Increase Utilization and build Resilience.

Dan Pope
IT Manager - The REaD Group plc

Like a lot of people, I’m surprised these data losses are still happening. The public and private sector should have tightened data handling procedures years ago. Sending out unencrypted data on laptops, CD’s and USB pens is insane given that more secure technology and data transfer protocols are readily available. Here at The REaD Group, for example, we house all our data centrally, so there is no reason for files to be taken off-site. Our employees instead dial into the network via the web on their laptops, mobile phones or through ‘hot desks’. It’s simple, secure and gives us confidence that sensitive information is being protected at all times. When data is your lifeblood, you have to handle it very carefully indeed.

Q: What have been the IT Department’s main achievements this year?

Well, 2008 has certainly been a busy one. To begin with, we invested in a new CRM system – one that enables us to provide a more personalised, value-added service. We then took on two new IT support staff, which has increased our client support capabilities considerably. The whole company also moved onto Microsoft Exchange, meaning that Sales Executives who are on the road can keep fully up-to-date with their emails through their mobile devices. Additionally, we also streamlined our separate photocopiers, fax machines, scanners and printers into multi-functional devices and hence substantially reduced our administration overhead and carbon emissions.

Finally, we had a Device Wall successfully integrated into our systems to ensure better security for the use of USB and CD Drives internally. This security measure prevents unauthorised personnel accessing our systems.

Q: What are your aims for next year?

Continuing to keep data as secure as possible; supporting our customers to the best of our ability; and, lastly, to constantly review and improve the ways in which we deliver data.

Q: So what’s hot for 2009 and why?

Virtualisation - resulting in a more consolidated network. This is something I am certainly going to seriously consider investing in next year. Each time we add to the servers, storage and applications, we increase the challenges of managing the whole system. With virtualization you can manage resources as a single entity, instead of many individual components. It can simplify the operation, reduce management costs and environmental impact as well as increase utilization and build resilience.