The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 19
Firms across Aycliffe Business Park can now benefit from cost-effective super-fast internet .
“ The added value , of course , is the potential benefit they are bringing to our fellow residents on Aycliffe Business Park .”
Razorblue was set up by managing director Dan Kitchen when he was just 16 . Last year the company celebrated its 10th anniversary and opened a new office at Wynard Park . It now employs 45 people there and at its other offices in Catterick , Leeds and London .
Kitchen said : “ Although our passion is IT , we recognise that it ’ s just one of many business functions for our clients – albeit an increasingly important one .
“ Most of them don ’ t need to know the nuts and bolts of how we are going to provide them with the service they require . They just need to know that it will work , that it is value for money and it ’ s reliable .”
Razorblue began as a cloud hosting business – and still works with some of its early clients – but has gradually evolved .
Now it offers expertise in managed IT support , cloud , superfast connectivity , telecoms and bespoke business software .
“ We became an internet service provider ( ISP ) in 2009 and built our own network ,” added Kitchen .
“ We also wholly own our cloud infrastructure and the knowledge behind that goes back more than 10 years .
“ Very few of our competitors in this region have that in-depth level of knowledge or control , and that results in a better more joined up service for our clients .”
Dan Kitchen and some of his team at Razorblue , which now has 45 staff and has offices in Catterick , Wynyard , Leeds and London .
Last October Razorblue received the ISO 27001 certification – an international standard awarded to companies which demonstrate best practice in safeguarding their clients ’ data .
“ To many people I suspect ISO 27001 is meaningless – but to us it ’ s the equivalent of a gold medal ,” said Kitchen .
“ It really sets us apart from other businesses . Very few have it in the North East and there are only a thousand or so across the world .
“ Clients understandably want an assurance to know that their data is in safe hands . It ’ s what we were doing anyway , but this is a way of formally acknowledging the rigor of our procedures .”
As well as providing IT solutions for a number of business parks , Razorblue also works across a range of sectors for clients including the Wensleydale Creamery , Harewood House and Gibsorough Hall .
“ There is a real challenge in delivering the latest technology in these fantastic buildings which were designed and built hundreds of
“ The service will provide cost-effective business-grade internet connections .”
years before computers were even invented ,” said Kitchen .
That challenge is currently being tackled on behalf of the Middleton Lodge hotel , near Richmond .
It faced significant installation costs in providing a high-speed internet connection . Razorblue found an alternative solution six miles away . It discovered that the Mowden Rugby Club stadium in Darlington was – for Middleton Lodge – an ideal spot to set up a wireless link to provide the excellent bandwidth it required for its guests and clients .
“ Some companies would scratch their heads and say it ’ s not for them . We take the opposite approach ,” said Kitchen .