Case Study: Henson Crisp

An IT refresh for modern working

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Company Name:

Industry:

Financial Advisors

Size:

20+ employees

Project Type:

✅Microsoft Business Premium Set Up
✅Managed Services
✅Network and communications survey
✅Network infrastructure upgrade & deployment
✅WiFi and network segmentation

Case Study Overview

Henson Crisp needed to modernise its IT, security and office network to support day-to-day operations more reliably and securely and prepare for future growth due to their current IT and hardware being outdated and could not support current demands.

Cobweb helped Henson Crisp take control by moving them from reactive, individual-led IT to a managed, secure, and scalable foundation with improved connectivity, clearer ownership, and stronger controls aligned with a regulated environment. The project was managed throughout by our Prince2-certified Project Manager.

Main challenges for Henson Crisp:

Henson Crisp reached a turning point where their IT had been kept running through the knowledge and availability of one long-serving IT consultant. As retirement approached for this consultant, the risk became clear that knowledge, access, and day-to-day decision-making did not have a documented platform, process, or accountable partner.

Key pressures included an inherited network that had evolved without consistent design or documentation, limited visibility and control over legacy and unmanaged equipment, inconsistent WiFi coverage across the premises, and no clear accountability for ongoing IT health and security. Connectivity was also becoming a constraint; what had once been an acceptable internet performance was now impacting staffs’ productivity and day-to-day operations. At the same time, cyber risk continued to rise, particularly in a regulated financial services environment where email-borne threats and impersonation are common attack vectors.

Cobweb’s Solution:

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Following conversations and thorough consultations with Cobweb, Henson Crisp needed to implement a managed, secure, & accountable IT platform. The aim was to establish clearer responsibility, strengthen security, and develop an IT environment capable of reliably supporting the company’s growth.

Cobweb conducted an on-site survey of the networking and communications infrastructure which pinpointed areas where upgrades were necessary to better meet the needs of the business.

Using these findings, Cobweb implemented a comprehensive network refresh. Key improvements included:

upgrading the communications cabinet to securely house modern equipment
decommissioning outdated connectivity
replacing ageing switches with a centrally managed core network
introducing a dedicated security gateway

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New ceiling WiFi, segregated guest networks, and full remote management were implemented, alongside a broadband upgrade from 7Mbps to 1Gbps to remove bottlenecks and improve performance.

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Cobweb also upgraded Henson Crisp from Microsoft 365 Business Standard to Microsoft 365 Business Premium to reinforce their identity security and device control, to unlock advanced security and management features like Entra ID Conditional Access, all set to best practice. This included setting up identity and access management, conditional access policies, cloud applications and productivity settings, and threat protection controls, where every change thoroughly documented, with a structured, well-governed setup that supports compliance requirements.

Henson Crisp decided to adopt Cobweb’s Managed Service for ongoing 24/7 proactive management and clear accountability across their IT environment, ensuring they had continuous monitoring, maintenance, and support, with defined ownership for daily operations. Henson Crisp’s email threat risk was also heavily reduced by deploying Mimecast Critical Protection, adding an extra layer of security against attacks and impersonation.

The Outcomes:

Henson Crisp now operates with a secure and resilient IT platform that is no longer reliant on one individual. Cyber controls have been strengthened to better align with a regulated financial services context. Overall, their IT has moved from a background worry to a dependable service that supports staff productivity and leadership confidence.

A secure, well‑configured Microsoft Business Premium environment that supports productivity, modern security & compliance expectations
Improved identity and device security, with 24/7 monitoring and management to reduce risk and downtime
A centrally managed network core that is easier to maintain, scale & support
Ongoing protection & oversight at the network edge, reducing exposure to threats through managed routing & a dedicated security gateway
Stable & reliable internet connectivity has removed day‑to‑day disruption
Protection against email‑borne threats/impersonation attacks
Clear separation between internal systems & guest access, improving overall security/reducing the impact of potential breaches
Less frustration for users & greater confidence knowing IT systems are secure, reliable & fit for purpose

Following the retirement of our IT consultant, it was clear we needed a well overdue update to our network. As we had an existing relationship with Cobweb for Microsoft licences, it seemed the logical step was to contact them regarding our network upgrade. Matt and Phil attended our site to review our existing system and helped us with a temporary solution to ensure we were supported whilst they created a network plan for us. They are both friendly and knowledgeable, with the ability to explain in terms which I could understand. The recommended equipment has made a big difference to the efficiency of the business. Matt provided a very thorough network map and detailed documentation to fulfil our compliance requirements. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Matt and Phil with any network upgrades, or from scratch, I trusted them to make the recommendations for equipment and installation, which were proportionate to our needs.

– Georgina Bellinger, Operations Director at Henson Crisp

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