The collaboration between SOL Group and Netox did not begin with a major strategic decision, but with a small pilot. Over the years, the partnership has been built step by step to support SOL’s day-to-day operations, where IT and cybersecurity function as a reliable part of everyday work.
SOL Group is a Finnish family-owned company operating widely across the service sector. Its business is defined by practicality and cost awareness, and smooth daily operations are at the core of its approach to both IT and cybersecurity. Solutions are expected to work quietly in the background, without placing unnecessary strain on the organisation or diverting focus from core business.
SOL’s IT environment is intentionally managed by a small in-house team, with partners playing an important role in supporting daily operations.
– We operate with a fairly small internal organisation. We don’t really have the opportunity, or the desire, to build all expertise in-house, says Joni Westman, Head of IT at SOL.
The collaboration with Netox did not start as a large-scale outsourcing decision, but from a single, clearly defined need.
– We initially asked Netox for a small piece of consulting related to Microsoft Autopilot. We reviewed our current situation and possible next steps, and were quite impressed by how Netox approached the overall picture and what they had in mind, Westman says.
Based on those discussions, the collaboration progressed to building an Autopilot deployment pipeline. The goal was to streamline device onboarding and management without launching a heavy project.
It was important to us that the first solution could be delivered quickly and in a controlled way. When the foundation works, it’s much easier for the customer to expand the collaboration to the next phases if needed, says Antti Lahokoski, Lead Consultant at Netox.
SOL began to rely on Netox more directly, and development expanded to device security as well as the broader Microsoft 365 environment.
As the collaboration progressed, Netox supported the development of manageability and cybersecurity, while also supporting everyday user work through information management and end-user training. At the same time, SOL gained a more concrete understanding of what actually happens when IT and cybersecurity are built as part of the same environment.
A right-sized partner for everyday IT services
From SOL’s perspective, one key factor in the success of the collaboration has been Netox’s size and operating model. Larger providers did not offer a way of working that suited a mid-sized organisation.
– We’ve consciously moved from large vendors to smaller ones. When you’re a mid-sized company, you don’t always get the level of service you need from a big organisation. Netox is the right-sized partner for us, Westman says.
Today, Netox is responsible for a comprehensive service delivery for SOL Group, covering not only expert services but also ongoing core IT services. These include end-user support, device lifecycle management, continuous IT services and cybersecurity services. Netox’s services currently reach close to two thousand SOL users and, as digitalisation progresses, extend across the entire group.
The transition to IT service production was carried out in a controlled and predictable manner from contract to production, with the entire transition project completed end to end in under eight months.
– Even large IT service transitions can be carried out in a controlled and fast timeframe. These kinds of transition projects don’t need to take years when the scope is clearly defined and responsibilities are clear, Lahokoski says.
According to Westman, working with Netox has been made easier by openness about expertise. Netox is clear about what its core strengths are, and what they are not, which has made the collaboration transparent and trust-based. SOL’s operating environment relies heavily on Microsoft services, making it natural to lean on Netox’s deep Microsoft expertise when developing the environment.
Solutions have been built with SOL’s business realities in mind.
– We operate in a highly competitive and challenging environment, where costs play a central role in everyday decision-making and are a significant driver, Westman explains.
Built to adapt to change
Built to adapt to change
The collaboration has also included looking at the use of artificial intelligence, particularly the role of Microsoft Copilot as part of SOL’s Microsoft 365 environment and its ongoing development.
– The Microsoft environment evolves constantly, which means services and expertise have to evolve along with it. Our role is to ensure that the customer’s day-to-day work remains manageable, even as the technology changes, Lahokoski says.
The collaboration has progressed in phases, and not all services were introduced at once. This model has allowed SOL to expand the partnership at its own pace, based on real needs. The launch of cybersecurity and end-user services, along with the preceding onboarding project, was scheduled as part of a broader whole to minimise overlap with the previous partner.
It has also been important for SOL to know that Netox’s services are not limited to Finland. This provides confidence that IT and cybersecurity solutions will remain resilient even as the operating environment changes.
This has been exactly the kind of collaboration we were looking for. We didn’t try to do everything at once, but moved forward piece by piece, based on what was actually needed, Westman concludes.
