Customer Stories | Kingsbury Machine Tools

About Kingsbury Machine Tools

For over 60 years, Geo. Kingsbury Machine Tools Ltd has been supplying high-quality milling, turning, grinding and additive machinery solutions, and backed by unrivalled technical expertise, product knowledge and industry experience.

One of its latest technologies is 3D metal printing, where complex objects can be printed in metal, or an existing part can be remanufactured by layering additional metal onto the existing surface that might have, for example, worn away due to use.

Through their engineering expertise and cutting-edge machine tools, Kingsbury has developed innovative production solutions, machining parts faster and more efficiently than the competition.

The challenge

Kingsbury approached Focus Group to review its existing Storage Area Network (SAN), built on Microsoft Server 2012, alongside its managed service provider (MSP) relationship and wider IT infrastructure.

Our experts quickly identified that much of the technology was ageing and approaching end of life. This included Cisco Meraki firewalls nearing the end of their support period, as well as an outdated LAN and Wi-Fi network. These legacy systems presented potential security risks and were no longer suited to the demands of a modern business. For example, many of the high-tech products Kingsbury now sells and supports rely on Wi-Fi connectivity, yet warehouse Wi-Fi coverage had not been a priority when the original access points were installed.

Although Kingsbury was already using Microsoft 365, it continued to rely on a legacy server running Microsoft Server 2012 and SAN storage. This limited its ability to take full advantage of modern cloud capabilities and support efficient collaboration across the business.

It was clear that Kingsbury needed a more secure, reliable and future-ready IT infrastructure - one that could improve operational efficiency, support its evolving business needs and provide a strong foundation for future growth. Focus Group developed a solution to deliver exactly that.

The solution

Kingsbury now enjoys a fast and robust LAN and Wi-Fi network, providing reliable infrastructure and seamless connectivity for their operations across all three of their sites. Data is easily accessible by their staff and all data is regularly backed up as part of the business continuity plan.

The changes to the security posture of Kingsbury is one of the major changes and this was one of the key drivers of the project, allowing them to meet the necessary standards for Cyber Essentials certification. All users benefit from access to our MSP Premium services which is a UK-based service. This was one of the key factors in Kingsbury choosing Focus Group. Kingsbury had become frustrated by unrecognisable call centres answering their calls and then handing to another call centre for any remedial services; they wanted to be able to see someone if needed.

Our work with Kingsbury not only demonstrates our commitment to enhancing security and increasing productivity but also our dedication to safeguarding organisations from potential future cyber threats.

The results

Focus Group upgraded Kingsbury’s LAN and Wi-Fi infrastructure to HP Aruba, installing OM4 fibre between core and edge cabinets, new Cat5e cabling for wireless access points and deeper edge cabinets to accommodate modern PoE switches. A stacked pair of HP Aruba 1960 switches now provides a resilient network core, with dual 10Gb connections to each edge cabinet to improve bandwidth, reduce latency and balance traffic. The upgrade also introduced Wi-Fi 6 access points for site-wide coverage and a high-availability pair of SonicWall TZ670 firewalls to secure the internet connection. Kingsbury’s remote sites in Warwick and Preston have also been upgraded using the same approach, with SonicWall TZ270 firewalls, HP switching and additional Wi-Fi access points to support more flexible working.

With Microsoft Server 2012 and the existing SAN reaching end of support, Focus Group migrated Kingsbury’s data to Azure Files and deployed the applications that needed to be retained on Azure virtual machines. To prepare for the end of Windows 10 support, we also replaced PCs where required and deployed Microsoft 365 Business Premium alongside Microsoft Intune for improved device management. Dell laptops were supplied with Windows Autopilot to simplify setup and deployment, while Microsoft Intune Privilege Management enables key staff to access elevated permissions when required for specialist software.

Kingsbury is now supported by Focus Group’s Premium Managed Service Provider (MSP) service, providing ongoing IT support and proactive management. Microsoft 365 email and data, together with Azure Files, are backed up to a cloud backup service for additional protection. Intune automates PC updates, while Scappman manages third-party application updates, helping keep devices current and secure. Together, these improvements provide Kingsbury with a more resilient, secure and manageable IT environment that can adapt as the business evolves.

“From the start, we were very clear that as a Company we have no IT Department, so a priority was to work with an IT provider of a size to be able to understand our needs, provide help and local support when required to deliver a significant project for us.

I am very happy with the end result and can see significant improvements, especially when working remotely. Project managed and delivered by a team who often worked out of office hours to deliver the solution with minimal business disruption. We looked at many companies, nearly all tried to steer us in a different direction, so I am confident that we selected the right one for this project and to support us going forward.”

Peter Kingsbury, Operations Director, Kingsbury Machine Tools

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