Quiss Technology case study: A journey to the cloud
CLIENT BACKGROUND AND BRIEF
Leveraging technology to communicate, collaborate and connect with clients and colleagues
As with all our case studies, we are interested in explaining how those we work with, rely on our experience and expertise to develop a technological solution that reflects their unique needs and delivers the desired business outcomes.
We will touch on the technology used, but the emphasis is the journey. You may well recognize a familiar starting position, but this was an outcome mapped prior to the global pandemic, which acted merely as a catalyst for a quicker response, rather than an event driving the changes.
Long heritage shapes a brighter more remote future
Blandy & Blandy is a leading law firm in the Thames Valley, with more than 50 specialist solicitors and advisers, supported by an equal number in support roles, working from offices in Reading and Henley-on-Thames.
For over 285 years, the firm has offered a full range of legal services to help businesses, individuals and families resolve the challenges they face, whether it’s buying a new home or acquiring a business.
Its long history demonstrates the firm’s experience and ability to continuously adapt and evolve as it reflects the changing needs of its clients, with the pandemic accelerating the need to improve the ability for remote working, with no impact on the quality of service delivered to clients.
Technology brings us closer
The global pandemic of 2020 radically changed the way people and business in particular approached connecting with others, realizing that the need to remain socially distant was the kick start many needed to switch to virtual meeting via Teams.
Lawyers rarely work in isolation and teams need to collaborate effectively to develop the innovative, pragmatic legal solutions to a client’s challenges on which Blandy & Blandy has built its reputation.
Not only did Teams, connecting via the new and improved comms lines implemented through Quiss Voice, bring the firm closer together, it cut travel time and allowed clients to meet with lawyers remotely more often, for shorter periods, strengthening the relationships.
It may still be too early to consider this as the year when working life changed forever, but the global pandemic and the reaction to it by firms like Blandy & Blandy showed what was possible when law firms embrace technology for change.
Whilst clients have taken the new closer connection to mean they can contact their legal team out of normal office hours, the new IT system has enriched the work/life balance equation for the business, which appreciates, ‘working from home’ is not a euphemism for slacking.
THE SOLUTION
Quickly adapting and embracing change
As the need for a more comprehensive ‘working from home’ solution became important in Spring 2020, technology was central to the firm’s response, with greater security and a more robust IT infrastructure high on the agenda.
Making the transition from a mix of Cloud and onpremise resources, to a comprehensive Azure Public Cloud solution required the firm to engage with a managed IT service provider like Quiss, that combined the necessary migration expertise, with a deep knowledge of the legal sector.
Despite the ability for some individuals within the business to be able to log-on to the firm’s network remotely, like most, the firm was not prepared for the impact of the global pandemic and the need for everyone to work from home.
The new solution combining Microsoft and Citrix environments delivers a remote possible solution, which has engaged the firm’s entire workforce, showing just what is possible whilst retaining a safe, secure and compliant environment.
The firm is embracing new technology recognizing the potential efficiency gains, along with the ability to connect, collaborate and communicate with clients and colleagues more effectively.
Rolling out in the deep
A critical aspect to any transformation, is the rollout of the new technology. This was undertaken by the Quiss technical team over a single weekend, deploying the company’s famous big-bang install. Taking over the firm’s system on Friday and returning it all working as it should first thing Monday.
The laptops and computers required were all set up at Quiss’ headquarters in Tamworth, checked and re-checked, ready for each of the firm’s more than 100 users, across both offices when rollout began.
Despite a huge amount of planning leading up to the switch to the Azure Public Cloud solution, any system will have minor issues when first deployed, which is why Quiss has members of the technical team on site when users fire up their computers to connect.
This floor-walking approach to resolving minor problems on day one, saves a lot of trouble in the long terms and instils confidence in the new system and way of working, which again is a good thing for the senior management team of Blandy & Blandy.
SOME TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS
In terms of the technical elements, Quiss deployed and managed the following:
- Public Cloud – Microsoft Azure environment with disaster recovery and business continuity solutions
- Microsoft 365 (for email, Microsoft Teams and security)
- Refreshed X LAN, with newly installed wide area network
- Big-Bang install weekend – XXX HP laptops, XX HP desktops and associated equipment deployed with a project manager in each office and 15 technicians on site.
- Blandy & Blandy business supported by Quiss Technical Account Manager
- Quiss managed service wrap
CLIENT FEEDBACK
“Blandy & Blandy’s IT infrastructure advanced a great deal during a period of just six months, with the help and understanding of everyone in our firm, to say nothing of the support provided by Quiss, as we undertook this vital and transformative change. It has undoubtedly altered and enhanced how we work, now and in the future, ensuring that we are better connected with one another and with our clients, and well placed to meet our clients’ evolving needs and expectations head on.”
