Nichols choose Network Defence for managed service

Managed IT Service reduces burden, cost and risk for Nichols Plc

“We have been working with Network Defence for a number of years. Since they took over managing our IT infrastructure we have been able to concentrate on developing in-house processes at the core of our business and at the same time made significant cost savings.”

Martin Eaves, IT Service Manager at Nichols Plc.

Key Benefits

Cost savings of over £80,000 annually
Time savings and the ability to concentrate on internal processes and development
24/7 monitoring and support of the network and IT infrastructure
Real-time data security
Regular penetration testing and data security reviews

The Challenge

Based in Newton Le Willows, Nichols Plc is a multi million pound international business specialising in soft drinks and dispensing systems. Better known for their 100 year old brand, Vimto, the company employs over 150 people in the UK and recently won one of this years MEN Business Awards.

Like many other businesses Nichols were regularly looking for ways to improve business efficiency and also save money. They previously managed the whole IT network in-house, which was both costly and labour-intensive, and tied up a significant amount of IT resource meaning that staff were unable to concentrate on developing the way the business operated. As a result they decided to look at, and if appropriate, implement a new managed IT service that would save staff time and also reduce costs

Martin Eaves, IT Service Manager at Nichols Plc commented; “When we began looking at the time we spent working on our systems we quickly identified that it was taking a team of four most of their time just to keep things running. Having outsourced some of our support previously we knew that there were likely to be some significant savings we could make.”

The Solution

Network Defence had already undertaken some IT and data security projects for Nichols Plc previously so they were the obvious choice when it came to looking at outsourcing support. Following a review they recommended a move to a complete managed service including a server migration and major network changes.

In addition Network Defence implemented a complete fail over IT and communications system as well as regular penetration testing to ensure that vulnerabilities in the network were highlighted before they became an issue.

The Benefits

As a result of the managed service from Network Defence, IT staff have been able to develop valuable reporting and analysis tools, delivering detailed sector reports and business intelligence for board-level decision-making. This strategic approach ensures Nichols make the best use of the data stored across its network, helping it to make rapid business decisions and remain a leading player in the competitive soft drinks sector.

Martin Eaves, IT Service Manager at Nichols said, “We’ve witnessed a number of core benefits as a result of the managed service solution from Network Defence. In addition to considerable cost savings, we have the reassurance that our network and company assets are protected, and that a depth of IT expertise is on hand whenever we need it.

“For the IT department, silence is golden - it means the network is doing its job, supporting everyone within Nichols and letting them focus on business

priorities. This in turn has enabled us to focus on delivering real added value to the company, freeing up internal IT resources to deliver the business intelligence needed to ensure we retain our leading position in the sector.”

Technologies used

Fail over IT communications system
Penetration testing

Managed services - Better security made easy.

Security solutions - Better Security by design

Professional services - Better security by evaluation and testing

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