Mexmast: From a 20-Year-Old Terminal Server to Working Anywhere

Mexmast is based at Victoria Business Park in Burgess Hill, in the same building as our head office. With more than 30 staff, they rely on specialist software to run the business every day.

For around 20 years, that software ran on a single server, and everyone in the office worked through a remote desktop connection to it, known as terminal services. Two decades ago it was a smart, modern way to work. By the time we became involved, it was holding the business back.

The Challenge

With terminal services, the computer on your desk isn’t really doing anything. It’s just a window into a server somewhere else. That meant:

• No internet, no work. Email, files and the business software all lived on the server. When the internet connection dropped, the whole office stopped.
• No Office on the desk. Because everything ran on the server, staff couldn’t use Word, Excel or Outlook on their own machines in the normal way.
• Working from home was painful. When Covid sent everyone home, staff were effectively unplugging their desks and taking them with them. Every home connection into the server was different, and keeping them all working was a constant battle.
• One point of failure. An ageing server, out of the business’s control, sat at the centre of everything.

Then Mexmast’s software supplier launched a new cloud-based version of their system, available through a web browser from anywhere. That was the opportunity to rethink how the whole business worked, and in 2025 we started the move.

What We Did

We planned and managed the move from start to finish, alongside Mexmast’s software supplier. The project included:

• New laptops across the office. Within the first month, we replaced around 20 office computers with laptops. Each one plugs into a docking station, so staff can sit at any desk, plug in and carry on. Taking work home is as simple as picking up the laptop.
• A move to Microsoft 365. We moved Mexmast’s email from their previous provider into Microsoft 365, so email, calendars and Teams work on any device, anywhere.
• An intranet for the whole team. We built a SharePoint intranet as the team’s central place to work, with company information and files stored securely in Microsoft 365. Sharing documents with colleagues is now quick and easy.
• A steady move to the cloud platform. The new business software was critical, so we took our time. Teams moved across from the old server to the new cloud system in stages, so the business kept running throughout.

If you’re planning a similar move, our guide to planning a Microsoft 365 migration covers the main steps.

The Results

The biggest change is freedom. Staff are no longer tied to a desk or to the office. They can securely reach the systems and information they need wherever they’re working, whether that’s at the office, at home or on the road.

• Far less downtime. Before, an internet outage stopped the business completely. Now, with Office on their laptops and data in Microsoft 365, people can keep working.
• Hot desking. Any desk, any dock: plug in and go.
• Easier collaboration. Files and information are shared through the intranet instead of being locked away on one server.
• No disruption. The whole transition happened without downtime for the business.

We believe in being honest about where projects stand. Around five people still use the old server for one particular tool that hasn’t yet moved to the cloud platform. Most of the downtime Mexmast now sees comes from that server, which is outside our control. Replacing that last tool is the next step on their technology roadmap, and once it’s done, the old server can finally be switched off.

What Mexmast Say

“The whole process was far smoother than we expected. We moved from our old terminal-based system to laptops and a modern cloud-based platform without any downtime or disruption to the business.

The biggest difference is the flexibility we now have. Our team can securely access the systems and information they need from anywhere, rather than being tied to a desk in the office.

My Tech Team managed the whole transition from start to finish and made what could have been a major change feel straightforward.”

Darren Baldwin, Mexmast

Is Your Business Still Tied to an Old Server?

Many established businesses still run on a setup that made perfect sense ten or twenty years ago. It works, until the internet drops, a server fails, or people need to work from somewhere else.

Moving to the cloud doesn’t have to mean a big-bang change. Done in stages, with someone managing the whole process and talking to your software suppliers, it can happen around your working day. Find out more about our cloud management services, or how an outsourced IT department can take projects like this off your hands.

If you’re in Burgess Hill or anywhere across Sussex, book a free IT audit and we’ll show you what’s possible for your business.