Unified Comms & Managed IT for Regional Marketing Firm

The Challenge

A regional marketing and communications consultancy specialising in the agribusiness sector approached Arrow seeking a modern, unified communications platform. With a mobile workforce operating across regional Australia, the team needed a secure, reliable solution that could support collaboration and communication, anytime, anywhere, on any device.

In addition to unified communications, it became clear during the discovery process that their ageing IT infrastructure was introducing unnecessary risk. The business was relying on outdated server and network technology and could see the benefits of consolidating their IT partnership with their communications supplier.

Their goals included:

• Replacing legacy phone systems and improving team mobility.
• Improving collaboration with integrated video, messaging, and screen sharing.
• Consolidating IT and communications into a single, supported solution.
• Boosting security, uptime, and disaster recovery capability.

The Solution

Arrow worked closely with the consultancy leadership to perform a detailed technology audit and requirements analysis. Based on this, Arrow recommended a complete business-wide solution combining cloud communications, IT security, data protection, and managed services.

The communications solution was built on 8×8’s UCaaS platform—an industry-leading cloud-based system that allows staff to call, meet, and message from any device. Paired with 8×8 softphones and collaboration tools, the team gained full visibility of presence, call activity, and productivity metrics.

For the IT environment, Arrow deployed managed IT services with 24/7 support, remote desktop and server monitoring, and automated updates. Sophos Firewall was implemented for advanced security, including AI-powered threat detection and ransomware protection.

To ensure business continuity, a Datto backup and disaster recovery solution was installed, combining local on-premise backups with secure Azure-based cloud storage.

Key features of the solution included:

• 8×8 Unified Communications: Softphones, video conferencing, messaging, and collaboration tools for seamless team communication.
• Mobility & Presence: Staff can work flexibly with user presence and analytics across all devices.
• Sophos Security Services: Advanced firewall protection, active ransomware prevention, and AI-based threat monitoring.
• Datto Backup & Disaster Recovery: Local and cloud redundancy for fast recovery in the event of system failure.
• Fully Managed IT Services: Ongoing support, proactive monitoring, and IT management from Arrow’s expert team.

The Outcomes:

Shortly after implementation, the value of Arrow’s solution was proven. A local system failure—previously the type of incident that would have halted operations, was swiftly mitigated using the Datto backup solution. The team was operational again in under an hour, with no data loss and minimal disruption.

With unified communications now cloud-hosted and accessible anywhere, and IT services fully managed, the business enjoys greater agility, resilience, and peace of mind.

Benefits delivered:

• Cloud-Based Collaboration: Staff can connect and collaborate from anywhere, with reliable tools and visibility.
• Security & Continuity: Sophos and Datto ensure threats are blocked and data is protected, even during outages.
• Single Point of Support: One provider, one account manager, and one 24/7 support line for all IT and communications needs.
• Scalability & Savings: A bundled solution brings cost efficiencies and can grow with the business.

Procurement Specialists

Arrow Voice & Data is your trusted partner for all IT and communications needs. As procurement specialists, we manage technology selection, implementation, and ongoing support, giving you a single partner for your business’s digital transformation. 
 

With Arrow, you can focus on your clients while we ensure your communications, network, and systems are secure, reliable, and built for the future.