Case Studies WakeUp! How a leading architecture firm boosted its patch success rates by 55%
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WakeUp! How a leading architecture firm boosted its patch success rates by 55%

Analytics & Modeling - Predictive Analytics
Functional Applications - Enterprise Asset Management Systems (EAM)
Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Construction & Infrastructure
Professional Service
Business Operation
Facility Management
Maintenance
Cybersecurity
Energy Management System
Predictive Maintenance
Remote Asset Management
Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
Software Design & Engineering Services
System Integration
Prior to their engagement with 1E, Sheppard Robson faced two major challenges. Firstly, the architecture sector is a regular target of cyberattacks, making it essential to keep software updated. However, the specialist software required by the firm’s employees was often enormous, causing updates to take an extremely long time. This necessitated managing updates outside of working hours, but they had no way of doing so with certainty. Secondly, the firm had sustainability targets to meet and a broader IT commitment to greater automation. The need to stay current with software updates and deploy the latest versions of highly technical tools caused Sheppard Robson to embrace Windows 10 and its servicing. However, the demanding update cadence created more trouble for end users, often resulting in chaotic Monday mornings where employees had to wait up to an hour and a half to log in. Additionally, the firm aimed to do more with less staff, focusing on automation to cover more bases with fewer people, making their operations quicker, simpler, and more effective.
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Sheppard Robson is an award-winning European architecture firm based in London, with approximately 350 employees spread across the UK. The firm is known for its innovative and sustainable architectural designs, catering to a wide range of clients in various sectors. Its IT infrastructure consists of a virtualized server back end with an almost exclusively Windows environment and a couple of Linux servers. The firm places a high priority on cybersecurity, sustainability, and automation, aiming to stay current with software updates and deploy the latest versions of highly technical tools required by its staff. Sheppard Robson's commitment to sustainability is reflected in its efforts to meet sustainability targets and reduce energy consumption. The firm also focuses on improving operational efficiency through automation, enabling it to cover more bases with fewer staff and deliver projects more effectively.
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1E provided Sheppard Robson with a solution to their patching and energy management challenges through their products NightWatchman and WakeUp. NightWatchman helps reduce energy consumption by ensuring unused machines are not consuming energy, saving an average of $26 per PC per annum. The WakeUp feature, also available as part of Nomad, allows IT to streamline out-of-hours maintenance by enabling users to collectively wake all machines on a site. This feature is integrated with Tachyon 3.1, allowing instant verification of WakeUp’s wake-on-LAN success for hundreds of thousands of computers. The solution enables end users to schedule reboots to complete OS or software updates at a convenient time, reducing business interruptions. By integrating with NightWatchman, IT professionals can switch off computers when not in use, saving power and reducing energy costs and carbon footprint. The simple user interface allows users to switch on their computers with ease when needed. The implementation of 1E’s solution ensured that Sheppard Robson’s entire organization remained current and secure without any business interruption, significantly improving their patching process and energy management.
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The new system ensures the entire organization is current and secure without any business interruption. PCs are powered on first thing on a Sunday, allowing for Windows updates, anti-virus scanning, and major software updates during an eight-hour window when no one is at work. This eliminates spin-up time on Monday mornings, allowing employees to log in immediately.
NightWatchman allows the team to go through a couple of reboot cycles to ensure all machines receive updates, reducing the impact on users when they turn on their machines. The integration with WSUS and deployment software has been a significant benefit, providing peace of mind during high-profile attacks like WannaCry.
The energy savings delivered by NightWatchman’s energy-saving capacity allowed Sheppard Robson to pay for the cost of the software, making the security benefits ultimately cost-free. The firm saved approximately £2K per year on energy savings.
Sheppard Robson’s patching success rate improved by 55%.
The firm saved approximately £2K per year on energy savings.
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