How Furley Page moved to the cloud and left IT frustration behind

Furley Page was founded in 1725 — the year Robert Walpole became Britain's first Prime Minister, when Chatham was a naval town and Canterbury's streets were lit by candlelight. Three centuries on, the firm still serves the same communities across Kent. What's changed is everything else — including, recently, the technology underpinning how 150 people do their work.

With 18 partners, three offices across Canterbury, Whitstable, and Chatham, and around 150 staff, the firm handles the full range of private client and commercial work, everything except legal aid and criminal law.

Like many firms of its size, Furley Page had ambitious plans: 5–7% organic growth each year, a steady intake of trainee solicitors, and an eye on potential merger opportunities. To get there, the firm needed technology that could keep pace, not hold it back.

Furley Page ran a formal selection process, shortlisting three managed service providers, choosing two to present to the partners. Access came out on top.

Then, in a move that says a lot about how the firm operates, they also gave their existing supplier the chance to show how they could better develop the firm’s IT structure, acknowledging that after 5 years of servicing the Firm they also deserved the opportunity to compete.  However, the Firm ultimately decided they needed a more progressive approach and chose Access as their MSP going forward.

"We were that impressed with Access we knew it was the best option for the business to future proof it IT structure and stay ahead of future developments" says Malcolm.

Several things set Access apart during the evaluation. Legal sector expertise was near the top of the list. Furley Page needed a partner that understood how law firms work — the confidentiality requirements, the security obligations, the specialist software used for dictation, document production, cost management, and case handling. Many MSPs couldn't demonstrate that. Access could.

The quality of the people also made a difference. "It was obvious that the people we spoke to were very, very knowledgeable in what they did and very proud of the Access business themselves," says Malcolm. "You only really get that sort of commitment if it's a company that is treating people right. They weren't just trying to sell us something, They were trying to sell us themselves as well as the services."

Pricing transparency mattered too. Access was clear that a full audit would be needed before a final price could be confirmed but the quote they gave was close enough that when the audit came back, there were no surprises.

"We knew we were almost getting what we were told we were going to get," says Malcolm.

Access delivered a fully managed IT environment for Furley Page, covering:

• Cloud PC (VDI): giving all 150 partners and staff a consistent, secure desktop experience from any device, in any location
• Access Managed Device Solutions (AMDS): fully managed laptops rolled out across the firm, replacing owned hardware with a flexible, per-device monthly model
• Microsoft 365 modernisation: including a full Microsoft tenant migration, covering Outlook and SharePoint Online
• Managed IT support: extended-hours service desk covering all users across all three offices
• Managed security: including security awareness training and Microsoft 365 backup
• New connectivity: replacement firewalls, switches, and wireless infrastructure across all offices

The migration happened in three phases, each designed to minimise disruption.

First came the managed device rollout. Laptops were delivered pre-configured, with clear instructions for getting set up. "The way that the devices were rolled out and the support that we were given to get everything up and running was fantastic," says Malcolm. "Really efficient. We didn't need a great deal of support from the service desk because all of the pre-rollout information was so good."

The main Access Managed Services go-live followed in March 2026. Access placed people in each of Furley Page's offices for the first week; a visible, hands-on presence that made a strong impression on staff.

"They gained everybody's confidence," says Malcolm. "We had people in each office from Access. People took to them because they were efficient, they were friendly, they were professional. That was a really good first experience for a lot of users of what it was going to be like with Access."

The firm was stable within days.

The third phase, migrating the Microsoft tenant, including Outlook and SharePoint Online, completed on 3 July 2026. This was the most technically complex part of the project, given the volume of document data connected to Furley Page's Peppermint case management system. Access have worked closely with Peppermint to triage issues as they emerged, holding joint sessions every other day.

"The support that we're being given by the early life support team has been fantastic," says Malcolm. "They're very attentive. They help wherever possible, even on the software side of things that they wouldn't necessarily be involved in, they've got involved because it's obvious their knowledge is helping out those on the other side as well.This final phase of the project has continued longer than anticipated but the Early Life Support team have remained with us every step of the way.”

Since go-live, the improvements and benefits have been clear.

System stability and performance are markedly better. The lag and downtime that had previously been frustrating staff have gone. Support tickets are fewer, and those that do come in are resolved as quickly as possible.

The experience is consistent whether someone is in the office or working from home, something that wasn't true before. "Everybody can see it doesn't matter where you're working, you'll get treated the same."

The shift to managed laptops and Cloud PC has also changed how the offices themselves work. With staff able to pick up and work from anywhere in the building, Furley Page didn't need to take on as much space when it moved to new premises. The flexibility has also helped with recruitment, a tangible benefit in a competitive market for legal talent.

The biggest shift, though, is cultural. Under the previous provider, problems could be met with blame directed at other parties. That dynamic has gone.

"There's no blame casting here," says Malcolm. "We'll help you with what we can. If not, we'll find someone that will be able to help. Staff confidence and staff trust in Access and the people that we're dealing with now has been very strong and growing all the time. People like working with Access."

With the migration complete and the environment stable, Furley Page is already thinking about what comes next. Telephony is on the roadmap, the firm is exploring moving its phone systems to Access, alongside Teams-based meeting room conferencing. Further ahead, the firm is beginning to think seriously about AI, with a focus on defining what they want AI to do for them before choosing any tools.

"Yes. Definitely."

Malcolm Twyman, Furley Page Solicitors