Translink
Improving customer service levels and efficiencies with an email migration and mobility solution resulting in more resilient and efficient communication tools for staff
Company Background
Translink is the brand name of the integrated public transport operation Of Citybus, NI Railways, and Ulsterbus. The company is now one of the largest in Northern Ireland with approximately 3,500 employees and a turnover in excess of £100m. Over 75 million passenger journeys are made on Translink services each year. It is therefore essential that the ICT infrastructure is efficient and reliable enough to support the services Translink provide.
Business Challenge
The core business challenge was to improve the overall availability and resilience of the e-mail solution for approximately 700 Translink users. Inherent in this challenge was the provision of additional business functionality for basic archiving and retrieval of emails in order to achieve compliance with Freedom of Information and Data Protection legislation.
The design of the new solution was to include:
- The ability to migrate e-mail data to an archive repository in a controlled and managed way
- Extended anti-virus checking to internal emails
- Implementation of a solution which facilitates the growing use of mobile devices, PDAs and laptops in use
Solution
Northgate's solution included the deployment of 4 servers which would help provide the platform for hosting the required email solution. The solution would collectively meet the required objectives of Translink which included an email archiving solution, internal email anti virus checking and remote access for staff. In addition the solution can also be scaled outwards with the potential for mailboxes to be scaled to a few thousand users if required.
Translink's new ICT Infrastructure is now managed centrally and supported remotely. Its resilience ensures maximum availability of systems for all users. In addition the solution can also be scaled outwards with the potential for mailboxes to scale to a few thousand users if required. Translink's support staff were involved from the earliest stages and identified their support requirements. Weekly checkpoint meetings were also held to review progress and discuss ongoing tasks and resourcing. This involvement promoted a sense of ownership and made the transition smoother.
Key Results
The solution offers a number of benefits such as a reduction in resources and time spent managing and supporting the ICT infrastructure due to the delivery by Northgate of a solution that can be managed centrally, supported remotely and offers maximum availability to users. The system is now much more secure due to the introduction of anti virus software. Remote access has resulted in greater flexibility for staff, improving efficiency and staff productivity. The ICT infrastructure is also much more reliable and manageable due to the system's management and support. Translink and Northgate will continue to develop these opportunities through partnership.
Key Benefits
- Improved Reliability
- Reduction Costs
- Improved productivity
- Improved security
