Leading IT solutions consultancy ramsac has announced it is providing strategic IT management and support for video production company DMI Productions. ramsac has taken on the role of IT Director for the company’s overall backend business infrastructure, allowing DMI Productions to fully concentrate on its use of high-end IT systems for video production.
Company growth and the need for specific expert IT support have been the key reasons for ramsac’s appointment, as DMI Productions Company Director, Stuart Turner, commented: “We had previously relied on less structured support for our back-office IT needs but had grown the team and cater for the most demanding of high-level clients, so had reached a point where we needed extra help. We were impressed with ramsac’s track record and professional approach – which is very much in keeping with our own ethos of providing the best levels of service to our clients. We need a good relationship and the utmost confidence in all our suppliers and feel that ramsac fits the bill.”
DMI Productions, which is based in Ashford in Middlesex, has worked with a number of high profile corporate clients like Orange, London Underground and Butlins, as well as top-level broadcast clients, such as the BBC, Channel 4 and The Discovery Channel. Because the company offers high-end, video and digital media services, it has a complex IT infrastructure, which is largely bespoke to their needs. Therefore its IT support also involves understanding the specific requirements of the production business operations, so the backend systems can offer the right support across the whole company.
Working with DMI Productions is very much a partnership, as Paul Mew, Technical Director at ramsac explained: “We have clients who require us to manage their whole IT facility, but working with DMI Productions involves a lot more shared working. Because of the powerful and complex IT resources needed to edit and produce video products, DMI Productions have a vast technical knowledge already. ramsac helps DMI Productions manage the business orientated systems and strategic needs, such as its email, accounts systems, firewall/virus protection and website - to ensure that the highly skilled video production specialists remain wholly focused on their own specialised activities.”
As part of its IT support package, ramsac now makes a monthly onsite visit to discuss IT needs face to face with DMI, as well as giving full telephone/remote access support and provides its serverguard service (which makes regular checks of clients’ server operations, including back up performance, antivirus and disk space usage).
ramsac has already implemented a new server and management software to support the company’s remote access needs and installed safeguard, for its data, which is particularly vital with the audio visual files it uses. DMI Productions had been using Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 and Microsoft Windows Server 2003 on its old server, but wanted to migrate to the latest versions to make the most of its new hardware. ramsac upgraded DMI’s infrastructure to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and Exchange Server 2007, which has improved efficiency and communications, whilst reducing management overhead, thereby improving IT across the whole company – which is particularly relevant with resource-hungry video production.
The decision to work with ramsac was also motivated by DMI Productions’ desire to plan for the future. Turner adds: “Ultimately our IT will need to ensure we can continue to grow and offer the best services to our clients. ramsac will help us continue to use the best practise and the most effective IT systems available, to safeguard our reputation and abilities and in turn secure client retention and win new business within the broadcast and film industry. We rely on their expertise to give us peace of mind with regards to our essential IT systems.”