DATAPAC PROVIDES IT INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADE TO MASON HAYES & CURRAN

31 January 2012

Top tier law firm Mason Hayes & Curran has completed an extensive IT infrastructure upgrade across the organisation. The upgrade, which took place over an 18-month period, saw an investment of over €500,000 to improve operational efficiencies and IT security. A key element of the programme was the development of a dedicated cloud infrastructure, unique in the legal sector in Ireland.

The development of the private cloud infrastructure with their technology partners, Datapac, will see approximately 85% of the firm’s server moving to a VMWare platform.  This technology brings Mason Hayes & Curran in line with best IT industry practice globally, maximising hardware potential, improving overall energy management and reducing their cost base and expenditure.  A further added advantage is that servers can now be backed up and restored in a fraction of the time it took using traditional hardware.  According to a recent study by IBM, where cloud computing has been used around the world, IT labour costs have reduced by 50% and improved capital utilization by 75%.  

Commenting, Philip Nolan, Partner, Mason Hayes & Curran who leads the legal technology team said, “This infrastructure upgrade is part of a long-term strategic development programme to support Mason Hayes & Curran’s increasing client base, which includes some of the leading technology companies in Ireland.  It is important that we use the technology to its maximum to streamline our operation.  The level of sophistication and flexibility the new infrastructure will provide, gives us the confidence that we are making the right long-term decision.  We differentiate ourselves with a commitment and ethos of putting the client first, protecting their interests with heightened security and providing real added value to their business.”

The dedicated infrastructure package has seen Mason Hayes & Curran upgrade their email system to a redundant Microsoft Exchange 2010 platform to cope with the ever increasing volumes of email. In conjunction with this, Mason Hayes &Curran have rolled out “Office 2010”, an upgraded email filing and document management system and an electronic search and retrieval system for documents.  This enables lawyers to have immediate access to information and files, allowing Mason Hayes & Curran to respond to clients faster and more cost-effectively. 

David Kirby at Datapac, said, “Mason Hayes & Curran is an innovative and forward thinking law firm and could see at an early stage the benefits cloud computing can bring to its business. The firm has experienced significant growth over the last numbers of years and wanted to upgrade its entire IT infrastructure. We worked closely with the firm to develop a private cloud solution that ensures the security of all its critical and confidential data and allows them to easily scale its IT infrastructure as they continue to grow.”

The IT upgrade is part of a long-term strategic expansion of the firm with staff now numbering over 280, including 57 Partners and Consultants across areas such as technology, financial services, taxation, and commercial litigation. 

« Go Back