IT consulting services
Where I can help.
- 01
Fractional CTO and IT strategy
Senior IT leadership on a part-time basis, without the cost of a full-time IT director.
- 02
Active Directory and Microsoft 365 reviews
An independent look at Active Directory and Microsoft 365, ending in a written report, a plan and, if you want it, the clean-up.
- 03
Infrastructure and cloud
Server and cloud projects planned and led for you, from moving servers to Azure or AWS to SharePoint and Exchange migrations.
- 04
Network and cyber security
The basics that stop most attacks, done properly: firewalls and UTMs, network separation, access rights and endpoint protection with EDR.
- 05
IT policies and procedures
Written procedures that reduce risk and make IT predictable, from starters and leavers to incident response.
- 06
Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace set up, tidied or migrated, with sign-ins and email properly secured.
- 07
Backup and disaster recovery
Backups that follow the 3-2-1 rule and are tested, plus a plan, and cloud recovery, for keeping the business going.
- 08
Business WiFi and networks
Networks and WiFi planned around your building and how your staff work, with secure links between sites and for home workers.
- 09
Structured cabling and building works
Data cabling and office moves, with advice before building work starts on where everything should go.
- 10
CCTV and door access
IP CCTV and door access planned and installed for your site, with footage you can view from your phone.
- 11
Business internet and wireless links
Usable internet where fibre is slow or missing, and wireless links between buildings and across long distances.
- 12
AI consultation
Practical advice on where AI and automation can save your staff time, and help putting them to work.
- 13
Ongoing IT support
Managed monthly IT support through Birchall Reality, which looks after more than 45 businesses.
- 14
Phone systems and devices
VoIP phones, printers, Apple devices and meeting rooms set up to work with the rest of your IT.
Everything I can help with
Microsoft 365 and identity
Active Directory
Reviews, fixes and clean-ups of Active Directory, including DNS and the services that depend on it.
Active Directory · DNS
Microsoft 365 reviews
Users, licences, apps and SharePoint, checked and tidied so the tenant works the way your business does.
Microsoft 365 · SharePoint
Group Policy and permissions
Group Policy, shared folders, share permissions and security permissions untangled, so access follows people’s roles.
GPO · NTFS permissions · File shares
Azure and Entra ID
Identity, sign-in and cloud resources in Azure, set up securely and kept under control.
Azure · Entra ID
Intune device management
Company laptops and phones enrolled, secured and managed centrally, wherever your staff are.
Intune
Email reviews and migration
Old POP and IMAP mailboxes reviewed and moved into Microsoft 365 without losing mail.
POP · IMAP · Exchange Online
Google Workspace
Google Workspace supported day to day, or moved to or from Microsoft 365 when the business is ready.
Google Workspace · Gmail
Email security and domains
SPF, DKIM and DMARC set up so your email reaches inboxes and can’t easily be spoofed, plus domain and DNS hosting.
SPF · DKIM · DMARC · DNS
Set-ups for sole traders
Domain, Microsoft 365, laptop and SharePoint set up properly from day one for sole traders and new businesses.
Domains · Microsoft 365 · SharePoint
Servers and cloud
Lift and shift to the cloud
On-premises servers and workloads moved to the cloud, planned so the business keeps running throughout.
Azure · Cloud migration
File servers to SharePoint
Shared drives moved into SharePoint and Teams, with folders and permissions planned first.
SharePoint · OneDrive · Teams
Exchange to Microsoft 365
On-premises Exchange moved to Exchange Online or another service, with every mailbox checked.
Exchange · Exchange Online
Physical to virtual (P2V)
Ageing physical servers converted to virtual machines, on site or hosted.
P2V · Virtualisation
Server decommissioning
Old servers retired safely, with data moved and nothing left quietly depending on them.
Cloud backups
Off-site backups that run on their own and are tested, so they restore when you need them.
Backup · Disaster recovery
Disaster recovery and continuity
A written plan for how the business keeps going if a server fails, an office is out of action or data is lost, and tested so it works.
Business continuity · Disaster recovery
Replication and cloud recovery
Snapshots and replication so a failed server can be started in the cloud, such as on AWS EC2, while hardware is replaced.
Acronis · Veeam · AWS EC2
NAS and SAN storage
Shared storage chosen, set up and backed up to suit how much data you hold and who needs it.
NAS · SAN
Scripting and automation
Linux servers, Docker, PowerShell scripts and automated workflows that take repetitive jobs off your staff.
Linux · Docker · PowerShell · Automation
Cyber security
Firewalls and routers
Specified, configured and reviewed, across the brands businesses actually use.
DrayTek · Cyberoam · Sophos · WatchGuard · SonicWall
Antivirus and EDR
Endpoint protection that is deployed everywhere, monitored and actually up to date.
Antivirus · EDR
Least-privilege access
Everyone has the access their job needs and no more, from file shares to admin rights.
Permissions · Admin rights
Incident response and data recovery
Help when something has gone wrong, from a ransomware attack or a breach to lost data: containing it, recovering what can be recovered and closing the gap.
Ransomware · Breach · Data recovery
Security testing with partners
Vulnerability scans and penetration tests arranged with specialist partners, with the findings put right as part of the work.
Vulnerability scanning · Penetration testing
Staff training
Security awareness, phishing tests and Microsoft 365 training, so your staff know what to look out for and how to get more from the tools they use.
Phishing tests · Security awareness · Microsoft 365
Networks and connectivity
Business WiFi
Structured WiFi planned for coverage and capacity, so every room and every device gets a good signal.
UniFi · WiFi
Switches and VLANs
Managed switches, layer 2 VLANs and routing between them, so each kind of traffic stays where it belongs.
VLANs · Layer 2 · Routing
VPNs and branch offices
Secure links between offices and for remote staff, so a branch works like it’s in the same building.
VPN · Site to site
Working from home
Remote access that lets everyone work on the same data at the same time, from the office or home.
Remote access
Point-to-point links
Wireless links between buildings and across long distances, for campsites, campuses and rural sites.
PtP · Wireless bridge
Large and multi-building sites
Site-wide networks combining underground and overhead cabling, point-to-point links, WiFi, switches, VLANs, storage, servers and cloud.
VLANs · Switching
Shared and serviced offices
Multi-tenant buildings and furnished offices, with each tenant separated on its own VLAN and WiFi.
VLANs · Tenant WiFi
Mobile and satellite internet
Connectivity where fibre is slow or missing, and liaising with trusted installers when fibre is on its way.
4G · 5G · Starlink · Fibre
Phones and devices
Phone systems
VoIP and hosted phone systems, including Teams Phone and 3CX, chosen for how your business takes calls.
VoIP · Teams Phone · 3CX
Printers and scanning
Multifunction printers, scan-to-email and managed print, set up so they just work.
Managed print · Scan to email
Apple devices
Macs, iPhones and iPads managed alongside your other devices, using Apple Business Manager.
Mac · iPhone · Apple Business Manager
Meeting rooms
Practical meeting room set-ups: Teams Rooms, video conferencing, screens and digital signage.
Teams Rooms · Video conferencing
Cabling, buildings and sites
Building works and new builds
Advice before the walls close: where data points, cabinets, the fibre ONT and WiFi should go. I can also carry out the work.
Data points · Comms cabinet · ONT
Structured cabling
Building data cabling and office rewires, labelled and documented point by point.
Cat6 · Rewires
Office moves
Office relocations planned and carried out, including remote and temporary offices.
Relocation
IP CCTV
From advice on coverage to installation and remote viewing.
UniFi Protect · Hikvision
Door access control
Fobs, cards and phone entry for doors, managed from one place.
UniFi Access
Strategy, support and AI
Fractional CTO
Senior IT leadership part time: direction, budgets, suppliers and reporting to your board.
IT strategy
Ongoing support
Managed monthly IT support through Birchall Reality, which looks after more than 45 businesses.
Support · Helpdesk
Hardware and licences
The right kit and software licences sourced for you through trusted, licensed suppliers.
Procurement · Licensing
IT due diligence
Independent IT audits when a business is being bought, sold or merged, so you know what you’re taking on.
Mergers · Acquisitions · Audit
IT policies, procedures and SOPs
Written procedures and protocols that reduce risk: starters and leavers, passwords and MFA, data handling, incident response and change control.
SOPs · Policies · Incident response
AI consultation
Where AI can genuinely help your business: agents, choosing models, reasoning, and connecting them to your systems through APIs and MCP.
AI agents · LLMs · API · MCP
Industry systems
Accountants
Sage 50, Sage 200, Payroll, Accounts Production and the Taxation suite, installed, updated and supported.
Sage 50 · Sage 200 · Sage Payroll
Solicitors
Practice systems such as ALB and LEAP, litigation holds on mailboxes, Word templates for legal letters, and remote access while in court.
ALB · LEAP · Litigation hold
Engineering and manufacturing
CAD and design workstations for specialist software such as RevZone, with the storage and networks to match.
RevZone · CAD
Design and video studios
Workstations and storage for Photoshop, Premiere and After Effects, with 2.5G and 10G links to fast NAS storage.
Adobe · 10GbE · NAS
Town and community councils
Records kept for litigation and audit, with reliable backups and clear audit trails.
Audit trails · Backups
Spas
Spa booking systems and the communications around them, kept running.
Booking systems
Self storage
Site management systems such as Storman, and the networks, CCTV and door access they depend on.
Storman
Hotels and hospitality
Guest and staff WiFi, booking and till systems, and CCTV and door access across the building.
Guest WiFi · Booking systems
Schools
Networks, WiFi and devices for staff and pupils, with sensible access controls and reliable backups.
Education
Care homes
Dependable WiFi through the whole building and secure systems for staff and residents’ records.
Care
Healthcare
Practices and clinics with secure systems for patient records, reliable networks and tested backups.
Clinics · Practices
Farms and rural businesses
Connectivity across the land with point-to-point links, 4G, 5G or Starlink, and CCTV for yards and outbuildings.
Rural · Starlink · CCTV
Retail
Tills and card machines on a reliable network, stock systems, CCTV and customer WiFi.
EPOS · Card machines
Online businesses
Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, domains and email deliverability, and secure accounts and backups for the tools you trade on.
E-commerce
SaaS and software companies
Cloud infrastructure, security and fractional CTO support for software businesses as they grow.
SaaS · Cloud
Other sectors I work with
- Architects and surveyors
- Charities
- Churches and community groups
- Construction
- Dental practices
- Estate agents and property management
- Events and wedding venues
- Financial advisers and insurance brokers
- Garages and car dealerships
- Gyms and leisure
- Haulage and logistics
- Holiday parks and caravan sites
- Housing associations and landlords
- Marketing and creative agencies
- Opticians
- Pharmacies
- Pubs, restaurants and cafés
- Recruitment agencies
- Veterinary practices
Every project follows the same three steps.
Research and discovery
I fully immerse myself in your business, and in the issues you’re facing or the changes you’re looking to make. Then I identify the key issues and points we can tackle together.
Proposal and implementation
I work with you to produce an in-depth report on every point and issue, plus a full plan of action for going forward. You can take it or leave it, with no obligation.
Project management and aftercare
We carry out the projects we’ve outlined together, involving you and your staff at every step. At the end I hand over the documentation and training, and can provide ongoing aftercare.
Let’s talk.
