In the summer of 2008, a friend and I setup a new IT company. Not the most auspicious timing as Leeman Brothers collapsed just a few weeks later and signalled the start of the global financial crisis. Despite this appalling sense of timing however, we made slow and sure progress; employed our first member of staff, implemented systems, got offices, and continued growing the business into a profitable and successful enterprise with an enviable reputation for service and capability and a loyal customer base who love what we do and how we do it.
While the need for great customer service is constant; the IT sector has changed radically in many respects in those same 12 years; exciting new technologies to make businesses more agile, efficient, and effective … and emerging threats to keep you awake at night! Responding to all this for a small team becomes increasingly difficult and so at some stage you must decide to either grow as you with all the pain that entails … or unite with a larger company who already has established expertise in those areas. The challenge of course is to find another organisation who not only ticks those boxes but also shares your own passions, ethos, and company culture.
With all this in mind, but without any serious intent to pursue, I suddenly received two such offers in as many weeks. Serendipity maybe? After agreeable conversations with both parties, it became quickly apparent that one stood out! The DSM Group has long been known to me as an occasional collaboration on projects, and a place for a friendly chat, coffee and biscuit when travelling up or down the A1. I am always seriously impressed with their setup; focused on Cloud Solutions and Disaster Recovery located in a secure former aircraft hanger in the rolling fields of Lincolnshire. They are also passionate about what they do … which after 30 years in the business is impressive!
Last Friday, the CEO of DSM Mike Richardson and I signed documents that will see EasylifeIT become part of the DSM Group of companies. We are both thrilled to be expanding our respective portfolios while retaining those aspects that make us unique and beloved by our customers. I would like to say that I had to fight hard to keep EasylifeIT’s unique flavour and ensure continuity for our customers, but honestly; I didn’t need to. DSM “get it” and understand what makes EasylifeIT such an attractive proposition for companies looking for IT support and managed services and have no intention of breaking something that works. So, for the loyal and long-term customers of EasylifeIT you should see no change in your service or the people who deliver it … only now we can also talk about Disaster Recovery, Cloud Solutions and Workplace Recovery with much more authority and with the resources and capability to back it up!
