“It’s crucial to align growth with strategy. As we onboard more customers, we must also manage our internal resource levels efficiently. By utilizing the automation that RMM can bring to us, we are offered a solution, enabling customer expansion without a corresponding increase in headcount”
“We are laser-focused on applications and services. At this moment in time, our priority is to continually improve our Asio & RMM instances, constructing a more automated, more integrated platform.”
The ConnectWise Partnership
EBC Group, a managed service provider (MSP) based in the UK, has been a fixture in the IT services space for more than 35 years. Originally focused on communications and managed print solutions, they transitioned to provide comprehensive IT services to both national and international clients.
Now operating three state-of-the-art data centers—in Halesowen, Birmingham and another in Bristol, EBC Group has accelerated its growth, quickly.
Ben Ridgway, Head of Service at EBC, oversees all support and service-related aspects within the organization. Notably, he has also been part of three organizations that have used various iterations of ConnectWise.
“When I joined the organization some years ago, ConnectWise adoption was still in its infancy. We were able to quickly integrate ConnectWise tools into our operations and immediately moved all support tickets to ConnectWise PSATM for better ticketing management.”
Suffice it to say, his familiarity … and advocacy for ConnectWise runs deep.
“Over the course of the last 12 months, we've really ramped up with our commitment to ConnectWise PSATM which is now the operational hub of our business, supporting our business processes and increasing efficiencies. We also migrated from ConnectWise Automate to ConnectWise RMMTM leveraging the ConnectWise SOC which has allowed us to provide a fully co-managed MDR and SIEM platform. Even though we’re now a fully-fledged operative of ConnectWise we always have our eyes on the horizon and firmly believe ConnectWise is the Partner we need to propel us.”
Admittedly with transitions, multiple on-boardings and major shifts can cause an organization to feel some … as Ridgway coins it … ‘change pain.’ However, EBC credits ConnectWise for its guidance, innovation, tools and community to achieve optimum performance.
“I think everything has integrated well and met objective timescales. ConnectWise provides us constant and consistent guidance to move things forward and continuously improves our services. We have a regular catch-up with our partner development manager and with our success managers. We feel like we have the relationship and resources we need to be successful,” said Ridgway.
Ridgway gives a special nod to ConnectWise and the UK team that he works closely with.
“It’s evident to me that ConnectWise is working hard to simplify its approach, creating a platform to build upon. Despite the size [of ConnectWise], I feel like they hear us and maintain a personal touch to understand our business challenges.”
ConnectWise AsioTM: A Future-Forward Platform Solution
Ridgway provided some detail around the process improvements and results already taking shape.
“Our incident and change management processes were completely redesigned with the adoption of ConnectWise PSATM allowing us to leverage workflow automations and reduce the time taken with manual tasks. Prior to migrating the ConnectWise AsioTM platform, we had evaluated the potential of running an in-house Security Operations Centre (SOC), but ultimately found that benefits of partnering with ConnectWise to provide a co-managed solution far outweighed that of running an in-house capability.”
By transitioning from the previous tool (Automate) to Asio and RMM (Remote Monitoring and Management), Ridgway’s organization significantly improved efficiencies. Asio is simplifying operations for EBC, making it easier to manage and monitor systems without requiring constant attention.
“It’s crucial to align growth with strategy. As we onboard more customers, we must also manage our internal resource levels efficiently. By utilizing the automation that RMM can bring to us, we are offered a solution, enabling customer expansion without a corresponding increase in headcount,” said Ridgway.
The greatest deliverable, however, might be the intangibles: a boost in morale and peace of mind.
“By going down the route of a co-managed solution with the ConnectWise SOC & NOC, it means that our team can rest easier at night. We know that our systems are constantly monitored and addressed. It turns down the noise by prioritizing alerts for us. This level of detail allows our team to proactively address the problems.”
In the coming months, EBC plans to deepen its engagement and commitment to development and solutions integration. The priorities are clear:
“We are laser-focused on applications and services. At this moment in time, our priority is to continually improve our Asio & RMM instances, constructing a more automated, more integrated platform.”
