“Zentyal has been so stable that we have never needed support. However it’s great to have the peace of mind that Zentyal Team is there if we ever need them”
Russell Scott, Operations Manager, CBS Office Solutions
CBS Office Solutions was searching for a commercially backed Linux server that would support newer versions of Microsoft Windows® OS. After their IT support provider suggested using Zentyal Server, CBS deployed Zentyal mainly for a mail server and file sharing. Moreover, they found out it offered them an economical and low-maintenance server solution.
The challenge
CBS Office Solutions was used to running their network infrastructure with a Linux server. However, it had been in operation for a number of years and due to the version they were using, it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep the server up to date and a number of problems started piling up.
The main problem was the lack of support for newer versions of Microsoft Windows. Also, many modules were out of date and there were issues with the antivirus on email filtering that started affecting the daily operations of the company.
When CBS Office Solutions analyzed the issues with their external IT support company, they were suggested that they would replace the existing server and use Zentyal. Besides being recommended by their IT support provider, Zentyal came with all the required features and the commercial edition guaranteed that CBS could count on official commercial support when necessary.
The solution
CBS Office Solutions deployment provides service to about 15 users. All are joined to the domain with different versions of Microsoft Windows and Mozilla Thunderbird as their standard email client. The main usage of Zentyal Server is that of an email server and file server. The enabled Zentyal modules include Domain and Directory, File sharing, Email, DNS, Network, Firewall and Antivirus.
Zentyal is running virtualized as a stand-alone server solution. The hardware chosen is HP ProLiant M120, Intel Xeon E3-1240 3.5GHz, 16GB RAM and 2 x 4TB Raid 1. Their IT support provider replaced the existing server in a single day with minimal service interruption. Since then, the server has been running without any issues for over four years.
The experience
For CBS Office Solutions the experience on running Zentyal as their server solution has been extremely positive since the day one. Not having issues with the migration and being able to complete it in one day was very important so that they could continue running their business as usual. Moreover, since the initial deployment, the server has been completely reliable and they have not faced any issues.
The favourite Zentyal Server feature for CBS staff is the web interface. It is easy to understand and allows them to carry out the necessary basic actions related to management of users and groups, shared resources and mailboxes. Thanks to this they don’t require expert IT staff on-site on daily basis.
One of the decisive factors for CBS to choose Zentyal was that this was a commercial server solution. As they put it “We know that there are other free products out there, but we wanted a solution which had the backing of the manufacturer that could offer proper support if required. The product is extremely stable, but it is great to have the peace of mind that Zentyal Team is there if we ever need them!”
About CBS Office Solutions
CBS Office Solutions was founded in 1999 in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Their goal is to help make running of their customers workplaces as smooth and easy as possible. CBS has an offering of over 20,000 products that cover office supplies, personal protection equipment and workwear, office furniture, paper and ink and toner supplies.
The company also provides services such as office design and furnishing to create healthy and inspiring workspaces, shredding service for safe and secure disposal of sensitive materials, archiving and document storage, print services and servicing and repairs of office equipment from printers to typewriters. They cater both business customers for their offices and home offices, business workspaces, schools, manufacturing facilities, restaurants and private customers.