Horwich Cohen Coghlan Solicitors

HCC had been operating from an ageing on-premises infrastructure, relying on an increasingly clunky Server 2012 within a virtualised Citrix environment. The firm had begun experiencing an increasing number of IT performance issues, as well as seeing more security risks, complex data silos and spiralling maintenance costs. Moreover, the legal sector was experiencing a massive transformation more generally, with new, more modern entrants to the market, leading to increased competition, and regulatory changes and shifts in customer expectations prompting a push for digital services that HCC couldn’t deliver.

With Server 2012 fast approaching end-of-life, HCC knew they needed to find a solution that not only ensured ongoing support and compliance, but that would drive the firm towards its business goals and help them differentiate themselves in an increasingly modernised market.

HCC began looking for a provider with the skills and expertise to support a full cloud migration and digital transformation in a fairly short timeframe, and BCN was able to demonstrate our capabilities as the right IT partner for the project.

After reviewing HCC’s entire environment and taking time to understand the firm’s needs over both the short and longer terms, BCN recommended a full migration to Microsoft Azure, to allow them to benefit from the Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) and all the flexibility, scalability, security and cost-efficiency that facilitates.

Leveraging BCN’s IaaS and SaaS services, our technical architects then set about designing and building a bespoke Azure environment to support the specific needs and regulatory requirements of this highly specialised legal firm, then road-mapping the migration of the entire business.

This modern, well-architected platform required a full deployment of Microsoft Intune to the end user environment to ensure continued oversight of endpoints, as well as the deployment of AVD for all three group companies.

Our technical teams knew that the key to the success of any cloud-based environment for this legal firm would be the efficacy of its core claims management infrastructure, and our technicians were able to successfully replicate and build on the on-premises solution. Once all file servers had been migrated, with tools for enhanced oversight and data management, a bespoke programme of ongoing engagement was determined.

BCN is pleased to continue supporting HCC with a fully managed service around their Azure environment, with Azure Advanced Managed Service, Defender Managed Service, BCN Infrastructure and End-User Service.

Our Infrastructure-as-a-Service solution provided a secure and modern basis for migrating HCC’s entire IT environment to the cloud, where we could then focus on aligning the new systems with the overarching business goals for improved performance, enhanced security and better data management. With the IaaS solution in place, we designed and built a bespoke environment in Microsoft Azure that includes Azure Virtual Desktop and deployment of Microsoft Intune to the end-user environment.

Migrating to Azure has been a huge positive shift for HCC, helping the firm implement a modern, cloud-first strategy and begin delivering the enhanced range of digital services their clients increasingly need. The firm now operates in a modern, well-architected environment that is fit for the future, marking a huge step in their journey towards digital transformation.

The migration to Azure has significantly reduced IT complexity and eliminated data silos, allowing HCC to be much more agile as their business grows. The deployment of Microsoft Intune has further simplified the management of endpoint devices, unifying all admin, security and management tools into one easy-to-use solution, and saving countless hours and resources for IT teams

The facilitation and integration of modern tools and technologies into the environment allowed BCN to support HCC to innovate new ways of serving clients, and new services like online portals, chatbots and enhanced analytics now give HCC a real edge over the competition.

Overall, the project has been an example of how Microsoft’s cloud services can be deployed rapidly and at scale. As a trusted Microsoft partner with in-depth knowledge of the Azure environment, BCN was able to modernise HCC’s infrastructure fully within the tight timescales presented by the approaching Microsoft 2012 end-of-life date. Partnering with BCN ensured HCC had access to Microsoft experts who could facilitate deployment while minimising the risks associated with significant cloud migration projects. Our technical teams didn’t simply deliver a new, future-proofed environment; they delivered stability, security, data segregation and resilience to both the end-user experience and internal IT and development teams.

Horwich Cohen Coghlan Solicitors found the IT partner they needed in BCN, and we are proud to continue supporting the firm along their digital transformation journey.

Our in-house Microsoft experts provide a fully managed service around the Azure infrastructure, including through an Azure Advanced Managed Service and a Microsoft Defender Managed Service.

Since completing the initial migration project, we have developed a number of additional bespoke workloads to further streamline processes and support innovation, integrating them seamlessly with new software and an evolving environment.

We’re proud to be supporting HCC to deliver life-changing services to their clients, and we look forward to doing so for many more years to come.