Disaster recovery plans to recovering disasters, you can read how we have got involved with clients, and how we work with them now
Service Level Agreement and Data Migration
The Henry Moore Foundation (HMF) (www.henry-moore-fdn.co.uk)
Martin Davis - Information Manager at HMF.
Background
The Henry Moore Foundation is a registered charity, set up and generously endowed by Mr Moore in 1977, to advance the education of the public by the promotion of their appreciation of the fine arts, and in particular, the works of Henry Moore.
The foundation operates both from Perry Green in Hertfordshire and the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds.
Scope
The Henry Moore Foundation had approximately 25 computer users based in Perry Green, and a further 25 users based in central Leeds, split across two Domains which included older NT4 operating systems in Perry Green.
The Henry Moore Foundation commissioned 10-100 to provide ongoing IT Services and advice to the charity, including outsourcing the management of key infrastructure and day-to-day support/maintenance. It was identified that a key component would be upgrade the core infrastructure at the foundation in order to improve connectivity between their two sites, upgrade the ageing NT4 domain, and introduce a consolidated Windows Active Directory and Exchange 2003 Server setup.
10-100 were asked to make recommendations to improve the performance of the Henry Moore Foundation network, in particular that of key applications running between the two sites. Following a detailed assessment of the network and discussions with HMF management, 10-100 first commissioned a new network design leveraging secure VPN technology, projected to improve communication whist simultaneously reducing annual costs to the charity.
10-100 also designed, configured and installed new communication infrastructure, new Windows 2003 servers, migrated key services and file structures, whilst ensuring minimal disruption to users. Within this process, active directory replication between the Perry Green and Leeds Servers was established over the VPN, and data safely migrated to the new platform. The result was a consolidated and more robust network with greater performance, functionality and stability.
“At every stage 10-100 performed excellently. The project was delivered on time and on budget, and their project team were totally professional and highly capable – no matter what we threw at them! 10-100 really took time to understand our needs, and communicated with us at all stages of the project, meaning that we were able to carry on with business as usual. I would not hesitate in recommending 10-100 to anyone who is looking for a safe pair of hands.”
Disaster Recovery
Hachette Filipacchi UK (www.hf-uk.com)
Nic Bellenberg - IT Director at HFUK
Background
Hachette Filipacchi UK (HFUK) is a leading magazine publisher – its titles include Elle, Elle Decoration, Red and Inside Soap. It is a subsidiary of the French Lagardère media group.
With around 400 computer users working in their London W1 offices, HFUK recognised the importance of sound Business Continuity (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) planning. It was vital that they should be able to produce magazine pages should there be power outage, IT systems failure, or at worse, no access to the office.
Nic Bellenberg, IT Director at HFUK, says: “We need to safeguard our editorial production in the face of any eventuality. Magazines cannot be printed or distributed late. We had to make sure that our disaster recovery plans were capable of delivering all key IT systems to core teams of staff – either remotely, or to a different office in the case of invoking use of our North London DR site.”
“We approached 10-100 for their expertise and track record in delivering synchronised remote systems for business continuity, which would complement our BC/DR planning. We wanted to work with an organisation that understood our needs as a business. They also needed to work closely with our own IT team, to deliver a holistic solution without impacting on our day-to-day publishing activities.”
Scope
“10-100 carried out a rapid in-depth discovery of our existing Windows and Apple servers and network, which allowed them to draft a detailed proposal. From this and detailed discussion with the HFUK team, 10-100 recommended a server consolidation plan that led us to create a streamlined DR solution, using Double-Take software. We were able to reduce the number of servers in use at our main site and deploy the Double-Take solution with maximum return to the business.”
“A key factor in the success of the project is that not only did 10-100 provide detailed specialist knowledge and support for Windows Servers and Double-Take Replication software, but they were also able to understand our more specialist requirements in supporting our Apple Macintosh users and servers. They have the depth of knowledge and experience to deliver the right solution for our business.”
“Following this initial project we continue to work with 10-100, using the company as an escalation point for advanced technical support in addition to the supply of servers and firewalls, in which they have solid expertise.”
Infrastructure Design, Hosting and Management
National Energy Services Ltd (www.nesltd.co.uk)
Andrew Spencer - Head of Software and Systems Development
Background
NES owns and operates the National Home Energy Rating (NHER) and SAVA schemes. Together, the NHER and SAVA provide training, assessment, accreditation and software for Home Inspectors and energy assessors to evaluate the condition and energy efficiency of buildings.
Scope
“May 2007 saw 10-100 complete a comprehensive Managed Web Hosting project for National Energy Services Ltd (NES), who provide end to end training and specialist software for Domestic Energy Assessors working in the newly created Home Information Pack marketplace. Working closely with NES over 12 months, 10-100 designed and delivered a secure, enterprise-scalable web based solution, which has helped NES’ software solution become a blueprint for the industry segment. 10-100 began the project by engaging closely with the NES and SAVA software development teams, senior management and stakeholders to understand the commercial, technical and operational requirements of the solution. Through a consultative approach, 10-100 went on to present a number of solution options, using a range of technologies available to fit the brief, and helped NES choose the solution right for their budget and operational requirements. Andrew Spencer says “10-100 are experts in the field of building scalable-enterprise Microsoft based hosting solutions. Through their expertise they have not only delivered us a robust and secure hosting solution, but with their assistance to our own IT team they have become an invaluable resource on day to day matters.” 10-100 continues to support NES through its managed service offering by providing managed hosting, bandwidth, continuous monitoring, reporting and ongoing technical advice to the business.
Service Level Agreement
European Directories (www.europeandirectories.com)
Tor Gisvold – CIO, Online.
European Directories is a geographically diversified directories group, holding the number one position in several markets across Europe, including The Netherlands, Finland, Denmark, Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
In early 2008, European Directories approached 10-100 to provide ongoing support and advice to its UK operation located in Chiswick, West London. With more than 30 users, the majority of whom being senior company executives; European Directories needed to find an organisation that was responsive and “hands on” in order to support its growing and sometimes demanding user base. “We needed to find a company that could hit the ground running, as we were entering a very busy phase which included growth not only in terms of users, but also technology” commented Tor Gisvold.
10-100 began its engagement with a period of consultancy, where engineering resource was deployed to site, allowing 10-100 to conduct a thorough assessment of the IT estate, and provide a valuable resource for users to refer issues to in terms of day-to-day support. “10-100 showed a very impressive skill set and a proactive approach to getting up and running without unnecessary interruption or disruption” says Tor. “Within days we had a clear understanding of our IT operation, clear options to address our issues and a comprehensive support mechanism in place.”
Following some key changes to the European Directories, including new core security infrastructure, 10-100 now supports European Directories from its Network Operation Centre in Milton Keynes, with 24x7 Monitoring, a dedicated helpdesk, and weekly on-site “clinics” to deal with day-to-day user support, general housekeeping, additions, moves and changes to the operation.
“10-100 have performed excellently throughout our engagement, and are both technically competent and responsive. We look forward to working with them as our business continues to expand.”