It has been a busy lead up to the end of the financial year for the team at FortiTech, all hands (and paws) were on deck for our latest client install, which was a new office setup for a client in the Legal and Medical fields. After starting their practice just 18 months ago they have grown from 1 staff member to 15 with even more starting soon.

Launching during the COVID pandemic offered some interesting challenges for our client with the majority of their staff working from home and others working in a serviced office. Now it was time for their own space and for their staff to work in the same office for the first time, which is where we came in.

The Requirements

Our new client called us on the day they signed the lease to their new office space, they were looking for assistance to get all of their technology in place ready for the start of their lease 2 weeks later.

Their requirements were to essentially build their technology from the ground up in a “do it once, do it right” way with everything from hardware to ongoing maintenance, here is the brief we were given:

• New PC’s with dual monitors for each of their team
• A phone system
• A printer
• Networking equipment to link everything up
• An internet connection suitable for use with their cloud based software
• Wi-Fi for consulting medical specialists to connect to
• Ongoing maintenance and security for all PC’s

Oh, and did we mention they signed up for the office next door as well halfway through the project because they were expanding so rapidly? That doubled the amount of PC’s and the phones system as well as adding another level of complexity to join the network of the 2 tenancies together, we do love a challenge!

Here is how we did it:

The solution

For the PC’s we paired Intel i7 NUC’s to power through cloud based programs with 16GB of memory and 500GB Solid State Drives with LG 27” business monitors with multifunction stands allowing them to be height and tilt adjusted and even turned into portrait mode if needed, these features definitely save you from using the trusty ream of copy paper trick to prop up the height of your screen.

With the NUC’s taking up a small footprint on the desk (they can also be attached to the back of the monitor as well) we went with a wireless silent keyboard and mouse to offer maximum flexibility without the mess of cables.

Next up was a 3CX VoIP Business Phone System with handsets, headsets and a conference phone, this was a big change for our client as they were previously operating from a (07) number that forwarded to a mobile phone answered by the receptionist.

The handsets are Yealink T54W’s paired with Sennheiser DW Pro2 wireless headsets for a  sleek and functional solution.

The conference phone is a Yealink C965  offering excellent audio quality and 12 built in microphones to ensure that everyone around the table can be heard clearly.

The 3CX system means that each of the team has their own phone that they can call out from and make use of the unlimited national calls and calls to 16 other countries that are included as part of their monthly plan.

And the call flow has been programmed so that calls to their main number now reach reception and if they are not picked up within 20 seconds (or the receptionist is on another call) the incoming call is then bounced to the rest of the team so that no call is left unanswered.

And of course, being a 3CX system the team also have the option to install the app on their PC or mobile to have access to the phone system on the go or if working from home.

A printer was next on the list, based on our clients’ requirements of a mono A4 printer with low running costs the pick of the bunch was a HP LaserJet Enterprise M632fht with added 550 Paper Feeder and Cabinet to turn it into a floor stand model.

Being an enterprise model, the HP is a workhorse with a recommended monthly page volume of 30,000 pages and a crisp 1200 x 1200 dpi print quality. Our scan to email service was also setup making it a breeze to scan and send documents internally or externally from a Microsoft 365 administered domain.

We installed TP-Link switches and Wi-Fi access points as part of the networking with a cable run in the ceiling going between the 2 office spaces (which are luckily right next to each other) these were placed behind a WatchGuard firewall which will provide front line defense from the risk of cyber criminals attempting to gain access to the network.

A 400/400 Fibre connection was ordered through our friends over at EcoTelco as with most Fibre connections the timeframe for a build/activation is around the 2 month mark and with the short time frame we were given to get the office up and running we supplied our Milesight 5G modem to get them up and running by providing internet temporarily to the computer and phones until the Fibre is in place.

Being a business that processes a lot of personal and confidential information it was critical that security measures were also in place for emails and files, for this we rolled out Email Antispam, Endpoint Threat Detection and Response and software patching on the PC’s along with backups for Microsoft 365 including emails and SharePoint libraries.

Overall the hardware and services consisted of:

• 14 x Intel i7 NUC’s with 16GB Memory and 500GB Solid State Drive
• 28 x LG 27” Business LCD Monitors
• 14 x sets of wireless keyboards and mice
• 14 x Yealink T54W Handsets & Sennheiser DW Pro 2 headsets
• All networking equipment including switches, Wi-Fi access points, firewall
• Uninterruptible power supplies for the networking equipment
• HP LaserJet Enterprise M632fht with added 550 Paper Feeder and Cabinet
• Setup of 4 existing PC’s in the new office
• Setup and installation of an existing smaller laser printer
• Setup and installation of a desktop scanner for the reception area
• Setup of the new users in Microsoft 365
• Setup of email antispam, Microsoft 365 Backups, endpoint protection including antivirus software
• All associated cables and adapters

Implementation 

With 2 weeks lead time to set everything up time was of the essence, we worked with our great network of suppliers and contacts to get all the hardware and services in place in record time and the FortiTech team worked after hours and on weekends to install everything ready for the official move in date.

We are pleased to report everything went to plan and we are now just waiting on the final piece of the puzzle being the Fibre connection, but the Milesight 5G setup is doing a great job in the mean time and providing the temporary internet connection needed for the cloud apps and phone system.
 

Outcome

Our client was absolutely blown away by the ease in which everything happened in such a short time and commented on how great it was to have it all sorted by the FortiTech team, giving him time to continue his daily work and the recruitment process for more staff.

We are very happy to report that the clients staff are loving the new setup too and enjoying working in the same space together for the first time.

Needing to setup a new office or expand your existing one? 

We have a number of turnkey solutions available to suit any budget, just give us a call on 1300 778 078 and we will get you on your way to new technology solution.