Honan Insurance scales for growth with blueAPACHE

Key facts

Label Value
Customer Honan Insurance
Sector Insurance, risk and financial services (broking and advisory)
Established 1964
Geography Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia; expansion in New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia at the time of writing
Client industries served Technology, construction, mining, real estate and strata, finance, professional services
Services used emPOWER Managed Services, emPOWER Cloud, emPOWER WAN, emPOWER IaaS, emPOWER DRaaS; Palo Alto network remediation, Wi-Fi support, Citrix transformation
Headline outcome Telecommunications bill reduced by around 65 per cent
Selection Formal RFP with shortlist presentations to the executive team; we engaged for network remediation during the RFP

Customer

Honan Insurance provides advice and support in insurance, risk and financial services to clients across technology, construction, mining, real estate and strata, finance and professional services. Honan had grown revenue at a compound annual rate of approximately 17 per cent over the preceding 19 years and had insured value over $280 million at the time of writing, and as it grew it became dependent on IT infrastructure spanning critical applications, data storage and communications.

Sector

Insurance and financial services. The case describes Honan's advice and support in insurance, risk and financial services. Related sector guidance is available under financial services and professional services. The case does not establish Honan's regulatory status or the applicability of particular APRA-related contract terms.

Challenge

Honan set out to replace its existing managed services agreement because the incumbent's service levels did not match expectations, causing disruption, and a series of network outages brought the situation to a head. Honan's Chief Operating Officer described the requirement as a partner that understood the growth path Honan was on and the service levels and vision it required, including support for international growth. While the RFP was under way Honan suffered several major outages through its incumbent network provider, which accelerated the need; the requirement included expertise in connectivity and firewalling for a data and Wi-Fi network suffering regular outages.

Solution

Honan's IT team ran a formal RFP across a range of service providers and shortlisted a small number to present to the executive team. During that process Honan asked blueAPACHE, one of the shortlisted providers, for guidance, and we remediated the network around Honan's Palo Alto technology stack. On the strength of that work Honan asked blueAPACHE to advise on a whole-of-WAN transformation including international sites, all before a master service agreement was signed. At the end of the tender Honan contracted blueAPACHE to deploy the emPOWER portfolio of managed services.

Our delivery included:

Services used

Outcomes

These are the historical outcomes reported for this engagement.

Outcome Result
Telecommunications cost Reduced by around 65 per cent
Operating model Fully cloud-based, with flexibility to add resources as demand grows and systems secure and accessible from any location
Business continuity Staff working remotely during COVID-19 disruptions with no impact on performance and productivity, which Honan's Head of Technology and Projects said would not have been possible before blueAPACHE
Growth Honan's Chief Operating Officer described the change as a contributing enabler to growth, with the business growing rather than only maintaining operations during the COVID-19 period
Certification benefit Our ISO certification supported Honan's ability to bid for work in Australia and globally, where certification had become a mandatory requirement for many prospects and customers
Office move New Sydney premises operational from day one after we established data links the incumbent could not deliver in time
Productivity An uptick in productivity reported; not quantified
Ongoing International expansion in New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia supported, with voice and data links being upgraded

Interpreting the commercial outcome

The reported telecommunications saving applies to Honan’s arrangement and starting position. It is not a discount on our services or a forecast for another customer. Separate carrier, infrastructure, management and transition costs, then compare like-for-like scope. Record operational work moving between customer and provider. The service combination is the evidence; a new proposal needs its own rates, dependencies, support terms and acceptance criteria.

Related

Who is Honan Insurance?

An insurance, risk and financial services business established in 1964, serving clients in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia across technology, construction, mining, real estate and strata, finance and professional services. At the time of the case study it had grown revenue at about 17 per cent a year for 19 years and had insured value over $280 million, figures that need confirmation before reuse.

Why did Honan change managed service providers?

The incumbent's service levels were not meeting expectations, causing disruption, and a series of network outages brought matters to a head. Honan wanted a partner that understood its growth path, including international expansion, and could deliver the service levels it required.

How did you win the work?

During Honan's formal RFP, further outages hit and Honan asked blueAPACHE, already shortlisted, for guidance. We remediated the network around Honan's Palo Alto stack, which built enough trust that Honan sought its advice on a whole-of-WAN transformation before a master agreement existed, then signed for the full emPOWER portfolio at the end of the tender.

What services did Honan take from you?

emPOWER Managed Services, emPOWER Cloud (with all core applications and data stores migrated), emPOWER WAN including international sites, emPOWER IaaS and emPOWER DRaaS, plus Wi-Fi network support and Citrix transformation. We also delivered data links into new Sydney premises in time for an office move.

What did Honan save?

The telecommunications bill alone was reduced by around 65 per cent, along with a significant reduction in operating costs and an uptick in productivity. Only the telecommunications figure is quantified.

How did the move help during COVID-19?

Honan's Head of Technology and Projects is quoted saying that emPOWER Cloud let staff work remotely with no impact on performance and productivity, which would not have been possible before blueAPACHE, and the Chief Operating Officer said the business grew rather than only maintained operations during that period.

Which ISO certification helped Honan win work?

The case says our ISO certification supported Honan's bids, but does not name the standard or identify the certificate then in force. The separately supplied ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certificate 202507-118 was issued by Sensiba Australia Pty Ltd and states dates from 1 August 2025 to 1 August 2028. Confirm current standing and scope separately.

Who is Honan Insurance and when was the company established?

Honan Insurance is an insurance, risk and financial services business established in 1964 that serves clients in Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, covering industries such as technology, construction, mining, real estate and strata, finance, and professional services.

What business challenge led Honan Insurance to seek a new managed services provider?

Honan Insurance had grown revenue at a CAGR of approximately 17 per cent over 19 years and had insured value over $280m, making it increasingly dependent on its IT infrastructure. Its incumbent managed services provider's service levels weren't matching expectations, and a series of network outages brought the situation to a head, prompting Honan to search for a new managed service provider that could support its international growth.

How did you first get involved with Honan Insurance before signing a formal agreement?

We were one of the shortlisted providers in Honan's RFP process. During the tender, Honan suffered major outages through its incumbent network provider, so we were brought in to fix the network around Honan's Palo Alto technology stack, building significant trust. This success led Honan to seek our advice on a whole-of-WAN transformation, including international sites, even before a master service agreement was signed.

What blueAPACHE services did Honan Insurance ultimately adopt?

Honan Insurance deployed our emPOWER portfolio, including emPOWER Managed Services, emPOWER Cloud, emPOWER WAN, emPOWER IaaS and Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS), with us also supporting Wi-Fi network and Citrix transformation.

How did you help Honan Insurance during an office move in Sydney?

When Honan's incumbent telecommunications provider was unable to establish data links into new Sydney premises in time for a planned office move, we stepped in so Honan could stay on track and be operational from day one, rather than delaying the move.

What performance improvements did you deliver for Honan Insurance's applications and cloud environment?

We overcame significant application latency problems that had troubled staff for an extended period, resulting in a noticeable performance improvement. We also migrated Honan to our emPOWER cloud platform for improved performance and stability, producing an immediate uplift in end user experience and confidence, with all core applications and data stores shifted and configured for maximum performance.

What cost savings and operational benefits did Honan Insurance achieve from the blueAPACHE partnership?

Honan Insurance reduced its telecommunications bill by around 65 per cent, saw an uptick in productivity, and was able to continue operating during COVID-19 disruptions with staff working remotely with no impact on performance and productivity. Our ISO Certification also supported Honan's ability to bid for more work domestically and globally, as certification became a mandatory requirement for many prospects and customers.

What expansion plans were described in the Honan case study?

At the time described in the case study, Honan was focused on growth in New Zealand, Singapore and Malaysia, with voice and data links and IT infrastructure being upgraded with blueAPACHE's support. This historical account does not establish current expansion plans.

What is Honan Insurance's industry classification and company size according to the case study?

Honan Insurance is classified under the Financial Services industry and has between 101–500 employees, according to the case study.

Which blueAPACHE services are listed as included in the Honan Insurance case study?

The services included are Security, Procurement, Managed Services, and Connectivity.

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