Customer Stories: Soha Housing
A comprehensive two-phase server upgrade from planning through to implementation.
“Trustco have been an indispensable partner in helping Soha to plan and implement some major changes to our infrastructure”
James Ryan - Infrastructure Manager at Soha HousingAbout Soha Housing
Soha Housing is a successful, award-winning, community-based housing association working in and around South Oxfordshire and neighbouring districts and counties. They are a mutualised organisation, which mean that members can get involved, influence decisions and shape the future of Soha Housing.
Soha manage approximately 8000 homes in their role as a housing association. It is a social landlord, providing affordable homes for those who prefer to rent, or can’t afford to rent or buy in the private sector.
Housing
Supporting 8000 homes
Formed: 1997
Hybrid working setup
160 staff (approx)
£50m turnover (approx)
Client Challenges
Soha Housing’s unique structure as a community-based housing association demands careful, strategic financial management.
When it came time to upgrade and modernise their IT systems, they contacted Trustco as their key infrastructure partner for their experience and guidance.
Soha aimed to ensure a strong return on investment by selecting reliable, future-proof equipment that would serve them well for many years. At the same time, they were keen to extend the life of their existing infrastructure.
Repurposing legacy hardware was a key part of our approach, maximising value by giving older equipment a renewed purpose within the upgraded environment.
Challenge Overview
Aging, Legacy IT Systems
Competitive Pricing Essential
Install, Deploy and Repurpose Old Equipment
Solutions Implementation
Trustco worked closely with our installation partner and Soha's team to scope, plan, and schedule the replacement of ageing data centre infrastructure. New server hardware was essential to support the growing demands of staff and digital operations.
As a mutualised organisation, Soha operates within strict budgets, with a strong focus on return on investment. To support this, Trustco integrated the repurposing of existing hardware into the project, extending its useful life and maximising value.
The upgrade was delivered in two phases during operational hours, with no downtime for staff and no disruption to Soha's services, meeting both key objectives.
Phase 1 Implementation
Servers Deployed and Configured with ESX 8.0.2 Custom Image
Servers were Added into Soha Existing vCenter
Servers were Decommissioned, Removed from the Rack and Packaged for Transport to a Seperate Satelite Location
Phase 2 Implementation
Old Servers Moved and Deployed into Soha's Satelite Offices (DR Site)
Existing DC Servers were Decommissioned and Re-purposed for a New Deployment
The Results
Faster System Performance
Improved server speed means quicker access to tenant records, maintenance logs, and housing applications. Boosting productivity across departments.
Increased Uptime and Reliability
Newer infrastructure reduces the risk of outages, helping ensure that critical systems like housing management software, finance systems, and communication tools stay online.
Results Overview
Faster System Performance
Increased Uptime & Reliability
Stronger Data Protection
Improved Disaster Recovery
Energy Efficiency
Cloud Ready
Stronger Data Protection
Silicon Route of Trust, TPM, Zero Trust Architecture (verifies every component after boot to validate that nothing has been changed or swapped), firmware threat detection and recovery features.
Improved Disaster Recovery
Modern storage includes built-in backup and failover capabilities, recovery from snapshots on production meaning data can be restored quickly after hardware failure, ransomware, or human error - replicated systems means there's a true DR failover in place.
Energy Efficiency
Newer servers are typically more power-efficient, reducing electricity costs and supporting sustainability goals - increasingly important for public-sector linked bodies.
Cloud Ready
Designed to provide server cloud management, storage support and management, autonomous services, easy integration into public clouds for future growth.
Why Choose Trustco?
Trustco designed, developed and deployed a professional infrastructure upgrade plan which overhauled Soha's systems. Resulting in measurable improvements that help Soha deliver their services to users.
There are many choices out there when it comes to IT hardware and software upgrades. So what makes Trustco different?
Trusted Technical Advisors
Designing infrastructure that was tailored to the client's workflow, data usage and digital ambitions. Vendor agnostic advice and aligned to industry best practice.
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