Bond Bryan - Architecture, Design, Strategy
The Challenge
Bond Bryan does things differently. From a startup at a kitchen table in Sheffield back in 1987, this award-winning team of architects, designers and strategists has grown in stature and status to create some of the most innovative places and spaces for a wide range of high-profile clients across the UK.
Sam Edwards, IT Manager at Bond Bryan, is proud of what his firm has accomplished. “Our customers are varied but our work is mostly comprised of large architectural projects. We’ve created a diverse team across the country that’s united by people-centric values and the common purpose of bringing these projects to life.”
Embracing a diverse world of masterplanning, architecture, landscape architecture and interior design across sectors as diverse as education, research, residential, manufacturing and workplace environments, Bond Bryan often has over 60 live projects ongoing simultaneously. And with more than 90 staff based in three offices across the UK but working across a multitude of project locations, keeping devices and data locked down and secure is no mean feat.
My responsibility for IT is twofold, really,” says Sam. “First of all, I make sure that our IT is set up to enable our staff to work the best they can. I want to make sure that they can go where they want and have the tools they need to be able to meet their deadlines and keep our clients happy. Secondly, I need to make sure that data — our own and that of our clients — is secure at all times. Data security is a vital aspect of our industry and it’s a priority for the IT team.”
Staying credible and compliant
Bond Bryan’s people need access to sophisticated tools, personal data and intellectual property while being fully mobile. Being mobile adds a level of security risk, especially as team members could be visiting many different environments with various levels of physical security.
In addition, Bond Bryan promotes open standards and supports clients to become Building Information Modelling (BIM) Level 2 compliant, in line with Government requirements for publicly-procured projects to move from analogue to fully digital. These activities increase the nature and volume of data shared with 3rd parties.
Sam says, “HiddenApp’s functionality means we’ve made a considerable reduction in risk to data security, which is so important to our work and to our credibility within this industry. It helps us deliver our promise of professionalism to our clients, and contributes to our compliance with third party data safety protocols. And with pretty much no effort at all!”
Freeing up time and headspace
Bond Bryan uses HiddenApp’s functionality as an emergency response to the potential of loss or theft of the devices in its large fleet. “Having HiddenApp installed gives our teams in the field the peace of mind that they can access everything they need but still be confident that the data they are responsible for is safe,” says Sam. “HiddenApp works silently in the background and it gives me such peace of mind that, if data is at risk, I can remotely wipe any or all devices from a central dashboard. HiddenApp gives me the headspace — and the time — to focus on other areas of my job. It’s become a natural part of our set up — a vital piece of software that we install on all laptops.”
Making it easy
When Sam arrived at Bond Bryan, HiddenApp was already installed in its fleet. “As HiddenApp was really easy to use, and with great customer support and communications, I saw no reason to change to anything else,” he says. “We haven’t had a large issue with stolen or lost laptops but it has happened on occasion, and that’s exactly what we rely on HiddenApp for. When a device is misplaced or stolen, HiddenApp greatly aids our chances in recovering it, which is what we really care about in these situations.”
Why Bond Bryan use HiddenApp:
