Migration to the Cloud
A Small Independent Charity approached DDS due to difficulties with previous IT Supplier. The majority of work they carry out is done away from the office but a handful of users are office based. Requirements were growing for a professional email system and shared documents while working either on- or off-site.
Issue
Existing solution provided by previous IT support involved a low end server installed at Head Office and remote users having no live data access until returning to the office. No back-up solution or disaster recovery plan was in place and systems had been neglected for some time. Internet was stable but with poor upload speeds, not adequate to support any form of remote access.
Solution
Discussions with the client and an understanding of their business pointed to a cloud based solution. DDS confirmed FTTC internet was available so the office internet could be upgraded to cope with the requirements. We arranged for free charity licensing for the client, before migrating emails and data storage into the cloud. Roles from the server were carefully transferred away until ultimately the server was decommissioned.
Client now uses a variety of devices (Tablets, Laptops, Mobile) to stay in contact with their live data, as facilities for offline working are in place ready to synchronise on connection.
There is no reliance on the local office network any more, as all workers can access data from home, the office, or via 4G mobile connectivity.
Back-ups and server contingency plans are all taken care of externally at data centre level.