"We were previously handling our IT internally, but our database management was not ideal and our systems were lacking in uniformity. We had heard such great things about Vance and IronEdge that we decided outsourcing our IT support and management to them could be the perfect solution.

IronEdge moved our entire operation to a larger location, restored our database, built out our IT infrastructure and incorporated a sophisticated trading turret system. The entire process went smoothly and we are very impressed with the results.

We're a fast growing business and IronEdge has really been a breath of fresh air. They are dependable and knowledgeable specialists who keep us operating efficiently. It's really just been a huge weight off our shoulders knowing our IT systems are taken care of. They have certainly exceeded our expectations."

Mark Schwausch
Senior Partner, West Oaks Energy

West Oaks Energy Case Study

Background

West Oaks Energy, a multi commodity hedge, had outgrown their original office space. They needed to move to a larger facility and expand their IT systems to accommodate their recent growth as well as a planned expansion. West Oaks Energy requires a massive amount of data from multi-terabyte databases, various real-time feeds and a full range of applications. These needs create a very complex network with significant hardware requirements and uptime demands.

The office and systems relocation included the design and build out of a new server room, trading floor and high capacity power systems. Since real-time trading demands real-time data and direct access to trading houses all over the world, it is critical that downtime is minimized and that the relocation happen quickly and seamlessly. West Oaks Energy was experiencing network outages, viruses, malware and computing capacity issues - they were in serious need of a dependable IT solution. They contacted IronEdge to move their trading systems to a new, larger location and build out the facility's new technology infrastructure and systems functionality.

Key Project Components

• Comprehensive Project Planning & Preparation - IronEdge developed a strategic project plan with tasks to complete prior to, during and after the move to ensure a flawless transition. IronEdge also created a package that prepared West Oaks Energy for the move to keep the process simple for their staff.


• Seamless Transition with Minimal Downtime - Due to detailed planning and preparation, ManagedMove successfully facilitated the relocation into the new space. The move included West Oak Energy's infrastructure systems and a sophisticated trading turret system that was integrated into the new network. All systems were taken down, relocated, back online and in production in only 14 hours.


• Improved Data Support & Infrastructure - During the move process, IronEdge was also building out a new trading floor, setting up a new server room and completing pre-planned projects to provide a more stable network in the new facility. IronEdge deployed and upgraded West Oak Energy's active directory, in-house backup solution, audio visual data feeds, cabling design and electrical infrastructure.


• Expert IT Consulting & Mapping for Future Growth - IronEdge assisted the West Oaks Energy CFO with call tree design, telephone system setup, a thorough review of existing costs and planning for future expansion with system changes, including new financial systems. Together, they designed a two-year plan to upgrade the infrastructure to accommodate data growth and developed virtualization solutions for the production and development environments. After implementation, they saw an immediate return in functionality and performance.

Proven Solutions

IronEdge's comprehensive understanding of this unique business sector allows West Oaks Energy to successfully operate in a real-time environment without worrying about outages or lost productivity. Proactive support from ManagedIRON provides an invaluable sense of security. When all of West Oak Energy's systems seamlessly transitioned to a secondary network during a freak accident (in which the primary network cable was cut), business continued as usual without missing a beat. Because of such proven results, West Oaks Energy also relies on IronEdge for additional projects in other locations.

Next
Back to Results Overview