We recently migrated one of our customers from SBS 2003 to SBS 2008 using our Zero Downtime Migration (ZDMT) strategy.  The traditional way of moving from one server operating system to another or replacing aging hardware is to take the network down completely.  This kind of work obviously can’t be done during the working week, leading to staff having to work weekends and increased project costs for out-of-hours support. 

Sirona are pioneering Zero Downtime Migrations (ZDMT) in the UK.  This industry leading strategy allows migrations to be done during working hours, with no server downtime and minimal staff disruption.  The end result is a stress free solution, with dramatically reduced costs. 

Zero Downtime Migrations (ZDMT) involve building a new network environment at Sirona’s offices, complete with all of your company data and line of business applications (LOBs).  The new environment is thoroughly tested to ensure no compatibility issues exist and that all LOB apps work as expected.  This testing can easily incorporate your own staff, so that you’re happy everything is working as you would expect.  This kind of testing can be very important with LOB apps, as you will often know them better than even our most experienced IT team.

Once the new environment is running exactly as it needs to we will transfer it from our office to yours.  The new server will run in parallel to your existing server, with all data synchronised between the two environments.  This ensures that whichever stage of the migration users are at, they will always have access to the most up-to-date data.

The result of the Zero Downtime Migration process is a stress-free migration.  Both systems can co-exist for as long as is necessary and if any unforeseen problems do arise it’s very simple to roll back to the old environment.  If you would be interested in learning more about this solution please contact Managing Director Alex Rimmer on 0161 850 1000.

Sirona Solutions recently received some coverage in the Manchester Evening News print edition, based on their work with Business Link.  The article is reprinted below:

The Computer Company Boasting the IT factor

SIRONA Solutions has successfully exploited a gap in the marketplace, providing IT support for companies that do not have a dedicated IT department or need additional IT support. Its services include IT systems management, installations, back-up and disaster recovery and helpdesk support. Alex Rimmer established the company with his business partner, Nick Lloyd, in 2006 after a 12-year career with an international IT hardware company and a period running his own cleaning company. The pair plan to grow the company whilst maintaining its firm focus on excellent service and customer satisfaction.

Cleaning up

Alex first started working with Business Link Northwest when he was still running his own cleaning company. He found the financial planning information provided by Business Link Northwest Financial and Professional Services Adviser, Sarah Ludford, very useful and approached her about helping to nurture Sirona Solutions too. Alex said: “From my first dealings with Business Link it was clear that there was a wealth of expertise to call upon and, really importantly, my adviser also provided an objective viewpoint. Having someone with all that business knowledge but no personal involvement in the company is really useful.”

Hard drive

Though Sirona Solutions had a sound customer base, after carrying out a business diagnostic, Sarah highlighted business planning and financial management as areas for focus and development. Sarah said: “Both Alex and Nick had the breadth of expertise and commitment to customer service to make the company work. However, they had to tackle the lack of financial structure to the business if it was going to grow and remain viable long term, so that was our starting point.” Sarah began by looking at the company’s accounting system and put the business in touch with three accountancy practices that might be able to help. Sirona Solutions is now working with one of these firms and has a clear accounting system in place. Alex continued: “I’ve had a negative business experience in the past, so having an accountant that I can trust and a transparent accounting system is really important to me. Sarah’s help has been really valuable in this area.” Sarah also helped the company to manage its financial planning more effectively, providing management models to help Alex and Nick gain a clearer perspective on costs and revenues. As a result, they understand exactly what they need to bring in to achieve their financial targets and, with Sarah’s help they have increased revenues by looking again at their pricing structure. Sarah explained: “They had basically been charging what they thought the market would tolerate without researching it properly. I encouraged them to do some research into what their competitors were charging and they subsequently increased their rates which has had a significant impact on their profitability. Planning Ahead Sarah has also helped Sirona Solutions with business planning and the company is aiming to recruit a senior technician. Alex has been working with Sarah to establish what kind of person they need and what stage of development the business needs to be at when they recruit. Alex continued: “Excellent service and high customer satisfaction levels are important to us and working with our adviser on roadmaps for business development ensures that we remain focused and maintain those values as we continue to grow. In the past we might simply have relied on looking for who was available when we thought the time was right, but now, with Sarah’s help, we have put together a structured business path which defines what the company needs to achieve before we recruit and what kind of skills our new employee will need to have.” The next step for Sirona Solutions is to develop its marketing activity with telemarketing and new literature. Sarah has signposted the company to Creative Credits funding from the National Endowment for Science, Technology and Arts (NESTA) which provides up to £4000 of funding for eligible companies willing to invest £1000 in marketing spend. Alex added: “We’re currently applying for a Creative Credits grant. We might never even have known about it if Sarah hadn’t flagged it up and that’s just one of the ways she’s added real value to the business over the past 18 months.”