Intercity Technology has lifted the curtain on a new in-house developed UC platform that CEO Andrew Jackson says will make a mark on the global map as well as the channel landscape.
Intercity Technology is an extended family business that has retained its core family values despite undergoing a technology and acquisition driven transformation that encompasses new markets, more people and greater scale. At the helm is CEO Andrew Jackson whose father founded the business in 1985. Based in Birmingham Intercity was one of the early pioneers of the mobile phone industry and signed Vodafone's first UK partnership agreement. The company has since broadened its service portfolio and transformed from a pure-play mobile provider to an IT and communications solutions specialist. Jackson became CEO in 2013 and quickly went on the acquisition trail to build a well rounded internationally competitive technology business.
He joined the company in 2008 following a five year stint working as a senior executive at Ernst & Young where he was heavily involved in M&A. "This experience prepared me for our acquisitions of Imerja and Gage Networks," commented Jackson. "The business had seen 30 years of organic growth when we embarked on our first acquisition so it felt like a step into the unknown, but it's the best thing I've ever done. Acquisitions always catalyse change and bringing Imerja and Gage into the fold has been no different. But both sets of colleagues have integrated well and we are very much one team. We're a family and all staff at Intercity Technology are treated as valued individuals. The future is looking positive with everyone trying to achieve our shared objectives. Deals like these are often difficult and complex, but as a management team we navigated both incredibly well."
The acquisition of IT services provider Imerja was significant as it expanded Intercity Technology's capabilities and gave it footholds in a number of new vertical markets including the public sector. The company now has 250 employees based in five office locations. Group turnover is £50 million but Jackson's ambition is to get to £75 million by 2020. "We are still very much on the acquisition trail and will continue to look for opportunities to add capabilities where we feel there is an opportunity for growth," noted Jackson. "We also see the launch of Touch Technology as the start of a new path to growth, based on innovative technology we have developed in-house."
According to Jackson the introduction of Touch Technology, a global UC platform, is a game changer. "Because this is something we developed in-house it makes us a vendor as well as a services provider," he said. "We've invested £10 million in its development. Touch Technology is a patented alternative to other major players in the market. We are also working on developing Infrastructure as a Service and looking forward to taking some of these solutions to the channel in the second half of 2017. I can't give too much away, but it's set to take computing on demand to a new level."
Jackson wants to establish Touch Technology as the go-to unified communications platform for growing businesses across the globe, particularly those with international operations or cross border aspirations. "It's an area where we see huge growth potential," he explained. "The Touch Technology platform is our biggest current opportunity. We have so many markets to attack and I'm proud of the team for creating proprietary technology that rivals the very best out there. I want to see Intercity Technology as a credible alternative to the most established IT providers in Europe. With the broad suite of solutions we now offer, coupled with our proprietary technology, we can make a big dent in our target markets."
Intercity Technology's relationships with customers are based on shared long-term goals. That means providing technology solutions that change the way they work for the better. "Many companies are moving traditional IT out of their offices and into data centres giving them the flexibility and scalability to grow," said Jackson. "Intercity Technology's USPs in this area are our in-house data centres, data sovereignty in the UK, expertise, delivery, and removing complexity from the process. I've learnt that businesses succeed when they keep things simple. Clarity is crucial and this is particularly important in the IT and comms industry."•