Novator Partners LLP – IT Modernisation and Global Connectivity

Client Background

Founded in 2004 – The organisation operates with a global presence, boasting offices in UK, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Iceland. Focusing on both developed and emerging markets. Novator invests in companies within the software, business solutions, gaming, eSports, real estate, and construction industries. Their investment philosophy centres on unlocking value by investing in telecommunications, health, media, and technology sectors.

Novator’s portfolio showcases an impressive track record with important announcements such as landmark acquisitions, significant funding rounds, and successful mergers that underline their capability to foster substantial growth in their investments. They prioritise creating value through active support and strategic guidance in their portfolio companies.

Objectives

The project focused on four key objectives to align Novator’s IT strategy with its expansion goals.

Objective 1 – Infrastructure Optimisation and Security Enhancement

Minimise on-premises infrastructure and reduce associated ownership costs by transitioning to efficient, scalable alternatives.
Ensure the IT strategy maintains secure data confidentiality while prioritising robust backup and data archiving through private cloud solutions.

Objective 2 – Global and Intra-Office Connectivity

Support office expansion by interconnecting global offices including floors within the same building.
Guarantee secure and continuous connectivity across all IT systems to enable seamless operations.

Objective 3 – Comprehensive Endpoint and User Support

Provide 360-degree endpoint and user support service with centralised system management.
Deliver a customised, proactive, and tailored service model to maintain all IT systems and security protocols.

Objective 4 – Advanced Video Conferencing Implementation

Deploy high-quality video conferencing systems in offices to create an engaging workplace.
Drive productivity and offer an immersive experience for remote and in-office collaboration.

Our Approach : How did we help?

VITS adopted a collaborative, phased methodology to address these objectives, leveraging agile principles and ISO27001 standards. This ensured minimal disruption, alignment with business priorities, and measurable outcomes. Below, outlined the steps, strategies, tools used, and collaboration efforts for each objective.

Infrastructure Optimisation and Security Enhancement

Assessment and Planning: Conducted a thorough audit of existing on-premises infrastructure, including servers and storage, using VMware vRealize for virtualisation analysis and cost modelling. Collaborated with the client through workshops to identify high-cost areas and data sensitivity levels.
Migration Strategy: Designed a hybrid-to-private-cloud transition plan, prioritising data confidentiality with encryption standards (e.g., AES-256). Utilised private cloud platforms implementing VMware and Veeam Backup & Replication for robust backup and archiving using 3-2-1 Backup strategies, implementing automated snapshots and geo-redundant storage.
Cost Reduction Tactics: Employed cost-optimisation tools such as AWS Cost Explorer (adapted for private cloud equivalents) to forecast savings and phased migrations to avoid capital expenditure spikes.
Client Collaboration: Held progress meetings with client stakeholders to incorporate feedback on security policies, ensuring compliance with standards like ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials. This iterative process allowed for custom configurations, such as role-based access controls, tailored to their needs.

Global and Intra-Office Connectivity

Network Analysis: Performed site surveys across global offices and multi-floor buildings using network mapping tools to baseline connectivity and identify bottlenecks.
Interconnection Design: Implemented SD-WAN (Software-Defined Wide Area Networking) solutions, implementing FortiGate, for global linking, and VLAN configurations with Cisco Meraki for intra-building floors. Strategies included redundant fibre links and VPN tunnels for secure, continuous access.
Security and Continuity Measures: Integrated zero-trust architecture ensuring encrypted traffic and failover mechanisms for 99.99% uptime.
Client Collaboration: Worked jointly with Novator regional managers via virtual design sessions and pilot testing in one office before global rollout. This hands-on involvement helped refine latency thresholds and incorporate location-specific requirements, like bandwidth for high-data regions.

Comprehensive Endpoint and User Support

System Evaluation: Assessed endpoints (devices, users) using RMM tools for inventory and vulnerability scanning, centralising data into a unified dashboard.
Service Model Development: Built a proactive support framework with AI-driven tools like ManageEngine Service Desk Plus MSP Enterprise Edition for ticketing and predictive analytics, enabling automated alerts for issues. Customised the model with tailored SLAs (Service Level Agreements) based on user roles and requirements.
Centralised Management: Deployed endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions such as PandaAD360, integrating with centralised consoles for real-time monitoring and security patching.
Client Collaboration: Co-created support protocols through focus groups with end-users and IT staff, incorporating feedback loops for continuous improvement. Identifying key staff and priority groups to deliver proficient support.

Advanced Video Conferencing Implementation

Requirements Gathering: Analysed office layouts and user needs via surveys, using tools like Zoom Analytics to benchmark current setups and site surveys.
System Deployment: Installed immersive solutions like Cisco Webex Rooms and Microsoft Teams Rooms, featuring 4K cameras, spatial audio, and AI noise cancellation for productivity-enhancing experiences. Strategies included integration with existing Microsoft 365 calendar integration.
Workplace Optimisation: Applied user experience design principles, such as ergonomic room setups, to drive engagement and reduce meeting fatigue.
Client Collaboration: Partnered with ProAv and Kinly for on-site installations and beta testing, adjusting features based on real-user trials to ensure the systems aligned with their collaborative culture.

Throughout the project, we emphasized risk management, change management training, and post-implementation monitoring to sustain long-term value.

Results and Business Benefits

The transformation yielded tangible results, transforming Novator’s IT landscape into a resilient, efficient ecosystem.

Objective 1 – Results and Benefits: Reduced on-premises hardware by 80%, cutting ownership costs by 65% (from £280k to £120K annually). Private cloud solutions achieved 100% data confidentiality compliance and automated backups, reducing data loss incidents by 90%. Benefits included scalable growth without infrastructure bottlenecks and enhanced disaster recovery, contributing to a 40% improvement in operational resilience.

Objective 2 – Results and Benefits: Interconnected 2 global offices and 2 multi-floor buildings, achieving 99.9% connectivity uptime. Secure links minimised downtime from 10% to under 1%. Benefits encompassed seamless global collaboration, a 30% boost in cross-team efficiency, and cost savings of £100K in legacy network maintenance, enabling faster decision-making.

Objective 3 – Results and Benefits: Supported 100+ endpoints with 95% proactive issue resolution, reducing average ticket resolution time from 48 hours to 4 hours. Centralised management ensured tailored security, cutting potential breaches by 75%. Benefits included higher user satisfaction, saved costs by not requiring an in-house IT manager and £200k annual savings in support overhead.

Objective 4 – Results and Benefits: Deployed systems in 4 conference rooms, increasing meeting productivity by 40% through immersive features. Usage analytics showed a 50% rise in hybrid meetings. Benefits featured improved employee engagement, reduced travel costs by £500k, and a more dynamic workplace culture.

Overall, the project delivered a 35% ROI within the first year, positioning Novator for sustained growth.

CUSTOMER TESTIMONIAL

Partnering with VITS for our IT overhaul was transformative. They minimised our on-premises footprint while bolstering security through private cloud solutions, interconnected our global offices seamlessly, provided top-tier endpoint support, and implemented video systems that revolutionised our meetings. Their collaborative approach from audits to rollouts ensured everything was tailored to our needs, delivering real cost savings and productivity gains. We’re now more agile and secure than ever!

Lucy Steele

Finance Director