HILLS GROUP HIGH SPEED CONNECTIVITY FOR BETTER BUSINESS PERFORMANCE. CASE STUDY

Transcription

1 CASE STUDY HILLS GROUP HIGH SPEED CONNECTIVITY FOR BETTER BUSINESS PERFORMANCE 1 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance

2 Hills Group was set-up in 1900 and has grown significantly from its original roots in quarrying and construction materials into waste management and, more recently, housing development. Hills currently has over 440 employees, both office and field-based with over 30 sites across Western and Southern England. 2 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance

3 INTRODUCTION As a business with office locations as far north as Kidderminster and as far south as Dorchester, managing the IT infrastructure and support requirements across the multi-site operation was increasingly difficult. In addition, connectivity across the organisation was patchy and there was little resilience. In 2011, Hills Group commenced their relationship with ITS and the first aspect that was addressed was the connectivity infrastructure across the multi-site organisation. This first project involved: increasing the number of sites connected to the main network from 25 to 30 updating the MPLS network reviewing the exchange hardware implementing new connectivity across all sites connectivity across the organisation was patchy and there was little resilience. 3 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance

4 THE CHALLENGE Hills Group had been set up on two MPLS networks, one of which was completely redundant. The architecture and service provision hadn t been reviewed in a number of years and speed of connectivity was variable across the organisation. The biggest challenge was finding a solution that worked across the multi-site organisation that had office locations in remote, inaccessible areas including quarries. The key drivers were improved connectivity speed and cost reduction as well as ensuring a smooth transition for all 180 IT users dispersed across the South of England. The key drivers were improved speed and cost reduction as well as ensuring a smooth transition for all 180 IT users dispersed across the South of England 4 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance

5 WHAT WE DID The project commenced with a full review of the communications infrastructure and the assessment of which hardware and assets could be repurposed. From initial assessment it was clear that the existing MPLS network would not give Hills Group the flexibility they required. The decision was made to switch to a redundant hub and spoke VPN design using SonicWALL endpoints with centralised management using the GMS Suite. The benefits of this solution included the ability to have circuits from any vendor ADSL, ADSL Max, AKSL 2+, FTTC, EFM and fibre leased lines from multiple providers. Flexibility of provider was critical as BT wouldn t even run copper cable to some of Hills Group s more remote locations. In some instances, Hills Group had to run their own 1.2km extension. We ve saved 10k per year from our change in connectivity provision. Everyone wins: cost savings and a much faster connection HELEN LOCK, IT MANAGER, HILLS GROUP 5 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance

6 THE RESULT: INCREASED RESILIENCE, UP-TIME AND FASTER CONNECTION Reviewing connectivity for Hills Group has made a fundamental difference to their business. The savings made in the first year from the new set-up have alone covered the cost of all the new hardware. What s more, the newly implemented connectivity solution will enable the faster transfer of data between sites, including the more remote ones, laying the foundations for the next stage of the review of the Hills Group IT and communications infrastructure: virtualisation. It s ITS ability to deal with and alleviate the frustration that we ve been faced with. They re reliable and responsive with exceptional levels of technical expertise. HELEN LOCK, IT MANAGER, HILLS GROUP 6 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance

7 At ITS we re focussed on delivering reliable and well-planned IT resources that help you achieve your business goals. For IT that really does deliver, call us on us on Visit us at Wiltshire office: The Stables, Notton, Chippenham Wiltshire SN15 2NF Hampshire office: Unit 15, Murrell Green Business Park Hook, Hampshire RG27 9GR Connect with us 7 Case study Hills Group High Speed Connectivity For Better Business Performance