Dacorum Borough Council

Dacorum Borough Council has appointed SysGroup to undertake a full IT infrastructure refresh to modernise its private cloud, materially improve performance, and strengthen cyber resilience. The programme is set to replace legacy platforms with the latest FSAS compute nodes, a 25/100GbE network switching upgrade, NetApp All-Flash storage, and a VMware vSphere Private Cloud. The outcome will be a high-performance, secure, and operationally resilient platform, delivered by a trusted partner with over a decade of proven delivery experience for the Council.

Challenge

Ageing infrastructure constrained application performance and scalability. Rising cyber risk required stronger, integrated protection without operational complexity. The Council needed a low-risk transformation delivered by a partner that understood its environment and governance requirements.

Solution

We designed and delivered an end-to-end infrastructure refresh proposal that contained:

• Latest-generation FSAS compute for higher density and efficiency
• New high-performance, low-latency network switching for the core infrastructure
• NetApp All-Flash storage with ONTAP One for unified data management and cyber resilience
• Systems that were compatible with the existing data protection solution
• VMware vSphere Private Cloud enabling consistent operations and future hybrid-cloud readiness

Outcomes

Enhanced Cyber Resilience

Dacorum Borough Council’s infrastructure refresh programme is the foundation for a modern, high-performance private cloud with enhanced cyber resilience and system performance. The platform will ensure reliable service delivery today while providing a secure, scalable foundation for future transformation.

• Immutable snapshots protecting against ransomware and accidental deletion
• Autonomous Ransomware Protection detecting abnormal behaviour early
• End-to-end encryption safeguarding sensitive data
• Role-based access and secure multi-tenancy supporting strong governance
• Rapid recovery enabling fast restoration of critical services

Operational Resilience

• Standardised, integrated architecture that reduced management overhead and risk
• Built-in redundancy across all components to improve availability for frontline services
• Scalable foundation for future digital initiatives such as Hybrid Cloud projects

Business Value

We acted as a trusted value-added reseller and delivery partner, building on a relationship of more than 10 years of success.

• Trusted advisor with deep understanding of the Council’s environment
• End-to-end ownership of the project from design through implementation and support
• Strong focus on value realisation, knowledge transfer, and long-term outcomes for the Council and its customers in the local communities