Cloud Heroes
Stuart Pearce
IN PROFILE
Andy Grant commercial development director at Cloud Heroes, with founder Peter Wordley
Cloud Heroes
Experts in web hosting and managed cloud computing solutions
Andy Grant is commercial development director at Trowbridge based firm Cloud Heroes, experts in website hosting and managed cloud computing solutions.
Cloud Heroes is often mistaken for a start up due to its fresh, innovative approach, but it’ s actually a firm with a 20-year history. Founded in 1994 as one of the early Internet Service Providers, the company was originally known as JPC Infonet.
Founded by CEO Peter Wordley the IT firm has steadily grown throughout the years adopting its products and services as new technologies have emerged onto the scene. Locally its customers include digitalbox, who recently featured in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100, payroll experts Qtac, AgencyUK, as well as charities Genesis Trust and Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society.
2016 is an exciting year for Cloud Heroes as it looks forward with ambition and renewed energy as Peter hands over the day-to-day reins to Andy.
We met with Andy to find out more about the company and its plans for 2016 and beyond.
How long have you been working at Cloud Heroes?
I originally joined the company back in 1999 as a software developer. In 2001 I left the business to gain some key experience in firms that would set me in good stead for progressing my career to the next level. During my time out I worked at Valldata Services in Melksham as senior developer and BMT Defence Services in Bath working on Ministry of Defence projects.
I also spent a few years teaching the BSC in Computing Honours qualification at Wiltshire College. Throughout this time I stayed in touch with Pete, who worked closely with me as a mentor. In 2014 the time was right and I returned to Cloud Heroes as director of commercial development.
Perhaps Pete always saw the potential in me to drive the business forwards? I definitely returned with a fresh new perspective.
Does Peter still have an active role in the business?
Entirely! He’ s still very much at the helm of the ship, so to speak. We talk every day, but I lessen the load so that he can start enjoying the things he loves a little more.
We’ re lucky as there’ s a solid management team in place and we all have the ambition to grow Cloud Heroes. Some employees have been here since the beginning and I’ m delighted to say that some of the students I taught at Wiltshire College are now working with us. Technology never stands still for too long and neither do we, we want to be at the forefront helping our clients implement changes to make their businesses run in a more robust, secure and efficient way.
How are you investing in the firm’ s future?
We’ ve recently brought in Cathrine Svendsen as marketing manager, she’ s working alongside me to build the brand and make us more visible. We’ re good at what we do, but we’ ve never shouted about it in our 22-year history. Now’ s the time!
We want people to see us as client facing and less techy in our tone and approach. We’ re tackling this by helping to make IT more accessible for the next generation. It’ s important for us to be part of the local community and we’ ve partnered with a local school to provide kids with an after school‘ Code Club’ to inspire the next generation of coders.
We also try and help local charities, recently we’ ve supported Trowbridge in Bloom and TCAF. Most of our work is national and regional, so it’ s important for us to support the local community when we can.
If there was one thing you could change in your industry what would it be?
I’ m passionate about data transparency and security. Do you know where your data’ s being held? Services like WeTransfer, Dropbox and Microsoft all store their data outside of the UK. In my opinion, data should have the same traceability as the meat we eat.
You really need to know who holds information about you, your company and how they’ re using it. Everything we do at Cloud Heroes is traceable and backed up, giving you and your clients complete peace of mind.
You’ re working on a new cyber security policy, what can you tell us about it?
Cyber security isn’ t a new focus for us – it’ s an essential part of our services – and we already offer our customers effective security measures such as 2-factor authentication, encrypted backups and IP restrictions. However, what I can say is that our new policy will make us one of the first in the country to offer existing and new customers safer web browsing and shopping experiences.
We’ re hoping to start rolling out the new policy before summer, so look out for our big announcement!
What is your ambition for Cloud Heroes?
To become the leading supplier for website hosting and managed cloud solutions.
It’ s a plan in action. This year we’ ve been accredited with the ISO 9001 standard. Anyone who’ s completed this process knows it’ s a tough accreditation to achieve and I’ m very proud of the team for implementing it. We’ ve already started the next challenge, ISO 27001 for top data security compliance.
We were recently shortlisted at the SPARKies Awards for best service provider, and we have just been shortlisted in HM Government and Tech UK’ s prestigious competition to crown the UK’ s best small cyber security company of the year.
... and there ' s more
Stuart Pearce
Managing Director SMARTech Energy
NEXT
THE BUSINESS EXCHANGE 2016 29