THE COMPANY
Achieve Together, established in 2018, is built on the legacy of two long-standing and well-respected specialist support providers with over 25 years of expertise, Care Management Group (CMG) and Regard.
Today, their team of expert practitioners deliver high-quality support to over 2,000 people in over 350 services across England and Wales. Their aim is to be a continuing leader in best practice across the country and ensure that the people supported have every opportunity to fulfil their potential. Achieve Together believe that people with learning disabilities should be positively supported into employment and have equal access to learning and development opportunities. And their stated goal is to drive quality across the sector and lead by example.
HOW WE DELIVERED
Fluid were initially consulted to determine the requirements to update network services at The Regard Group and while this exercise was being undertaken, Care Management Group came under the Achieve Together banner along with the original client. This meant that IT services needed to be brought together and a common framework for IT services created. Existing network environments needed to be connected and a strategy developed to move the business forward while looking at cost efficient methods of providing WAN connectivity. Using existing ISP connections we were able to design and install a SD-WAN solution to interconnect branch locations to core Data Centre and an existing MPLS network.
Detailed requirements were defined including a Proof of concept, a full discovery phase of the existing TRG estate, with following phases including a large SD-WAN deployment to approximately 180 branch sites. We created a project team and working alongside infrastructure teams and support specialists this first phase will be completed on time and within budget. Fluid also provided Project Management and Office 365 Licensing and expertise in order to migrate systems from existing Office 365 tenancy and on-premise Exchange systems.
The project delivered on all requirements including an easy-to-manage central cloud platform and Fluid added additional value by securing a licence model with Cisco Meraki that eradicates the need for any additional WAN investment for the next 5 years.
The project was delivered successfully and within budget. Achieve Together continue to work with Fluid on Phase 2 of the WAN roll out and future technological developments.
Technology: Cisco Meraki MX Appliances, Auto-VPN, SD-Wan, Office 365.
Fluid have worked in close partnership with us to successfully consult, design and deliver a robust Cisco network, we have built a trusted partnership and Fluid continue to act as an extension of our IT team to ensure continuous support and services.