CASE STUDIES

Major UK Bank

Protecting Business Critical Systems (Barclays - Credit Risk)

• Challenge: Series of server based applications that did not suit remote hosting and therefore did not fall within the bank's corporate IT service provisioning. Additionally, significant business solutions development team that required frequent ad-hoc access to servers and telecommunications network and equipment. more...
• Solution: 24x7 service cover with a 12 hours per day onsite team that operate a Service Desk with full IT services.
• Services: Helpdesk captures incidents and makes requests for new installations, upgrades, migrations and enhancements. Servers (Unix, NT) and Desktop/Laptop PCs (NT W2K Workstation) are supported, including procurement and configuration of new units, upgrades and customisations. less...

Public Relations

Expanding Capacity of IT Budget (Kaizo)

• Challenge: Business demands were not being satisfied by existing IT team, pressure to expand team whilst business striving to reduce IT spend. more...
• Solution: A flexible agreement that allows the client to utilise 144 days of effort per annum on a number of different services to ensure IT systems meet business requirements, including upgrades, replacements and redesigns. OCS implemented some remote services as a strategy towards reducing effort applied.
• Services: Helpdesk initial contact point for five service offerings, namely System Failure Support, System Monitoring, User Support, System Projects and Planned Maintenance and IT Strategy and Planning. less...

Manufacturing

Meeting New Business Demands (Petsafe)

• Challenge: New financial system required upgraded IT infrastructure. Existing external IT service provider was struggling to provide operational services and forcing client into contract default position with financial system provider. Solution required for UK needs as well as integration of USA subsidiary to occur within a three month window. more...
• Solution: OCS upgraded IT infrastructure over a three month period - phasing in new systems with some parallel running as deemed appropriate. A temporary IT environment was established within a week of project commencement to enable the financial system project to proceed as scheduled. Support is based on a 156 day effort capacity delivered remotely and onsite.
• Services: Helpdesk initial contact point for five service offerings with two scheduled onsite days per week. less...

Financial Services (Not for Profits)

Complete IT Outsource (Cheviot Trust)

• Challenge: Provide a cost effective one stop shop for all IT requirements. more...
• Solution: Business as usual support is provided via OCS' Helpdesk function, with support of the Citrix thin client based environment being provided remotely and on-site as required. To minimise the clients costs OCS utilises a client employee for some simple tasks. Through monthly management meetings business strategy and project requirements are discussed and planned. The monthly support budget (currently 12 days per month) can be used on projects if desired and is set at a level to satisfy most requirements.
• Services: Helpdesk initial contact point for seven service offerings; System Failure Support, System Monitoring, User Support, System Projects and Planned Maintenance, IT Administration, IT Strategy & Planning and Application Support & Development. Under this last service OCS has developed and supports the following; two Websites, Extranet, Microsoft Sharepoint based Document Management System and Members Online Account System (Web based). OCS also satisfy the clients Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity requirements by hosting their DR Servers. less...

Private Education (Schools & Nurseries)

Infrastructure upgrade and Complete IT Outsource (Happy Child)

• Challenge: New owners wanted to ensure that IT would not be an impediment to growing this business, but with IT requirements being satisfied in a cost effective manner. more...
• Solution: OCS was engaged to review and upgrade the current IT infrastructure. To provide a scalable, easy to support, cost effective solution for this business which has over 20+ different locations OCS implemented a Microsoft Terminal Services (Thin Client) based environment. Using their experience and wide range of skills OCS is able to satisfy all requirements efficiently and cost effectively, working with a budget of 7 days per month. Additionally the problems associated with a having a single in-house IT resource, in terms of having a complete skills set and absences has been addressed. Due to the nature of this clients business the monitoring and control of Internet usage was a high priority and as such OCS has implemented a Barracuda Web Filter in the Head Office and Websense (software based solution) in the schools and nurseries.
• Services: Analysis, Design and Implementation, Project Management, Helpdesk initial contact point for OCS' core support service offerings; System Failure Support, System Monitoring, User Support, System Projects and Planned Maintenance, IT Administration and IT Strategy & Planning. Support is provided by the appropriate support technician on-site or off-site as required. less...

International Reinsurance Broker

Provision of business appropriate IT Infrastructure (APG)

• Challenge: Implement robust, secure, resilient and scalable IT environment which will also provide improvements in user productivity at a competitive price. more...
• Solution: OCS undertook an audit/review of the clients IT infrastructure, producing a management report detailing their findings and recommendations. Subsequently, OCS was asked to submit a Proposal to address the issues and recommendations, which they did by pursuing a consultative approach. To deliver the upgrade project (January 2009) in a cost effective manner OCS loaned some servers so that a temporary environment could be used whilst the clients servers were rebuilt and reconfigured. This approach combined with activities primarily taking place outside of normal work hours minimised user downtime. Having successfully delivered the project OCS was engaged to support the clients IT going forward.
• Services: Systems Analysis and Information gathering, Project Management, Procurement/provision of hardware and software, Installation of new Server Rack and tidy up of existing Comms Rack, Reconfigure Windows 2008 Domain; Domain Controller, Exchange Server, File/Print Server, Implementation of appropriate Backup, Anti-Virus & Anti-Spam solutions, add resilience to Communication links and Support (based around the following service offerings; System Failure Support, System Monitoring, User Support, System Projects and Planned Maintenance, IT Administration and IT Strategy and Planning. less...

Hedge Fund

Startup Company (Pre-X)

• Challenge: When this company set up business they needed an IT services provider to implement an IT infrastructure to satisfy immediate and foreseeable business requirements. Being a new company the implementation and support costs had to be very competitive. more...
• Solution: OCS implemented a Microsoft Small Business Server, complete with UPS, SonicWall Firewall, Barracuda Spam Firewall, NOD32 Anti-virus solution and a Symantec tape backup solution. Additionally, OCS also provided and installed 6 HP Desktop PCs. The light-weight support arrangements (approximately 4 hours per month) provide this client with the 'insurance' policy they need.
• Services: Supply and installation of the above hardware and software, management of the ISP, all IT support and project requirements managed via OCS' Helpdesk. Nearly all support issues are able to be addressed quickly and remotely through OCS utilising their secure logmein software. less...

Direct Marketing Provider

Provide fully accountable IT Support services for growing company (INC Direct)

• Challenge: The increasing importance of IT to this client as they grew required a fully managed, flexible and accountable IT support service. more...
• Solution: The support service provided by OCS is based on their tried and tested procedures, which includes all activities being recorded in our Helpdesk System. The Helpdesk System is configured so that advisory emails are automatically generated should an issue firstly approach and then secondly pass the specified SLAs. The information captured in the Helpdesk System enables a Monthly Service Report to be produced which details activities and effort expended by the following categories; System Failure, System Monitoring, User Support, System Projects & Planned Maintenance and IT Administration. This information helps to identify common problems and users who may require assistance/training, so that the appropriate actions can be taken. Monthly Service meetings involving senior client and OCS management are held to review the Monthly Reports, discuss future IT requirements and monitor the budget in terms of projected and actual effort allocations. The Contract enables the client and OCS Service Managers full flexibility in how resources are deployed. Effort may be expended to match the peaks and troughs of the business and IT demands, rather than in set monthly amounts. It is the responsibility of the client and OCS Service Managers to ensure effort allocations and the impact of allocations on projected budgets are assessed and communicated. If greater capacity is required and mutually agreed, then the additional effort is simply procured at the agreed fee rate. Through regular meetings and site visits OCS gains an understanding of the clients business, so that they can ensure their IT works for them and appropriate IT solutions can be recommended.
• Services: Analysis, Design and Implementation, Project Management, Service Management, Production of IT Policies, Helpdesk initial contact point for OCS' core support service offerings; System Failure Support, System Monitoring, User Support, System Projects and Planned Maintenance, IT Administration and IT Strategy & Planning. less...

Accountants

Office Relocation (CDJ)

• Challenge: To help move this existing client of OCS Computer Services to new offices, with minimal downtime. more...
• Solution: Following some planning meetings involving key client and OCS personnel, a project plan detailing OCS' responsibilities for installing the clients IT Infrastructure in their new offices was produced. To facilitate the clients move over just one weekend OCS installed a new 42U Server Rack, 27U Comms Cabinet, SonicWall Firewall, Barracuda Spam Firewall, UPS and Cisco Wireless Access Point and arranged the installation of new comms links in advance of the actual move. On the weekend of the actual move OCS then re-located all Servers in the office, tested the environment and assisted with the installation of new VOIP phones. OCS ensured they had a support technician on-site the first day the new office went live so any teething problems or user queries could be addressed promptly. As well as the project being a success the client has also subsequently seen a reduction in OCS' support effort, due to the improved IT environment.
• Services: Analysis and Design, Project Management, Hardware provision and installation, Server configuration, implementation of security solutions and ongoing IT Support of both Windows and Linux environments. less...

International Insurance Service Provider

Provision of flexible support services and expertise (Compre)

• Challenge: With this successful company expanding, the demands on the internal IT Manager in terms of capacity and expertise necessitated an IT Service Provider who could supply a flexible and cost effective service. more...
• Solution: Having undertaken an initial IT Infrastructure Healthcheck/Audit OCS was engaged to upgrade the clients IT infrastructure which involved installing new HP Proliant Servers running Windows Server 2008, Microsoft Exchange 2007 and Microsoft Terminal Services. Subsequently a Support Contract which is very flexible in terms of when effort is expended, whether it be providing extra capacity for Projects, expertise to the IT Manager, 2nd/3rd line support or covering his absences, has been put in place. This has proved to be a cost effective solution for the client, whilst giving them a feeling of security about their IT, which is critical to the business. As with all OCS Support Contracts all activities undertaken and effort expended are detailed on the Monthly Service Reports.
• Services: IT Infrastructure Audit/Healthcheck, Infrastructure Upgrade Project (Design, Implementation & Project Management), Hardware & Software provision, Training, flexible Support arrangements (utilising OCS' Helpdesk & standard processes) and Service Management. less...