How to reduce annual IT operation costs to a 1/4 of the original in 4 months

Client: IWG Project: Acquisition Year: 2017

In 2016 Regus took over a competing business center and operated it initially as a standalone, unintegrated center. This unfortunately meant that Regus was unable to provide its own standard IT services to its end customers

What’s more the IT operation costs for the services provided by a local UK partner were significantly higher than the Regus average.

Our approach

We started off by carrying out a thorough audit of the business center looking at it from an IT environment, IT operations and IT governance perspective and prepared a project scope and time-line. This was used in the business case approval process.

It was highly unusual but really handy in this case, that we were also acting as consultants at a top-management level. Having access to all of the background information (from procurement to IT to HR) as well as the support of the client’s employees helped solve the most sensitive business issues.

Once the client’s investment committee had approved the business case we kicked off the implementation process. We ordered the 3rd party services and products and migrated the centre to the new platforms - all within the agreed time. The centre was now on IWG (Regus) standard infrastructure which meant that the centre could offer its clients the standard IWG IT Service portfolio.

Implemented products, solutions and services

Similar projects are delivered within client’s standards, which influence also the solution(s) applied. New network infrastructure is built on Cisco and Meraki products, phone solution on a customised Asterisk IP PBX platform. Network security, bandwidth management and VPN tunneling is delivered using firewalls from Clavister, a Swedish company.

Business results: OPEX cut to a quarter of what it was

Regus is now providing its standard IT services; the center is fully integrated from both a business and an IT perspective with the global Regus network of business centers.

Annual IT OPEX has been cut from £60,000 to £15,000 and return on investment in just 2 years.

What the Client says