John Fowlers LLP: Building a secure, resilient IT foundation_

Key takeaways_

  • John Fowlers LLP’s growing, multi‑site legal practice needed a more resilient IT foundation to reduce risk and support day‑to‑day operations.
  • Infinity Group stabilised and modernised the environment, delivering consistent IT across all locations while embedding security through Secure Core and Microsoft best practice.
  • The firm now benefits from reliable systems, reduced cyber risk, Cyber Essentials confidence and the ability to plan and grow without worrying about IT.

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About John Fowlers LLP_

Founded in 1924, John Fowlers LLP is a long‑established legal practice serving individuals and businesses across Colchester and North Essex. As the firm grew, it expanded into multiple office buildings, increasing reliance on technology to support day‑to‑day legal work and client communication.

Email, document access and system availability are critical to the firm’s operations, meaning IT reliability and security are fundamental to both productivity and client service.

“It gives us real peace of mind. Everything works, security looks after itself in the background and we know Infinity Group are on top of things. That confidence means we can focus on running the business instead of worrying about IT.

Neil Watts

Managing Partner

The challenge_

By 2022, John Fowlers LLP had outgrown its existing IT setup. The firm was supported by a one-man band for IT support, who, while technically capable, no longer had the capacity to support a growing, multi‑site legal practice.

Over time, the firm had expanded into four separate buildings, each with inherited network infrastructure. This resulted in inconsistent performance and an environment that had been ‘bolted together’ rather than designed as a whole. The tipping point came when a major Outlook outage left staff without email access for several days (and weeks for some users), severely impacting communication with clients.

The firm needed a partner that could stabilise the environment, reduce risk and support future growth, rather than simply react to issues as they occurred.

“Email had become absolutely central to how we work, so losing it had a huge impact. That was the point where we realised we needed something a lot more robust.

Neil Watts

Managing Partner

The solution_

Infinity Group worked with John Fowlers LLP to stabilise and modernise its IT environment, ensuring it could reliably support a growing, multi‑site legal practice.

The priority was to provide managed IT support at a scale that matched the business. Infinity Group took responsibility for day‑to‑day IT operations across end‑user devices, Microsoft 365, servers and network infrastructure, immediately removing reliance on a single individual and giving the firm access to a wider team with the capacity to handle both routine issues and complex, business‑critical incidents.

Infinity Group addressed the disconnected IT environment by reviewing and upgrading infrastructure across all sites, replacing and upgrading hardware where required. The result was a consistent, stable IT experience across all locations, significantly reducing disruption for staff and creating a reliable foundation for day‑to‑day legal work.

And once the environment was stabilised, Infinity Group introduced proactive IT planning, providing visibility of device and infrastructure age, refresh cycles and future risks. This replaced reactive decision‑making with a clear roadmap, allowing the firm to plan investment, manage budgets and avoid unexpected failures.

Built‑in security that reduces risk without adding complexity_

Alongside stabilising IT operations, Infinity Group embedded security as a core part of the platform, rather than treating it as an add‑on.

Microsoft 365 security hardening and identity protection were implemented early, aligning the environment to recognised best practice and building progressively towards Cyber Essentials compliance.

To provide continuous protection without increasing the burden on staff, Infinity Group deployed Secure Core. Secure Core delivers automated security controls, continuous monitoring and ongoing alignment with Microsoft best practice: providing always‑on protection without requiring day‑to‑day involvement from internal teams. For a legal practice, this was deliberately implemented in a way that was largely invisible to users, allowing staff to focus on client work rather than technology.

“Security just happens in the background now. Everything’s automated and it’s noticeable by the absence of issues. We don’t need to think about it - we know it’s being looked after.

Neil Watts

Managing Partner

The Infinity Group approach_

Infinity Group’s approach was focused on designing out risk. Rather than applying short‑term fixes, the priority was to create a platform that would remain stable, secure and manageable as the firm continued to grow. By treating IT and security as part of a single, joined‑up platform, Infinity Group ensured improvements delivered lasting value rather than incremental complexity.

Alongside the technology, Infinity Group placed strong emphasis on partnership and accessibility. Senior stakeholders had direct access to technical leadership, ensuring issues were handled pragmatically, escalated appropriately and resolved quickly. This avoided unnecessary delays and ensured decisions were made in the context of the firm’s wider priorities, not just technical considerations.

Regular reviews and forward‑looking roadmaps enabled John Fowlers LLP to move away from reactive decision‑making. With clear visibility of infrastructure health, refresh cycles and future risks, the firm can plan investment confidently, manage budgets effectively and avoid unexpected disruption as systems age.

“Infinity Group give us confidence that our IT and security are being properly looked after. Everything works, it’s managed proactively and we know we can rely on them to handle issues quickly and pragmatically.

Neil Watts

Managing Partner

Outcomes and benefits_

  • Improved stability: Minor IT outages have been eliminated, with consistent performance across all buildings, enabling seamless operation
  • Reduced risk: Cyber security is embedded and continuously managed, with the company now having achieved Cyber Essentials certification to boost credibility in their industry
  • Future‑proofed infrastructure: John Fowlers now benefits from modern, standardised network designed to support the firm for the next 15–20 years
  • Increased efficiency: Fewer disruptions mean staff can focus on client work, helping to boost productivity and profitability
  • Greater confidence: Proactive monitoring and planning reduce uncertainty and unexpected costs

And most crucially, despite the upfront investment required by John Fowlers in the initial stages of the project, it’s all been worthwhile. With Infinity Group managing IT and security proactively, leadership can focus on running and growing the business, helping to fuel profitability.

“We knew a lot of investment was going to be needed, but it’s absolutely been worth it. Everything is now stable, secure and properly managed, and that gives us confidence that the business is protected and set up for the future.

Neil Watts

Managing Director

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