ramsac, a leading IT solutions consultancy, today announces it has completed a server virtualisation project for JCC Lighting – a leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of commercial and domestic lighting. The implementation of the Microsoft Hyper-V Virtualisation solution is complimented by the deployment of a Storage Area Network (SAN) for improved fail-safe, ongoing strategic counsel and mentoring for the in-house IT team.
The Bognor Regis based JCC Lighting had used the services of a small IT supplier, but felt a greater level of assistance with planning and strategic troubleshooting was needed. The company also had concerns that there were not sufficient resources in place to deal with emergencies, as the prior IT support service relied on a very small team, with little margin for absences, or unexpected problems.
Following an extensive IT Healthcheck, ramsac recommended new virtualised servers (whereby one physical server is partitioned into multiple ‘virtual’ servers, giving each the appearance and capabilities of running on its own dedicated hardware) for greater flexibility and economy. ramsac also specified and installed a Dell SAN, which like the server upgrade, gives greater flexibility with regards to scalability of size and use, and disaster recovery, with a minimum of disruption to users.
Finance and IT Director at JCC Lighting, Steven Kinsella explains: “We required a more comprehensive service to ensure our IT systems are able to keep pace with our business. ramsac was introduced to us through a business partner and they demonstrated that they could provide the level of expertise, proactive service and scalable support we required at the right price point. They also gelled instantly with our own IT Manager who they would work with on projects and daily support issues.”
Technical Director for ramsac, Paul Mew explains the cost benefits virtualisation brings to JCC Lighting: “We advised that it would cost the company no more than the expected replacement cost for the old servers to move to two higher capacity machines and use Microsoft’s Hyper-V Virtualisation solution, to intelligently share this combined resource for all the network needs. As well as cutting the running costs and saving on the physical space needed to host servers, JCC Lighting now has a failover facility whereby in the event of a server failure all the data is transferred to, and fully hosted by, the other one and kept safe.”
Along with the system upgrades, ramsac is adding further value through an IT mentoring service for JCC Lighting’s in-house IT team. “Working with a focussed IT expert means we have access to the latest developments and opportunities within the IT industry, without the huge costs of training and time needed to acquire them ourselves,” says Kinsella.
Concludes Kinsella. “ramsac’s support and the improved network and fail-safes they have installed, gives us peace of mind that if our in-house IT Manager is ill, or on annual leave, we have the full IT back-up we need should there be any issues or threats to our essential IT systems.”