Strategic IT upgrade for AOC Archaeology

The challenge

When AOC Archaeology approached Texaport in 2021, their old IT support provider’s service had deteriorated, resulting in reactive and inconsistent support. This impacted AOC’s team, leaving employees disengaged and frustrated with IT. IT support tickets raised with the service desk would take so long to resolve that users stopped raising requests.

No clear data management policy or IT structure resulted in different departments and office locations adopting their own practices, making data inaccessible and untraceable across the organisation.

Additionally, we identified several business-critical vulnerabilities in AOC’s infrastructure and processes that could threaten business continuity.

Field archaeology generates a large volume of data, including photographs, CAD, GIS data and 3D models. AOC’s server infrastructure was ageing and rapidly becoming unfit for purpose, and the company’s existing IT suppliers were struggling to meet the demands that AOC’s data management placed on the company’s infrastructure.

The business recognised the need for a proactive IT partner - one who could modernise systems, unify their operations, and guide them towards stronger security standards.

The solution

We quickly realised that this was not just a digital transformation project but also a “Hearts and Minds” piece. It was critical to win back the trust of the AOC team members, and this was of utmost importance to AOC’s leadership.

Comprehensive IT audit

As a matter of urgency, our engineers visited each of AOC’s six locations to conduct a thorough audit. The process began with scoping and risk assessment, followed by fieldwork to test controls, analyse vulnerabilities, and assess alignment with standards such as ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials. Cyber security steps include vulnerability scanning, log monitoring and pen testing. We also tested all networks, including wireless signal strength, internet speed and redundancy.

Strengthening compliance: From Cyber Essentials to Cyber Essentials Plus

AOC had already achieved Cyber Essentials, demonstrating its commitment to basic cyber hygiene. However, due to the proposed significant upgrades to the IT infrastructure, the scope of the certification had changed, so we advised revisiting the CE certification. We further built upon this foundation by guiding AOC through achieving Cyber Essentials Plus to satisfy their data security commitments.

 

Infrastructure modernisation

In response to AOC’s ageing IT estate, we proposed a new server infrastructure co-located in a data centre near AOC’s head office in Edinburgh. This enabled all employees to access and share data, regardless of which location they were based at or whether they were working out in the field. Most importantly, it centralised the data, preventing issues with version control and paving the way for a robust, enterprise-grade business continuity and disaster recovery strategy.

Before establishing this new environment, it was essential that the connectivity in each of the satellite offices be sufficient and resilient enough for users to access the servers in Edinburgh. We first upgraded on-site Cat6 cabling, network switches, and access points. Our network team designed and implemented a series of site-to-site VPNS, ensuring data availability and security.

 

Cloud integration and cost optimisation

For the archaeology sector, where large datasets are often retained but infrequently accessed, we implemented a cold storage archive solution that significantly reduced ongoing storage expenses without compromising data availability.

We also migrated some of AOC’s servers to the cloud using Microsoft Azure, providing scalable storage and seamless integration with existing systems, namely Microsoft 365.

 

Microsoft 365 and endpoint management

Texaport now manages all aspects of AOC’s Microsoft 365 environment, including licensing management, security policies, SharePoint, Azure, and Intune.

We handled the Windows 10 End-of-Life transition smoothly, ensuring zero disruption to daily operations, and continue to optimise the environment to align with new technologies and evolving compliance needs.

As AOC’s digital maturity has grown, we’ve begun recommending and supporting advanced business applications such as Microsoft Business Central to enhance visibility and efficiency across projects and finance operations.

 

Innovation for field operations

Due to the vast amounts of field data and photographs during site visits, AOC developed a custom Power Apps application to automate the categorisation and transfer of data, but needed help scaling it securely across all devices.

Texaport provided end-to-end support: from procuring compatible hardware to deploying the app with security restrictions, ensuring Cyber Essentials compliance and protecting sensitive information.

 

Strategic roadmap and governance

Beyond infrastructure and tools, Texaport continues to work closely with AOC on long-term IT strategy. Through Quarterly Business Reviews, we align technology planning with organisational goals, prioritise investment, and assess emerging risks.

We are now supporting the development of a full Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR) strategy to ensure resilience as the organisation continues to expand.

The results

The transformation has been both operational and cultural. Once frustrated and disengaged with IT, AOC’s staff now view Texaport as a trusted partner, seeking guidance and advice across all levels of the organisation.

Key outcomes include:

• Unified, secure, and scalable IT infrastructure across six UK sites.
• Progressed from Cyber Essentials to Cyber Essentials Plus certification, enabling AOC to win a significant contract.
• Substantial reduction in storage costs through data archiving.
• Improved field data management via Power Apps deployment.
• Enhanced operational efficiency and faster collaboration across teams.
• Zero downtime during major upgrades and migrations.
• Proactive IT partnership, providing continuous optimisation and strategic foresight.

 

An evolving partnership

Since 2021, AOC Archaeology’s relationship with Texaport has evolved from a single infrastructure project into a trusted strategic partnership.

Having built a solid IT foundation in the first year, AOC and Texaport now work together on continual improvement - researching and deploying new technologies, refining security posture, and aligning IT with business growth.

As AOC continues to expand its operations and digital capabilities, Texaport remains an integral partner, ensuring its systems, data, and people remain connected, secure, and ready for the future.

Having conducted a customer satisfaction survey across the entire organisation, we can proudly say that we have now won over the hearts and minds of the AOC team members who continue to engage productively with their IT systems and IT support team.