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TAPS retires its legacy server and fragmented IT — one partner delivers a complete cloud, communications and cybersecurity overhaul for work from anywhere

TAPS engaged Otaris to consolidate a fragmented, ageing IT and phone setup under one partner — moving files to the cloud, modernising identity and cybersecurity to Essential Eight, virtualising telephony, refreshing the network, and hardening security with Zero Trust across computers and BYO mobiles.

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TAPS retires its legacy server and fragmented IT — one partner delivers a complete cloud, communications and cybersecurity overhaul for work from anywhere — Otaris Not-for-Profit — Group Training Organisation (Apprentices & Trainees) case study
Industry
Not-for-Profit — Group Training Organisation (Apprentices & Trainees)
Team size
20 staff
Location
Beverley, SA (serving SA & the Northern Territory)
Plan
Fortress
Platform
Microsoft 365 + Intune + ThreatLocker + Microsoft Copilot + 3CX + Fortinet + Aruba HPE + Zero Trust + BYO Mobile Device Management
Compliance
Essential Eight

Meet the client

Trainee & Apprentice Placement Service (TAPS) is a not-for-profit group training organisation that connects people with careers in the construction industry across South Australia and the Northern Territory. More than a placement service, TAPS monitors, mentors and supports apprentices and trainees throughout their entire training journey — and supports the host employers who take them on — building a safer, more skilled industry. Around 20 staff run the operation from Beverley in Adelaide, guided by values of integrity, collaboration and excellence, with apprentices going on to achieve honours as prestigious as WorldSkills gold medals. To keep delivering for apprentices, employers and industry partners, TAPS needed an IT foundation that matched the standard of its work — and a provider that would treat them as a partner rather than a ticket number.

What they were up against

External

The IT environment TAPS had inherited was ageing across the board and no longer fit for how the team needed to work. A small, very old on-site server held the company files — and the only way to reach those files from outside the office was through a complicated, messy VPN. Staff computers were secured against a legacy on-premise Active Directory domain controller, an older model of identity that no longer met modern cybersecurity requirements. The phone system was ageing and office-bound, usable only from a desk. The fleet of computers was a mix of brands and models with no consistency, and antivirus protection on those machines no longer met compliance expectations. The network itself was in a poor state, running on very low-quality hardware. To compound it, the setup was fragmented across vendors — one company for IT, a separate company for the phones — so nothing joined up.

Internal

For TAPS leadership, the deeper frustration was confidence. They weren't sure their cybersecurity was being managed properly. They couldn't be productive outside the office. And they were never introduced to the modern workplace tools that could have helped them work smarter — their previous provider simply wasn't proactive about it. When the team did need support, it didn't arrive in a timely way. On every measure, their incumbent IT provider felt unresponsive and reactive rather than a partner — and juggling two separate vendors for IT and phones only made getting help more complicated.

A not-for-profit doing important work for apprentices, employers and the wider construction industry shouldn't have to carry quiet anxiety about whether its systems are secure, or accept being held back by office-bound, outdated technology. The right partner should manage the security worry, introduce the right modern tools, and be there — quickly — when needed.

How we stepped in

Otaris understood TAPS's position from the first conversation: a values-driven not-for-profit that needed a proactive partner to take cybersecurity off their plate, bring them up to modern standards, and consolidate a fragmented setup under one roof. With deep experience modernising Australian organisations — moving on-premise workloads to the cloud, rolling out Microsoft 365, replacing legacy phone systems, refreshing networks, and uplifting cybersecurity to Essential Eight and beyond — and the breadth to handle IT and communications together as a single provider, Otaris was well placed to deliver the complete overhaul TAPS needed and to keep them current as technology moves.

What we delivered

  1. Consistent, business-grade computer fleet

    Replace the mismatched mix of brands and models with a standardised fleet of business-grade computers, backed by next-business-day on-site warranty rather than return-to-base — so a hardware fault is fixed on site the next day instead of leaving a laptop out of action for weeks.

  2. Microsoft 365, file migration and modern collaboration

    Extend TAPS's underused Microsoft 365 tenant and migrate files off the old on-site server into Microsoft Teams, so staff can securely reach company files from any device without the old VPN — unlocking real-time co-editing of Word and Excel documents, group chats, voice and video calls, and easy video conferencing.

  3. Endpoint management and Essential Eight cybersecurity uplift

    Bring every computer under Microsoft Intune for centralised security management, retiring the legacy on-premise Active Directory model. Replace the non-compliant antivirus with ThreatLocker application whitelisting to meet Essential Eight requirements.

  4. Microsoft Copilot — AI in the daily workflow

    Deploy Microsoft Copilot so the team has AI built into their everyday Microsoft applications — including running meetings with instant transcription, automatic minutes, and clear lists of who is responsible for which tasks.

  5. Phone system virtualised to 3CX

    Replace the ageing, office-bound phone system with 3CX, virtualising telephony so staff use physical handsets in the office and the 3CX app on their mobiles — staying reachable for customers and colleagues whether they're in the office or out.

  6. Network refresh — Fortinet, 4G failover and Aruba HPE

    Rebuild the poor-quality network on a Fortinet security appliance with 4G backup to keep TAPS online if the primary internet connection fails, and deploy Aruba HPE switches and wireless access points for reliable, secure connectivity throughout.

  7. Zero Trust across computers and BYO mobiles

    Harden security further with Zero Trust across the computer fleet and staff-owned (BYO) mobile devices — so phished Microsoft 365 credentials alone can't log in from an untrusted device. Mobile device management through Microsoft Company Portal and conditional access isolates and encrypts business data on personal phones, blocks non-compliant devices, and prevents business data backing up to iCloud — while keeping the employee's personal data private.

The cost of inaction

TAPS's work depends on a team that can stay connected to apprentices, employers and partners — and increasingly, on doing that from outside the office. Without a complete overhaul, that single ageing server would have remained both a bottleneck and a single point of failure, with the messy VPN the only fragile bridge to it from outside. The legacy domain controller and non-compliant antivirus would have left a not-for-profit carrying more cyber risk than its work could justify, with no clear confidence that security was being managed. The office-bound phone system would have kept tying staff to their desks. The low-quality network would have kept generating the incidents that pull a small team away from its real job. And dealing with separate vendors for IT and phones would have continued to slow down every request for help. Each gap on its own was manageable; together, they were a steady brake on an organisation that needed to focus on building careers and a safer industry.

Before and after

Before
After
  • Very old on-site file server reached from outside only via a complicated, messy VPN
    Files in Microsoft Teams / SharePoint — secure anywhere access from any device, no VPN required
  • Computers secured against a legacy on-premise Active Directory domain controller
    Every endpoint managed centrally through Microsoft Intune — modern, compliant identity and device management
  • Non-compliant antivirus on a mismatched fleet
    ThreatLocker application whitelisting on every machine — Essential Eight requirements met
  • Mixed bag of computer brands and models on return-to-base warranty (weeks to repair)
    Consistent business-grade fleet on next-business-day on-site warranty
  • Ageing, office-bound legacy phone system
    3CX virtualised phone system — desk handsets in the office, 3CX app on mobiles anywhere
  • Poor-quality network hardware, no internet failover
    Fortinet security appliance with 4G backup + Aruba HPE switches and wireless access points
  • No modern collaboration tools; staff unproductive outside the office
    Microsoft Teams collaboration — co-editing, group chat, voice/video calls, video conferencing from anywhere
  • No AI tools in daily work
    Microsoft Copilot deployed — instant meeting transcription, minutes and action lists
  • No modern identity-theft protection; credentials alone could grant access
    Zero Trust across computers and BYO mobiles — phished credentials alone can't log in from an untrusted device
  • Personal mobiles either unused for work or a data-security risk
    BYO mobile device management — business data isolated, encrypted and compliant, while personal data stays private
  • Two separate vendors for IT and phones
    One partner for everything — a single phone number, live chat or email for help

Where they are now

Since Otaris took over, TAPS can work from anywhere, confidently and securely. Cybersecurity is actively managed, and the team has the assurance of a provider keeping them current with the latest security technologies and methodologies — taking a worry off leadership's plate rather than leaving it with them. Consolidating IT and communications under one partner made everything simpler: one phone number, live chat or email to get help with anything.

The combination of a consistent business-grade fleet on next-business-day on-site warranty and a fully refreshed network has driven incidents down to almost zero — so the team spends its time running the organisation instead of fighting IT problems. That improvement compounds: because Otaris reduced incidents so dramatically, support is even faster, because the team isn't tied up putting out fires and can respond to TAPS more quickly when they do call. And Microsoft Copilot has been a standout, saving significant time — especially in meetings, where transcription, minutes and action lists are produced automatically.

For TAPS, this was a complete overhaul of IT and communications delivered as one piece of work: a legacy server and VPN replaced by secure cloud access, an outdated identity and antivirus model brought up to Essential Eight, an office-bound phone system freed onto mobile, a failing network rebuilt for reliability and resilience, AI put into everyday work, and security hardened with Zero Trust across both company computers and personal phones. The IT environment is no longer a source of worry or a brake on the work. It's a secure, modern foundation that lets the team focus on what they do best — connecting people and maximising potential across the construction industry.