FEATURE
Upgrade - Odyssey engineer installs technology solution for a client at Tees Dock .
PICTURE : LEE DOWLE
Technology working for business
Telecommunication business Odyssey Systems enters IT marketplace
WORDS : SARAH WALKER
T here are many good reasons why Odyssey Systems has been around for 35 years .
The owner-managed business , with a solid reputation dating back to 1987 , values good oldfashioned customer service – with a real person at the end of the phone who will answer within three rings .
Odyssey Systems ’ convergence of the traditional and the state-of-the-art is evident everywhere you enter its Preston Farm premises .
Flat screen wallboards blink away , tracking the performance of all the firm ’ s clients ’ services . But the décor also makes a firm nod to its history , with antique telephones dating as far back to the 1800s featuring in a boardroom media wall .
Traditionally a provider of telecoms and internet services , the company has experienced increasing demand to provide IT services with the same level of award-winning customer service .
“ For many years , our clients have asked us to help with more than their telephony and internet ,” says technical director Matthew Park .
“ We had always resisted , feeling that the way IT is traditionally delivered simply doesn ’ t work . Odyssey did not want to become part of the problem .
“ It is clear far too many businesses are using an outdated , inefficient , and ineffective approach to IT . Solutions are often sourced from many separate entities and treated as individual elements . Investment is usually erratic and reactive , with lines of responsibility blurred .
“ If we applied the same logic to any other industry , you realise how bizarre the status quo within business IT is . When you a buy a vehicle , you expect reliable , predictable and safe travel . Nobody buys hundreds of parts , an engine and gearbox , then fits everything together expecting the same result .”
Their answer to this problem is Odyssey Desktop , which Matthew believes is a better way to deliver business IT . The service allows Odyssey to take total ownership of its clients ’ technology , and in turn deliver significant business benefits . It is a complete , end-to-end solution delivered by Odyssey in partnership with Microsoft .
“ People just want IT to work , they need to focus on their business . Most find IT requirements are difficult to forecast , and decisions are often reactive when an issue arises from a blind spot in ownership ,” Matthew says .
The team has been developing the service for several years and has recently a completed a multi-millionpound expansion of their existing infrastructure into London Docklands
148 | Tees Business