Advanced 365 won a five-year contract with Cazenove Capital to provide and manage its IT infrastructure encompassing dual data centres, networks, servers and storage. Advanced 365 is also providing a range of services from hosting support and service desk for email, monitoring, backup and disaster recovery, through to the hosting of all business specific applications including Cazenove Capital's trading and settlement systems.

Stewart Norwood, Director, Head of IT, Cazenove Capital says, "Our data centres, networks, servers and storage were being managed in-house by Cazenove Group plc. As part of de-merging from the Group, there was a requirement to move Cazenove Capital's IT across to a separate, dedicated infrastructure."

Cazenove Capital considered managing and hosting its IT infrastructure in-house but it soon became clear that both strategically and economically, outsourcing it to a specialist IT provider was the best-fit solution.

"An outsourced IT provider can deliver an evolving and flexible service and due to economies of scale, it should also be able to provide high service levels very economically", comments Norwood.

After an extensive tendering, due diligence and contractual negotiation process, Cazenove Capital selected Advanced 365 as its managed services provider to deliver a tailored service offering around Cazenove Capital's needs, and providing a specialised rather than standard 'off the shelf' proposition. Advanced 365 also demonstrated the necessary resilience, availability and support levels Cazenove Capital required, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Norwoodsays, "Due to the real-time nature of our business, it is vital that we can trust our outsourced partner to provide us with continuous availability and support of the highest levels."

Cazenove Capital has retained its in-house IT team who continue to define IT strategy and support and evolve the firm's portfolio management, trading, settlement, market data and other industry specific applications.