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About Holmes 

Holmes provides a wide range of legal services nationwide, delivering quality, knowledge, experience, and value; collectively working in partnership with their clients, investing in their people while supporting the communities in which they operate.

The Business Requirement

As a growing organisation with increasingly sophisticated needs, Holmes O’Malley Sexton LLP (HOMS Solicitors) required an IT refresh. Viatel Technology Group was initially brought in to overhaul old servers, with the firm also seeking to modernise their system with a focus on virtualisation.

During the server overhaul, Viatel Technology Group conducted a comprehensive IT audit, assessing the effectiveness of HOMS’ infrastructure in meeting business demands. This involved engaging with key stakeholders to understand how technology could support the firm’s goals. A RAG (Red, Amber, Green) report was produced to highlight areas needing attention.

In addition to ageing hardware, the business continuity and disaster recovery (DR) process were outdated. While some backups were in place, a lack of in-house expertise meant there was no sufficient DR plan to protect the thriving legal practice.

The Viatel Technology Group Solution

Following the audit and report, Viatel Technology Group recommended modernising the firm’s IT infrastructure. This included:

Installing and configuring market-leading Dell PowerEdge servers on a virtualised VMware platform.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery 

The IT audit highlighted the need for a formal disaster recovery solution to minimise downtime. Using Dell’s EqualLogic technology, data is now replicated to an offsite, secure location.

Enterprise Support Desk 

As the relationship developed, it became clear that a managed service was necessary. Naoise O’Donnell, Legal Information Systems Executive at HOMS, said, “We were finding that higher-end systems were under a huge amount of pressure and somewhat vulnerable. We definitely didn’t have the expertise here to deal with bigger server issues.”

Viatel Technology Group introduced their Enterprise Support Desk (ESD) service, handling all service issues and acting as an escalation path for HOMS Solicitors’ IT team. This approach saved the significant capital cost of hiring an in-house skilled support team, providing the necessary expertise at a lower cost. Monthly meetings with the ESD team enable consultation on challenges and recommendations for future projects.

A Trusted Partnership

With a transformed IT approach, HOMS Solicitors now has a more stable organisational structure. Viatel Technology Group’s involvement has positively impacted the firm in several ways:

Proactively Managed IT 

A proactive partner has provided HOMS Solicitors with fresher hardware and a more reliable infrastructure, greatly improving organisational resilience with zero downtime since Viatel Technology Group’s engagement.

Increased Mobility and Better Work-Life Balance

The virtualisation of servers and the introduction of thin clients and laptops for fee-earning staff have enhanced mobility, workplace flexibility, and work-life balance, leading to significant productivity gains.

Reassurance and Peace of Mind 

As Naoise stated, Viatel Technology Group’s high level of expertise has been crucial for overall reassurance. “Having someone there to solve difficult problems has been extremely important.”

Viatel Technology Group has been instrumental in keeping our growing firm secure, productive and resilient. Their skilled team listened to our needs and have built a business continuity and disaster recovery solution that keeps us online 24/7 – all year round. In addition, Viatel Technology Group’s enterprise support desk service has given us the peace of mind and expertise to future proof our organisation.

Robert Bourke, Partner, HOMS Solicitors

As a law firm approaching its 50th year, the integration of an experienced IT partner has given the organisation a new lease of life. The firm is now more resilient, productive, and better supported than ever before.