Icomm Technologies provided Aston Manor Brewery with a fully managed IT support service to address business continuity and efficiency concerns as the company planned to grow significantly. This included proactive monitoring and maintenance of their network and servers, disaster recovery services to backup data daily, and help optimizing and future-proofing their IT infrastructure. With Icomm's support, Aston Manor saw improved staff productivity, reduced downtime, better control of IT costs, and gained the confidence that their IT system could support the company's planned growth.

1. Case Study
Aston Manor Brewery
Icomm enables Aston Manor to brew success
Icomm Technologies’ proactive IT support and disaster recovery unlocks platform
for growth.
The Customer:
Established in 1983, Aston Manor Brewery is the UK’s largest independent
producer of own brand and labelled cider products for superstores and
wholesalers. The business employs 185 staff based in Birmingham and Devon,
using 60 laptops, PCs and accessing five servers.
Business Continuity
We can offer consultancy to hone
The Challenge:
a tight disaster recovery plan and
With the company forecasted to grow significantly and its IT Manager moving
support you to implement and
on, Financial Director James Ellis recognised the business needed a 24/7 IT
test back-up, storage and data
support function that could do the job of an IT department at a better rate than
restoration proactively.
the outgoing manager.
He also acknowledged that a complete network appraisal was needed to address
business continuity, efficiency and future-proofing the IT infrastructure to match
growth aspirations.
I now have
peace of
mind.
3391/20120329/NH/AM
James Ellis, Aston Manor
SERVER VIRTUALISATION
Icomm Technologies Limited
STORAGE CONSOLIDATION
45-55 Camden Street,
BACKUP
Birmingham, B1 3BP.
REMOTE ACCESS AND SECURITY
0121 248 7931
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
www.icomm.co.uk

2. Aston Manor Brewery
Case Study
The Solution:
Proactive IT service, support and solutions provider, Icomm Technologies,
proposed a fully managed support service including:
Spirit – a fully managed IT support facility that uses a proprietary application
to spot IT issues before they impact upon business, enabling technical engineers
to proactively deliver maintenance
Spirit Antivirus – Fully automated and proactive patch management
delivered by Icomm’s proprietary application
Ditto Disaster Recovery – a simple, cost-effective and non-intrusive approach
to business continuity takes server and data snapshots, which are stored on
remote storage vaults in Birmingham and Manchester
One engineer day on site per week to maintain the network
Business hours call out and online issue logging
Managed firewall, routing and remote access
Icomm also implemented a fully re-configured and integrated network across
Aston Manor’s two-sites, including new Ethernet and fibre cabling across offices
Business Continuity
and production plant. The cabling was rationalised and housed more efficiently
We can offer consultancy to hone
in an easily accessible and safe comms cabinet at both locations.
a tight disaster recovery plan and
New hardware was installed including HP (ML350) rack-mounted servers
and re-configured gigabit switching to radically improve network speed and
communication quality.
support you to implement and
test back-up, storage and data
restoration proactively.
The Benefits:
James Ellis said: “Icomm’s approach is delivering a better maintained and
optimised system that has improved staff productivity and laid solid foundations
for growth.
“Fundamentally, with Icomm we have been able to reduce and control our IT
overhead more efficiently, eliminate unnecessary downtime, maximise our IT
estate and reduce cost of ownership.
Problems are
rectified before
we even know
they exist.
“This is the first time we have used an outsourced and scaleable IT support
function and it is the best decision we could have made given our growth
James Ellis, Aston Manor
forecast.
“We have a dedicated and extremely knowledgeable technical account team
that truly understands our business and how it needs to operate. The Icomm
team supports us as an IT department should but without holidays or sick days
“If there are any issues with the network, we simply log them online for Icomm
engineers to fix remotely. Often problems are rectified before we even know they
exist and Icomm’s Spirit managed Anti-Virus service totally automates security
and compliance. Finally, IT has become a business enabler rather than a daily
distraction.
SERVER VIRTUALISATION
Icomm Technologies Limited
STORAGE CONSOLIDATION
45-55 Camden Street,
BACKUP
Birmingham, B1 3BP.
REMOTE ACCESS AND SECURITY
0121 248 7931
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
www.icomm.co.uk
3391/20120329/NH/AM
becoming an issue – they are ever-present.

3. Aston Manor Brewery
Case Study
The Benefits (continued):
“Icomm has been extremely flexible with our account and whilst our SLA states
a minimum wait of 4 hours on call-outs, the team goes beyond the call of duty
to help in special circumstances. For example, if we have contractors on site who
need information straight away, Icomm responds appropriately.
“Icomm is an extension to our business and operates with the attention to detail
and professionalism we would expect of our own employees.
“Disaster Recovery isn’t an option for us, it’s a necessity! With Ditto, updated
data and server snapshots are taken daily and stored remotely. This is critical for
servers handling our filtration and production systems. Our recovery time is fast
and this has improved business continuity, which in turn protects our profits.
“With our managed VPN, firewall and routing solution we have unlocked
workforce capability. The remote access functionality is helping employees
operate seamlessly from their desktop even if they are out of the office.
“We have also unlocked the ability to more easily control which users access
the internet, when and for how long; again, opening the door for increased
productivity. We get a full management report every month with a complete
break-down that makes employee activity transparent, allowing us to make
better business decisions faster.
Business Continuity
We can offer consultancy to hone
“As Financial Director I now have peace of mind that the cost-burden and
a tight disaster recovery plan and
operational overhead of IT has been reduced and brought under control. Fixed
support you to implement and
IT overheads now mean we can plan and forecast more effectively. We get the
test back-up, storage and data
creative, proactive approach of a full IT department without the cost. This means
restoration proactively.
we can focus our efforts more strategically on growth knowing that our IT system
will support us all the way.”
Our IT system
will support us
all the way.
3391/20120329/NH/AM
James Ellis, Aston Manor
SERVER VIRTUALISATION
Icomm Technologies Limited
STORAGE CONSOLIDATION
45-55 Camden Street,
BACKUP
Birmingham, B1 3BP.
REMOTE ACCESS AND SECURITY
0121 248 7931
BUSINESS CONTINUITY
www.icomm.co.uk