CLIENTS

  CASE STUDIES

Client : FIELDFORCE SERVICES
URL : www.fieldforce.net.au
Project : Network design, implementation and management

Profile
Fieldforce Services is a leading Australian supplier of metering, billing and data management services to utilities and councils. A pioneer in this industry, the company has a strong commitment to developing environmental solutions in the area of energy and water conservation.
Established in 1993, the company has 20 offices Australia-wide and some 400 employees.

Challenge
As a result of sustained, rapid growth in the company’s early years and an increasing emphasis on data management as core business, Fieldforce needed a comprehensive networking and data storage solution linking its expanding network of offices and capable of continuing to grow with the company.

Solution
Dataforce was engaged to design and implement a Wide Area Network (WAN) linking Fieldforce offices. Initially this involved replacing Small Business Servers with multiple full Windows Servers to better allow for the large number of network users and sites. The 200-user WAN now combines Windows servers spread across offices around Australia, as well as several Linux servers and dedicated database servers. Virtual Private Network (VPN) links between offices provide secure local access to remote resources. User accounts are centralised, allowing users to log on with the same credentials at different computers or offices. A distributed file replication system allows access to regularly updated data at numerous sites. Company email operates on a single mail domain running on local Exchange servers at each site, while network security is handled by Cisco equipment and centralised antivirus/antispam solutions from Trend Micro. Dataforce also established and configured backup systems and processes across the network.

Benefits
The Fieldforce WAN is a robust corporate solution which has been designed to support continuing growth in user numbers and data requirements. Additional office sites can easily be added.
Centralised remote administration of the network minimises support costs. Desktop and first-level network support is supplied by in-house IT staff, while issues requiring escalation are referred to Dataforce.
Centralised email provides groupware functions such as shared calendaring and meetings, as well as flexible access via Outlook and the web.
The centralised control of automatic anti-virus updates by a server in one Sydney office also helps minimise support and avoid disruption.