Hosted infrastructure and wide area network help Clugston construct an even better business

“Our original hosting partner was moving in a different direction???to what we wanted,” says Alf Spencer, Head of IT. “We see hosting and other managed services as a way of tapping into the depth of technical resource presented by an organization like Phoenix - something we’d struggle to match in-house. We depend on technology but we’re a construction rather than an IT business,” Alf Spencer, Head of IT, Clugston.

Why Phoenix?
Spencer continues, “We employ six people in IT so we simply couldn’t provide the level of resource and technical skills we wanted in-house. Previously, you could handle more in-house. Now, you simply can’t. And when you go elsewhere, you want to be sure they’re genuine specialists.

In hosting, we knew we couldn’t retain in-house all the systems and resources needed, from redundant power supply to security, backup, and so on. We couldn’t create a data centre at the level we wanted and would end up spending too much time simply keeping the lights on.

You already have a never-ending list of things you want to achieve in IT. That’s why we wanted a specialist partner.” Phoenix had previously provided break/fix maintenance for Clugston’s HP hardware, and had been approached regarding a Citrix platform.

Clugston contacted eight suppliers with a “wish list” covering both flexible WAN and hosting as a one-stop-shop. As a construction firm, the WAN is key: extending a reliable network to new sites and provisioning connectivity fast, ensuring connectivity at all times and decommissioning fast. Delays on a site can be extremely costly, with potential penalties running into tens of thousands of pounds. “Everyone relies on communications, like conferencing and access to electronic drawings, producing A3 printouts, and so on,” Spencer adds.

“You can’t runa site without reliable IT and communications. Phoenix was the only organisation that convinced us it could partner to deliver a complete solution, covering WAN and hosting” – with a single point of contact for WAN and server support, and the geographical reach to meet the needs of constantly changing locations.

A smooth transition
The three-year contract started in 2010, with preparatory???work including alternate communications links running into all locations. All physical servers required were moved from the previous data centre to Phoenix over a single weekend, with the Phoenix-hosted infrastructure going live on schedule.

To enable building sites to access and use essential systems, each one needed a reliable WAN connection to Phoenix’s Birstall data centre; the WAN was installed by Phoenix and is now monitored and managed using Phoenix OneStream technology.

Although the total number of sites remains relatively constant, seldom a month goes by without a new install or decommission required. With the WAN a ‘never ending project’, this places a higher demand on implementation and project management expertise than a standard WAN – hence the decision to outsource to Phoenix.

Eighteen months after the initial migration of the existing physical equipment, and after much discussion, Clugston opted to migrate onto the Phoenix Virtual Shared Platform. Clugston now do not own any server equipment in the data centre and share the virtual platform with other Phoenix customers. The migration was another project successfully carried out over a weekend, following several months’ preparatory work. The Clugston platform is still based on Citrix thin client, delivered over a managed WAN, but now hosted on the Phoenix VSP.

Since the Phoenix-hosted infrastructure went live, Spencer says, “It’s been very stable. We have improved connectivity and performance, with more resilience built-in to communications links – for example, two ADSL lines into each site.” Network and hosting operations are monitored and managed around-the-clock.

In applications support, Spencer’s team handles user calls, with the ability to escalate certain issues covering generic applications to Phoenix if required. “We handle line-of-business applications support ourselves, for our computer-aided design system, procurement and ERP systems,” Spencer says.

“However, working with Phoenix, including project work, means we’ve actively enhanced support in certain areas, such as the Microsoft SQL platform our ERP system uses.”

Benefits
He adds, “Our Phoenix virtual shared platform gets rid of unnecessary hardware and maintenance costs, and frees our people to really focus on what’s important to our business. In general, working with Phoenix gives us peace of mind our data and services are secure and professionally looked after, backed up, and so on.

And if issues arise, we work them out: for example, ensuring we have the consistent performance and connectivity we need to run our business.” Since the initial migration to the Phoenix VSP the construction division has been joined by Clugston Distribution Services on the shared platform.

Construction is also considering a disaster recovery solution. Spencer says, “Phoenix has a ‘can do’ attitude – and we have access to high quality people with the skills we need. Phoenix people understand our environment and what we want.”