Carphone Warehouse

20 years working directly with the board as the company grew from bedroom business to major plc.

The story

Sir Charles Dunstone knows business. He has always pushed to be at the forefront of technology and also loves the Apple brand. We bought a mobile phone from him in 1992, returned the favour by supplying Apple computers for his point-of-sale tills, and since then have developed a 20+ year relationship with the company chairman and his top table.

“As the company has expanded over the years, Twilight Zone has constantly recommended the optimum solutions for every scenario we have thrown at them and have never failed to deliver on a promise that they have made to us.”
Sir Charles Dunstone

The challenge

The Carphone Warehouse was ahead of the curve when Sir Charles decided that Apple would be amongst the leading computer brands for the future. But integrating Macs into a PC environment was a major undertaking in the Nineties.

The company needed a specialist Apple team that would integrate seamlessly with their Windows engineers, working side-by-side to create a technology infrastructure that would give every staff member from in-store sales assistants to top-level executives exactly what they needed to ensure the business stayed at the top of its game.

The solution

Over the course of the last 20+ years, we have handled both specialist engineering projects and on-going technology support. We set up their Design Studio, offering full-blown hardware and software support under an SLA for a team that has grown from a single designer to over 20.

After proving we could integrate Apple machines seamlessly into the business, we now provide support engineering for up to 100 executives including hundreds of iOS devices. This involves a member of our team permanently embedded onsite with their Windows engineers.

We also carry out bespoke projects for the company. We helped them become the first retail business to use digital signage in their stores by managing the entire installation process, and created holographic window displays when their flagship stores launched the Motorola Rzr.

VIP support for their top table

A cornerstone of our work with Dixons Carphone is home support for the board members and their PAs. Top executives including Chairman Sir Charles, Deputy Group Chief Executive Andrew Harrison (pictured below) and Co-Deputy Chairman Roger Taylor rely on us to ensure they can flawlessly transition from office to home and back again. On call from 9am to 9pm, we manage all desktop and iOS devices, reacting quickly and spotting issues before then happen. Avoiding downtime is absolutely essential at this level of the business.

Services provided

Workstations, iOS, file servers, email servers, back-up, full VIP support, remote support, 9am to 9pm availability.

“They have been a tremendous support over the years, through the changes in technology and advancements in the services provided by the studio.”
Stuart Mcdonald, Studio Manager, Carphone Warehouse

Carphone Warehouse

The merger of Carphone Warehouse and Dixons Retail into The Dixons Carphone Group has created Europe’s leading specialist electrical and telecommunications retailer and services company. Combined with trusted advice and after-sales care, they make the potential of connected technology accessible and affordable for their customers. They employ over 40,000 people in 11 countries, with almost 3,000 stores across various brands.

www.carphonewarehouse.com

Get in touch now

Find out how we can help you. Call our team on 01923 801812 or email us.