Sand Grove Capital Management is a London-based alternative investment management firm. It has no internal IT team and relies entirely on its managed service provider (MSP), Thrive, to maintain a robust, secure and business-aligned technology environment. The firm came to Thrive through the acquisition of its previous MSP, and its Chief Operating Officer, Jonathan Groom, oversees the relationship.

Sand Grove Capital Management runs without an internal IT team, so its technology environment depends entirely on its managed service provider. Like many investment firms, it faced market-based challenges in the early 2020s. External trends and unforeseen events put pressure on fund performance, and cost-effective business solutions became more critical than ever.

At the same time, the firm's provider changed hands. Sand Grove came to Thrive through the acquisition of its previous MSP, which meant re-contracting and reassessing its IT infrastructure and service model to ensure efficiency and resilience. Any restructuring had to cut cost without compromising service quality.

Cybersecurity and compliance needed strengthening as well. Operational inefficiencies caused by multiple vendors, including around the firm's portfolio management system, added friction. And in a competitive financial landscape, investor due diligence requests could arrive with tight deadlines, with new funding depending on a fast, credible response.

Thrive's account management team led a strategic restructuring of Sand Grove's IT services. Its deep understanding of the firm's environment allowed a seamless transition onto the Thrive platform, and the firm re-contracted to take advantage of Thrive's billing and flexible service model. The dedicated Account Manager renegotiated contracts to deliver significant financial savings while strengthening cybersecurity and IT support.

On the security side, Thrive introduced DNS filtering, AvePoint Microsoft 365 backups and proactive threat monitoring. A physical monitoring device was installed in the server room, complemented by endpoint security measures. Monitoring of remote logins was improved so that any unusual activity, including a login from abroad, triggers an immediate alert. An enhanced incident response framework was deployed to ensure swift action if a security incident occurs.

Thrive also streamlined operations by migrating the firm's portfolio management system to a different environment, eliminating the inefficiencies of multiple vendors. The wider service set covers technical advisory services, managed endpoint security and response, managed firewalls, hybrid cloud, hosted IT infrastructure, disaster recovery, managed VPN, and O365/M365 management and security monitoring.

Strategic advisory rounds out the engagement. Regular technical business reviews with the firm's vCIO and Account Manager provide IT guidance aligned to evolving needs, and Sand Grove takes part in Thrive industry events such as the Breakfast Club. When a critical due diligence questionnaire had to be completed, Thrive's rapid response enabled the firm to secure new funding.

• Significant financial savings from renegotiated contracts and a restructured service model, with no loss of service quality
• Cybersecurity strengthened with DNS filtering, AvePoint M365 backups, endpoint security and proactive threat monitoring
• Immediate alerts for unusual remote logins, including any sign-in from abroad
• Portfolio management system migrated to a new environment, eliminating multi-vendor inefficiencies
• Rapid completion of a critical due diligence questionnaire helped the firm secure new funding
• Enhanced incident response framework deployed for swift action in a security incident