CASE STUDY
DAS
Discuss your needs today!
Call us on 01454 338 338
www.computerworld.co.uk
Winning Strategy for Legal Expenses Insurer
A cost-effective route to resilience and improved
performance with room to grow. Perfect!
In April 2013, Bristol-based legal
expenses insurance provider
DAS was facing some major
technology decisions. Windows XP,
the company’s existing platform,
was going end-of-life. DAS’
excellent customer service and
professionalism has seen the firm
win a host of major awards, so
any change that could potentially
impact the day-to-day operations
of DAS staff – or worse – needed
to be taken very seriously.
“We knew we were heading into
a significant project that had some
risks, so we went to market to
find the right technology partner,”
explains Steve Maxwell, IT Services
Manager, DAS Group UK.
Project at-a-glance
CHALLENGE
– Company-wide platform change for
award-winning insurer
– Seamlessly accommodate 700
concurrent users across VDI and
physical desktops, using single
image management
TECHNICAL SOLUTION
– VMware Horizon Suite
– Dell servers
– Nimble Storage
– jetNEXUS Load Balancers
– Microsoft Group Policy
BENEFITS
– Reduced power consumption costs
– Reduced maintenance costs
– Fewer support calls
– Scalable infrastructure
– Faster updates and roll-outs
– Opportunity to expand to remote
offices
– Security improved
– More resilience/less downtime
– Lower upgrade costs in future
DAS is the UK’s market leader in legal expenses insurance.
Virtualisation & Cloud | Microsoft Technologies | End User Computing | Wire & Wireless Networking | Unified Comms & Collaboration
ComputerWorld Holdings Ltd | Apex House | Turner Drive
Westerleigh Business Park | BS37 5YX | 01454 338 338 | www.computerworld.co.uk
CASE STUDY
DAS
Discuss your needs today!
Call us on 01454 338 338
www.computerworld.co.uk
“We now have more flexibility, more control and lower costs”
Steve Maxwell – IT Services Manager, DAS Group UK
Partner selection
DAS initiated a tender for a three-year
preferred supplier agreement, looking for
a company to work with them to develop
and deliver a new platform strategy.
ComputerWorld was selected from a
field of 30 providers. ComputerWorld’s
technical expertise, proximity and ability to
understand exactly what the DAS business
required were the deciding factors.
Weighing the options
Working closely with the DAS IT team,
ComputerWorld evaluated two options:
a replacement and upgrade route, versus
implementing a virtualised VMware enduser solution. ComputerWorld then built
a proof-of-concept demo and also worked
closely with the senior team at DAS to
create a detailed business case, which
modelled the long-term benefits of the
VMware option.
Convinced of the benefits, DAS elected
to go forward with ComputerWorld’s
recommended approach, and the project
was set in motion.
Managing the change
It was clear that all users at DAS, from
senior management through to call-centre
staff, would be affected by the change,
so the ComputerWorld team and DAS
project team worked closely to handle the
migration and quickly address any issues.
“Even during complex upgrades, it’s critical
staff are kept informed and problems are
swiftly addressed – people just want their
systems to work, no matter what you’re
trying to achieve in the background. It’s
our job to make that happen smoothly,
without any fuss,” says Barry Coombs,
ComputerWorld’s Operations Director.
The ComputerWorld team managed the
whole roll-out, which was critical to the
success of the project.
Enjoying the benefits
“The new system is much, much better,”
says Steve Maxwell, DAS IT Services
Manager. All DAS staff now benefit from
a fully-managed VDI (Virtual Desktop
Infrastructure). This means from an
operational point of view, rolling out new
software updates and patches is much
faster; security across the whole IT piece
is better; and users have fewer issues –
support calls have been radically reduced.
Financially, the move is already benefiting
DAS, thanks to lower power consumption
and reduced maintenance. Expansion and
upgrades will be more cost effective, too.
“The quality of the ComputerWorld team’s
technical knowledge impressed me,” adds
Steve. “The solution as implemented
does what the team promised – it’s fit for
purpose and gives us room for growth.”
Freedom!
One final benefit for DAS staff is that their
new system enables them to work
remotely, with full access to their data.
An award-winning client
With more than 25 major industry awards
and a Gold status Investors in People
accreditation, DAS strives to provide excellent
service, innovative products and a quality
working environment for its staff. Fit-forpurpose, reliable IT systems are a key part
of that environment.
“We wanted a trusted partner to help with our IT
strategy –we made the right choice”
Steve Maxwell – IT Services Manager, DAS Group UK
Virtualisation & Cloud | Microsoft Technologies | End User Computing | Wire & Wireless Networking | Unified Comms & Collaboration
ComputerWorld Holdings Ltd | Apex House | Turner Drive
Westerleigh Business Park | BS37 5YX | 01454 338 338 | www.computerworld.co.uk