“The financial services organisation wasn’t just looking for a technology vendor, but a long-term partner who could support the business and its people on a transition to a whole new way of working: more mobile, more consistent, and more flexible, but with no compromise on security.''
John J. Murphy, Head of Commercial Strategy, Presidio
A financial services organisation with six hundred staff wanted to take the opportunity of a HQ relocation to improve the user experience for its team.
It planned to replace aging desktop computers – which, due to the sensitive nature of the company’s work, were literally bolted to the floor in its old offices – with Thin Clients and Chromebooks.
It also wanted to let staff work from multiple locations, including in any collaborative or meeting space inside the office, on the road or from home; and it wanted to meet their demands for collaboration and document sharing tools.
The company recognised that it didn’t just need a partner who could install updated technology in its new offices; the partner should also help socialise that technology among staff, drive adoption, answer user questions about the new tools and systems, and actively promote a transition into a more modern way of working.
The solution
Following a competitive tender, the company chose Presidio to help it design and rollout a secure enterprise mobility strategy, underpinned by virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) services and support.
With VDI, a consistent, secure and up-to-date set of software applications is available to every staff member whenever they log in, from any device, anywhere within the office or on the road.
The company chose to standardise on Chromebooks, which unlike a traditional hardened and high-end enterprise laptop are inexpensive to replace and also contain minimal data, as all information is data centre-based and available only upon authorised login.
Presidio will also - in tandem with an in-house change champion - manage a high-profile internal launch and training program, which will be supported by on-site events, question-and-answer sessions, and how-to videos that staff can use in a self-help model, to educate themselves about everything from their Chromebook to Jabber instant messaging to document sharing.
The Results
- A proof of concept trial has been very well received by staff, who particularly enjoyed the freedom that the new services give them to work anywhere in the office, or on the road, and have a consistent experience of the software they rely on every day.
- A full security infrastructure ensures that only authorised users can log-on with a device; Arkphire has also provided the capability for the organisation to manage any network-connected device, including remote wipe, if devices are lost and need to be erased.
- All Arkphire services are being delivered by a best-in-class hyperconverged Dell EMC infrastructure, with a suite of VMware solutions delivering the end user experience.
- The premises move was completed during Spring 2019 and the transition away from legacy systems completed, including the launch and promotion of the new way of working to the full team.
