Lothian Buses has been providing essential transport services in Edinburgh, Scotland for nearly 100 years. They now operate more than 70 services and over 700 buses running day and night, year-round. Lothian operates a modern and environmentally friendly fleet, including the city’s first emission-free electric buses.
Lothian Buses is an award-winning transportation company that continues to invest in technology and people, ensuring that their service delivery meets the needs of their customers, now and in the future. They are the largest municipal bus company in the UK and one of the largest employers in the region with over 2,500 staff.
Proactive Approach for License Insight
Due to continuous expansion and acquisitions, Lothian’s IT systems have been constantly upgraded to meet business needs. As a result, there was concern that software licenses might be both over and under-present in certain areas, with limited visibility of the overall license environment. A classic Microsoft licensing solution was in place, but it needed to be reassessed for cost-effectiveness and future-proofing.
“The friendly and highly knowledgeable teams from Quexcel and Synergi ensured that we were able to realize savings, address compliance issues, and better prepare the organization for the future. The regular compliance checks and follow-up actions support ongoing compliance. It gives us peace of mind to know we have the right team supporting our ever-changing licensing needs.”
Streamlining License Compliance
Synergi introduced its strategic licensing partner, Quexcel, who worked together with Lothian and Synergi to assess the current situation. They introduced their managed Software Asset Management (SAM) service, designed to streamline and automate software license management. This service is provided by a team of experts who offer practical advice and ensure compliance with software licenses. Quexcel analyzes usage data, details license usage per employee, and identifies unused licenses that can often be canceled or repurposed. This leads to real cost savings and improved efficiency.
After implementation within the Lothian environment, the solution gathered key license data from the installed software—and more importantly—from what was actually being used. Further discussions with Quexcel, Synergi, and Lothian’s IT team led to the removal of redundant software and the identification of the right licenses Lothian needed.
“The power of knowledge is essential to not only make clients like Lothian compliant but also to create savings opportunities. The collaboration between Synergi, Lothian, and Quexcel is a real partnership that adds value. That’s what you get out of bed for in the morning.”
Peter van Uden, Owner of Quexcel
Synergi then worked with Lothian’s IT team to design a licensing solution for the next five years, validated by Quexcel. The license savings for Lothian over the next five years are over £300,000, which can be reinvested in strategic IT projects.
Ongoing Support
Through quarterly reports within the Quexcel Managed SAM service, Synergi and the Lothian team continuously evaluate the impact of the current licensing position. The teams at Quexcel and Synergi provide expert advice on environmental changes, altered licensing requirements, and the latest licensing terms.
“Peter’s support and the talented Quexcel team, combined with Garry’s dedication and the IT team at Lothian, have proven that this complex area can be addressed, reducing business risks and delivering significant value in return.”
Paul Burns, CTO of Synergi