About Aquila
Aquila Air Traffic Management Services is a UK-based provider of advanced air traffic management (ATM) solutions, specialising in both civil and military sectors. Established in 2014 as a joint venture between NATS and Thales, Aquila delivers cutting-edge radar systems, airfield operations, and surveillance solutions. The company is dedicated to ensuring the safety and efficiency of airspace management through innovative, resilient services. With a team of experienced engineers, Aquila operates across the UK and internationally, supporting 24/7 air traffic management needs while maintaining a strong focus on safety, integrity, and excellence.
The Challenge
Aquila Air Traffic Management Services needed to transition from their on-premise ServiceDesk+ system with ManageEngine to a cloud-based solution. Given the sensitive nature of their work, they required a platform offering cloud hosting with data storage within the UK to meet strict compliance standards.
Their previous system lacked integration capabilities with asset management tools, which made managing everything in one centralised space impossible. Additionally, working with the MOD brought heightened security requirements, and Aquila Air Traffic Management was concerned that platforms like ServiceNow might not be willing to undergo all the necessary security checks for a smaller organisation of around 15 agents. “Our security team has a lot of requirements for companies when we are bringing new systems on board, including a lot of questionnaires,” shared Lilah Turtle, IT Service Manager, “and Halo was willing to go through all the processes of what was required.”
This concern extended to finding a platform that would tailor a solution to their specific needs and ensuring that once the system was implemented, they would be able to access a high level of technical support whenever they needed it.
“Halo is a great fit. If we used a massive service desk tool like ServiceNow, they probably wouldn’t give us the quality of service we wanted. We had some demos with ServiceNow but it just wasn’t the right fit for us.”
The Solution
After careful consideration, Halo stood out as the perfect fit. Offering both on-premise and cloud-based solutions with the ability to host data in the UK, Halo provided exactly what Aquila was looking for. From the beginning of the sales process, Halo’s team worked closely with Aquila, addressing security concerns and building trust.
The implementation was smooth and efficient. Halo didn’t just replicate Aquila’s existing processes but also introduced valuable new functionality that wasn’t possible with ServiceDesk+. Some of the key improvements included:
Enhanced Self-Service Portal: The old, clunky interface was replaced with an intuitive design, making it easy for Aquila to add new fields and capture crucial data for access management. This not only improved efficiency but also enhanced security.
Seamless Integrations: Halo’s integration with InTune and Datto allowed Aquila to consolidate their data management into one centralised platform, streamlining their workflow.
Customisable Workflows: With automation in place for tasks like approvals and pre-approvals, ticket categorisation became more accurate, and manual errors were significantly reduced.
Responsive UK-Based Support: Halo’s support team, based in the UK, provided fast, reliable assistance.
Aquila appreciated Halo’s flexibility and responsiveness throughout the remote implementation and has since been able to resolve any issues quickly when contacting the UK support team.
The Results
Switching to Halo has delivered impressive results for Aquila. Integrating with InTune and Datto has streamlined workflows, while automated approval processes and pre-approvals have saved valuable time. The revamped self-service portal has reduced the volume of helpdesk calls, freeing up technicians to focus on more critical tasks. User satisfaction has reached new heights, with 90% of users rating their experience as “excellent.”
Thanks to Halo’s secure, UK-based data hosting, Aquila now operates with full confidence, knowing their compliance and security requirements are met without compromise. “I don’t see any reason why we would ever change our system,” commented Lilah Turtle, IT Service Manager, who has seen the improvements firsthand, “and we know if we need to add anything in the future, it has the potential to cater to our needs.”
