“The partner we chose had to be knowledgeable, utterly trustworthy and have relentless attention to detail so they could spot anything we might have missed. With CAE, we’ve felt entirely confident. Without their expertise, this would have been a high-risk venture… We could have gone with bigger IT partners, but I don’t think they would have provided the engagement, services, and consistency we’ve received from CAE. Our partnership has been exactly what we needed.” - Adrian Hollister, Head of IT and Cyber Security, ASI

Delivering 'a model office' to virtually anywhere

For more than 20 years, Adam Smith International (ASI) has worked with officials world-wide to tackle challenges around poverty, generating growth and strengthening institutions. Current projects are based in countries that include Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria, and Somalia. 

ASI’s teams needed secure and reliable IT services available to them everywhere, including hostile locations where any interception of classified data could put people’s lives in danger. 

The Challenge 

CAE had the task to deliver consistent IT services to 250 employees and 1500 associates world-wide, replace aging and unreliable systems with scalable services that are simple to manage whilst making IT available securely in every location, from city offices to bunkers in war zones. And with operatives working in sensitive locations, any security breaches involving the loss of classified information could place lives in danger so robust protection was essential. 

A ‘Model Office’ 

CAE created a blueprint where staff in an ever-increasing number of countries can use Microsoft Office 365, EMS and SharePoint Online, running off a Cisco Meraki firewall, switch, and access points. With everything configured in the UK, shipped to the location, plugged in, and powered up, the ‘Model Office’ with laptops and systems is ready to go at any location at any time – from Melbourne to Mogadishu. 

The Outcome 

CAE delivered the ‘Model Office’ with laptops, applications, and connectivity to teams world-wide. Staff can access professional IT services, whether they’re in an office, shanty town or at home, safe in the knowledge that with robust security applied across the network, sensitive data is safe, and lives are protected. 

The full transformation to cloud-based solutions has solved huge challenges 

ASI employees no longer struggle with inflexible infrastructures, impossible troubleshooting and unreliable systems that lack vendor support. Now they can see more of their IT estate world-wide as the Model Office is rolled out to more locations every month and the team can deliver consistent, high-quality IT services without adding to their own headcount.