One of the best-known legal businesses in the UK will let Microsoft directly handle its endpoint security, device management, updates and user support, so IT staff can help the company focus on customers and work more flexibly.
Slater and Gordon, the largest provider of consumer legal services in the country, will use Microsoft Managed Desktop, which was launched in September last year. Slater and Gordon is one of the first companies to use it.
Chris Gibbons, Slater and Gordon’s Head of Architecture and Security, said: “This is an incredibly powerful tool and we’re delighted to start putting its innovation and considerable benefits to use.
“Data security has rightly become a top priority for all companies – particularly those in the legal sector. We take it incredibly seriously here at Slater and Gordon. Microsoft Managed Desktop gives us industry-leading security, plus an adaptable and flexible platform which suits our agile working culture.”
Microsoft Managed Desktop is a cloud-based, subscription service that is overseen by engineers from the Microsoft Security Operations Center 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This means a business’ computer systems are constantly monitored for cybersecurity threats as well as updated and improved with the latest patches and technology to help staff work more efficiently.
Slater and Gordon has rolled out Microsoft Managed Desktop along with Microsoft 365 on Surface devices, which contain security features such as secure password-less sign-in, allowing users to log in to their device simply by looking at the screen. The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop devices will help staff work securely from anywhere.
If the devices are lost or stolen, the Microsoft Security Operations Center can lock them down and remotely wipe data from them, protecting Slater and Gordon and its customers.
Bill Karagounis, General Manager of Microsoft Managed Desktop, said: “Slater and Gordon has a clear vision about how getting modern will drive their core business, and that’s exactly what we’re looking for among early adopters of Microsoft Managed Desktop. We have transformed desktop maintenance into a commodity function that frees up overburdened IT teams so they can better innovate and help users stay productive.”
Last year Slater and Gordon announced plans to spend £30 million digitising its legal services, which includes moving its London office to a modern and collaborative workspace in Holborn. It also has offices in a number of locations throughout England, Scotland and Wales.
David Whitmore, Slater and Gordon’s Chief Executive, added: “If legal service providers are to meet the demands of consumers in the years to come, we have to continually look for ways of being more flexible and innovative.
“That way of thinking also applies to how we as organisations work. That’s why we are looking to harness new technology, such as Microsoft Managed Desktop, to enable us to work smarter and more efficiently for our customers.
“This new technology allows us to produce services that better suit our customers’ needs and, importantly, also create the best working environment our colleagues want in a modern company.”
