Derbyshire IT firm ramps up helpdesk team as business booms

The Castle Donington-based managed service provider (MSP) is on track to recruit seven new technical helpdesk staff by June to bolster the team led by founding directors Neil Shaw and Tim Rookes.

The move follows a partnership deal with software distribution giant Pax8, which has put True MSP among only eight per cent of global companies in its sector able to provide the so-called ‘Triple Cloud’ of Microsoft systems to clients.

The Triple Cloud – which comprises Microsoft 365, Microsoft Azure and Dynamics Business Central – is seen as the zenith of IT service offerings, but has until now largely been available to only the largest corporations with the biggest cash pots.

True MSP is offering the same service, which acts as a cover-all for all IT requirements in most firms, for a fraction of the usual cost, meaning it is available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for the first time.

The company, established in 2017, is recruiting the new staff to pre-empt an expected surge in business and to ensure each team member is fully trained beforehand.

A conservative forecast revealed by founding partner Neil Shaw suggests turnover over the next 12 months will rise to around £2.5m, up from £2m this year.

Neil said: “Customer service is our priority – it always has and it always will be. That is why we feel we stand out from our competitors.

“Hiring staff before we secure the business probably goes against the grain for most businesses and may cause accountants and finance directors to have kittens.

“But, ultimately, we are merely pre-empting the inevitable. We’re extremely confident that our new Triple Cloud offering is a real game-changer, so we are genuinely expecting new enquiries to go through the roof.”

True MSP has already seen a rapid period of growth since it launched seven years ago, even before its Pax8 deal became a reality.

Even back in 2017, Neil and Tim employed two additional staff members and moved into its large premises in Castle Donington before they had signed a single client. By the end of the first year’s trading, True MSP had signed 40 clients. Last year the figure passed the magic 100 milestone.

Neil said: “We’re growing pretty fast and we’re not ready to slow down yet. Our only consideration is ensuring we have enough office space for everyone as we continue to grow!”

The company has hired four new staff members since Christmas, with another employee starting in May and two further hires due to start in June.

All technical staff are qualified to an untypically high level, ensuring that they can handle helpdesk enquiries on the spot. The company does not issue job tickets that require a ‘call-back’ and staff answer all calls within an average of seven seconds.

The rapid growth curve that the firm is experiencing coincides with the launch of a new website and branding refresh earlier this month.

The new Triple Cloud service offers SMEs a previously unattainable system for making their businesses far more efficient.

The key to this, Microsoft’s Dynamics Business Central, is an all-in-one cloud-based application for running a business’s entire operation, from accounting and stock control to sales, logistics and customer service.

Until now, most SMEs have used multiple IT services to support their operations, including accounting packages like Sage alongside the other two Microsoft systems in the Triple Cloud, Microsoft Azure, and the more familiar Microsoft 365.

Many IT service providers offer licensing and management services for Azure and 365, but very few offer all three, as Dynamics Business Central has until now priced SMEs out of the market.

Large organisations may typically pay £100,000-plus for the service to be implemented, but True MSP can now offer the same package to SMEs for just a few thousand pounds.

To discover more, visit www.truemsp.co.uk.