Why Nominee IM&T Technical Services Deserves to Be Named It Hero of the Year 2021
Lansweeper proudly presents the story of IM&T Technical Services from University Hospitals Plymouth NHS TRUST. These IT teams have what it takes to be called IT Heroes and deserve some recognition. Support this nominee by reading their story and casting your vote before July 26!
What impact has IM&T Technical Services demonstrated professionally and/or in the community to support this candidacy?
“Our IM&T Technical Services Team did two years of work in about two months,” explains Martyn Luscombe. “That’s why I nominated them for the SysAdmin Day Awards.” Martyn is an IM&T Information Security Officer for University Hospitals Plymouth, part of the National Health Service (NHS). “There were plans to transition to working more from home, but when the pandemic hit, they had to be accelerated.”
Before, the team managed around fewer laptops than desktops. These numbers suddenly flipped, requiring extra VPN connections. “We needed two VPN companies to cope with the increased load,” Martyn says. “Systems teams had to set up the servers. The network team set up the VPN, and client services actually set up the laptops. It was a joint venture for all three teams. On top of this, obviously, the service desk was kept continually busy helping users with the new system.”
In addition, during this already busy period, the team succeeded in implementing a major migration from Microsoft 365 to a specific NHS version called N365. “There was a huge amount of work. It was crazy, with the IM&T Team working way over office hours. To be fair, from top-down, the managers were amazing as well.”
How has Lansweeper helped in making that impact?
Martyn doesn’t hesitate. “We couldn’t have identified and reported the huge number of devices that needed to be patched without Lansweeper. It helped us keep track of how many desktops and laptops we onboarded, and the number of Windows 10 versions.”
The custom CareCERT dashboard built by ITHD also helped massively, he says. “So, a huge thanks to them. I work in security, and it gives us a really good overview of the entire space. CareCERT NHS provides advance notice of cybersecurity vulnerabilities. That way we can start risk mitigation early, which keeps us on our toes. Lansweeper also connects to assets directly, which simplifies support. We can see when certain assets are vulnerable, for example, if a user clicked on a phishing email. It’s all part of our team effort.”
“We couldn’t have identified and reported the huge number of devices that needed to be patched without Lansweeper.”
Martyn Luscombe, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
What was the team’s biggest challenge so far in 2021?
Not only did all the teams work under huge pressure to patch and maintain over 15,000 devices. Plymouth is a 24/7 acute hospital. Many of its systems are critical. Lives depend on them being up and available. So, along with the Covid patients, we’ve had the normal hospital workload of existing patients to contend with.
Celebrating the Heroes of IT
We’re celebrating the Heroes of IT. Join by voting for your favorite IT Hero of 2021.
Vote NowAbout University Hospitals Plymouth NHS
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS runs the University Hospital at Derriford, which is the largest 24/7 acute hospital in England’s Southwest Peninsula. The facility’s trauma center receives 400 patients by air ambulance each year. Designated hospital for the 2021 G7 summit, its network includes the Royal Eye Infirmary and the Child Development Centre. The hospital is proud of its incredible team spirit.
Company name: University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Founding date: 1981
Industry: Healthcare
Country: United Kingdom
Number of employees: 5,000
Number of IT assets: 15,000
Website: www.plymouthhospitals.nhs.uk
During the SysAdmin Day Awards Lansweeper celebrates the work of system administrators and IT teams everywhere. Take part in the celebrations by voting for your favorite nominee. They have a chance at winning the title of IT Hero of 2021 and various other prizes. Find more information on the competition here.
