This case study covers IEQ Technology’s move of Thomas & Sons from an aging and outdated environment to a custom cloud architecture in Microsoft Azure.
Thomas & Sons came to us after their previous managed service provider fell short. They needed a partner who could modernize their infrastructure, connect their two locations reliably, and take over day-to-day IT.
A notable achievement was building seven new production servers and a Site-to-Site VPN between both offices, with minimal disruption to McLeod, the dispatch, billing, and imaging platform the company runs on.
Problem
Thomas & Sons ran on an aging and outdated server environment that limited reliability, uptime, and room to grow across two locations. Their previous provider left them without a partner for either daily support or long-term planning.
The goals were to build a secure, scalable infrastructure from scratch, connect both locations, and hand IT operations to a provider who would own the environment, all without disrupting McLeod.
Design strategy
The design phase focused on:
- Cloud-First Architecture: A custom Azure environment to replace the aging infrastructure and improve reliability, scalability, and disaster recovery.
- Secure Multi-Site Connectivity: A Site-to-Site VPN joining both locations into one network.
- Continuity of Operations: Every phase of the migration planned around limiting downtime to critical systems.
Implementation approach
The implementation phase included:
- Server Build-Out: Seven new production servers in Azure, including domain controllers, SQL, and application servers, replacing the legacy environment.
- Active Directory & Network Migration: Domain services rebuilt in the cloud, with the VPN linking both offices.
- McLeod Continuity: The McLeod environment migrated and validated through cutover so dispatch, billing, and imaging kept running.
Solution & results
IEQ Technology replaced the legacy environment with seven new Azure servers and secure VPN connectivity between locations, then took over IT operations for Thomas & Sons.
- Modernized Infrastructure: A scalable, secure cloud environment built for growth.
- Reliable Connectivity: Both locations now work as one dependable network.
- Uninterrupted McLeod Operations: Dispatch, billing, and imaging stayed up through the transition with minimal disruption.
- A Full-Service IT Partner: A responsive managed IT provider handling day-to-day support and the long-term roadmap.
Thomas & Sons now runs on infrastructure built for how they operate, supported by a provider that stepped in where the last one fell short.