Down Memory Lane

Shane McCourt Company Director, Com Cubed

broadband connections, VoIP telephone systems, Office 365 and cloud solutions, and IT Security.

We have positioned ourselves as ‘one stop shop’ and have developed our product and service portfolio with this in mind.

What is your title and how long have you been in post?

Company director and general ‘fire putter outer’ for 27 years!

What was the North West like outside your windows in that era? How has it changed?

It’s unrecognisable in many ways. The way businesses operate has changed drastically since we started in 1997 - gone are the days of faxing and post. The biggest change that I’ve seen is in the way we communicate with each other, both in business and personally.

What age are you?

46

Where in the North West are you from?

Derry

Explain what your business does?

Put simply, we help other organisations realise their potential through the use of IT. Com

Cubed is a complete IT service provider. We support a range of businesses with their IT and telecom needs. Some of our services include managed IT support, consultation and advice, copper and fibre network cabling, Wi-Fi solutions, hardware procurement,

Has the ethos of your business changed over the years?

Our ethos hasn’t changed at all, although the way we support businesses has. We’ve always believed that offering a quality service at a fair price is the best way to sustain long term growth and retain customers.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given over the years? Employ people for where you want to be, not where you are.

Has the way you do business in the North West changed much over the years?

20 years ago, 90% of our work was carried out on site but with remote access and monitoring now, only 10% is onsite, which is good for us and our customers as it reduces cost and response times.

What can businesses learn from the past to build a strong future?

Nothing stands still, especially in our line of work. If you are standing still, then you’re going backwards. We continuously review how each job goes and how improvements can be made for our next one. Feedback from staff and customers will guide you. New ideas and identifying gaps in the market early provide a focus point.

There was a lot of good in the past. If I had the ability, I would bring some of it into the present and future. The ability to “disconnect” would be one. The closer community spirit another. Make time for yourself and the people around you and take time to disconnect. The mental wellbeing and general happiness of staff not only makes for a more content workforce but also improves productivity.