Network & Security Ltd – Reliable and Proactive IT Support for Local Businesses

​Network & Security Ltd is a Hertfordshire based IT Support Services company offering outsourced IT solutions to local businesses so that they can get on with the day-to-day activities of serving their customers. They ensure that a company’s data is secure, backed-up and recoverable so that the employees can carry out their tasks efficiently. Network & Security Ltd was founded by Neil Kemp and Colin Hill over 8 years ago. Neil spoke to Herts Review about the company and plans for the next few years.
 
“Our core business is our IT Outsource solution which means that we keep our client’s business up and running without any interruptions. We convey the feeling to our clients that their IT issues are fully taken care of and we are available to resolve any issues. The business owner does not need to worry about any IT related matters for their employees. For instance, it could be a case of an employee not being able to log on to issues relating to data security or transfer. We have invested in a responsive front-line team that deal with any IT matters no matter how small or big.”
 
“We work a lot with professional services companies – Legal, Accounting, Recruitment and other office-based companies. These companies on average have 15 to 20 staff. Our services include basic IT support (e.g. supply and set up of encrypted laptops for employees, IT hardware and software supply and configuration), hosting services and the next generation Anti Malware prevention services as the first line of defence from viruses and ransomware.”
 
“With the current restriction on movement and a lot of employees working remotely, online security is key for any business. Since the beginning of this year we have seen a sustained increase in cyber-attacks including malware, phishing attacks, eavesdropping attacks, and man-in-the-middle attacks (malicious actor inserts themselves into a conversion between two parties). Our security solutions to our clients have been proactive and not only reactive. While we help local businesses deal with these situations when they happen, we also pre-empt such situations and put in place robust preventive measures.”
 
Neil has been in the IT space for over 25 years. “I was made redundant from a company I was working for and started IT Contracting in 2000. The idea of having my own IT Support company had always been at the back of my mind as I knew I could not be moving to different roles indefinitely. I met Colin in one of my roles while he was working for an IT Reseller. I could see he was exceptionally good at what he did. I brought him on board as a director for Network & Security. Colin is really brilliant with IT stuff so we shared roles that I will focus more on business development and growing the business while he focuses on service delivery to our clients.”
 
“We started off with a big client that took up most of our time. However, we were always thinking that at some point the client may not need our services any longer. The risk would have been too high and so 4 years ago we changed our business model. For the last 4 years, our target has been to onboard other customers and diversify our customer base to reduce the overall risk. I will say it has worked so far but we are looking to expand our operations further. From our experience, while almost every business needs our services, we primarily target businesses that see the value of what we do. Fortunately, we are still working with the big client”
 
Network & Security Ltd is becoming an established IT Solutions company supporting businesses in London, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Bedfordshire. “We have a total of 9 people at the moment. We will be looking to add a few more in the coming years. We will be taking on another 3 employees next year. Our 9-year plan is to grow by 30% annually and see where we go from there. Now, the priority is to maintain a steady ship in these uncertain times.”
 
The covid-19 pandemic this year has brought mixed emotions for the company. “Like most businesses are experiencing there have been challenges. Some of our clients have done well out of this situation and have seen their business expand over the last few months. Others have not been so lucky especially our clients in the hospitality sector. Generally, businesses are careful about spending money and this has affected key IT spend. When the March lockdown started business slowed down but from July we have been recovering and are operating at 80% of our capacity. We added 3 customers in the last 3 months.”
 
“There are other IT Support companies out there offering similar services. We collaborate with them or refer work to each other, so we know them well. However, we bring a combined 121-year collective IT experience to any client we work with. We put a lot of time and effort into our frontline team so that they are responsive. In addition, we monitor your domain for mentions in the dark web and prevent any threats that may come up. These online threats and attacks keep evolving and the attackers continue to change strategies. Our team are on top of this.”
 
If you are running a business in London, Herts, Bucks or Beds, you could use the bespoke IT Support Services on offer from Network & Security Ltd. You can contact them here.