always been a
must.”