Less downtime, fewer headaches & more productivity

Location: Takanini, Auckland
Services: Managed IT | Cloud Hosting

About Ross Holdings 

Started by roofing contractors and manufacturers Ian Ross and the late Jim Ross, Ross Holdings is a private company specialising in residential and commercial property development and investment. Ross Holdings pride themselves on designing and creating fabulous developments in great locations. Their most recent developments include Pararekau Island in Karaka and Conmara Estate in Clevedon.

The Challenge
Ross Holdings needed an IT partner who could do more than fix problems as they arose. Having previously worked with a sole IT provider, the business was frustrated by poor communication, downtime and a lack of proactive planning for the future.

“We realised we needed to work with a company that could be proactive and help in a timely manner, while setting us up for the future,” explains general manager Andrew Frost.

Having worked with Fastcom’s GM of Commercial and Risk Dean Cates previously, Andrew already had a level of trust in the business. After doing some research into Fastcom’s capabilities, he felt it could become the trusted IT partner Ross Holdings needed.

Our Solution
When Fastcom came on board a year ago, it reviewed Ross Holdings’ existing IT setup and recommended several changes. The first was removing the in-house server and moving the business to the cloud.

“Straight away the headaches were gone and productivity improved – along with staff morale,” Andrew says. “Removing the server was the best thing we have ever done. There had been days where we’d been at work from 8am but couldn’t start until 10am as we had to wait for the previous IT person to be at work and available. Fastcom has therefore reduced frustrations within the office – we can now come to work confident that we can actually start when we arrive.”

Fastcom now provides ongoing managed IT support, from security and updates to troubleshooting everyday issues. Its team can also access computers remotely to resolve problems quickly, without the need for an onsite visit.

The Result

With Fastcom looking after its IT, Ross Holdings has greater confidence that its systems are secure, reliable and ready when the team needs them.

“Fastcom assists us with anything IT-related, including keeping our security strong and sorting all the updates in the background,” says Andrew. “We have lots of different ad hoc things, and we just call or email our issues through. They’re quick to respond and resolve them. No one in our business is an IT expert (or remotely close to it) so we rely heavily on Fastcom to provide that expertise.”

For a business without in-house IT expertise, having knowledgeable support on hand makes a real difference.

“When you have IT issues, there’s nothing worse or more frustrating, as we all rely so heavily on it,” Andrew says. “Now that we have Fastcom working alongside us, we have confidence that our IT is secure and working on a daily basis. We can work with confidence knowing they’re sitting in behind. They are quick to resolve any issues we throw at them.”

That support extends to the people as well as the technology. Andrew particularly appreciates the help Rahul has provided to Ross Holdings’ 85-year-old founder, who still works from home and occasionally needs IT assistance.

“Rahul has assisted him with all his IT issues, so he’s able to continue doing what he’s doing rather than waiting for someone to turn up at his house,” says Andrew. “I’m thankful Rahul has been assisting in a timelier and more professional manner.”

It’s this combination of technical expertise, responsiveness and a personal approach that has made Fastcom a valued partner.

Take their word for it

Asked what he’d say to other businesses considering their IT support options, Andrew’s recommendation is straightforward:

“Highly recommend they partner with Fastcom, as they are friendly, knowledgeable, reliable, responsive and experts in their field.”
– Andrew Frost, General Manager, Ross Holdings