Openshaw & Co.
Openshaw & Co. is a growing firm of experienced patent attorneys, based in Farnham, Surrey. It has a wide client base, including large corporates, and assists them across the entire range of Intellectual Property services.
The business must have a secure IT system at all times, to meet the stringent requirements of its clients’ compliance teams. Its existing set-up, whilst “coping”, was nevertheless reaching its limitations, and needed improving and updating to accommodate future requirements. Pro Drive IT achieved this by moving the firm from a server-based operation to the cloud, enabling Openshaw & Co. to access fully the benefits and functions.
The result has been that the business now has an IT set-up and service that is responsive and agile. The firm also has a system that allows the team to be proactive when remote working – which has proved crucial since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Pro Drive IT has handled onerous corporate compliance forms with complex technical questions as part of the cloud transition.
THE CHALLENGES
Openshaw & Co. conducts highly-confidential patent application processing for all kinds of clients, including major blue-chip firms; it’s therefore vital that it can demonstrate to them that its IT systems – and their data – are highly secure. This was expected to become increasingly difficult to do within the limitations of the server-based network.
“We commissioned Pro Drive IT to move us to the latest cloud technologies and implement appropriate additional and easier-to-implement security measures. This had to be carried out with careful observation of Best Practice and compliance with regulations – and with our clients’ needs in mind at all times.”
Paul Openshaw, Director, Openshaw & Co.
THE APPROACH
Pro Drive IT and Openshaw & Co. discussed making the improvements without causing major disruption to the business. As it happened, the project was agreed just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.
A robust plan of action ensured the work was carried out smoothly:
• File services were moved to Microsoft SharePoint and OneDrive cloud.
• Management of the PCs was migrated from the old server to Microsoft Azure AD and Intune.
• Email security was increased through deploying Mimecast Advanced Email Security.
• A business-class Watchguard firewall was installed, along with intrusion prevention, to protect the office network.
THE RESULTS
Pro Drive IT’s work has ensured that Openshaw & Co. has a future-proofed secure, multi-functional cloud system with the features and options to allow it to continue to provide a professional and compliant service to its clients.
Disruption during the global COVID-19 pandemic was reduced as the cloud package has provided a flexible working environment for the team, enabling them to work proactively and be productive.
Paul Openshaw concludes: “We now have a more responsive and reliable IT service, with simpler forecasting of costs. It’s also valuable to have a partner who can ensure the correct IT planning is in place as the business continues to grow.”
