Central Business Innovation operations with Advantage
Looking for a more local flavour to its IT support and service, Palmerston North’s Central Business Innovation didn’t have far to go in finding the ideal partner. That’s because it selected Palmerston North-headquartered Advantage to take on the job – and it hasn’t looked back since. Thanks to the partnership, CBI has direct control of its technology infrastructure destiny, and a partner capable of addressing the installation and configuration requirements of its customers when necessary.
Situation
While CBI had enjoyed suitable support from its previous managed services provider, a change in business structure and a desire for a local supplier emerged.
Rob Irvine, Operations Manager and Co-Owner of CBI, says Advantage came highly recommended. “Essentially, we wanted to work with an MSP which is ‘on the ground’, so to speak, and ready to help with our internal IT systems from a strategic and operational point of view.”
Irvine explains that as an FBNZ business partner to Fujifilm Business Innovation (FBNZ), CBI does more than merely sell printers. “Document production systems aren’t a case of dropping a machine and leaving. Generally, these solutions are deeply integrated into line-of-business software and processes, creating added value which helps our customers achieve their goals efficiently with cost optimisation.” This, adds Irvine, means CBI requires appropriate internal IT systems, including mobile and flexible working solutions, to get its work done effectively.
Solution
That’s where, Irvine explains, Advantage comes into the picture. “We’d had a historical awareness of their business – Palmerston North isn’t a huge place, after all – and they came highly recommended with strong technical and consulting services capabilities. And there was a clear cultural alignment, too.”
Wide Area Network and high-speed connectivity, rebuilding workstations, and creating CBI domain tenancy in Microsoft 365. Data was migrated into SharePoint and OneDrive, aligned with the company’s (and that of its vendor, Fujifilm) information security management system (ISMS) policy. In terms of security, along with AdvantageProtect SentinelOne endpoint protection with Managed Detection and Response. Finally, automated Veeam powered backups take care of business continuity and disaster recovery.
“We had a bit of a situation of ‘hurry up and wait’, as we knew what was necessary, but owing to various issues, couldn’t pull the trigger…until we could,” relates Irvine. “What that ended up being was a compressed timeframe – but Advantage really came to the party, and got the whole lot done within 4 weeks.”
Results
Working with Advantage has quickly delivered the desired outcomes for CBI, Irvine confirms. “For one thing, Advantage is a bit different in that it is a Managed Security Services provider, on top of providing the usual ‘break fix’ managed services stuff in support of our IT infrastructure,” he notes. “That means we have unimpeachable security, thanks to their Security Operations Centre and the associated services.”
More to the point of the reasoning behind the migration, he says having a supplier literally down the road means improved accessibility. “While most support these days is provided remotely, as it is cost-effective and practical, we like the proximity.”
Irvine adds that CBI appreciates strategic guidance and the contributions of the Advantage team for future state recommendations.
But probably the best endorsement of all, is that he has no hesitation in recommending Advantage to his own customers. “We’re a big fan of doing business locally, building the regions. There aren’t a lot of national IT service providers headquartered right here in Palmy. So, we’re pretty happy about working with such a capable and reliable partner,” he concludes.
