At Peakz Padel, sports enthusiasts can book a padel court at nineteen locations across the Netherlands via an app. Good IT infrastructure is essential for a smooth experience, says Mark Fick of the fast-growing company. “You can order a cheap laptop online, but you cannot compete with the all-round service that Interforce offers.”
Padel pioneer of the Netherlands: growth goes hand in hand with IT
In addition to dozens of padel courts, Peakz Padel also offers a café or restaurant at many of its locations, where visitors are welcome after their game. As a pioneer, the company also works to help guide the rapid rise of the sport in the Netherlands in the right direction and to foster a close-knit sports community. The moment is approaching when padel may become part of the Olympic Games. Peakz Padel’s rapid growth placed heavier demands on IT and soon led the company to Interforce.
“In the beginning, our focus was almost exclusively on the front end. How do you arrange good padel courts, how do you set them up, how do you get good hospitality at a location like that? Things like accounting and IT infrastructure, the back end if you like, were not initially our number one priority. Until the number of locations grows, and then you automatically take on new responsibilities. At a certain point Peakz Padel was ready to scale up, and then a serious IT partner really became an absolute must. Just think of the risks of a cyberattack.”
Cloud One for more than 30 workstations
For some thirty to thirty-five workstations, Peakz Padel uses Interforce’s Cloud One: complete care of the laptops and full configuration of every device, accessible in a secure environment in the cloud. Mark: “At most locations we have both a club manager and an assistant. They might be sitting at a desk, but just as easily at the bar in one of the cafés at the location. So for us it is all about very flexible workplaces.”
“Regular feedback from Interforce”
In addition to the cloud workplaces, Interforce also takes care of internet and Wi-Fi at all locations. “We have Wi-Fi for our staff and a separate network for the players. That is what the public expects from you, so it is part of our service.”
With those Wi-Fi networks, it is all about security and stability. “I usually have contact every two months with our own account manager at Interforce, who then reports back,” says Mark. “We catch up on questions such as: have there been any issues, how are the laptops doing, how are people behaving on the network?” Mark is also enthusiastic about the Interforce portal: “What I particularly like is the Interforce portal, because I can submit a request or a complaint there very easily. Nice and accessible.”
Increasing cybersecurity together with Interforce
When it comes to cybersecurity, Interforce strives for the highest standard with Cloud Blueprint Management. This service helps Cloud One users such as Peakz Padel to manage and monitor their security. This means, for example, being able to respond immediately to security risks, or quickly identifying devices that deviate from the security policy. This solid security foundation reduces risks and makes it easier, for instance, to provide information for cyber insurance.
In the coming years, the focus will in any case be mainly on security, Mark explains. “The trend, of course, is that we are using IT more and more. And the more IT, the greater the risks. That is why it is useful to work together on IT. For example, we also want to start training our staff with Interforce, because you need to give people practical experience with things like phishing emails. However much you shield things, people will always remain a vulnerable part of your entire IT infrastructure. Security is the theme for the coming years in every respect.”
