We’re often asked for examples of how our IT Services have helped businesses work smarter with tech. We were approached by a local law-firm for support with their IT, and over 6 months, worked with them to upgrade their rather-old IT systems! Here’s the full detail:
Background:
With offices in Halifax, Leeds, and Bradford, this company specialises in family law, employment legislation, and property dispute resolution. They employ 150 staff, and as a family-run firm, have a solid reputation across Yorkshire. As reliable IT systems are essential for meeting strict deadlines, the business faced challenges due to its aging server and network infrastructure – some of which dated back over 15 years. This outdated technology resulted in sluggish performance, frequent system crashes, and a lack of backup and antivirus protection. This left the network vulnerable to immediate failure and security breaches, and staff frequently complained of slow connections and data loss.
Our Approach:
Upon initial assessment, it became evident that years of neglect and insufficient investment in IT had left the company in a difficult situation. By consulting with those most affected by the daily system disruptions, we initiated several “quick-wins.” These were small, one-time solutions that could be easily implemented and would provide immediate benefits to their staff and IT systems. As an example, within a single evening, we upgraded all PCs with additional RAM (aka ‘Memory’), resulting in immediate performance improvements when staff logged on. Simultaneously, we ensured that all critical security updates were applied – making sure their data was safe and protected. Over the next few months, we jointly designed a comprehensive long-term strategy, which involved replacing and upgrading the oldest servers and network equipment. During this process, we transitioned data to the cloud, granting staff access to important documents, spreadsheets, and presentations from any location – meaning more reliable and secure systems, and allowing staff to work from home. As Microsoft partners, we recommended the most cost-effective options – making sure they weren’t paying over-the-odds!
The Results:
A year has passed since the completion of the project, during which the number of reported faults and issues by staff has decreased by more than 95%. System uptime has consistently exceeded 99.8%. This improvement has had a positive impact throughout the company, with staff expressing increased confidence in the IT infrastructure and computer systems. One employee noted that the IT network could now be “relied upon for once!” Our collaboration with Sophos Security led to the swift implementation of the InterceptX Firewall and antivirus software – protecting systems against malware, ransomware, and spyware. Cloud-based backups ensured the security of critical files in the event of fire or building damage, while the adoption of Windows Server 2019 ensured that the systems were future-proof and built to withstand evolving challenges.
Chief Executive, Jeremy Saachan, quoted “Investing in IT was one of those tasks that we knew we had to do – but just kept delaying – despite the obvious impact a lack of maintenance was doing to our staff and legal partners. I’d confidentially say that, so far, we’ve saved more than we’ve spent – purely by reducing staff downtime and improving productivity. Instead of waiting half an hour in the morning for systems to boot-up, we’re on within a minute. From a compliance perspective, it’s re-assuring to know that our data is securely protected and safe through cloud-backups and anti-virus – particularly as we often have to retain client information for years. Urban’s IT Helpdesk is invaluable – and we’ve built up a really strong relationship with Tom, Mike and his team – highly recommended!”
Urban IT Support provide outsourced IT Support Services and for small and medium sized businesses across West Yorkshire. As a family-run firm, we’re consistently rated ‘Excellent’ on Google Reviews (to March 2023). Find out more by speaking to IT team on 01422 646465, or email support@urbanitsupport.com