Open Heart Surgery On A Network

Our client, a multinational corporation and a leading supplier to the semiconductor industry. With a complex and critical IT infrastructure that supports their global operation, any disruption in service could be catastrophic.

The Challenge

The client’s campus in the UK consists of multiple interconnected buildings, with their primary communications room – housing core WAN, LAN, and server infrastructure – located in a building with an expiring lease. This project was implemented to replicate and relocate the entire comms room to an adjoining building with minimal disruption to the organisation.

This wasn’t a simple operation. The comms room – the nerve centre of a huge network that supports production systems – internal communications, and global connectivity. To make it more challenging, the client had allowed just five days of downtime: three business days and a weekend.

In summary, we had five days to completely dismantle, relocate, rebuild, and revalidate a critical IT environment that is a key hub within a global enterprise.

The Solution: Meticulous Planning

We approached this project like all projects at Royce Communications; meticulous planning is key. This is not just a case of moving hardware but relocating a functioning digital ecosystem central to the customer’s operations.

Phase 1: Audit and Planning Stage

Firstly, we completed a full forensic audit of the existing infrastructure to ensure a smooth and regulated transition, which included:

• Inventory and documentation of all WAN, LAN, and server connections.
• Cable routing audit to ensure existing cabling could physically reach the new comms room location—eliminating any potential issues during the move.
• Pre-move circuit testing to validate that every connection was fault-free.
• Complete cable labelling to guarantee quick, accurate reconnection.

Phase 2: Physical Relocation

Coordinating closely with the client’s building contractor (who was simultaneously fitting out the new comms room), Royce executed a staggered relocation to minimise risks:

• Systematic removal and relocation of all LAN, WAN, and server cabinets.
• High and low-level cabling rerouting to the new room.
• Equipment reinstall into repositioned cabinets with all network links reconnected and revalidated.
• WAN circuit installation and integration, including live testing before go-live.
• Repatching and retesting all LAN outlets across the connected buildings.

Every component was tracked, tested, and verified.

The Outcome: Fully Operational by Monday

By 8:00 AM on Monday morning, five days after the first cable was pulled, the client was fully operational. Every system came online without a single reported fault.

Nightmare avoided and not by chance, that was the Royce Communication process working as designed.

Why This Project Mattered

This wasn’t just about technical competence—it was about trust. The client was new to Royce Communications. They had never worked with us before and were entrusting us with a major business-critical infrastructure operation.

The potential consequences of failure? Company-wide outages, production delays, and global ripple effects. Instead, they got flawless execution, on time, with no post-move issues.

What the client said:

“From my perspective, the re-cabling was the most concerning part of the whole move, but your team was entirely confident in their capabilities and delivered without any issue whatsoever. Doug did a fantastic job leading the guys, but each and every one of them conducted themselves professionally. It was a real pleasure working with Royce, and I hope we can repeat the experience in the future.”

— CEO, Client Company