A unique IT partner

Founded in February 2011, Productions KOTV Inc. is a Quebec-based company that works in the entertainment industry. It works with home-grown talent to develop and produce innovative television programming, particularly in the realms of comedy, variety, fiction, magazines and documentary. Rewarded multiple times at the Prix Gémeaux and Gala Les Olivier for its Bye Bye and Les Appendices, KOTV’s shows also include: Les Simone, Conseils de famille, Esprit critique, Med, and more than fifteen other series. A client of GTI since 2014, the mission of KOTV and its subsidiaries, KOSCÈNE, KO24, and KO MÉDIA is very simple: conquer the world and then entertain it.

KOTV's Challenge

According to Louis-Philippe Drolet, Producer and shareholder Support the growth of our group by relying on an experienced IT partner. At its foundation in 2011, KOTV’s team had only 4 members and a few freelancers. With the growth of our activities in recent years and the acquisition of Productions Marie Brissette in 2014, our IT needs had grown and could no longer be handled by a single external consultant. We needed a partner capable of meeting our new needs and able to assist and advise us in the context of our growth. To support our expansion, we had to upgrade our network infrastructure and ensure its support for long-term performance. The design of an enterprise management solution adapted to the activities of our production company was also an important aspect. For our organization, working with an IT "one stop shop" firm like GTI had become necessary in order to meet all of our information technology needs.

GTI’s Contribution

Development of a software solution adapted to our activities and optimization of the IT infrastructure to meet performance requirements necessary for a booming production company. Our collaboration with GTI first began when they took over as our IT provider. By performing an audit of our infrastructures, their Managed IT Services experts were able to identify, prioritize and correct various issues. They then proceeded to optimize our computer network:

• Selection and implementation of an optimal infrastructure:
  • Server: Installation of a Windows 2012 R2 server infrastructure virtualized under VMware which offers more flexibility for services and faster implementation.
  • Wireless: Set up of a corporate wireless access point which optimizes the Wi-Fi signal on the two floors occupied by the company and offers Internet access to guests.
  • Remote connection: Implementation of a new company firewall allowing efficient and personalized remote connections according to the roles of freelancers and organization members.

• Transition from a Mac environment to a hybrid environment: Optimizing the management of Apple computers in a new Windows network and server infrastructure. Offering Mac’s advantages in video processing and ease of use and Windows strengths like flexibility in management tools, better compatibility and security management.

• Implementation of a remote backup solution for executives and key personnel often on the road. An additional option to the local backup system.

• Support in the choice of other IT partners: Decision support, business case analysis to determine the most suitable suppliers and services for Internet and IP telephony.

Since then, their team has outsourced our IT infrastructure. Their employees take care of the management and maintenance of our servers and workstations, and ensure the monitoring and security of our systems and the backup of our data. GTI's expertise allows us, on a daily basis, to develop our infrastructure according to our needs. We can also rely on the personalized support of their assistance center at any time, a practical advantage considering our irregular schedules. GTI also led the relocation of infrastructures of Productions Marie Brissette, a company we acquired as part of our expansion. The project included the relocation, integration, and consolidation of the networks, servers and data of our two organizations. Regarding the management of our customers’ and production team members’ contact information, their Software Solutions team developed and implemented a FileMaker solution giving us the ability to:

• Manage our contact groups by film location, an essential aspect considering our operations.

• Access our information on mobile devices at all times with an application using the FileMaker Go platform. A convenient feature for our company executives and members frequently on the road.

• Access our contact directory in real-time through continuous updates.

• Control access management, which guarantees the protection of our data.

• Allow a person in charge to monitor and track the changes made through a notifications system.

As a strategic partner, GTI also contributes to the development of our annual IT plan and assists us in the choice of new IT products and solution.

The Results

An optimized IT infrastructure adapted to our needs, a software solution that simplifies the management of contact information and the access to a comprehensive IT expertise. Working with GTI allowed us to:

• Establish an IT budget plan in line with our growth and objectives.

• Optimize and consolidate our infrastructures, with little or no impact on our productivity.

• Better manage the risk associated with data loss through the implementation of local and off-site backup systems.

• Improve collaboration with other IT service providers (Internet and IP telephony).

• Make communication with our customers and production team members more efficient.

”As a client of GTI since 2014, we have always had exceptional collaboration as far as problem solving, research, and development of tools adapted to our environment and needs. GTI has always demonstrated flexibility and rigor in a spirit of collaboration and partnership, which has greatly contributed to the growth of KOTV.” Louis-Philippe Drolet, Producer and shareholder Visit kotv.ca