Pike Ward Limited

Old Quay
Teignmouth
Devon TQ14 8EU
www.pikeward.co.uk

Pike Ward provides a wide range of services to the shipping industry, including ship broking, ship agenting and cargo supervision. From its main office in Teignmouth the company is well positioned to serve other ports in Devon, including Bideford and Dartmouth.

The client’s brief
The company was using a very old Windows NT 4.0 server with several Windows 98 workstations. It was recognised that the old exchange server needed replacement to keep up with security updates and system enhancements. Microsoft had ceased to support NT 4, no longer developing system fixes or upgrades, and viruses were getting through the old virus protection system.
A stable system is absolutely critical to the smooth operation of Pike Ward’s business. Access to the system is needed 24x7 in order to deal with emergency shipping situations and the office receives an average 100 e-mails a day including e-mails from ships at sea.

The company also asked us to provide robust technical support.

Our solution
We installed an HP Proliant ML350 with Windows 2003 SBS Server, with dual Xeon processors and 3gb of memory for optimum performance.

We implemented RAID 5 configuration consisting of five 36gb SCSI hard drives running at 15,000rpm and an LTO 100-200gb tape backup drive system in conjunction with Computer Associates’ Arcserve SBS Backup.

Watchguard Firebox SoHo Series was installed for internet security and we replaced the PC network with HP desktops running Windows XP Pro. An HP Carepack now ensures that, in the event of a hardware failure, HP will deliver a replacement part within four hours.

Finally, we put in place a support contract based on a four-hour response, four-hour fix or loan on all technical issues.

Benefits to the client
Pike Ward now has a complete remote desktop facility, enabling authorised agents to access the system from any internet workstation running Windows 2000/XP. In emergency situations they can remote in any time of night or day to find out ships positions and pass on critical information. Agents now have the facility to access all communications to the office. Back to top

Kents Cavern

Cavern House
Ilsham Road
Torquay
Devon TQ1 2JF
www.kents-cavern.co.uk

Kents Cavern, a well known tourist attraction in Torquay, is one of the most important palaeolithic period caves in northern Europe and site of the oldest recognisable human dwelling in Britain. It holds beautiful and spectacular geological formations and significant prehistoric finds, some more than 700,000 years old.

The client’s brief
The office was running four PCs on a peer-to-peer network, one of them hosting the tills database, while the MD was using a laptop to carry files between office and home. There was also concern over the expensive ink cartridges used by the inkjet printers.

Kents Cavern management told us they needed a new system with room for growth and the ability to share information on a secured level, as well as shared calendar and contacts list. And the MD needed remote access into the system from home.
They also wanted additional workstations for new members of staff and to replace existing PCs, a wireless network within the restaurant area and an SQL server to run the new till system.

Our solution
We installed an HP Proliant ML150 server running Microsoft Windows 2003 SBS Premier Edition, with additional CAT5e structured cabling to allow for more workstations. We specified Netgear Wireless Range Max for the restaurant area, as well as four replacement HP workstations and two new HP laptops with built-in wireless network cards.

And we solved the pricey ink cartridges issue by replacing with an HP K550 Network business inkjet printer that can print 31 pages per minute with cartridges only costing £10 each.

Benefits to the client
As a result, the MD can now remote into the system from home, no longer needing to drag a laptop to and from home every day. The laptop can now be used in the restaurant for meetings and discussions, utilising the wireless network.

The new till system has been installed on to the HP server, driven by the SQL server that is apart of Microsoft 2003 SBS Server Premier Edition. The server now backs up company data as well as the new till system database every night. And Kents Cavern now has a central location for all its file storage needs.
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Devon Ceramics Limited

Station Road
Totnes
Devon TQ9 5JR
www.devon-ceramics.co.uk

Devon Ceramics imports and manufactures ceramic products and gift sets, distributed through major supermarkets and stores.

The client’s brief
Like many businesses, the company’s IT system had developed empirically over time. They were running a Microsoft Windows NT 4 server with 20 workstations on various platforms; the design studio was running one Apple Mac G4; and they had dual ISDN connection to the internet.

The system was very slow, due principally to the high volume of e-mail traffic. Reliability was also an issue, and the system needed daily maintenance simply to keep working. Also, the Apple Mac was not linked to the network, so file sharing meant burning a CD each time.

Reliability is critical for Devon Ceramics — if the system goes down the company simply ceases to operate because the flow of around 300 e-mails a day plays such a major part in communication with suppliers and clients. It was clear that they also needed the Apple Mac to share files with the Windows server.

Our solution
We implemented a Microsoft Windows 2003 SBS server to host the domain/network, with a Windows 2003 server attached, purely running Microsoft Exchange for handling the emails, shared calendars and contacts.

We specified Hewlett Packard for the hardware and changed the ISDN Connection to an ADSL broadband connection running at 2mb. For security we installed a Watchguard Firewall Box, through which all internet traffic is filtered.

We have also gradually replaced the workstations with secure and reliable Windows XP systems. And we implemented redundancy systems to protect them from data or power loss resulting in data corruption.

Benefits to the client
The result for Devon Ceramics has been a huge advance in overall system performance. Managers now have remote access to the system when travelling anywhere in the world, and workers can connect to the system from home using a standard home computer.

E-mails can be shared by users — calendars too — so all can see the company appointments diary. When faxes come in, the server automatically distributes them to specified recipients via the e-mail system, and all users can now send faxes from any application.

We also built into the system a remote diagnostic and repair facility that enables us to carry out maintenance from our own base, dramatically reducing the need for site visits. This is backed up by a fully implemented support contract with an eight-hour response agreement. Back to top

pulse8design ltd

Waterside
The Plains
Totnes
Devon TQ9 5DW
www.pulse8internet.com

pulse8 is a leading graphic design and internet agency in the South West of England, with clients all over the UK and the world.
The design team specialises in corporate branding, stationery design and business communications materials. The internet team handles website design, e-commerce, internet programming and website development. And the business services department provides ADSL broadband, website hosting, e-mail, anti-spam and virus protection.

The client’s brief
pulse8’s previous office computer system consisted of six workstations running on a peer-to-peer network, with data spread out over several workstations. All workstations retrieved e-mail through a standard POP3 connection and access to the internet was via an ADSL router.
A primary requirement was to have all company data stored on a central server, so that full data backups could be carried out. A security structure was needed to insolate sensitive client data, accessible only to authorised personnel. In addition to shared calendars, contacts and faxes, pulse8 wanted a remote access capability. It was also a key part of the brief that the system would have the headroom for future expansion.

Our solution
We installed a single HP Proliant ML350 server, hosting Microsoft Windows SBS server Premier edition. We also specified a RAID 5 SCSI hard drive system, consisting of five SCSI hard drives providing redundancy in the event of a hard drive failure.
UPS battery backup was implemented for automated server shutdown and power-up in the event of power outage and dual redundant power supply units were added as a failsafe. Microsoft ISA (Internet Security and Acceleration Server) was put in place to defend the system from potential hackers and automated port scanners.
We used Computer Associates’ eTrust Anti-Virus for filtering out e-mail viruses, with a built-in ability to use the server to control updates and specify scanner settings that cannot be changed by the user.

Benefits to the client
Since we installed the server, pulse8 has already added a further six workstations to the network, without the need to call us in or upgrade their server.
The shared calendar and shared contacts facilities have proved extremely useful, enabling staff to keep track of one another’s diaries.
Remote desktop facility has proven to be a key feature for dealing with out-of-office-hours emergencies. To be able to gain access to key information at any time and anywhere gives pulse8 the ability to provide a rapid response in any situation. Automated nightly off-site backups are now also built into the system.Back to top