Kingsbury Machine Tools

Kingsbury now enjoys a fast and robust LAN and Wi-Fi network with a robust security infrastructure thanks to our bespoke solution.

About Kingsbury Machine Tools

For over 60 years, Geo. Kingsbury Machine Tools Ltd has been supplying high-quality milling, turning, grinding and additive machinery solutions, and backed by unrivalled technical expertise, product knowledge and industry experience.

One of its latest technologies is 3D metal printing, where complex objects can be printed in metal, or an existing part can be remanufactured by layering additional metal onto the existing surface that might have, for example, worn away due to use.

Through their engineering expertise and cutting-edge machine tools, Kingsbury has developed innovative production solutions, machining parts faster and more efficiently than the competition.

The challenge

Kingsbury reached out to us to evaluate their existing SAN solution which was based on Microsoft 2012 Server along with their current managed service provider (MSP) relationship and overall IT infrastructure.

It was clear to our experts that much of their technology had been well used and was coming to the end of its life. For example, Kingsbury was using older Cisco Meraki firewalls that were about to lose support, along with an ageing LAN and Wi-Fi network. This could be a problem as ageing systems can pose potential security risks, and when installed, the requirements were completely different to today's requirements and standards.

For example, many of the high-tech equipment Kingsbury sells and supports these days are Wi-Fi-Connected. However, Wi-Fi in the warehouse had not been a consideration when the previous access points were deployed.

Additionally, though Kingsbury was utilising Microsoft 365, they still relied on a 2012 server and SAN storage. A legacy system like this limits the ability to leverage modern cloud capabilities, which can impact productivity and collaboration across the entire workspace.

From our perspective, by adopting a more robust IT framework, Kingsbury could improve both security and operational efficiency, allowing them to better meet the needs of their business and enhance overall performance.

And so, we worked on a solution that did exactly that!

The solution

First, our professionals upgraded Kingsbury's LAN and Wi-Fi to HP Aruba. This involved running OM4 fibre between the core and edge cabinets, new Cat6a cabling for Wi-Fi, and changing out the edge cabinets as they were too shallow for modern PoE switches.

We installed a stacked pair of 1960 switches to provide a resilient core with 2 x 10Gb connections to each of the edge cabinets. This improved the network performance, providing higher bandwidth, reduced latency, and offered load balancing for better data flow. Coupled with the resilience of the stacked core, this allowed for one switch to fail, but the LAN would still perform, ensuring that we were building on a strong foundation.

We installed the latest HP Wi-Fi 6 access points to offer site-wide Wi-Fi alongside the installation of an HA pair of Sonicwall TZ670s to secure the internet connection. Kingsbury has additional remote sites in Warwick and Preston which now follow the same model, Sonicwall TZ270, an HP switch and more WI-Fi APs, allowing staff a more flexible approach to the network.

The Microsoft 2012 servers and SAN were removed from Microsoft support in October 2023 and were retired. So, the data moved to Azure Files, and the applications that needed to be retained were deployed in Azure virtual machines (VM).

With the impending demise of Windows 10, a number of PCs needed to be replaced to stay within best practices, so we deployed M365 Business Premium and Intune. Dell laptops were ordered with AutoPilot enabled for easy deployment, and we also included M365 Privilege Management so key staff could obtain elevated privileges for specialist software.

Today, Kingsbury's staff are supported by our Premium MSP service, with client backup of their M365 email and data, along with Azure Files, to a cloud backup service. PCs are automatically updated by Intune and any third-party applications are managed by Scappman.

All staff have been through our Cyber Security Awareness Testing & Training, as well as GDPR Training, and we proactively phish their staff every month to ensure they maintain a high level of security vigilance daily.

We are now supporting the business to obtain Cyber Essentials and then Cyber Essentials Plus, which is a vital requirement for business relationships as well as helping to lower cyber insurance premiums.

The results

Kingsbury now enjoys a fast and robust LAN and Wi-Fi network, providing reliable infrastructure and seamless connectivity for their operations across all three of their sites. Data is easily accessible by their staff and all data is regularly backed up as part of the business continuity plan.

The changes to the security posture of Kingsbury is one of the major changes and this was one of the key drivers of the project, allowing them to meet the necessary standards for Cyber Essentials certification.

All users benefit from access to our MSP Premium services which is a UK-based service. This was one of the key factors in Kingsbury choosing Focus Group. Kingsbury had become frustrated by unrecognisable call centres answering their calls and then handing to another call centre for any remedial services; they wanted to be able to see someone if needed.

Our work with Kingsbury not only demonstrates our commitment to enhancing security and increasing productivity but also our dedication to safeguarding organisations from potential future cyber threats.

“From the start, we were very clear that as a Company we have no IT Department, so a priority was to work with an IT provider of a size to be able to understand our needs, provide help and local support when required to deliver a significant project for us.

I am very happy with the end result and can see significant improvements, especially when working remotely. Project managed and delivered by a team who often worked out of office hours to deliver the solution with minimal business disruption. We looked at many companies, nearly all tried to steer us in a different direction, so I am confident that we selected the right one for this project and to support us going forward.”

Peter Kingsbury, Operations Director

Kingsbury Machine Tools

Download this customer story

Download customer story

Kingsbury Machine Tools

About Kingsbury Machine Tools

The challenge

The solution

The results

Download this customer story

More customers stories

North Warwickshire & Hinckley College

Liberty Living

Hurstpierpoint College

Switch to Focus Group by calling 0330 024 2000