TECH
Solid support for Redcar care complex ’ s IT needs
WORDS : DAVE ROBSON PICTURE : TOM BANKS
I t ’ s never been more vital to have faith in your IT systems – and a Redcar care facility is one of many clients happy to put its trust in a Teesside firm .
Since Nathan Platt started his own web hosting business in 2016 , Solidblueliquid has evolved into a full-service IT consultancy and support company .
Working with more than 300 customers across the UK , it has attracted five-star ratings for the quality of IT support it offers .
And among its grateful clients is a care home which , for the past two years , has happily put its computer system needs in Solidblueliquid ’ s hands .
Founded in 1992 , Redcar ’ s Ann Charlton Lodge provides personal and nursing care for up to 25 people with multiple sclerosis or related conditions of the nervous system .
Care Quality Commission inspectors have rated it as “ Good ” overall , with the same “ Good ” rating for all sub-sections , including whether the service is safe , effective , caring , responsive and well-led .
Staff treat residents with dignity and respect , the commission report concludes , with one person saying : “ It ’ s the best thing I ever did , moving here .” For a fixed price per month , Solidblueliquid fully manages the lodge ’ s computers , wi-fi and Office 365 system , either through remote working or by “ inperson ” visits .
And it ’ s that thorough but personal touch that gives the lodge peace of mind .
Lodge manager Sarah Jemson said : “ I can rely on Nathan and his team to deal directly with any of my IT issues . Nothing is too much trouble .
“ He or his team members will pop over to Redcar to sort everything out or call us over the phone . It ’ s good value for money too , so it saves me employing an IT person .”
Nathan began Solidblueliquid in 2016 , having grown frustrated with the cheap , unnecessary add-ons continually being offered by the hosting company he worked for .
Focusing on SMEs , it grew from one person – Nathan – to a multicultural team of support staff based worldwide . But now it ’ s been streamlined , with a new base in Middlesbrough ’ s Boho 5 , a revamped website on the way , a marketing plan drawn up and Nathan now hiring local staff to support businesses , meaning no more need for outsourcing to America and India .
It means Nathan is fully at the controls , with help from colleague Chris James , the firm ’ s IT manager , and Sharon , retired with over 40 years ’ experience in marketing , having worked for Sage , McCann Erickson , Turnitin , holding senior management and director level roles .
Nathan said : “ We want to be the ‘ onestop shop ’ for people ’ s computer needs – a single-point-of-contact IT company . And even if we don ’ t do it , we will get you someone who does . We want to become the number you ring for all your computer problems .”
Partnership – Ann Charlton Lodge manager Sarah Jemson with Nathan Platt , whose company Solidblueliquid provides the home with a one-stop IT solution .
And he says the sort of service Ann Charlton Lodge enjoys can be adapted across a vast range of business needs – from specific requirements to “ allinclusive ” cover .
He explained : “ Our all-inclusive support package includes unlimited day-to-day IT support for covered equipment and support for your entire network . With no travel time , mileage or call-out charges , it covers servers , PCs and laptops , with guaranteed response times .
“ We also offer secure protection , updates , performance reporting and hardware auditing and reporting , with flexible support dependent on size .
“ But we can tailor our solutions to fit any needs and budgets at an affordable fixed price .”
Nathan says the Ann Charlton partnership shows the sort of arrangement it can offer , with firms or organisations with as little as five to 10 computers being its typical customer . He added : “ We have built a great relationship with the Ann Charlton team and have been able to solve all their IT issues , either by remote working or calling to their site to fix the problem .
“ We work tirelessly to increase performance , tune the servers for speed and improve our hardware at no cost to our clients , so their sites will always run the way they want them to .
“ And we keep evolving , so we can handle whatever they need from us .”
Visit solidblueit . co . uk
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