Countrywide plc chooses ntl:Telewest Business to
deliver single, efficient converged network across its
businesses
- The UK’s largest property services group adopts a single next
generation network for surveyors, lettings, property management and
property lawyer divisions
- Converged network enhances the company’s operational resilience
and anticipates £1 million in cost savings over the next three
years
- Investment enables new applications and remote working
practices to be adopted
Countrywide plc, the UK’s largest provider of
estate agency and property-related finance and professional
services, is using the ntl:Telewest Business Next Generation
Network (NGN) to drive greater cost efficiencies across its
business. Countrywide has created a single advanced digital network
that has enabled it to consolidate its IT operations and switch
from a subsidiary-led IT approach to a centralised group IT
function. ntl:Telewest Business, part of the Virgin Media group,
has connected 2,500 Countrywide employees across more than 190
sites around the UK to the high-speed resilient network.
The IPVPN (IP Virtual Private Network) service
with MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) is providing Countrywide
plc with more than triple the bandwidth capacity of the company’s
previous network, enabling new applications to be adopted and
dramatically improving the performance of existing applications.
Countrywide expects the new network to save it £1 million over
three years compared to its previous running costs.
In May 2007 the company was acquired by the
private equity finance group Apollo Management LP and a group-wide
efficiency drive began to enhance the group’s productivity and
service to both residential and corporate customers.
Working with the Countrywide Surveyors
ntl:Telewest Business helped the firm migrate to a network which
would meet their demands of scalability, reliability and resilience
through to a consolidated 65-site IPVPN. The new WAN has
fully-managed resilient links built into the network at the core
sites for the division, including their data centre, head office,
finance, legal and central admin offices, all of which are
geographically dispersed. Additionally, each of the remote branch
sites now utilise a premium circuit to connect it to the network,
delivering higher bandwidth and eliminating prior problems
associated with contended service. The new IPVPN is also
benefitting surveyors out in the field by enabling secure remote
working practices to be adopted.
“There’s no two ways about it. The current
economic conditions are extremely tough, particularly for
property-related businesses. We had already taken steps to improve
our efficiency before the credit crunch really began to hit and we
are in a much better position as a result,” said Ian Streeter, Head
of Infrastructure, Countrywide plc. “The size of our business meant
that technology has always had the potential to drive real cost
efficiencies across our organisation, and by moving to one advanced
network with ntl:Telewest Business we are delivering on that
potential.
“The challenge for property firms today is not
just to survive, but to improve and be in a position to come out of
the economic turmoil firing on all cylinders. The investment we’ve
made in our network has allowed us to make significant savings, but
it’s also allowing us to adopt new applications and new methods of
working in order to deliver an enhanced service to our customers,”
said Mr Streeter.
Following Countrywide Surveyors’ successful
adoption of the IPVPN, three more group companies were added to the
network, Countrywide Residential Lettings, Countrywide Managing
Agents and Countrywide Property Lawyers. Countrywide Residential
Lettings operates the UK’s largest residential lettings network
with more than 200 branches throughout England and Wales. The IPVPN
has enabled the business to adopt a new centralised financial
lettings application delivered through Citrix, which is enhancing
customer service and making reporting and tracking of properties
easier for staff.
In November 2008 Countrywide Property Lawyers’ principal sites at
Cardiff and Manchester were also added to the network. This will
ensure that these critical sites are protected through a meshed
resilient network design.
“Having witnessed the benefits the new network
brought to one business area, we’ve started rolling it across the
wider group. We’re looking at the benefits of running voice over
the network and how the remaining business areas could benefit from
adopting the IPVPN,” added Mr Streeter.
“It’s in the tough times when profits are
being squeezed from every direction that technology and mindset of
the telco can really drive competitive advantage,” said Gerry
Arthurs, Head of Business Markets South East, ntl:Telewest
Business. “The resilience, flexibility and capability of
ntl:Telewest Business’ make us a highly attractive proposition for
those firms looking to achieve greater efficiencies, but who also
have one eye on the scalability that they’re likely to need when
economic prospects improve.“
About Countrywide plc
Countrywide plc is the UK’s largest and most
successful estate agency and property services Group, with more
than 1,000 associated branches across the UK. The Group sold £14.5
billion worth of property in 2007 and arranged more than £7 billion
mortgages.
As a leading provider in mortgage services,
estate agency, lettings, surveying, land and new homes, corporate
property management, auctions, franchising and legal services, our
network of expertise assists customers throughout the UK and
overseas.
To find out more, please visit http://www.countrywideplc.co.uk/
About ntl:Telewest Business
ntl:Telewest Business has the most technically
advanced of the UK’s two national networks. Its vast nation-wide
Next Generation Network provides businesses, public sector
organisations and service providers across the UK with a complete
portfolio of advanced data, internet and voice services. The
£13billion network is flexible, scaleable and is already built out
to more than 38,000 street cabinets across the UK.
As part of a commitment to deliver superior
customer service, ntl:Telewest Business sales and support teams are
located in close proximity to its customers in over 40 centres
across the UK.
ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide
critical communications to high profile customers
including: Birmingham City Council, Yorkshire Water and
EasyJet.
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For further information go to http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk/
Louise
O’Brien
ntl:Telewest
Business
T: 01256
752769
E:mailto:louise.obrien@virginmedia.co.uk
Gerry Grewal, Press Office
Rainier PR
T: 020 7494 6570
E: ggrewal@rainierpr.co.uk