3 minute read
Ask the Expert
Lee helps firms get their IT house in order Lee Pepper has been in the IT industry for more than 30 years and in that time has seen great change.
He started his career as an office junior for a Finnish paper company before moving internally to the IT Department, a journey that included working across Europe on a variety of projects. Initially he worked as an operator on large, unwieldy IBM systems before moving up through the business in various roles to become UK Operations Manager.
He says: “As the years progressed, I worked with new technologies as they came on stream. I also witnessed the switch from print to digital solutions. One of Finland’s biggest exports is paper, and most of our customers were in the paper and energy industries. I realised that things were moving in the wrong direction so I took the opportunity to start my current business, LP Networks, in 2004.”
LP Networks is a managed service provider that offers an extensive range of IT services and technology support to businesses throughout the UK. Since 2004, the business has grown from supporting one customer with 30 devices to now managing more than 1,500 devices on behalf of many customers. The company currently has a team of 12 staff – well, 11 humans and one canine!
Lee says: “Throughout the years we’ve helped many local companies achieve their business goals by providing an honest and excellent IT support service. In recent years due to more reliable hardware and a shift to the cloud, we are seeing a move towards a more consultancy based service, finding out what customers’ business goals are and offering tailored solutions that can help them realise these goals. We help customers comply with GDPR [General Data Protection Regulation] laws and improve their Cyber security so they can better protect their assets.
“The importance of Cyber security has increased in the current pandemic. So many people are working from home but have companies got the right IT solutions in place to cater for remote working? In the last few months, several businesses have come to us for advice on this very issue. Phishing and cyberattacks have become more common as a result of COVID-19. It pays to get Cyber-ready and ensure that your business is not vulnerable to attacks.”
While most large companies have got their IT house in order, more and more SMEs have followed suit in recent times.
Lee says: “When I first started the business in 2004, I thought: why don’t SMEs take a standardised approach to IT, as the larger companies did? Back then, the IT infrastructure in many SMEs was a hotch-potch of bolt-ons. Now, though, more smaller firms are realising the benefit of taking a strategic, holistic approach to their IT; this has assisted their growth, given them more protection and made them much more efficient and resilient.”
In the short term, Lee is focused on helping his clients navigate their way through the current pandemic. In the longer term, he anticipates that more businesses will move to the cloud and take advantage of technologies that can help them work from home.
“Remote technologies mean that we can help clients from a distance, rather than have to get in our cars and visit our clients’ premises”, says Lee. “We see Compliance becoming a requirement in dealing with other businesses and Cyber security will continue to be a strong focus. We are well placed to help businesses of all sizes adapt their IT infrastructure to suit their business needs.
“We’re also keen to educate workers; we’ve seen increased demand for our user awareness training, which helps staff become more security-conscious and recognise suspicious phishing e-mails.
