Rucon
Rucon – A ventilation pioneer in partnership with Office-IT
Since 1995, Rucon and Office-IT have built a close collaboration. Initially, the focus was on internal digitalisation,
with Office-IT adapting flexibly to the client’s needs while leaving room for Rucon to handle much of the work themselves.
“With the rise of the cloud and Microsoft 365, our reliance on Office-IT grew, especially for complex technological challenges and security issues,” says CEO Arend Reinders. “Over the years, our way of working together has developed into a valuable friendship. It is crystal clear to us that we have an excellent partner. We will keep listening closely to what our partner Office-IT advises and proposes, and we will consider all of it.” (video in Dutch)
Trusting the right partner is the key to successful IT management. But equally important are tailored solutions, a vision for the future, and investing in a long-term relationship. That Office-IT delivers on all these aspects is proven by our success stories.
Rucon – The rise of a ventilation pioneer
In 1985, Rucon was founded as a sister company of a Dutch firm. From the very beginning, the company specialized exclusively in fans, both for the installation sector and for industry. Over the years, the company grew particularly strong in the industrial sector. After the sale of its Dutch parent company, Rucon continued independently under its own name.
“Five years ago, we expanded our product range with air handling units, which resulted in faster growth than we had ever expected.
Today, our company counts 25 employees across our sites in Aartselaar and Wavre.
In the field of fans, we have become one of the market leaders in Belgium.
We are always on the lookout for new talent – not easy to find – but we hope to welcome new colleagues soon,” says Arend Reinders, CEO of Rucon.
A long-standing partnership
The collaboration between Rucon and Office-IT is closely tied to the growth of both companies and dates back to 1995.
“At the time, Office-IT didn’t even exist yet. When switching to a modern logistics package on Windows, Eric Liekens set up our first Workgroup for Windows network. We were heavily engaged in digitalising our company ourselves, and Eric always allowed us to do a large part of the work on our own.
He took care of the key aspects and ensured everything was set up correctly. This way of collaborating built a foundation of trust that has always remained.”
Strategic advice
What started as a collaboration where Rucon did much themselves gradually evolved.
“The rise of the cloud and Microsoft 365 meant that we increasingly relied on Office-IT for support, given the complexity of technological developments.”
“Recently, for example, we introduced SentinelOne for endpoint security.
Even there, we could handle much of the installation ourselves, which we enjoy, as we learn a lot from it.”
Transition to the cloud
A key shift in Rucon’s IT infrastructure was the migration to Office 365, thanks to the advantages in email security and international collaboration.
“For years, we used an Exchange server in our own building. But at one point, on Office-IT’s advice, we moved to the cloud. But at one point, on Office-IT’s advice, we moved to the cloud.
The same went for antivirus software, WatchGuard firewalls, and backup systems – all based on Office-IT’s recommendations. Our backups are transferred nightly to the Office-IT servers. So if we were ever hit by a cyberattack or fire, we could be operational again very quickly. It would only be a matter of restarting or replacing the hardware, and everything could be restored.”
Cloud telephony
A recent project involves replacing our current VoIP system with Fonzer to improve reliability and efficiency.
“We have been using VoIP via Edpnet for years, but in consultation with Office-IT, we decided to switch to Fonzer. This project will be rolled out in the coming months.”
Rucon’s future lies in continued automation and listening to the advice of Office-IT – because standing still means falling behind.
“Our collaboration with Office-IT is based on great trust and has even grown into a friendship over the years.. It is very clear to us that we have an excellent partner. We will certainly continue to carefully listen to what our partner Office-IT tells us and proposes, and we will consider it all.”
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“Our partnership with Office-IT is built on trust, and over the years it has even grown into a friendship. For us, it’s very clear that we have an excellent partner. We will continue to listen carefully to the advice and proposals from Office-IT and always take them into serious consideration.”
Rucon