ITPS has put economic transparency at the forefront of IT decision making, while enabling businesses to innovate, generate growth and establish competitive strength through smart technology partnerships, according to CCO Andy Harris.
Having fine-tuned a line of action that strikes the right balance between economic realities and customer demand for value-based technology outcomes and innovation, it is no surprise that ITPS’ agility is driving greater confidence in its strategy which is becoming evermore data driven. “We see expansion in our ability to communicate the productivity gains with newer areas like AI, cloud and automation,” stated Harris. “We spend a lot of time providing detailed economic analysis for IT decisions as boards demand more transparent spend-returns and also turn to technology for the transformative impact they are seeing in their respective markets.
“Perhaps the most exciting elements hidden in the rise of AI and automation is the need to communicate value way beyond the IT team. Every day I see our conversations turning to business stakeholders who, increasingly, understand and influence the technology decisions that will have the greatest benefit. We’re building out our partners around big data and moving customers from dashboards to data-driven organisations.”
We’re building out our partners around big data and moving customers from dashboards to data-driven organisations
Security is also topping the ITPS agenda with the launch of a 24x7 SOC which has ‘taken off’, according to Harris. He also noted that adding more SOC features is another strategic priority along with creating a fully fledged business unit that takes advantage of the firm’s SOC and 24x7 NOC. “Channel partners are already gravitating towards us as a one-stop-shop, so it also made sense to invest in holistic solution delivery as an area of innovation,” added Harris. “Our medium-term goals will see us grow our data science capabilities and extend our strong university relationships to ensure we have the best minds making use of the best technologies available. We already have a team looking at data-driven use cases because I want to go to market talking about business outcomes rather than a set of AI features and functions.”
Market reach
Most of ITPS’ partners already buy and manage circuits through its portal, with cloud and security currently the main focus areas for the channel alongside recurring revenues, noted Harris. He said the company has a good balance of business across the public sector and not-for-profit verticals including housing associations, schools and emergency services, with its influence also being strongly felt in legal, manufacturing, energy and sustainability. Insurance and life sciences are also emerging as strong growth markets. “We have a good understanding of the challenges facing each of those sectors which informs our approach to tailored solutions,” stated Harris.
ITPS currently generates circa £20 million turnover, growing at 15-20 per cent per year, and has a 109 headcount. The company began its commercial life in 2000 when founder and former Managing Director Garry Sheriff spotted a gap in the market for what he saw as ‘straightforward IT support’. The business’ year-on-year growth was primarily catalysed by local customer recommendations but the addition of its own data centre in 2003 was a turning point that attracted major ISPs and MNOs to PoP its location. “From there we started reselling circuits to the channel and managed networks to our existing customers,” explained Harris. “Once we had an established customer base we built out our products, introducing a private VCloud offering in 2019 and creating a self-serve portal in 2022.”
Even though ITPS is an established business Harris characterises it as having the energy, flexibility and innovation of a start-up. And following an investment boost in March 2021 ITPS bolstered its exec team and prepared for greater scale and growth. Subsequent developments also included a simplified structure and more engineering depth to the product portfolio ahead of a brand revamp in 2023 which Harris says is reflective of how the company is seen by its customers – Intelligent Technology, Practical Solutions (ITPS). “It’s all about the customer journey and we aim to differentiate from the outset through our teams and approach to current and future market requirements,” added Harris. “Being an MSP for over 20 years also brings an authentic edge to our offerings and go-to-market support.
“Customers inform our strategy. They want a knowledgeable and trustworthy partner so we take a consultative approach, listen and talk about challenges and recommend a technology stack for the next chapter in their own story. Technology is intertwined so we look at the ‘whole’ when building solutions. But budgets are squeezed and we have to be mindful of economics of outcomes – especially when we talk about innovation. Whether it’s AI, cloud or managing cyber risk, you need to think through their impacts.”