SUMMARY
CLIENT
Kirkgate Engineering is a long-established engineering company based in Liversedge, West Yorkshire. They provide a wide range of engineering services, including steel fabrication, commercial structural services, bespoke fixtures and emergency repairs, supporting both commercial and domestic clients.
SOLUTION
We implemented a wide range of important IT infrastructure improvements, including proactive remote monitoring, enhanced on- and off-site backups, a new wireless mesh network, and improved UPS power protection. These upgrades helped to provide Kirkgate Engineering with a more secure, reliable and resilient IT infostructure.
Introduction
Kirkgate Engineering rely on their IT infrastructure to support all day-to-day operations and communications. As their business continues to develop and grow, t secure, reliable and capable of supporting all future requirements.
We worked closely with Kirkgate Engineering to assess their existing infrastructure and identify any areas where improvements could be made. This resulted in a comprehensive programme of upgrades designed to strengthen security, improve connectivity, protect critical data and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime.
Challenge
Kirkgate Engineering's existing IT infrastructure presented several key areas where improvements could be implemented. The business needed a more proactive approach to monitoring its devices and managing security updates, ensuring potential issues could be identified and addressed before they affected staff and clients.
There was also a need to strengthen the company's backup and disaster recovery set-up. Protecting critical business data required a solution that would provide reliable backups whilst ensuring copies were kept separate from the production environment in the event of a serious system failure.
Wireless connectivity across the site was another area requiring attention, with Wi-Fi dead spots affecting coverage in some areas. In addition, they were also in need of replacing their existing Windows 10 devices with modern Windows 11-compatible hardware to improve performance and ensure their systems were up to date.
Finally, failed UPS batteries had reduced the effectiveness of the site's power protection, creating an additional risk of downtime during power outages and hardware failures.
Solution
Looking to provide Kirkgate Engineering with a more proactive and resilient IT setup, we introduced our Remote Monitoring & Management (RMM) platform across all of the company's devices. This helps provide them with continuous monitoring, identifying any potential issues before they develop into significant problems.
Automated Windows patch management was also introduced, ensuring workstations receive the latest security and feature updates. This helps maintain a consistent security standard across the company's devices while reducing the need for manual intervention.
To improve data protection and disaster recovery, we also deployed a segregated onsite backup solution, keeping backups separate from the production environment. Secure offsite replication to our data centre was configured, providing an additional layer of protection should the onsite infrastructure become unavailable.
Centralised backup software was installed on the server to ensure complete system and data backups are taken, monitored and managed automatically. This provides Kirkgate Engineering with greater confidence that its critical data can be recovered when required.
The site's wireless network was also redesigned and upgraded using a wireless mesh network. This eliminated Wi-Fi dead spots and provided seamless roaming across the premises, improving connectivity, reliability and overall wireless performance.
As part of the infrastructure modernisation, all Windows 10 devices were replaced with modern, Windows 11-compatible hardware. This improved workstation performance and security while ensuring the business was prepared for the end of Windows 10 support.
Finally, Edmondson's replaced the failed UPS batteries and introduced monitoring and automated alerts for battery failures and UPS faults. This restored the site's backup power protection and allows the support team to respond quickly if a fault occurs.
what were the key outcomes?
Improved Security & Business Continuity
Proactive monitoring, automated Windows patch management and Windows 11-compatible hardware have all helped to strengthen Kirkgate Engineering's IT security. Enhanced on- and off-site backups also provide reliable protection against data loss and support a strong disaster recovery plan.
Improved Connectivity & Reduced Downtime
Kirkgate Engineering's new wireless mesh network has helped to eliminate Wi-Fi dead spots and improve coverage throughout their premises. Proactive monitoring and improved UPS power protection also help to identify any potential issues in their system early and reduce the risk of unexpected downtime.
Modernised IT Infrastructure
Our infrastructure upgrades have provided Kirkgate Engineering with an improved, modern, secure, reliable and fully managed IT environment. These improvements have strengthened the overall performance and resilience of their systems, while creating a solid foundation that can support the business's future growth and day-to-day operations.
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