IT for forestry
and mill ops.
Forestry operations span an enormous range of IT environments: head offices in town, mill floors with OT equipment and tight uptime windows, and remote cutblocks that need connectivity whether or not there's a cell signal. North Star operates out of Prince George, at the heart of BC's interior forestry economy, and we understand the pressures of a sector where downtime shuts down a shift, documentation requirements from FSC and SFI are non-negotiable, and the field workforce needs tools that work in rain, mud, and -20 degrees. We bring managed IT and field technology support built around how forestry actually operates.
The IT problems this sector runs into.
These come up in almost every conversation we have with forestry operators. They're solvable.
Cutblock and remote site connectivity.
Field crews need GPS, communications, and increasingly digital forms and reporting tools at sites with no conventional internet access. Solutions that depend on cell coverage don't work at 80 kilometres up a forest service road.
Mill floor IT and OT segmentation.
Sawmill and processing facility environments blend OT (SCADA, PLC-driven equipment) and standard IT infrastructure. Keeping these networks separated while allowing the data flows that production management needs is a specialised problem with real safety implications.
FSC and SFI documentation and chain of custody.
Forest certification bodies require documented chain-of-custody processes. The IT systems that generate, store, and transmit those records need to be reliable, auditable, and backed up. When the auditor asks, 'where are the records,' the answer can't be 'probably on someone's laptop.'
Equipment that survives the environment.
Standard office laptops and tablets don't last a season in a forestry field environment. Device procurement, MDM, and replacement workflows need to account for hardware that takes a beating and still needs to sync data when it gets back to camp.
What North Star delivers for forestry.
Practical IT services built around how forestry operations actually work.
Remote site and camp connectivity.
Starlink deployments for logging camps and remote processing sites. LTE-based mobile networks for equipment cabs. Mesh networking for mill facilities with complex layouts. We've solved connectivity problems in northern BC that city-based providers won't quote.
Managed Network →FortiClient VPN and secure remote access.
FortiGate firewalls and FortiClient VPN for secure connections from field offices, camp trailers, and remote staff. Access control that keeps your production systems separated from internet-facing traffic.
Cybersecurity →GIS and mapping tool support.
ESRI ArcGIS, QField, and comparable GIS platforms for timber cruise data, cutblock mapping, and environmental monitoring. Configuration, user setup, and data management so your data actually gets from the field to the office.
Custom Software →Managed IT for office and operations staff.
Flat-rate managed IT for head office and satellite offices. Helpdesk, patching, endpoint security, and backup. One number for all IT issues, not a different vendor for every piece of software.
Managed IT →Ruggedised device procurement and MDM.
Panasonic Toughbook, Samsung Tab Active, and comparable ruggedised devices sourced, enrolled in MDM, and deployed with the apps your field teams actually need. Replacement workflows that don't require a two-week wait.
Managed IT →Tools and platforms we use in this sector.
The technology stack we deploy and manage for forestry clients.
Starlink Business
High-throughput satellite connectivity for logging camps and remote processing sites.
FortiGate / FortiClient
Enterprise firewall and VPN for secure remote access and OT/IT network segmentation.
ESRI ArcGIS / QField
GIS platforms for timber inventory, cutblock mapping, and field data collection.
Microsoft 365
Office productivity, SharePoint document management for compliance records, and Teams for field-to-office communication.
Veeam
Backup and disaster recovery for production data, FSC records, and office systems.
Common questions from forestry operators.
Can you provide connectivity at a remote logging camp or cutblock?
Yes. Starlink Business is the primary solution for sites beyond LTE coverage, and we handle site surveys, installation, and network setup at camp. For mobile connectivity in equipment cabs, we configure LTE routers with the right antenna setups for the terrain.
Do you understand OT/IT network segmentation in mill environments?
Yes. Mill floor environments with PLC-controlled equipment require careful network segmentation to keep OT systems isolated while still allowing data flows to production management software. We configure firewalls and VLANs with the production environment in mind, and we know not to apply standard IT patch schedules to OT systems without coordination.
Can you help with FSC or SFI documentation and IT audit readiness?
Yes. We help structure your document management environment, configure access controls and audit logging, and ensure records are backed up in a way that satisfies chain-of-custody requirements. We've worked with BC interior forestry companies navigating FSC certification renewals.
What does ongoing managed IT cost for a forestry operation?
It depends on the number of users, sites, and the complexity of your environment. We price per-user per-month for standard managed IT and provide project-based quotes for connectivity deployments or one-time work. Contact us for a scoped estimate.
We already have some IT tools in place. Can you take over management without replacing everything?
Yes, and this is the normal starting point. We do an environment assessment, document what you have, identify gaps, and take over management of existing tools before recommending any changes. You don't need to replace everything to start getting better IT support.
Ready for IT that works as hard as your crew does?
Book a 30-minute scoping call. We'll review your environment with your sector's compliance, connectivity, and uptime requirements in mind. No pressure.
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