London – 8 August 2008 - AppSpeed Distribution is a leading value added distributor focusing on Citrix and Server Based Computing solutions and is today known as one the most innovative providers of IT applications in the UK.

As an IT start-up itself AppSpeed faced a number of unique challenges as it strove to build its own IT infrastructure from scratch.  As specialists in its field, AppSpeed knew all too well the pitfalls of IT infrastructure design and how resource intensive managing and supporting IT applications can be. However it also recognised that technology enables business productivity and were determined to practice what it preached from ground zero.

As a specialist Citrix and server based computing solution distributor AppSpeed had a head start in identifying best-of-breed solutions that fitted its own business need within an outsourced framework.

Stepping up to the task required making sure that the internal infrastructure was built to cope with current needs and also be rapidly scalable in-line with massive growth forecasts. Intercept IT was therefore the natural choice when it came to providing solutions for a consistent and efficient user environment.

Ambitious ideas, difficult beginnings
As an ambitious entrepreneur, Mark Lardner, managing director, AppSpeed, decided to do everything from first principles. Leaving nothing to chance and keen to tailor every aspect according to his vision, Mark redefined every element in the mix. CRM, invoicing systems, financial advice and finding the highest performing channel partners were all top priorities and had to be handled personally.

Mark commented: “Anyone who is starting up a distribution company or any other company for that matter will know what it’s like to get things going and constantly have issues that threaten the survival of the business. My vision of being a distributor with ‘bite’ was being seriously undermined by a lack of appropriate IT infrastructure.”

Value led performance with security and flexibility Finding the right system, making sure it works to exacting standards and installing it with the minimum fuss was a journey Mark knew he had to embark on straight away.

AppSpeed’s success depended on ensuring that the latest line of business applications were highly available. At the same time, secure storage was needed which could handle the very large amounts of data needed by the business. Thus, flexibility was important to the procurement process as well as efficiency and security.

Mark continued: “Realising that I had to set up an IT system that was both scalable and robust enough to cope with massive data needs with a limited budget gave me a big headache.”

Aggressive pricing model, reassuring skills set Given the benefits of SBC it was appropriate that AppSpeed selected a hosted solution from Intercept – OnlineDesktop, a pay-as-you-go computing model. 

The flexibility of provisioning applications and constant access to data, along with its safe and secure management is a tremendous responsibility.  However in outsourcing this to Intercept, AppSpeed has been able to focus on what it does best – supplying the channel with best-of-breed SBC solutions.

Mark noted: “A supplier needed to convince me that they could deliver what they promised. I knew Intercept were on my wavelength when they explained how the system was setup, when it could be delivered, and the simple cost per user, per month pricing model. I liked the aggressive approach to getting things done – that’s something I can relate to.”

OnlineDesktop provides AppSpeed with a comprehensive IT infrastructure that includes not only the complete Microsoft Office suite but also Outlook, CRM, Accounting, centralised storage and integration with Blackberry email.

Inherent to OnlineDesktop is business continuity and disaster recovery.  As an outsourced solution AppSpeed does not have to worry about downtime.

“We have been using OnlineDesktop for some time now and it’s as reliable as our electricity supply – it is always there and it’s always on, we just take it for granted,” commented Mark Lardner.

As and when applications are upgraded, the users seamlessly have access to the latest version.  If new application access is required, it can be provisioned in a mater of minutes, delivering significant productivity enhancements.

As AppSpeed is growing organically, it is crucial that new employees can start and be productive immediately.  Through the flexibility afforded by OnlineDesktop, services can be provisioned immediately to new users and AppSpeed can budget accordingly, knowing in advance the exact cost of adding new users.

Mark added: “I need things done correctly the first time. And I want them done with minimal fuss and to high standards of excellence. My customers are like that too. They do not want to hang around, and also want their needs to be fulfilled pretty quickly. That’s why I think I found a real winner with Intercept. I can work with them knowing that winning is their passion too.”