Peregrine Bryant
London based architects, interior designers and conservation specialists established in 1994 partnered with Unicorn in 2005.
“Having such a strong relationship with our IT supplier, knowing that our part-time IT Director would undertake monthly visits to the office, was a big selling point with Unicorn’s personalised service”.
Neil Roberts
Background
Peregrine Bryant had started to outgrow its IT infrastructure could see the opportunities that modern technology would bring to their architectural services and consultation practice. Enhancing efficiency, improving communication security and enabling safe remote access to customer files and business applications.
“Unicorn were recommended to us. We wanted a reliable IT supplier used to dealing with a business of our size. They were a great match with our supplier values” says Neil Roberts from Peregrine Bryant.
Building strong relationships
Peregrine Bryant hired Richard as their part-time IT Director to work alongside their executive team. They had for a number of years been working with the limitations of an inadequate IT system; limited by the lack of technology infrastructure because of the protected status of their office building.
“We needed a supplier who understood our business and how to apply IT to the special way that we like to work. Although we are a small company, Richard always listened to our concerns and we have built up a strong level of trust with him” Neil recalls.
As an architectural practice, Peregrine Bryant use CAD software to work on and store the client design drawings: “With a large number of digital assets it has always been a top priority to protect sensitive data and secure access to files and client information” says Neil. “In addition, with a growing practice it has been critical that team members can access files and protect the integrity of the system, even when working remotely.”
Proactive monitoring
Over the years Richard has amassed deep insights on the Peregrine Bryant business. And that knowledge along with the strong relationship has meant that when the team had a question or IT issue to address, Richard could rapidly deploy a suitable solution.
“Richard has had first-hand knowledge of the consequences of an IT issue and would proactively monitor and advise on pre-emptive measures to avoid hardware, peripherals and software problems” says Neil. “To Peregrine Bryant, having such a strong relationship with our IT supplier, knowing that our part-time IT Director would undertake monthly visits to the office was a big selling point with Unicorn’s personalised service”.
A dedicated single point of contact you can trust
The Peregrine Bryant office is located in London, employees often travel and require remote access to files and software applications. So, the requirement for an upgraded secure access in the office and for remote working was a key factor in the choice and set up of the IT system.
“Richard always listened, he knew our technology requirements and the role IT played with the work we do and he provided good advice” says Neil. “Richard has always been patient with us. As a company we take our time to ensure we make the right decision, investing in IT was no different. He provided a no-pressure environment to make sure we had the space to make the right decision no matter how long it took”.
As Peregrine Bryant has steadily grown its capacity to meet client needs, a physical limitation because of the size of the office has meant the necessity for some team members to work remotely.
“Having the monthly face to face meetings which Richard provided an opportunity to spot potential issues before they happened. And with the introduction of the GDPR legislation we are keen to protect data and keep our reputation intact” says Neil.
A Fully Managed IT Service
Having a part-time IT Director who has a direct relationship with the business owner is part of Unicorn’s unique proposition. A fully flexible and scalable IT service that monitors IT systems round the clock, ensuring data is always safe, protected and secure. With a help desk team available to respond to questions by phone and screen-share, working in tandem with the part-time IT Director.
With Peregrine Bryant they were looking for an IT vendor who shared the same business values as they did. Going beyond just fixing problems, somebody they could trust, who proactively learned their business to be able to offer the best solutions.
