Punch Taverns acquired SpiritGroup some time ago, requiring them to consolidate their IT infrastructure to reduce costs and simplify IT in the business under the Unite Programme. Applicable were selected as a specialist messaging and migration services provider because of their deep experience in both IBM Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange messaging and collaboration environments and their extensive track record in co-existence and migration projects.
The messaging environment employed disparate technologies from multiple Vendors. Spirit Group had a directory based on Novell NDS, with IBM Lotus Domino, BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) 3.x and an on-premise perimeter SMTP hygiene service. Punch Taverns was based on Microsoft Windows Active Directory (AD) 2003 with Microsoft Exchange 2003, BES 3.x and SMTP hygiene based on MessageLabs. As well as core messaging services, there was also a requirement to move from the existing EMC based Domino archive to a consolidated Zantaz EAS system.
The target system chosen was an on-premise Microsoft Exchange 2007 system with CCR (Continuous Cluster Replication) to provide a highly available messaging service in a new AD forest. This was delivered along with consolidated BlackBerry and archive systems with a single perimeter services solution. Merging two complex IT organisations together required a sensitive approach to the user community and Punch had a specific requirement for migration activity to be transparent to the users to minimise the business impact of the programme.
Applicable migrated the source environments over a period of two months to help Punch achieve their goal of reducing the complexity and cost of their IT environments.
Punch Taverns now have a consolidated messaging system based on Microsoft Exchange 2007 and CCR. This was a particularly complex and high impact Migration.
Louise Catley (Infrastructure Project Manager) from Punch remarked
"Without the guidance and leadership of Applicable staff
we would not have the Directory Synchronisation in place
and would certainly never have made it to a successful and
timely rollout."
Applicable's Chief Technology Officer, Mark Ward, commented
"This migration really brought our depth of experience in both IBM
and Microsoft technologies into sharp focus. Our knowledge of
implementing and managing both vendors' products drove the
success of this project. Complex migration and co-existence
projects supported by the Quest toolset are only possible with
the depth and breadth of experience a specialist provider like
Applicable bring."
Richard Leeves (Project Manager for Applicable) pointed to the multi disciplined team with highly experienced consultants with skills in, Active Directory, Lotus Domino, Microsoft Exchange, Quest and the underlying communication technologies as being the key reason for success.
|
'When our customer writes to say’
"I’ve been consistently impressed by the hard-work and effort that your team have put in, and I think you deserve to be aware of some real ‘shining stars’ you have at Applicable",
we know that we're tracking our target of being the Number 1 advanced collaboration and unified communications player.'
Applicable Managing Director Alan Baldwin |
Applicable continue to manage the Lotus Domino application estate and are now providing remote 24x7 monitoring and management, using NOC’s in UK and Australia, of the Microsoft Exchange environment. Punch now benefit from consistent around the clock messaging support to ensure they leverage the maximum availability and performance from their investment.