London-based business consultancy SBC provides unique and dynamic programmes, concepts and resources for some of the world’s largest global enterprises. Combining expertise in communications, behavioural science, and learning and development, the close-knit team has been working remotely since the pandemic and is 100% reliant on Cloud technology to communicate, collaborate and develop their services. Looking for an IT provider that could offer proactive support, Director Shelley Hoppe turned to Ziptech to create a secure, virtual workplace that is constantly optimised and in line with their strategic goals.
Shelley explains, “Our USP is about being innovative and dynamic. We work in an environment that is constantly changing and we have to always look ahead. It feels like Ziptech is able to support us in a similar way. They have given us an infrastructure that is dynamic, resilient and flexible — the kind of support a business like ours needs. It works very well.”
Ziptech provides SBC with a proactive IT management service. This involves a monthly meeting with their dedicated Virtual IT Manager to run through technology performance issues and security checks. Shelley says,
“Teams and SharePoint is where we meet and work together every day, and where we also develop new content and materials. If there is a problem with our technology, then it’s a very big problem for us. Ziptech’s approach prevents problems from happening or recurring. With a smooth-running IT system, we are able to work with Ziptech to find new ways to get value out of it.”
Ziptech’s Virtual IT Manager’s job is to maintain the daily performance of SBC’s virtual working environment and to keep it secure. Meanwhile, Ziptech’s Virtual Chief Technology Officer works with Shelley and her colleagues to anticipate the role technology will play in their vision of tomorrow. Shelley adds,
“The team at Ziptech are able to get us thinking about how we could get more out of our investment. It’s the idea that we’re doing well right now but what other clever things could we do, and how could we leverage more of the tools that we’ve got? There’s a very active conversation with Ziptech around getting more value out of the investment we have made.”
Even though SBC doesn’t handle client data, clients need to be assured that documents and communications are in safe hands. Since onboarding SBC, Ziptech has supported them in completing the UK Government’s recommended Cyber Essentials Accreditation scheme, in addition to ensuring regular patches and security upgrades are implemented. Shelley adds,
“We go through rigorous security testing with Ziptech and we have a clean bill of health. I feel confident that we are as secure as we can be.”
Shelley’s team had previously experienced a number of recurring problems that their previous IT supplier seemed unable to fix. She explains, “It was a small number of recurring problems that caused a lot of frustrations. The only way to get a problem fixed was to send an email and wait for a ticket to be issued. We never got to the root cause and there was never anyone to call. It didn’t feel like there was any way to make it better.”
Comparing her previous experience to working in partnership with Ziptech, Shelley adds,
“With our previous IT supplier, it was like calling into an abyss every time you had a problem, and hearing nothing but the echo of your own voice. With Ziptech, all of those problems that were never fixed have gone away.”
Summing up, Shelley concludes,
“You shouldn’t have to think about IT; it should just work. As a business owner, I’d never had the luxury of experiencing that until we took Ziptech on board. Ziptech has given us a safe, agile environment that allows us to dynamically interact as our work continues to evolve.”
