AVD solution helps MSI Reproductive Choices UK maintain and enhance IT services for its user-base

Key facts

MSI UK see more than 100,000+ clients each year, have a network of more than 70 clinics across England and operate a national call centre in Bristol. In 2023 alone, their call centre dealt with a record-breaking 266,021 calls, 87,064 webchats (all through the live webchat on their website), processed 103,769 booking forms, completed 98,218 medical consultations and offered 62,664 clients post treatment care. Some of their clients can have complex safeguarding needs/be at risk of harm: in 2023, MSI UK handled 15,877 safeguarding concerns.  

The Challenge

SMSI UK was exploring options to facilitate remote working and business continuity. It had already been decided to migrate to an Azure Virtual Desktop solution yet needed to drastically accelerate its implementation to maintain essential access for its healthcare providers as its disaster recovery provider was going into administration. The in-house IT team lacked available resources to implement the required changes to its platform in the time available. MSI UK needed to find a provider capable of rapidly implementing a replacement, so it contacted its longstanding technology partner, Softcat, to explore suitable options.

Critical success factors

• Facilitate remote working for MSI UK users

• Accelerate implementation of AVD solution to maintain essential IT services

The Solution

“Following our initial scoping discussions, we decided a professional services solution would be the preferred option,” said Paul Cepek Technical Solutions Manager, MSI UK. “We knew all about Softcat’s track record of delivering managed services and were also aware of its widespread capabilities with Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) implementations. It was also important to consider the extremely short timescale we were working to and, as is ever the case in the charity sector, do what we could to minimise the cost of any proposed solution. We contacted our Softcat Account Manager, Lian Staunton, who brought her colleagues on board to define a suitable solution.”

“A few discovery calls took place with Paul and his team to better understand what MSI UK needed,” said Adam Young, End User Consultant (ECU) Specialist, Softcat. “It was clear that we needed to replicate, and improve wherever possible, its existing provision, secure the best value deal we could and get it up and running as quickly as possible.

“We put in place an immediate fix to keep services running and then deployed our AVD adoption accelerator service to move the process along quickly. Our Specialists worked alongside the MSI UK team to replicate existing provision. They also secured Microsoft funding to fully finance the deal.”

“Softcat involved us in every part of the implementation,” said Paul. “As a healthcare provider, security of both our systems and data is critical. With our limited in-house capabilities around AVD we would have struggled to get the right security features in place in such a short time. Thanks to Softcat’s Specialists, we were able to accelerate the overall implementation and rapidly get it configured to our precise specifications.

“Throughout the engagement, Softcat provided the highest levels of technical support. Its consultants went above and beyond to meet our deadline. They’re proactive, extremely approachable and the knowledge they bring to every engagement is a real value add. They provided the training we needed to get the solution operational and were there to shadow the team while it familiarised itself with the new platform. And with ongoing support and service reviews built into the deal, we can rely on their help and advice for the lifetime of the agreement.”

Solution highlights

• Close collaboration to clarify specific user and organisational requirements

• AVD adoption accelerator service solution implementation ahead of tight deadline

• Ongoing technical training, service reviews and support to achieve best value from solution

​The Benefits

“Thanks to Softcat’s rapid intervention, MSI UK has been able to continue providing its much-needed services without interruption,” said Paul. “It stepped in when we needed a quick fix, but its solution will deliver a range of benefits for years to come. We now have a scalable, flexible platform that enables the organisation to respond effectively to changing working practices, increases in demand for access to IT and, thanks to its professional services element, it’s all much simpler to for us to manage.

“Thanks to its close working relationship with Microsoft, Softcat secured full funding for the solution and its associated professional services. As a charity, driving down the cost of delivering our services is critical and Softcat’s enabled us to access improved capabilities without impacting our capacity to fund everything else we do for our clients.

“Softcat walked us through the implementation and went to great lengths to ensure we received the training and insight we need to get the most value out of the solution. Now that we’ve familiarised ourselves with the new platform, we’ve learned there are additional costs over and above the obvious ones involved in using Azure’s cloud-based services. However, the solution provides the flexibility we need to finetune provision to achieve best value. We’re now using a blended approach where a combination of on-premise and cloud-based services enable us to deliver high-quality services and full Disaster Recovery capabilities for our UK-based locations while minimising ongoing costs.”

Benefits at a glance

• Hands-on training and knowledge sharing throughout solution implementation

• Fully funded through a Microsoft grant

• Scalable, flexible platform providing global access to high-quality services

  ​​​​​

Why Softcat?

“This was one of the biggest professional services projects we’ve ever undertaken,” said Paul. “Its success has led to other engagements with Softcat, and it’s become our go-to technology partner. Of course, we use other providers, but Softcat’s now our default first port of call.

“For us it’s about the value add that Softcat delivers. Working with its Specialists and Account Managers is always productive and rewarding and it does all it can to ensure a fit-for-purpose solution for the challenges its clients face. Those Specialists maintain an ongoing dialogue to keep us up to date with technological developments, share essential knowledge and highlight trade shows and events where we can gain additional expertise. It really is a partner relationship and having access to Softcat’s expertise on tap is hugely valuable.”