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Chess Moving achieves 95% risk reduction and zero downtime across 130+ staff nationwide

A national relocation specialist unified IT across seven branches with AWS, Microsoft 365, 3CX VoIP, and Essential Eight compliance — cutting telco costs 25%, reducing risk 95%, and delivering zero downtime.

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Chess Moving achieves 95% risk reduction and zero downtime across 130+ staff nationwide — Otaris Logistics / Removals / Defence case study
Industry
Logistics / Removals / Defence
Team size
130+ staff
Location
National (Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania, Cairns, Brisbane, Canberra)
Plan
Fortress
Platform
AWS + Microsoft 365

Results at a glance

  • Before

    Fragmented IT — each branch running different servers, cloud and phone systems

    Now

    Unified national platform — AWS + Microsoft 365 + 3CX across all branches

  • Before

    Significant cybersecurity gaps against Essential Eight

    Now

    95% risk reduction through Essential Eight compliant architecture

  • Before

    Inconsistent phone systems across branches

    Now

    3CX VoIP nationwide — telco costs reduced by 25%

Meet the client

In a relocation business timing is everything, and when government and defence contracts are in the mix the security standards are not negotiable. Reliable IT is not optional there — it is the foundation the business runs on. Chess Moving Australia is a national relocation specialist servicing residential, corporate, government and defence clients, with branches in Sydney, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania, Cairns, Brisbane and Canberra, delivering local and international moves backed by over 130 staff.

What they were up against

External

Each branch ran its own mix of ageing on-premise servers, cloud platforms of varying quality, and inconsistent phone systems. There was no central IT strategy — support was reactive and ad hoc. The LAN hardware across branches was outdated and unable to deliver enterprise-grade security or performance. Cybersecurity posture had significant gaps against the Australian Essential Eight framework, there was no unified business continuity or disaster recovery plan, and the lack of redundant connectivity put time-sensitive logistics work at risk.

Internal

The fragmented approach meant every branch was essentially its own IT island. Staff experienced inconsistent tools and support depending on which office they were in. For a national business trying to coordinate moves across states, this created friction at every level — from scheduling to client communication. The lack of a cohesive security posture was also becoming a barrier to winning and retaining defence and government contracts.

The bigger picture

If you are trusted to relocate families, corporate offices and defence assets, you shouldn't be running on a patchwork of disconnected IT systems. Every branch should operate with the same security, reliability and tools — regardless of location.

How we stepped in

Otaris saw a business with enormous potential being held back by fragmented infrastructure. With experience delivering national IT transformations and deep knowledge of Essential Eight compliance, Otaris had the capability to unify Chess Moving's IT across every branch — bringing consistency, security, and scalability to a business that needed all three.

What we delivered

  1. Strategic consultation and cybersecurity roadmap

    Full audit against Essential Eight across all branches, stakeholder workshops to align priorities, and a phased rollout plan to transform the business without disrupting operations.

  2. Secure cloud modernisation

    Microsoft 365 migration with MFA and Defender for all 130+ staff. AWS virtual servers and Remote Desktop Services to replace the patchwork of on-premise and cloud environments across branches.

  3. Next-generation LAN nationwide

    Cisco and Fortinet edge security, Aruba switching and Wi-Fi across all branches. 3CX VoIP cutover replacing inconsistent phone systems — lowering telco costs by 25%.

  4. Essential Eight compliance uplift

    Application whitelisting, patching, macro control, access governance, and automated compliance monitoring to meet the security standards required for defence and government contracts.

  5. Proactive managed services

    24/7 NOC monitoring, local 60-minute SLA for on-site support, and quarterly optimisation reviews. Weekend cutovers at each branch to ensure zero business disruption.

The cost of inaction

Without action, Chess Moving faced growing cybersecurity risk across every branch — with no unified framework and significant gaps against Essential Eight, a breach at any location could compromise the entire national operation. The fragmented infrastructure was already limiting their ability to win defence and government contracts that require demonstrable security compliance. And with no unified BCDR plan and no redundant connectivity, a single outage at a branch during peak moving season could mean missed deliveries, lost revenue, and damaged client relationships.

Before and after

Before
After
  • Fragmented IT — each branch running different servers, cloud and phone systems
    Unified national platform — AWS + Microsoft 365 + 3CX across all branches
  • Significant cybersecurity gaps against Essential Eight
    95% risk reduction through Essential Eight compliant architecture
  • Inconsistent phone systems across branches
    3CX VoIP nationwide — telco costs reduced by 25%
  • Reactive, ad hoc IT support with no SLA
    24/7 NOC + 60-minute on-site SLA + quarterly reviews
  • No unified BCDR plan or redundant connectivity
    Zero downtime since go-live with full BCDR and 4G failover
  • Scalability limited by on-premise hardware at each branch
    Rapid branch provisioning — energy use reduced by 30%

Where they are now

The transformation delivered measurable results across every metric. Cybersecurity risk was reduced by 95% through an Essential Eight compliant architecture with application whitelisting, patching, macro control, and access governance.

The 3CX VoIP rollout replaced inconsistent phone systems across all branches and cut telco costs by 25%. Chess Moving has experienced zero downtime since go-live, with weekend cutovers at each branch ensuring no business disruption and 95% user adoption within the first week.

The scalable cloud infrastructure now supports rapid branch provisioning without hardware limits, while reducing energy use by 30%. Staff save an estimated 25–50 hours per employee annually through improved systems, and IT-related client complaints have been eliminated entirely.

Not ready to talk? See how your own business measures up first.

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Frequently asked questions

Chess Moving unified IT across seven branches and 130+ staff nationwide on AWS, Microsoft 365 and 3CX VoIP with Essential Eight compliance — cutting telecommunications costs by 25%, reducing security risk by 95%, and delivering zero downtime through the transition.

By replacing legacy phone lines across all seven branches with 3CX VoIP running over the company's unified network — one phone system, centrally managed, with calls routed over the internet instead of separate carrier services per site. Otaris designs the same consolidation for other multi-site operators. Call 1800 456 567 to review your telco spend.

Could your business get results like these?

These are real Australian businesses we've helped. Book a free 30-minute consultation and we'll show you how the same approach could work for you — no obligation, no jargon, no sales pitch.

  • A team that answers when you call
  • An honest review of where your IT stands today
  • A clear plan tailored to your industry and team size

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