Client: South Downs National Park Authority

OVERVIEW

The South Downs National Park Authority (SDNPA) – the organisation which manages the South Downs National Park in England – appointed Sota as its primary IT partner in 2020, following a successful bid via competitive tender. The organisation required a UK-based cloud solution for its extensive server platform which supports over 200 users. Sota was selected by the Authority to deliver the cloud migration project, including consultancy and implementation services, as well as ongoing support.

BACKGROUND

The area of the South Downs National Park Authority, which spans the south-east from Winchester, Hampshire in the west to Eastbourne in East Sussex, was designated National Park status in 2010. The area covers a wide variety of landscapes, historic monuments, and archaeological features, as well as numerous important village and town communities. With such an important role to play within the local and national community, the organisation overseeing the National Park needs to ensure that its IT operations are efficient, agile, and secure, whilst also representing best value.

CHALLENGE

When the existing IT services agreement expired, SDNPA was required to run an open and competitive tender. Sota was chosen over twelve competing companies. The challenge was to identify the supplier that best met the brief – offering the most technically appropriate solution, the highest quality resources, and the best value for money. Overall, the successful bid submitted by Sota scored higher than any of the other participants, providing SDNPA with complete confidence in establishing a new long-term partnership.

SOLUTION

Sota’s credentials to deliver professional IT managed services, and to manage complex projects, provided the SDNPA with peace of mind when embarking on the complex migration project.

The SNDPA server platform is now fully hosted in SotaCloud, located in Sota’s secure data centres based in south-east England. The new platform provides stability and security, as well as a high performance experience for users throughout the organisation.  It has excelled during the challenging times of the pandemic, supporting the demands of wide scale remote working. Other IT managed services provided to the SDNPA include:

  • SotaConnect Internet connectivity
  • SotaProtect Backup
  • SotaSupport 24/7 IT Service Desk

RESULT

“We, like any organisation, have IT needs that continually evolve. We are working together with Sota to adapt the technologies we use to ensure our data remains secure, our systems agile enough to meet our business needs, and that the whole package continues to deliver great value to the organisation, ” says IT Strategy Manager at the SDNPA.

Sota is looking forward to a long-term partnership with SDNPA, and is committed to strengthening this successful relationship over the years to come.