The Guildhall, York

The Challenge

In April 2022, York Science Park took on the lease of a new venue in York city centre, The Guildhall.  A 15th-century building located on the River Ouse, comprising of Grade I, II* and II listed buildings which have been restored and redeveloped to provide private offices, coworking, hot desks, and conference and events space.

The challenge was to create an IT network infrastructure that could cater to the diverse needs of The Guildhall’s tenants. Discussions spearheaded by Ian Nightingale and Matthew Hields from the University of York, alongside Olivia Chatten, Business Development Manager of York Science Park, in collaboration with Modern Networks (formerly Bridge Fibre), began in early Spring 2021.

The Solution

Jisc (Joint Information Systems Committee) is a non-profit company based in the UK that provides IT network services to support higher education and research institutions. Modern Networks is the only Internet Service Provider (ISP) that offers its customers access to Jisc’s superfast and ultra-secure Janet Network. This enables our customers to connect with other academic, research and media organisations that are also connected to Janet. Through our partnership with Jisc, Modern Networks was able to use the Janet Network to provide an internet connection to The Guildhall in York. We achieved this by adding a virtual data circuit over two redundant links, which improved the quality and reliability of data transmission.

A key aspect of the solution was using existing data links rather than having to purchase a new internet connection for The Guildhall. This slashed the time to go live by over a year. Modern Networks solution not only saved costs but also made the service more affordable for the building’s tenants. Additionally, the redundant links bolstered reliability, minimizing service disruptions.

A critical factor when choosing Modern Networks as York Science Park’s solution provider was the company’s flexibility over the technical design, in particular, the ownership and management of the on-premise network equipment.

The results? The new internet service is available to all tenants at The Guildhall and provides them with a fast, reliable, and secure connection at a reasonable price point. Tenant businesses can easily scale up their bandwidth as needed, with flexible options tailored to their requirements.

The Implementation

The implementation of the service consisted of customer-owned networking equipment seamlessly integrated with Modern Networks routing infrastructure. This approach permitted customer-specific internal connections and Modern Network customer connections to co-exist, achieving the hybrid model required for the site.

Modern Networks worked with technical staff to install and configure their equipment after consultation on how the hybrid solution should operate. York Science Park’s technical staff were available during the implementation phase to work through each aspect of the solution. Once the technology was in place and fully tested, end users were able to be signed up straight away and all interaction from that point on was dealt with automatically.

From briefing to launch, the project took less than six months, thanks to the collaborative efforts of all involved. Post-launch, the service operates autonomously, with minimal intervention required from technical staff. There have been a couple of technical glitches since the service went live, but Modern Networks’ support engineers have swiftly addressed any issues, ensuring uninterrupted service for all tenants.

The Results

A huge amount of technician knowledge and expertise was involved in the completion of the project. Nevertheless, Olivia Chatten, Business Development Manager of York Science Park had a very specific method of judging success. Olivia said, ‘I don’t need to know how it works, just that it does. So long as on my lunch break, I can browse the internet and shop online that’s all I need.’ Overall, businesses at The Guildhall, York enjoy a convenient, high-performance internet service that supports their growth and success.

Project results include:

• Fast and Reliable Connectivity: Ultra-fast symmetric internet speeds and uninterrupted connectivity, ensuring productivity and efficiency for tenant businesses.
• Secure Connection: A secure network infrastructure, that safeguards sensitive data and protects against cyber threats.
• Cost-Effective Solution: Saved on costs by leveraging existing data links, enabling an affordable and flexible service that can be tailored to business needs.
• Seamless Integration: The ability to integrate customer-owned networking equipment with Modern Networks’ routing infrastructure, ensured a smooth transition and minimal disruption.
• Autonomous Operation: Once implemented, the service operates autonomously, requiring minimal intervention from technical staff, freeing up resources for other tasks.

Modern Networks provides fast-fibre broadband connectivity, telephone services and IT support to forty science and innovation parks and hundreds of tenant businesses across the UK. If you would like to know more about our extensive range of IT-managed services: