The Challenge:
Sepinroth Translations has been delivering specialised translation services for over 20 years, covering fields like medicine, law, education, and business. Their setup initially seemed pretty solid—working from a single office with two laptops running Windows 10, Microsoft Office, and a few specialised tools. However, despite the positive appearance, the day-to-day operations were far from smooth.
With no automated data protection in place, every single step had to be triple-checked, wasting valuable time and increasing technical debt. Backups were done manually using a USB hard drive, which was both time-consuming and risky. Managing files between the two laptops was a constant headache, with endless manual copying and organising, leaving too much room for human error. As the business wanted to embrace more flexible and secure remote working, several challenges emerged: keeping files safe in a central, secure location; preventing data leaks; and managing data retention—destroying some files after a translation job is finished (legal requirement!) but keeping all the key, anonymised templates and important core business data even forever.
Adding to the complexity, the business evolved, wanted to begin working from multiple locations and devices, often connecting to different networks. Data security and integrity became paramount. There were also concerns around device updates, hassle-free logins, and ensuring a smooth workflow even while working remotely.
The Journey:
We started by designing a solution that prioritised three key areas: identity, device management, and security. Microsoft 365 Business Premium became the backbone of the new setup, allowing us to completely rethink how Sepinroth Translations operated.
The first step was to centralise everything by creating user accounts within Microsoft 365. This gave them a professional email address ( us**@se********************.com ) and a more organised, logical way to manage access. We quickly enabled Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) using the Microsoft Authenticator app, allowing the translator to securely log in from any location. To further lock things down, we set up Conditional Access policies, so if they tried to log in from an unfamiliar place, an extra verification step kicked in.
Next, we tackled the devices. By enrolling them in Microsoft Intune, we made sure all laptops were ‘trusted’ and ‘compliant’ with consistent settings across both existing and future devices. Now, if a laptop broke down, it could be swapped out and ready to go in minutes, not days. We also set up secure logins using Windows Hello, allowing quick access through a PIN or fingerprint instead of relying on complex passwords.
On the productivity side, we moved from the old, standalone Office software to Office 365, ensuring that everything was always up to date and seamlessly integrated with cloud capabilities. Files and folders were migrated to OneDrive, which meant no more browsing through endless copies of the same file. Everything stayed in sync across all devices.
For extra peace of mind, (and following our customer requirement) we implemented a local backup solution using a Qnap server. This gave them the best of both worlds—real-time access to files via OneDrive and a reliable, immutable, local backup for added security and compliance.
Once the foundation was in place, we turned our attention to security. We set up Microsoft Defender to protect against threats across devices, emails, and cloud apps. We implemented a range of policies, from data retention (automatically keeping or removing files as needed) to data loss/leak prevention (making sure sensitive files aren’t overshared). We also restricted access so that certain files could only be opened on approved devices including mobile phones.
While Microsoft Defender and later, together with Sentinel SIEM provided a good layer of security monitoring, the lack of in-house IT resources meant we needed extra coverage. That’s when we teamed up with Huntress, a partner that offers real human oversight through their Security Operations Centre (SOC) at a budget-friendly cost. This gave Sepinroth Translations 24/7 protection without having to worry about a thing.
Throughout the process, we kept track of important security metrics and sent regular reports. The best part? The customer didn’t need to log in or check any admin portals—everything was handled behind the scenes, letting them focus purely on their translation work.
The Result:
Today, Sepinroth Translations is running smoother than ever. They’ve moved from a clunky, manual setup to a smart, secure, and flexible working model. No more wrestling with file versions, stressing over backups, or worrying about security risks or logging tickets every day. They can now focus on what they do best—providing top-notch translation services—while enjoying the peace of mind that everything behind the scenes is taken care of.
This journey, implemented in under a month and tailored specifically for small businesses, has not only improved their daily operations but also strengthened their reputation as a reliable, professional service provider. Additionally, it has saved them over 60% in operational costs and freed up 14 hours per translator each week on average, allowing them to focus more on their customers. We’re thrilled to have been part of their transformation and look forward to supporting their continued growth.
