Fortem, a leading property maintenance firm that employs over 1,000 people and undertakes 400,000 responsive repairs each year, is working in partnership with Six Degrees to transition its IT systems to a secure, scalable and future-proofed environment.

The new environment will support Fortem’s continued growth with an optimal IT model that will minimise disruption and risk, and will enable the business to deliver a flexible set of services to clients.

Fortem has offices throughout the UK, and so it is important that the new environment is location-agnostic. Six Degrees delivers Core Infrastructure services to Fortem through its fully owned and operated Tier III+ aligned UK data centres, providing a flexible, scalable platform to host Fortem’s IT systems that is supported by a robust connectivity backbone through Six Degrees’ dedicated Next Generation Network.

Fortem needs to be quick to respond to its clients’ needs, regardless of time and location. An Avaya-based Unified Communications solution will revolutionise Fortem’s communication capabilities, enabling the business to operate a 24×7 multi-channel contact centre that improves user experience and increases customer contact options.

The nature of Fortem’s business operations necessitates high levels of uptime and security. Six Degrees will deliver Business Continuity and Managed Workplace services to provide robust disaster recovery and 24×7 monitoring that ensure the integrity of the environment, in line with operational and regulatory requirements.

Fortem has built out its own IT team to deal with end user incidents and requests, along with the day-to-day management of IT services. This enables the business to deliver user-focused support that allows engineers to build strong relationships and target first time fixes, ultimately resulting in Fortem delivering better services to its clients.

Chris Hone, Systems Director – Business Solutions, says “We have clear aims for the IT transition programme. At the programme’s core is the need for Fortem to continue its sustained growth, and to build on the excellent reputation the business has with its clients throughout the UK.

“The vision that drives the programme is to implement a 24×7 monitored IT infrastructure that is secure and scalable, with future-proofed telephony that enhances our communication and collaboration capabilities. We also want to further increase our in-house technical skills and ensure that users receive the highest possible levels of support.

“Six Degrees will be instrumental in helping Fortem achieve its programme vision and aims. We are leveraging their depth of resource, knowledge and experience to ensure that the entire programme is comprehensively designed, planned, executed and documented. The benefits we gain from our partnership with Six Degrees will be passed on directly to our clients.”

Matthew Brouker, Group Product Director, Six Degrees, says “We are working closely with Fortem to take them on a digital transformation journey that addresses their business challenges and delivers a robust technology platform that supports their ongoing success. Fortem has a broad range of technology requirements, from data centre hosting and connectivity through to advanced unified communications functionality that will enhance the quality of service they deliver to their clients. By leveraging the expertise of Six Degrees through a consultative process, Fortem has been able to design, build and manage the optimal environment that will meet their ongoing needs.”

About Fortem

Established in 2003, Fortem provides a specialist property support service for local authorities, schools and commercial properties tailored to keep homes, learning environments and buildings running smoothly. Our highly trained teams deliver a range of work including plumbing, electrics, gas, plastering, decorating, carpentry, flooring, roofing, fencing, paving and external repairs 24×7. We also have industry-leading Energy Services expertise, specialising in making homes more energy efficient and cheaper and easier to heat, helping families out of fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions.

About Six Degrees

Six Degrees is a cloud-led managed service provider. It works as a collaborative technology partner to businesses making a digital transition.

Always placing clients at the heart of its strategy, Six Degrees’ passionate teams combine technical expertise and deep sector-specific knowledge to innovate, craft and manage the right solutions to power their businesses.

The breadth and strength of Six Degrees’ technology is its foundation. Solutions range from data and application performance management through to colocation and unified communications, all with private, public, or hybrid cloud at its core.

Six Degrees works collaboratively and builds long-term partnerships through exceptional services that match its clients’ needs. It continually innovates the right solutions to enable clients’ brilliance.

For more information, visit www.6dg.co.uk