Efficient network installation and connectivity are key
Is your organisation moving to new premises? If so, you know how vital it is that your team is up and running in the new offices on time, with your computer cabling and network infrastructure working perfectly.
Express Data makes this happen. We are network infrastructure and connectivity experts, providing experienced planning, project management and on-site teams to:
- Design and install your bespoke new network infrastructure
- Decommission your existing network installation, re-using where appropriate
- Assure network connectivity, minimising interruption to your business.
Meeting your deadlines at any time of year
A leading payment solutions company asked us to relocate their office network installation over the recent Christmas break, aiming to start back at 9am on the first day of the New Year with a seamless transition. We did it!
Our client is a ‘Payments Architect’, supporting retail brands and financial institutions with technical, secure ways to accept payments. With over 200 employees and a range of technical requirements including test facilities and a laboratory, it was imperative that we structure the network installation in their new location with sufficient capacity and minimal downtime.
Network installation in a listed building
The new location is in the historic Salts Mill, in West Yorkshire. The textile mill opened in 1853, the centrepiece of Sir Titus Salt’s utopian vision of Saltaire. Cloth production at Salts finally ceased in 1986, and it is now a place where culture and commerce thrive together.
However, old buildings can be a major challenge when you need to install network infrastructure such as cabling, network racks and cabinets. Salts Mill is a listed building with 4ft thick walls, so our installation had to be carefully designed, and in consultation with the owners, to avoid any damage to the infrastructure.
Restructuring the new office space
The first on-the-ground task was to rebuild the existing network infrastructure used by the previous occupants, upgrading and replacing it as necessary to supply the capability needed. This took place during early December as the offices were being prepared for the move.
We fitted out the new offices with cabling solutions to meet the company’s data requirements. Structured cabling is designed to support multiple hardware uses and be suitable for today’s needs and those of the future. For this project we included:
- cabling for voice and data
- IP CCTV cabling
- audio-visual cabling for TV and projectors
The existing Communications (or Comms) Room was restructured to host all the digital communication and network devices such as routers, switches, firewalls, servers and storage devices.
Connecting up a remote location
The company also took over a remote room at almost the furthest corner of this enormous building, to provide a laboratory. Making sure that this was properly connected to the main office space was complex, partly due to the difficulty of finding a route for the fibre link in a protected structure.
We recommended fibre-optic network cabling for this purpose. A fibre link was the only valid option due to the distance and the bandwidth required. Fibre-optic cable offers significantly improved performance over traditional copper cabling in terms of both bandwidth and speed over distance. It is also more practical in hard-to access locations, since it is both less bulky, and more resistant to damage and degradation. In this case an OM3 multimode fibre was installed, which exceeds the stated criteria and provides scalability for the future
Decommissioning at the old location
Once the new network infrastructure installation was complete, Express Data’s team moved to decommissioning the Comms Room at their former offices. Routing technology, servers, firewalls and more were relocated to their new Comms Room at Salts Mill, and everything tested to ensure that the entire network installation functioned effectively.
Reconnecting people to their office network
Our final task was to help move workers into the new office, ensuring that their physical and network connectivity was functioning properly. We put a large, expert team on site for the weekend and took time to check that everything from computers to wired phones was connected and working properly, with no snags.
A successful move into new premises
Our client was delighted to report that their staff were able to walk in and start work immediately at 9am on the Monday morning. Everything ran smoothly and according to plan, and the new network installation is providing all the data and connectivity they need to carry on business without disruption.
Express Data are the experts at delivering mission-critical change right, and on time. If you are moving offices, or need to improve your network installation to keep up with new technology, get in touch now on 0113 277 4111 or email info@expressdata.co.uk.
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