About Wise Investment
Wise Investment is an employee-owned, B Corp certified financial planning and investment management business based in Oxfordshire. Established in 1992, the firm provides personalised financial planning, pensions and retirement advice, inheritance tax and estate planning, and long-term investment management for individuals and families.
The Opportunity
Wise Investment had traditionally relied on on-premises servers to support its technology environment and several important business processes.
As more of the systems used by the firm became cloud based, its existing server infrastructure was approaching a natural point for review. Rather than simply replacing physical hardware, Wise Investment took the opportunity to consider whether continuing with an on-premises model remained the right long-term approach for the business.
The existing environment also supported automated processes that passed information between separate business systems. These integrations were important to the firm’s day-to-day operations and needed to continue functioning as the wider infrastructure was modernised.
The opportunity was therefore broader than a straightforward server replacement. Wise Investment wanted to create a secure, cloud-first workplace that would strengthen its cyber security position, reduce future reliance on physical server infrastructure and allow important automated processes to continue operating seamlessly.
The Solution
Get Support planned and delivered Wise Investment’s transition from its on-premises infrastructure to a modern cloud-based working environment.
Microsoft Intune was introduced to provide centralised management and security control across company devices, while Microsoft Autopilot was implemented to improve and standardise the way computers are configured and deployed to users.
Access policies were established to help ensure company information is accessed from trusted and compliant devices. Mobile device management extended these protections to users accessing business information from mobile phones, while SentinelOne provided additional endpoint protection and monitoring across managed devices.
A particularly important part of the project involved the firm’s existing automation. Rather than losing these processes when the local servers were retired, Get Support rebuilt the required functionality within Microsoft Azure. This allowed separate cloud systems to continue exchanging information and supporting the firm’s operational workflows.
Moving away from physical server infrastructure meant Wise Investment could avoid the immediate capital expenditure associated with replacing ageing server equipment, while freeing valuable office space for alternative use. The new environment also gave Get Support greater oversight of the firm’s technology, reducing reliance on a single internal point of IT knowledge and giving Wise Investment access to the broader expertise of the Get Support technical team.
The Result
The move away from on-premise server infrastructure has delivered benefits well beyond the technology itself.
By retiring the physical server, Wise Investment has removed the need to plan for future replacement of that equipment, reducing the potential for significant capital expenditure as the existing hardware reached the end of its lifecycle. It has freed up valuable office space that can now be put to more productive use.
Moving services into the cloud has helped strengthen Wise Investment’s cyber security position, providing a more modern platform on which security, access and management can be more consistently controlled.
Importantly, the project has changed how the organisation’s IT is managed. Rather than relying heavily on knowledge and responsibility held by a single individual internally, Wise Investment now benefits from greater oversight from Get Support and access to a broader team of technical specialists.
The result is a more secure, resilient and manageable IT environment, with reduced dependence on physical infrastructure and a stronger foundation for Wise Investment’s future requirements.
“Retiring our server has freed up valuable space in the office that we can now use for other purposes, while also reducing the potential capital expenditure associated with replacing physical server equipment.
Moving to the cloud was an important step for Wise Investment and has helped us strengthen our cyber security position. Get Support’s expertise has also made it easier for us to meet the requirements placed on our business.
Just as importantly, we are no longer relying on a single individual to manage our IT. We now have the oversight and support of the wider Get Support team, giving us access to technicians with expertise across a much broader range of areas.”
Robert Blinkhorn, Chief Operating Officer, Wise Investment
