ABOUT

Staveley House (Abbeyfield Furness Extra Care Society Ltd)

Furness Extra Care Society is located in Dalton-in-Furness and their main objective is to provide a comfortable and homely environment together with security and companionship for residents who might otherwise have been alone.

They seek to help their residents to remain as independent as possible but provide the highest level of care at all times when needed.

The society was founded by a number of existing local Abbeyfield societies which were operating sheltered housing accommodation. They recognised the need for follow-on care home services for their residents.

Staveley House Care Home opened in 1996 and was extended to its present size in 2008. It’s operated by a professional management team under the direction of a volunteer executive committee. It is a purpose-built home offering 24-hour care from a team of highly trained, professional and caring staff.

The relationship with inTEC BUSINESS Ulverston originated via a referral from another client. The inTEC team met with the Abbeyfield Furness Extra Care Society Board and Trustees to establish their IT requirements. Their existing local IT support provider was not responding to their on-going technical queries despite monthly fees.

SUPPORT & SOLUTIONS

inTEC BUSINESS identified network problems at Staveley House and ran a full onsite IT audit to ascertain specific issues and fix them. They now provide an ongoing, proactive service to the care home.

OUTCOMES 

“inTEC managed an overhaul of the IT infrastructure including hardware and software, which has allowed for smarter management reporting and provided confidence in the smooth daily operation of the home. After a detailed audit of the IT infrastructure there was some initial investment in hardware and software.  inTEC have managed any initial teething problems in liaison with Staveley House requirements.  They are always quick to respond to an issue with a solution and provide a high level of confidence to the organisation.” 

Jacqui | Abbeyfield Furness Extra Care Society Ltd

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ABOUT

PaR Systems is the intelligent solutions provider for driving quality, productivity and safety in manufacturing and other demanding environments since 1961. At PaR Systems, they leverage their large base of equipment platforms and applications experience to serve their clients, who come from a variety of industries.

Their ability to access legacy platforms and technology expertise (gained from thousands of previously successful automation and material handling systems) allows them to consistently provide reliable, cost-effective solutions.

PaR Systems has their European Centre of Excellence in Workington, Cumbria, close to inTEC BUSINESS Ulverston. Originally, they became a client of inTEC via another client referral.

SUPPORT & SOLUTIONS

PaR Systems required a robust and reliable IT system with strong backup processes. They were keen to source an IT Support provider who could run proactive work on their servers. inTEC BUSINESS scoped their specific equipment requirements (based on performance increase) and ensured that they used any pre-existing equipment as much as possible before suggesting any additional procurement.

inTEC BUSINESS developed a virtualised network enabling future scalability, with a robust backup and disaster recovery processes in place, if required.

OUTCOMES 

PaR Systems and inTEC BUSINESS have a strong working relationship. inTEC’s Business Services Director, Will Gardner-Brennand states:

“PaR Systems are great to work with in regard to infrastructure design through to workstation management. We also worked closely with them on the Cyber Essentials Plus scheme”

Bob, Service Manager at PaR Systems concluded:

“They asked what we wanted rather than told us what we needed. All the staff we have encountered have been extremely helpful and friendly with good technical knowledge.”

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ABOUT

Livingstons Solicitors are a long-established local law firm serving the South Lakes and Furness area. Their five specialist departments (Property, Private Client, Litigation, Employment/Commercial and Family), enable them to offer a top-quality service with a high degree of expertise.

With one of their two office locations based in Ulverston, Livingstons have been a loyal client of inTEC BUSINESS Ulverston for more than ten years.

SUPPORT & SOLUTIONS

Due to the nature of their work, the Livingstons team have an on-going requirement for proactive and efficient IT support. inTEC BUSINESS implemented a new virtual network which allows flexibility for all their users.

This allowed Livingstons to be scalable and help their remote team have more terminal server capacity.

More recently, inTEC BUSINESS have migrated Livingstons to the Office 365 platform for emails along with a hardware upgrade – all of which was implemented to allow Livingstons to have further capability for secure remote working across their company.

OUTCOMES 

Livingstons and inTEC BUSINESS have a great, longstanding relationship and Livingstons often recommend inTEC BUSINESS to other clients.

David, recently retired Practice Manager from Livingstons Solicitors summarised the service they receive from inTEC:

“Excellent support to our business.”

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iTEK manage seamless transition of Porsche Centre Kendal IT infrastructure to new dealership

ABOUT

Parker & Parker Ltd. began selling Porsche from their Kendal base in 1957. The showroom is said to be the UK’s oldest Porsche garage and has been a huge part of the Kendal community over the last 60 years. In July 2021, Parker & Parker moved their Cumbrian dealership from Kendal to a £5 million state-of-the-art facility by the M6 junction 35 near Carnforth.

The showroom now boasts ultra-fast chargers, a direct diagnostics bay, specialist handover bay and much needed larger showroom and workshop facilities.

iTEK COMPUTER SOLUTIONS (part of the inTEC GROUP) have supported the IT infrastructure at the family-owned Porsche Centre for 5 years and were the obvious partner to work with to assist with the dealership relocation. In early 2020, Parker & Parker contacted iTEK to brief them on this exciting development. The long-lasting relationship coupled with complete trust in iTEK’s high standard of service meant that the project did not go out to tender. iTEK were the natural choice and perfect fit. Ben Mitchinson, iTEK’s Managing Director, commented:

“Porsche simply trusted us to do the job right, first time, without any issues.”

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

The Porsche Centre’s relocation requirements included the complete transition of their IT infrastructure from Kendal to the new Carnforth facility. Initially, Ben and his team met with Simon Parker (one of the directors of Parker & Parker Ltd.) in a technology consultancy and planning role. Ben established excellent working relationships with other key parties involved in the showroom build including architects, building contractors and project managers. This ensured that, from day one, the correct specifications were in place from a physical cabling perspective.

Ben and his team also consulted with Simon regarding their internet connectivity, IT security, Wi-Fi, VoIP telephony, audio and visual systems, computers and all related IT equipment; the full package. Ben said:

“The IT and audio-visual aspect of the Porsche Centre South Lakes project was a pleasure to be managing and responsible for. The scale and duration of the project made this a significant piece of work for iTEK to undertake. The team and I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the project, from planning to final commissioning of all the systems and I have to say that the finished Porsche Centre South Lakes centre is simply incredible!”

When the physical project got underway, iTEK worked alongside the electricians to install all the fibre and copper data cabling throughout the building of which there was approximately 15km. In addition, iTEK performed the installation of the Wi-Fi and telephone systems, all the relevant testing, setting up the desktop computers and laptops, managing and installing all of the audio-visual requirements and the provision, configuration and installation of all security infrastructure including firewalls and perimeter security.

OUTCOMES & BENEFITS

The entire infrastructure relocation project took just over a year to complete. Despite the many complexities of a large IT project like this and the fact that all of this took place during the Covid-19 pandemic, iTEK completed the task ahead of schedule and were fully Covid compliant throughout.

On completion of the new showroom, Simon Parker, Director at Porsche Centre South Lakes, said:

“We trusted iTEK to come up with the solutions and they did. Everyone is delighted with the results. The solutions that iTEK put into our business have been instrumental in us providing better customer service. We are more obtainable, we’ve got better phone systems, we’ve got better IT systems, the whole business just works on another level. We are able to deliver a better customer experience. The staff are happier at work – they can work more efficiently. Ultimately, that means the customer is happy too!”

iTEK continue to manage and provide on-going support around every element of the IT infrastructure at the new Porsche Centre South Lakes dealership including:

• IT security
• E-mail & data collaboration systems
• Hosted voice VoIP telephony
• Internet connectivity
• Wi-Fi
• Servers and networking infrastructure
• IT support & maintenance

Delighted at the outcome of the year-long IT project, Ben also commented:

“I have to say that the finished centre is amazing, and we are absolutely delighted with how the project has turned out. The ‘Go-Live’ date on 12^th July went smoothly without issues and all IT systems continue to operate as required. Porsche and the Parker family were fantastic to work with and it goes without saying that this has been by far our favourite project to date!”

Simon concluded:

“We highly recommend iTEK’s services. We have built a relationship based on trust. They provide us with exactly what we need, whether that be a new solution or something that we already have in place but need to improve. If you require very quick response times, they are always there to support you if you have an issue – you can guarantee you have got someone you can trust at the other end of the phone or email. Ultimately, they keep our business working efficiently and effectively.”

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BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

OUTCOMES & BENEFITS

“We set-up Wi-Fi for both corporate and guests – on match day, or events and weddings, the internet will take some real hammer, so we proposed a dedicated line as a solution. We worked in consultancy with the team at Mintbridge to specify what was required and helped negotiate with Zen Internet on the installation of the service. What’s now in place delivers speeds of 100Mb both up and down and offers 100% up-time.”

The firewall put into place around this and IT perimeter security (inbound and outbound) means that staff and supporters can enjoy quick and safe access to the web, wherever they are on the site.

“The Wi-Fi coverage is impressive and can be accessed from anywhere on site, including the far side of the all-weather training pitches over 100 metres away from the main stadium.”

Staff training was also provided as part of the hand-over, the ‘user acceptance’ stage confirming that everyone was happy with the new IT in all its different guises.

With so many different third-party systems and hardware on the site, it was critical that iTek’s network could ‘talk’ to everything, from the pitch-side electronic scoreboard to the front gate ticketing system and everything in-between.

Even the stadium’s VOIP phone system has been provided by iTek. “It’s not something we’d consider a core service, but we have supplied and installed for a number of businesses; I have to say it’s something we do very well. Of course, a decent broadband connection and good networking is key, but get the right system and it becomes a very cost-effective solution for any business.” adds Ben Mitchinson, MD at iTek Computer Solutions.

“Our ongoing service for Mintbridge Stadium invariably means we help support other supplier’s hardware; it may not be something that we have supplied but if there is an issue then we are happy to get involved and work to provide a fix.” continues Ben, “We can test if our systems are working fine and help identify any issue beyond there, it’s all part of the service!”

To find out more about Mintbridge Stadium please visit: www.mintbridge-kendal.co.uk

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ABOUT

One of the longest-established independent accountancy practices in north Lancashire, Scott & Wilkinson can trace their lineage back to 1918.

From their offices in Lancaster’s picturesque Dalton Square, the chartered firm provide a comprehensive suite of accountancy services and professional advice to private clients, not-for-profit organisations, charities and, as one would expect, businesses clients from across diverse industry sectors.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

The Dalton Square offices is where all the partners and associates are based: “Having the whole team in a single location allows us to make the best use of individual specialist skills and therefore offer our clients a complete accountancy service from under one roof. Lancaster is also an ideal central base to serve Scott & Wilkinson’s clients located across the region – to Carlisle in the north, down to Merseyside and the Wirral and across the Pennines to Leeds.”

The Scott & Wilkinson of today is quite a sizeable operation – eleven people make up a senior team of partners, associates and managers along with more than forty staff on the payroll in supporting roles.

For such a long-established firm with more than a century of service to its many customers, one might anticipate that Scott & Wilkinson are a very traditional accountancy firm; yet their forward-thinking approach is evident in their approach to IT and how it can better support the business and the needs of their client base.

As they state on their company website: The firm remains committed to looking after its clients and is consistently investing in its staff and technical resources so that it can continue to maintain and improve the range and quality of services it offers.

“The IT infrastructure in place at Scott & Wilkinson is as robust and resilient as one can imagine, they really haven’t compromised in any area.” Explains Ben Mitchinson, MD of iTek Computer Solutions. “When so many people depend on the business-critical services of Scott & Wilkinson, they expect nothing less.”

“Scott & Wilkinson were the very first client of iTek Computer Solutions when we set up the business in 2009. They had been a client of mine when I worked for a previous IT firm and we always had a good relationship. When they got in touch in the very early days of iTek I was so honoured that they wanted to continue with my involvement and I’ll always be very grateful of the trust they put in iTek.”

OUTCOMES & BENEFITS

The network designed and installed by iTek Computer Solutions a decade ago was a sizeable investment for the firm, with a completely new servers and network managing the heavy lifting from the demands placed upon it by staff and clients alike.

The server infrastructure is a Remote Desktop Server based environment, featuring thin clients, a relatively lightweight PC that is optimised for establishing a highly secure remote connection with the remote desktop server undertaking most of the work – running accountancy and CRM software and storing client data.

“That particular system was pretty advanced for the time and supported Scott & Wilkinson for the best part of a decade without any significant issues – iTek provided ongoing support and a planned programme of maintenance that kept everything running smoothly.”

“Hindsight is always a wonderful thing, but there’s nothing we would have done differently with that particular system and, for the first major commission for iTek, it was a great project.”

Business continuity was a paramount for Scott & Wilkinson when they approached iTek again in early 2018 to look at the next generation of Business IT Support Lancaster systems for the firm.

New hardware across the firm running the latest software that could support fast response times and 100% uptime – quite a remit, but one which they were confident in placing in iTek’s hands.

“The one significant change we made for the new network was the move of the e-mail platform to the Cloud.” adds Ben. “We had always been able to support Scott & Wilkinson remotely, but taking away the physical local e-mail server to a Cloud-based solution added a whole new level of resilience.”

Once again, planning was key to ensuring the migration of data and configuration of new hardware was a smooth and stress-free process, with clients unaffected and unaware of any noticeable changes in services.

In addition, iTek have also introduced a guest Wi-Fi network to the Dalton Square offices, with high levels of security for client peace of mind.

Scott & Wilkinson provide a highly personal service to all their clients, including direct access to partners – the firm proudly maintains a partner-client ratio which is considerably higher than typical in the profession.

“For a firm with such close and personal relationships with their customers, it would be unthinkable for our involvement to do anything that would jeopardise that through IT systems not performing as desired.” concludes Ben.

“We are under no illusion; we know our own relationship with Scott & Wilkinson is also one based on the trust and understanding that iTek will deliver on their word and provide the professional service that goes above and beyond to support our clients and their businesses.”

The new IT network introduce by iTek Computer Solutions is anticipated to be a trusted part of the team for the next 10 years, with that programme of regular monitoring and maintenance by iTek ensuring that it is always as dependable and assured as the professional services of Scott & Wilkinson themselves.

To find out more about Scott & Wilkinson and the professional accountancy services they provide, please click here

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ABOUT

The name Tech Soft 3D may not be familiar to the majority of us, but you can be certain that in your day-to-day life you will encounter something that they have been involved with. The car you drive may have been designed using software that runs on Tech Soft 3D’s code; likewise, some of the applications on your PC, or the building you work in. We’re all familiar with what 3D printing can achieve, and this needs software to run the hardware that produces the amazing prototypes – chances are that includes the work of Tech Soft 3D team of developers.

Tech Soft 3D produce innovative graphics technology for engineering software teams and partner organisations including industry leaders such as Adobe, Autodesk and Dassault Systèmes.

But that’s a team that is spread from California and Oregon in the USA, to Lyon in France and Yokohama in Japan, along with a European sales office and training centre in Staveley, just near Kendal on the edge of the Lake District. Which is where iTek started their journey with the global software specialists back in 2009. Working with the head of sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the initial engagement was rather low-key, setting-up a hosted email solution for a relatively small team.

BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS

“The Tech Soft 3D EMEA guys were spread across the UK and frequently working abroad so they needed a cloud-based, flexible yet robust cloud computing solution, so getting them onto Microsoft Exchange was the obvious choice.” says Ben Mitchinson, MD of iTek Computer Solutions.

That said, it wasn’t the natural choice for the company as their IT manager’s background was in the Linux operating system and on-premise servers. Add to this the fact that the IT manager in question is based in Bend, Oregon, and levels of complexity start to appear: who were these guys in the UK and why were they introducing different networks and systems than the ones we use?

“We had introduced Office 365 to the Tech Soft 3D office in Staveley in 2009; although just a handful of users it was a really good solution – Mail, Active Directory, all the bells and whistles, everything you would expect from a large corporation. Their other global teams saw the capabilities and benefits of such an approach and started wanting to know how their teams could also be put onto a similar platform.”

Fortunately, what could have been a lengthy process with conversations difficult to facilitate across time zones was aided by the American IT manager, Eric, coming to the UK for a vacation with his wife, during which time he  scheduled two days to meet with Ben and Adam from iTek.

“From that initial conversation, iTek were invited to submit a proposal for the IT support for Tech Soft 3D across their North American and European sites. At the time, iTek had only been up and running for about 12 months, so this was a massive opportunity for us.” comments iTek Lead Engineer, Adam Blamire.

Shortly after Eric returned home from his vacation, iTek submitted their plans to design and implement a Wide Area Network (WAN) across the two offices in the USA, one in Lyon and in Staveley. Three years later this would also include the Yokohama site plus numerous consultants and developers working remotely around the world.

The office in Lyon were the first to roll-out the new system with iTek specifying the hardware and software, planning the installation with contractors in France and then implementing remotely.

“Eric really went out of his way to meet and spend time with us, but that has been repaid in spades by what we all achieved from those early discussions; where the company was at the time, plans for growth and how a strong IT network would be needed to support this. The solutions we mapped-out and the global infrastructure is essentially unchanged nearly ten years later and still serving the organisation well.”

That original configuration was planned with scalability in mind, being able to be built onto as circumstances dictated.

The relationship we have with Tech Soft 3D’s internal IT resources and the collaborative approach has been crucial. Eric knows the company inside-out, how the global teams operate and what they demand from the system; we are able to support this, making sure that Eric can focus on his remit safe in the knowledge that we’re here to support him and the company all the way.

The system has been implemented further as new offices and remote working personnel came on-line. The main shared host server is still managed from California, with each regional office (Lyon, for example) having a ‘branch server’ which hosts data for that specific location and team who are working on different service or products.

The network features site-to-site VPN and routers which allow the locations to be consistently networked and talking to each other. This is an intelligent system, so if one link goes down then it switches to another router to ensure 100% up-time, so all of the sites can talk to each other, all of the time; if there is a server outage at one site, users can still log-on via a redundant link.

“There’s no denying this is a complex, global WAN infrastructure.” adds Ben Mitchinson, “Moving from Linux to Microsoft-based solutions was a key enabler; by migrating them away from premise-based exchange mail servers – which were each localised to one site – to a more unified cloud-based system has delivered both flexibility and scalability.”

“Although this took a little persuading before it could be adopted, it has helped create that robust and future-proof solution that Tech Soft 3D needed.”

OUTCOMES & BENEFITS

The client has since moved their extensive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to the same cloud solution so that it is easier to manage, maintain and keep secure.

“Looking back, it’s incredible what was achieved with Tech Soft 3D in a little over two years. They are a client we still love working with: their positive ‘can do’ attitude, their approach to working –  they are what you would expect from the likes of Facebook or Google, even though their work isn’t as well known outside of the very specialist world of 3D graphics.”

The next chapter with Tech Soft 3D promises some more exciting developments with a new US-based director of who is working more with us to help plan next generation of cloud-based solutions. We’re all looking to see how we can progress the system further, supporting their success and growth in a really productive working partnership.

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