compassLogo2Compass Group

Cobweb caters for Compass Group mobile communications needs

 

Solution designed to support a global workforce

Compass Group PLC, EMEA Division has turned to Cobweb Solutions for a robust mobile communications and messaging solution.  Cobweb’s Microsoft Hosted Exchange service enables 1,750 employees based around the globe to work from diverse locations ranging from the office to oil exploration sites in the Nigerian jungle.
 
Teams ranging from accountants to salespeople and IT consultants now have 24*7 access to email, diary, address books and documents through mobile devices, laptops or desktop PCs.
 
Compass Group is the world’s leading foodservice company with annual revenues of £12 billion.  The organisation employs more than 400,000 people who specialise in providing food, vending and related services in over 90 countries. 
 
Compass Group develops and delivers original food and service solutions whether in the workplace, schools, colleges, hospitals, leisure environments as well as in remote and sometime hostile environments.
 

The Challenge

A company the size of Compass needs effective business and IT tools to keep the organisation running efficiently.  With employees constantly travelling between offices and new sites being established, having a robust communications system that enables users to stay in touch with suppliers, clients and colleagues is vital.
 
FineDiningPic1
Compass’ communications systems
Prior to implementing Cobweb’s Microsoft Hosted Exchange service, Compass’ communications systems were delivered in-house using Microsoft Exchange 5.5.  However supporting the global workforce and many diverse locations was challenging and the solution did not support mobile working effectively due to infrastructure and technology limitations. 
 
In addition, internet connections were sometimes unreliable resulting in emails bouncing back or taking too long to reach the recipient, and some sites were operating on different networks which were not compatible with the Microsoft Exchange 5.5 platform.
 
It was a time consuming platform to manage, upgrades needed to be purchased regularly and a dedicated IT team employed to manage the system.  Upgrading internally to Microsoft Exchange 2003 was not a cost-effective option as the switch-over would require a dedicated IT team managing and monitoring the new solution 24*7.
 
With new offices always being established, often in remote locations with only a handful of staff employed, it was clear that the current system was not flexible enough.  Replacing the legacy solution was deemed to be too costly, so a scalable, future proof and fully managed solution was sought to meet the evolving needs of the business.
 
A key factor in selecting Cobweb’s Microsoft Hosted Exchange service was a request from the CEO that all staff reporting to him should have a BlackBerry mobile email device. Without a reliable IT solution in place to support this new mobile working initiative, vital messages and reports would be received late or not at all. A solution was required that would lower costs, increase delivery speed and provide optimum security and scalability.
 

The Solution

The implementation of Cobweb’s Microsoft Hosted Exchange service

efficiently solved the communication and messaging problems that Compass faced and provided additional business benefits.

 
Using a variety of handheld devices employees can send and receive emails quickly and efficiently.  The new ‘anytime, anywhere’ working methodology has

reduced employee and management downtime when out of the office or travelling and resulted in increased productivity.

 
Gerry_Compass
Gerhard Eygelaar
Gerhard Eygelaar, IT Director with Compass Group EMEA, said: “We initially started with 64 users across Africa and the Middle East.  But following a phase of strong business growth, over 1,750 users across the globe now use Cobweb’s Microsoft Hosted Exchange service.  From a cost perspective, as the solution is delivered as a fully managed service, we do not have to employ teams of IT experts.  We simply pay a fixed monthly fee for each user, meaning our costs are predictable and controlled.”
 
He added: “I have been particularly impressed with the way Cobweb has responded to our changing business needs.  We were originally operating on Cobweb’s shared platform which provided us with a reliable email delivery service including upgrades and screening for viruses and spam.  As our business grew, they placed us on a dedicated platform which gives the same robust service we enjoyed previously.  However the new platform gives us the flexibility to expand to an additional 20,000 users over the next couple of years.”
 
Michael Frisby, Business Development Director at Cobweb Solutions commented: “We are delighted to have partnered with Compass Group EMEA division to provide them with a communication solution that meets their global business needs.  With more and more businesses needing mobile access but unsure of the costs, implementation requirements and security concerns, the most cost-effective and practical solution is to outsource to a managed service provider.  That way, companies can get on with the business they know best without having to worry about their IT systems.”
 
Gerhard Eygelaar concluded: “Cobweb www.cobweb.ae has made a significant impact on our business.  With their help I am able to run and control a successful MIS department spanning four continents, directly from my office in Dubai.  Great people, great service, great support!”