TalkTalk demerged from Carphone Warehouse (CPW) with a desire to become the leading value-driven ISP for the UK. And as part of this plan, their forward-thinking team wanted to have Macs at the heart of their business. Already trusted by CPW to provide both HQ and VIP support, we were the first choice to ensure TalkTalk had the infrastructure to grow at the same pace as its parent company, while giving board members dedicated home support.
“As the company has expanded over the years, Twilight Zone has constantly recommended the optimum solutions for every scenario we have thrown at them and have never failed to deliver on a promise that they have made to us.”
There are huge logistical challenges involved in demergers and acquisitions, and moving TalkTalk’s 800 plus employees to a new London HQ was just the start. With the acquisitions of other major ISPs like Pipex, Tiscali and AOL, the IT team needed to roll multiple systems and services into one new all-encompassing solution for the users. With various new domains being used, it meant that we did so at staged intervals. We created a stable Apple platform on multiple occasions to keep apace with these acquisitions, ensuring their growing infrastructure – both PC and Mac – could integrate seamlessly together.
Board members also wanted the same high level of service in their own homes, so TalkTalk needed specialists with a track record of working closely with some of the top executives in the country.
We started working with TalkTalk even before they officially demerged from CPW in 2010, and provided consultation and planning ahead of their HQ move from Acton to their own building in London’s White City.
As part of the new working environment, the business decided to move away from a completely Windows-based operation to a mixed approach, and asked us to roll out MacBooks to 150 of their admin and management team.
We integrated the Apple file servers into Windows servers, configured all 150 user profiles and delivered a mirror image of their entire suite of applications and software in preparation for a seamless transition in just three days.
We now have an engineer permanently embedded in their team at HQ, working with the in-house IT team to look after all Apple users, also ensuring they can instantly and seamlessly switch between desktops, iPhones and iPads.
We support every aspect of TalkTalk’ business, from customer-facing services, to director-level bespoke care. In just two weeks from brief to delivery, we built their Soho Experience Centre, including first class lounge with one gigabit per second internet and 30 kiosk-style machines free for customer use. In addition, we provide VIP support to the TalkTalk executives at their HQ and in their homes, 9am to 9pm every day.
Apple servers, workstations, VIP support, integration into AD, email, installations, moves and changes, migration of data.
TalkTalk started as part of The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC and in less than 10 years has became one of the UK’s leading telecoms companies. They were pioneers of free broadband in the UK as early as 2006, and more recently launched YouView, Britain’s fastest-growing TV service. The firm acquired key tech businesses including Tiscali, AOL and Pipex, and officially demerged from CPW in 2010.