Christchurch · Dunedin · Nationwide
IT Infrastructure Solutions for NZ Businesses
When your servers, network or connected systems no longer meet the needs of the business, the first decision is what actually needs to change. Exodesk reviews your current IT infrastructure, plans the work and delivers upgrades in agreed stages.
Supporting New Zealand businesses since 1989
The short answer
What is IT infrastructure?
IT infrastructure is the hardware, networks, system software and cloud services that business applications depend on. It includes servers, storage, switches, Wi-Fi, internet connections and the access and backup systems that support them.
A useful IT infrastructure design shows how these parts work together, what depends on what, and who looks after each part. We work through application dependencies, support requirements and the effect on your staff before a project starts, with a clear scope for testing, cutover and handover.
What we deliver
What IT infrastructure work do we do?
Four areas of IT infrastructure work, which can be combined in one project. Your scope lists the systems involved, what changes and anything excluded.
Servers and storage
Servers, storage and virtualisation
On-site servers, storage and hypervisors designed, replaced or upgraded, with the applications that run on them planned into the change. Our server virtualisation guide covers the options.
Network
Switching, Wi-Fi and firewalls
Core and edge switching, wireless coverage and firewalls installed and configured for how the business uses them. See business Wi-Fi and managed firewall.
Connectivity
Internet connections
Business internet and links between sites arranged and configured, including how the network behaves if a connection fails. Our business internet guide explains the choices.
Backup
Backup systems
Backup and recovery set up for the systems in scope, with test restores to confirm what can be recovered and how long it takes. See backup as a service.
Data cabling and electrical work are carried out by trusted partners, with Exodesk coordinating them as part of the project. Our network cabling guide covers what good cabling looks like. Moving systems to hosted platforms is covered by our cloud migration service, and connecting on-site and hosted systems by hybrid cloud.
When to look closer
When does IT infrastructure need work?
One serious issue can justify action on its own. Find the cause first, because slowness can come from applications, configuration, connectivity or a provider incident as well as ageing hardware.
Support is ending
Warranty, firmware updates, operating system support and parts availability end at different times. See Windows Server end of life.
Capacity problems keep returning
Storage keeps filling, the network struggles at busy times, or a fix only lasts a few weeks.
The business is growing or moving
New staff, a new site or an office relocation needs more than the current setup was built for.
Nobody is sure how it fits together
Dependencies, passwords and configuration live in one person’s head. IT documentation may be the first fix, before any purchase.
Backups have not been test-restored
A successful backup job does not prove the business can recover. Until a restore has been tested, recovery is unverified.
Security settings cannot be applied
Older equipment cannot take current firmware or support the access and protection settings the business now needs.
The service
What our IT infrastructure service includes
Six areas of IT infrastructure work, from finding out what you have to handing over what you end up with.
Discovery and assessment
The systems the business relies on, where they run, who manages them, what they connect to, and their support and warranty positions.
Design and a fixed quote
What changes, in what order, with outage windows and fallback for each change, and a fixed quote for the agreed scope before project work starts.
Procurement and preparation
Equipment and licences ordered, configuration built and tested where possible, partner work booked, and staff told what will change.
Staged implementation
Readiness checks and fallback triggers approved before each change, which is then made in an agreed window.
Testing and acceptance
We carry out the agreed technical checks for connections, performance, access and recovery. Your nominated users confirm that the affected business workflows work as expected, then approve acceptance against the agreed criteria.
Documentation and handover
An updated record of the IT infrastructure, configuration and support contacts, with ownership of each system agreed.
After handover, ongoing support is available and agreed separately, for example through our managed IT services. The project scope sets out support during cutover and initial operation, how issues are reported, and when responsibility passes to the agreed ongoing support arrangement. Equipment can be bought outright or funded through IT hardware leasing.
Getting started
How does an IT infrastructure project run?
Each change moves through six stages, with readiness checks before it is made and acceptance afterwards. Preparation and testing can overlap where the project allows.
Discover
List the systems, owners, dependencies and support positions. Sign-off: what needs documenting, fixing, replacing or retiring?
Design and quote
Set the design, sequence and schedule, and price the agreed scope. Sign-off: are the design, the outage windows and the fixed quote agreed?
Prepare
Order equipment, build configuration and book partner work. Sign-off: are equipment, access, backups and bookings ready?
Confirm readiness
Before each change, confirm who can authorise it, the checks needed to proceed, what would trigger a fallback, and how data changes are handled. Sign-off: is the change approved to go ahead?
Implement
Make the change in its agreed window and test it. Sign-off: has it passed its checks and been approved for staff to use?
Accept and hand over
Confirm the result with the people who use it. Sign-off: has the business accepted it, the documentation been delivered and support ownership been agreed?
Disruption
Downtime, fallback and recovery
Some work can happen alongside normal operations; other changes need an agreed outage. We identify the affected systems and dependencies and plan each change around your business.
- Agreed maintenance windows. Changes that interrupt a service are scheduled for a time the business has agreed.
- Recovery checked first. Before each change, we confirm the backups, configuration copies and recovery steps needed for the affected systems, with testing appropriate to the change.
- A fallback decision. The plan says who decides, what would trigger reversing a change, and what happens instead.
- Data created during the change. Before cutover, we agree how new or changed data will be protected and reconciled if fallback is needed, including any period when users must stop making changes.
Project duration and service downtime are different measures, and both are planned separately.
Ownership
Who does what in an IT infrastructure project?
Your quote sets out what is included, what you, our partners and your vendors are responsible for, and what would count as additional work.
Exodesk
Design and delivery
Discovery, design, procurement, configuration, the changes themselves, testing, documentation and coordination of partner work.
You
Decisions and approval
Business decisions, site access, testing by the people who use each system, approval of each change and sign-off of acceptance.
Partners and vendors
Their part of the work
Cabling and electrical partners work under our coordination. Vendors and carriers remain responsible for their products, warranties and connections.
Where systems run
On-site, hosted or cloud?
Cloud, hosted and on-site IT infrastructure each have a place. Compare application support, connectivity, performance, recovery and total cost for each system.
Moving a workload changes where it runs, but maintenance still needs an owner. Hosted virtual servers still need operating system and application updates, whether handled by your business or included in your provider’s service, and Microsoft’s shared responsibility model explains how this works for its own cloud services. The agreement should identify who maintains each layer, including any local equipment kept in a hybrid setup.
Our cloud solutions page covers hosting with Exodesk in New Zealand.
Cost
What affects the cost of an IT infrastructure project?
We agree the scope and any cost of discovery first. Once discovery is complete, we give you a fixed quote for the agreed scope, with assumptions, exclusions and how any additional work is approved set out before project work starts.
These are the things that move the figure:
- The size of the change. How many sites, users, systems and devices are involved.
- Equipment and licences. What is replaced, and whether it is bought outright or leased.
- Partner work. Cabling or electrical work needed on site.
- How documented the current setup is. Unknown dependencies take time to find.
- Recurring services. Internet connections, licences, backup and support after the project.
Your quote separates project labour, hardware, licences and recurring services, and says who owns the completed systems.
Why Exodesk
Why work with Exodesk?
Supporting businesses since 1989
Our teams in Christchurch and Dunedin support businesses nationwide, with on-site attendance agreed as part of the project.
A fixed project quote
You know the cost of your IT infrastructure project before project work starts, based on what discovery found rather than an estimate.
Changes tied to a reason
Each change is tied to support status, business impact or a need the business has. A like-for-like refresh can still improve security, reliability and vendor support.
Questions
IT infrastructure questions
What is IT infrastructure in simple terms?
IT infrastructure is the hardware, networks, system software and cloud services that business applications depend on. It includes servers, storage, switches, Wi-Fi, internet connections and the access and backup systems that support them. A useful design shows how these parts work together and who looks after each one.
What IT infrastructure work does Exodesk do?
We design and deliver changes to servers, storage and virtualisation, switching, Wi-Fi and firewalls, internet connections and backup systems. Data cabling and electrical work are carried out by trusted partners, with Exodesk coordinating them as part of the project. Your scope lists each system, what changes and anything excluded.
Our infrastructure is undocumented. Where do we start?
Start by listing the systems the business relies on, where they run, who manages them and what they connect to. Confirm administrative access, vendor support and recovery arrangements. Use that picture to decide what needs documenting, fixing, replacing or retiring before buying new equipment.
How often should IT infrastructure be replaced?
There is no single replacement age for every system. Review the condition, performance, vendor support, warranty and replacement options of each system. Age helps with budgeting, but support status and business impact decide the priority.
Is cloud better than on-site infrastructure?
Cloud, hosted and on-site systems each have a place. Compare application support, connectivity, performance, recovery and total cost for each system. The design and service agreement should say who maintains each layer, including any local equipment.
How much does an IT infrastructure project cost?
We agree the scope and any cost of discovery first. Once discovery is complete, the agreed scope is quoted as a fixed figure, with assumptions, exclusions and how extra work is approved set out before project work starts. Project labour, hardware, licences and recurring services are shown separately.
How long does an IT infrastructure project take?
It depends on the number of sites and systems, equipment lead times, partner availability and the change windows the business can accept. Discovery and design set the schedule. The overall project and the time a particular service is unavailable are planned separately.
Will an IT infrastructure upgrade disrupt the business?
Some work can happen alongside normal operations; other changes need an agreed outage. We identify the affected systems and dependencies, plan the cutover around your business, and agree the testing and fallback steps before work on each change starts.
How do we know our backups will work?
A successful backup job does not prove the business can recover. Test restores on a schedule matched to the importance of each system and after significant changes. Confirm what can be recovered, how long it takes and whether the result is usable.
Do you do network cabling?
Data cabling is carried out by trusted partners, with Exodesk coordinating the work as part of the project. We plan where cabling and equipment need to go and confirm the result before the network is handed over.
Who supports the systems after the project?
Ongoing support is optional and agreed separately, for example through our managed IT services. The project scope sets out support during cutover and initial operation, how issues are reported and when responsibility passes to the ongoing arrangement. The handover records who owns and maintains each system.
Can we spread the cost of new equipment?
Yes. Equipment can be bought outright or funded through our IT hardware leasing service, which spreads the cost over the term of the agreement. Your quote shows the equipment separately so the options can be compared.
Next step
Plan your next infrastructure change
Talk to Exodesk about the IT infrastructure you run now and what needs to change. We start with discovery, then give you a design and a fixed quote.
If you would rather review your whole IT environment first, request an IT assessment.
Get in touch
Discuss your infrastructure project
Tell us a little about your systems and we will be in touch to arrange a time that suits.
Prefer to talk?
Christchurch
Level 1, 85 Riccarton Road
Christchurch 8011
03 343 3124
Dunedin
Level 3, Bartons Building
2 Stafford Street, Dunedin 9016
03 479 2941