Case Study A
Client:
Client A, a coach hire company, has a small office network of computers in which they run the administration side of the business, this includes their accounts (QuickBooks), their booking system (CoachManger), their marketing letters and publications, and of course their e-mail.
Problems:
This client had a break-in to their office and much equipment was stolen. Along with the loss of their computers, the data stored on these machines were taken too. With out their computer equipment or data, client A could not operate.
Our Solution:
We immediately dispatched a technician to the client’s premises, supplied them with temporary computers, so that they could continue to operate. We restored their data from a backup, re-installed and configured the necessary applications, including QuickBooks and Coach Manager. The result was the client resumed full operation with barely any downtime.
Furthermore, we sourced permanent replacement hardware for the client, passing on the discounts we received as result of our relationships with our suppliers.
We also were able to assist the local police in their investigation, by giving the IP addresses of the stolen computers when ever they logged on to the internet, as we had installed our own antivirus and security software. This software lets us know of problems on machines even before our clients know.
Client:
Client B, an FSA compliance consultancy firm, has their employees use laptop equipment all over the UK on a daily basis. The data stored on these laptops were confidential and important. The consultants primary form of contact was e-mail in order to receive and send files whilst connected to the internet via a 3G/GPRS data card. Their security solution was Norton Antivirus, and their method of backing up their data was to transfer files to a USB memory stick.
Problems:
The 3G/GPRS data card provider service was temperamental at best, and left consultants with out the ability to transfer data on a regular basis. The e-mail traffic for the company was huge as all files and procedures had to be distributed on a monthly basis to all consultants from head office. Norton Antivirus regularly ignored threats, and only notified the user of a problem long after the machine had been infested by multiple viruses. Back up procedures were run only when consultants remembered to, administration had no way of knowing if it had been done or not, the memory sticks were also stored with the laptops in the laptop bags so that when a laptop was lost or stolen, the backup memory stick went with it.
No backup was being made of e-mails being sent to customers, and the company website was incomplete after months of dealing with a website design agency.
Our Solution:
We researched the mobile data card market, tested various solutions and negotiated a deal with the provider whom we felt had the best service available. Consultants were able to operate more confidently, with less interruptions and technical issues whilst out visiting clients.
To reduce the e-mail traffic and then general use of e-mails to send files, we implemented a VPN solution at the clients office. Consultants were able to connect securely to the office network and draw upon the most up to date resources as and when required, and synchronise their own local copies of files when it was appropriate for them. E-mail traffic was reduced significantly, and savings were also made on data charges for the 3G Data Cards.
We removed Norton across the board, and installed our own security solution. Not only did this clean up existing virus threats and protect better against future ones, but it also reported back to us of any security issues on the laptops. This gives us the information we need to react quickly before any threat gets out of hand.
To combat the problem with backups, we implemented our Remote Backup solution. This satisfied the problem of keeping a copy of the data separate from the laptops. And it also meant we knew which laptops were over due to run their backup’s.
As for the website, we took control of the project and completed the job.
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