The Lawford Company

Business profile:
The Lawford Company, Chartered Accountants offer a wide range of services including: Auditing and Management Accounting, Business Development, Financial Planning, Corporate & Personal Tax Services.

Requirement
The Lawford Company appointed Riven Associates to assess their existing Network & Infrastructure to identify Hardware and Software that should be upgraded to deliver a more reliable and secure IT system.

The Findings
Whilst the IT system in place had been sufficient when installed some time ago there were a number of areas that required attention:

Server

1. Although the server wasn't suffering from any immediate issues, it was nearing the end of its life. It was a matter of time before parts began to fail, the most likely being the hard disks, tape drive and internal cooling fans as these all have moving parts.
2. The manufacturer warranty for this server had expired.
3. The Server was suffering from a lack of disk space.

Backup System

1. The existing backup software provided little flexibility and did not allow for the restoration of individual mail files.
2. The Backup Tape drive had reached maximum capacity which meant some company data was being excluded from the daily backup schedule.

Security

1. Desktop and Server based security was in place but technology has progressed and better performing Hardware and Software products were available for deployment.
2. Remote Access (OWA) had been configured but no security was in place.

Action

• Riven Associates conducted a Migration from the old Server with Windows 2000 SBS to Small Business Server 2003.
• Supplied and installed a new Hewlett Packard Server providing a more reliable hardware platform giving the company a greater volume of disc storage for the future growth of company data.
• Installed a larger capacity Tape Backup Drive and backup Software to ensure the system could be restored quickly and in full. This also provides greater flexibility to restore individual emails quickly and easily.
• Installed a dedicated Hardware Firewall. This provided the customer with the functionality to utilise secure remote VPN access, whilst also providing Gateway Anti Virus, Intrusion Prevention, Anti Spyware and Content Filtering.

Customers Comments:
Being IT dependent in every aspect of our business and with critical client deadlines to meet, it is essential that any upgrade to our server and network goes smoothly and without causing any business interruption.

Riven Associates supplied and installed a Windows 2003 Small Business Server and upgraded the Network Security for The Lawford Company in August 2005. The initial site survey and project planning ensured that the upgrade was conducted out of hours with efficiency and minimal disruption. The upgrade has resulted, I am pleased to say, in a very reliable and secure IT network and the ongoing technical support has proven to be a breath of fresh air.

I would therefore have no hesitation in recommending Riven Associates to any business requiring IT support.

Tony Redknap (Partner) | Download the PDF