Press release
South west law firm Foot Anstey uses ntl:Telewest
Business network to support rapid regional
expansion
- IPVPN infrastructure introduced to provide seamless and
robust communication between four existing sites
- Network architecture means it is easily scalable to
connect new Cornish office following planned merger on 1
December
- Risk of lost client casework and operational
information mitigated by enhanced back-up
architecture
12 November, 2007. ntl:Telewest Business, part of the Virgin
Media group, is enabling leading south west law firm Foot Anstey to
make its communications systems simpler and more resilient as it
expands rapidly in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset.
The company is using a ntl:Telewest Business Multi-Protocol
Label Switching (
MPLS
)
network to provide a single, modern communications environment that
links its offices in Exeter, Plymouth and two in Taunton with data
and internet services. The network renewal ensures that the offices
of Hancock Caffin, the respected Cornish law firm which merges with
Foot Anstey in December, can now be brought into the same
communications environment.
Foot Anstey is one of the largest law firms in the south west of
the UK and has grown by 40 per cent in the past two years, prior to
its planned merger with Hancock Caffin and its recent merger with
Plymouth firm Serpell Eaton. The combined firm will employ more
than 400 people.
"Our commitment to offering a ‘buy local’ option for legal
services throughout the south west means we have to enhance our
communication links across our office network," said Jane Lister,
managing partner, Foot Anstey. “Our investment in the ntl:Telewest
Business network means that we provide our lawyers with the
communication and information infrastructure they need to advise
our clients effectively, irrespective of location.” The
ntl:Telewest Business network has replaced previous separate data
networks and internet services at each site, reducing management
overheads. With email being a critical application in the legal
sector and an ever-increasing volume of casework relying on it, it
was critical that the MPLS network ensured it was always available.
The network operates at speeds of 10 Megabits-per-second (Mbps) in
Exeter and Plymouth, and 4 Mbps at other offices.
It was important that the investment ensured every employee had
equal quality of service and performance when accessing the core
practice management system, which holds information on every aspect
of Foot Anstey’s business. The MPLS network provides speeds that
ensure high performance access to the system across each office and
every user. The network also supports videoconferencing between
offices.
“While we needed to introduce a single, robust network that
provided a platform for further business growth and ensured
operational continuity, we also had some more day-to-day needs to
meet,” said Paul Huxham, Information and Communications Systems
Manager at Foot Anstey. “Every solicitor and every one of our back
office team expect and need the same level of high performance from
our information and communications system, whether that be the
software applications they need to access or simply using the
internet. The network has delivered that, so that anyone in the
company can work from any of our offices and access information and
services in the same way.”
Andrew Beckhaus, Business Sales Manager in the south west for
ntl:Telewest Business, said: “Information in the legal sector – and
its immediate availability – is critical each and every day. More
and more law firms are starting to take the single network approach
with services like MPLS and Ethernet networks. It means that they
have a single, powerful information architecture rather than a
multitude of services that can only deliver variable performance
and requires more complex management across multiple
offices.”
Notes to the editor:
About ntl:Telewest Business
ntl:Telewest Business, part of the UK’s second largest
fixed-line telecommunications company, is a leading communications
provider to businesses, public sector organisations and service
providers in the UK. It delivers a complete portfolio of voice,
data and internet solutions nation-wide.
ntl:Telewest Business sales and support teams are located across
the UK, in close proximity to our customers, as part of a
commitment to deliver superior customer
service. ntl:Telewest Business delivers services over
the Group’s £13bn investment in its state-of-the-art infrastructure
giving business customers access to the largest alternative network
in the UK.
ntl:Telewest Business is trusted to provide critical
communications to high profile customers including: Heathrow's
Terminal 5, Birmingham City Council and Cambridgeshire County
Council. For further information go to http://www.ntltelewestbusiness.co.uk
About Foot Anstey
Foot Anstey is one of the leading providers of legal and
business solutions in the South West and offers a comprehensive
range of legal services for commercial, private and legal aid
clients. Recent national rankings of lawyers, such as The
Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners UK Directories, and The
Lawyer magazine have all rated Foot Anstey highly. The firm
provides a level of service and expertise that can be compared with
the best in the country but from a South West base and at regional
rates. Foot Anstey has 31 Partners and employs over 340
staff. Offices in Exeter, Plymouth and Taunton.
www.foot-ansteys.co.uk.
ntl:Telewest Business press contacts:
Sara Doggett
ntl:Telewest Business
T: 01256 753101
Steve Earl, Press Office
Rainier PR
T: 020 7494 6574