Building a resilient network foundation for consistent care delivery with Origin Housing

Improved network performance and resilience

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Increased speed and resilience of connectivity

Consistent user experience through virtual desktops

Origin Housing manages more than 7,800 affordable homes across London and Hertfordshire. As a registered social landlord, it provides essential care and support services that help improve the lives of vulnerable residents, including people with learning disabilities and older members of the community.

 

We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Redcentric, which allows us to work together co-managing our services so that we can retain some control and oversight. We’ve worked out the best way to get things done and that’s what we value. Support when we need it, but we can retain light touch management wherever we want to maintain visibility of our services.

Keeping community services connected​

Origin Housing’s staff are focused on delivering essential community and care services, which means they rely on simple, dependable access to desktop applications for day‑to‑day administrative work. With a workforce that includes short‑term contracts and regular staff turnover, technology needs to be easy to use and quick to deploy—so teams can focus their time and energy on supporting residents, not managing IT.​

While Origin’s main headquarters is based at its Eversholt site in London, the majority of its locations are smaller, dispersed offices embedded within residential communities. These include designated spaces within housing properties and specialist care sites, all of which depend on reliable connectivity to support consistent service delivery.​

 

 

Designing a network fit for modern care delivery​

Origin Housing’s existing network infrastructure was no longer able to support the demands of a modern, dispersed care organisation. A comprehensive upgrade was needed to provide reliable access to systems across all locations and to create a platform capable of adapting as needs evolved.​

To achieve this, Origin needed a network that was secure, flexible, and straightforward to manage, one that could support a wide range of sites while maintaining consistency and control. ​

Key requirements included:​

  • A modern, flexible WAN to support changing site connectivity requirements and prepare for the upcoming PSTN switch‑off, with new hardware capable of
    delivering resilient, high‑performance connectivity.​
  • A redesigned LAN environment that made better use of existing hardware, while ensuring the infrastructure could scale to meet future demands.​
  • Secure, centrally managed Wi‑Fi, delivered through a Meraki WLAN solution, that supports centralised management of security, device authentication, and reporting, aligning with a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) framework.​
  • Updated firewall technology to replace end‑of‑life equipment and provide the level of protection required for a security‑conscious, cloud‑connected organisation.

 

Redcentric’s team has been consistent, and we value that consistency in our relationship and our points of contact. There’s an openness to improving things when we need to. We’ve got a level of flexibility in how we manage our services, and we trust Redcentric to proactively deal with any problems that arise and whenever we come to them, we can rely on the team to work hard to solve them. Most organisations are only as good as their engineers, and I’m pleased to say that currently we’ve got a very good set of engineers working with Origin who are really knowledgeable.

How Redcentric helped Origin Housing

Redcentric responded to these challenges by delivering a robust, secure, and high-performance network solution with built-in resilience and fault tolerance.

Connectivity
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Use of broadband connections for routine operations, supplemented by fibre connections in larger offices for enhanced speed and reliability.
RO 2 Service
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For their main office, Origin selected the RO 2 service from BT to support significant cloud migration initiatives, ensuring resilient and robust internet connectivity across approximately 150 workplace settings.
Physical layout and redundancy
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The network was designed with dual physical connectivity entry points, significantly strengthening resilience. This design reduced the risk of single points of failure and helped ensure continuity of service in the event of connectivity issues.
Network design support
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Redcentric worked closely with Origin to support the redesign of the LAN environment, supporting the RO 2 service. This involved reconfiguring network switches to effectively manage dual connectivity routes, ensuring traffic could be handled reliably and efficiently.
Virtual desktops
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Staff can login to virtual desktops and see their applications easily at any location. The servers and Windows environment is managed by Redcentric, all applications are managed by Origin.
Firewalls
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Redcentric provides a managed service for the firewalls, but Origin retain control and have a level of self-management.

 

Measurable benefits for staff and services

Through its modernised network infrastructure, Redcentric has delivered measurable improvements across Origin Housing’s operations.

  • Enhanced network stability and performance: The new setup has improved the reliability and performance of the network, crucial for the smooth operation of Origin’s services.
  • Increased security and compliance: With updated firewalls and a modern WLAN setup, Origin enjoys stronger security measures, protecting sensitive data and client information more effectively.
  • Scalability and flexibility: The network is now more scalable and flexible, ready to accommodate future expansions or changes in operational needs without significant overhauls.
  • Simplified IT management: The integration of services under Redcentric’s management has simplified the IT landscape, allowing Origin’s staff to focus more on their primary responsibilities without being burdened by technical issues.

 

Working with Redcentric has enabled us to achieve a network design that is not only fit for purpose but anticipates future needs. Their strategic input has been invaluable in ensuring that our network is resilient, secure, and capable of supporting our diverse and dynamic operational needs.

Dave Sophocleous, IT Infrastructure Team leader, Origin Housing

 

Looking forward

The close partnership between Origin Housing and Redcentric has established a reliable and efficient network infrastructure
that not only meets the current technological demands but also provides a foundation for future growth. Origin has significantly enhanced operational capabilities in the social housing sector, enabling it to better serve its communities and fulfil its mission.

 

Interested in learning more?

Speak to an expert

redcentric

Redcentric

0800 983 2522 [email protected]