Tag Archives: Ashok Thomas

[Press] NetUtils strengthen public sector offering with leadership, Crown Commercial Supplier status and managed services investment.

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Steve Nicholls joins UK’s most qualified cyber security provider to focus on helping public sector organisations strengthen security and gain better value for money.

Kent, United Kingdom – 6th, July 2021, NetUtils, a leading IT specialist has appointed Steve Nicholls as its new Commercial Director– a move that coincides with its acceptance onto the Crown Commercial Services Technology Services 3 framework and major SoC investment to deliver flexible cyber security services to public sector organisations across the UK.

Over the last 28 years, Nicholls has gained a proven track record working in high pressure, high growth environments at leadership positions within SolarWinds and telent including successful, large scale projects with the MOD, London Ambulance Service, Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Network Rail and DEFRA. 

Steve Nicholls

“It is clear that the impact of the recent health crisis has led to a significant increase in our national debt and the public sector is likely to face a period of belt tightening in response.” says Nicholls. “Yet, the ongoing digital transformation across national government, local authorities, health and education shows no signs of slowing down. This makes robust and cost-effective IT and cyber security a major requirement and the perfect focus for a highly-regarded specialist such as NetUtils that is well-known for delivering cost effective services.”

NetUtils has also been accepted across multiple lots of the recently published Crown Commercial Services Technology 3 procurement framework. The seven lots span areas including technology strategy and service design, operational services, major services transformation programmes, integration, and management.

The appointment of Nicholls is part of a multi-million-pound investment by NetUtils to recruit additional staff with enhanced training and expanded data centre capacity to deliver an enhanced IT services portfolio. For public sector, this includes a highly integrated managed cyber security service to help organisations strengthen their security posture and meet growing compliance requirements such as the Cyber Essentials Plus framework that becomes mandatory for all NHS Trusts this year. 

NetUtils has also created special public sector pricing for its 16 cyber security managed services ranging from Endpoint Protection and Email Security all the way up to fully fledged SOC services.  “The public sector has different procurement, operational and contractual requirements than the private sector and our new portfolio reflects these nuances with an offering that is not just technically sound but also commercially compelling,” Nicholls adds.

With a heritage spanning over 27 years, NetUtils is one of the UK’s longest serving specialist integrators of network, security, and data solutions. Today, it serves over 400 public sector, enterprise and service provider clients including many listed within the FTSE 100. NetUtils has built a reputation for technical excellence and is the most certified Juniper Networks partner in Europe and maintains over 420 industry and vendor accreditation within its team including CISSPs and CISMPs, Fortinet’s NS7, and Juniper JNCIPs. NetUtils is one of only a handful of UK suppliers to maintain  ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essential certification. 

Although a new addition on the Crown Commercial supplier framework, NetUtils has worked with over 200 public sector clients during the last 27 years. These include central government agencies, local, district and county councils, numerous NHS trusts and every ‘blue light’ emergency service. 

The extensive list includes the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea, Fife Council, State Hospitals Board for Scotland, London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, Police & Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire and Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust.

Ashok Thomas

“Public sector has always been a major area for us and Steve joining the team along with our acceptance within the Crown Commercial Services framework is a new focus that recognises that the public sector needs better value for money from IT – and especially within cyber security,” says Ashok Thomas, CEO for NetUtils. “We are a highly focused and agile supplier that has built our business organically by delivering tangible results for our customers and our ongoing investment will help us to address the needs of a larger public sector client community.”

About NetUtils

NetUtils are a leading UK specialist integrator of network, security and data solutions for enterprise, telco, MSPs and ISPs. With more than 27-years history and over 400 enterprise and service provider clients including household names across finance, education, public sector, manufacturing, and healthcare, NetUtils brings its customers the depth and breadth of people, technologies and services to improve business performance in this ever-changing digital world.

Featured in:

Networks Europe Magazine https://networkseuropemagazine.com/2021/10/08/netutils-appoints-new-commercial-director/

Europe Magazine Magazine https://networkseuropemagazine.com/July-August-2021-Issue/?utm_campaign=NEM%20-%20July-August%202021%20Issue&utm_medium=email&utm_source=mailjet#page=85

NetUtils Media Enquiries:

Kara Jenkinson
Head of Marketing
t: 020 8783 3800 e: kjenkinson@netutils.com

w: www.netutils.com

Network Utilities acquires Metropolitan Networks to create the UK’s leading specialist integrator

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London, 28th March 2019:  Network Utilities Ltd, a leading integrator of network and security solutions, has announced the successful acquisition of Metropolitan Networks, a provider of customer-centered network support and security managed services, that will create the UK’s leading specialist integrator of identity-centric network, security and data solutions and services to enterprises, telcos, MSPs and ISPs.

The newly enlarged Network Utilities will also gain its own on-premise data centre and 24/7 Network Operations Centre in the UK and new offices and staff in the Middle East, Caribbean and West Africa to support an expanded roster of international clients including Cable & Wireless, Judiciary of Trinidad & Tobago and Nutrien. 

The combined company has over 400 enterprise and service provider clients including many listed within the FTSE 100 along with household names in financial services, education, healthcare and manufacturing.

“This acquisition marks a great day in our 25 year history and brings together two companies that have a highly regarded and trusted reputation with clients and partners,” said David Bundock, Chief Operating Officer. “As one of the oldest serving specialist solution providers with customer relationships that span over a decade, Network Utilities has focused on excellence over growth. However, with this deal, we now have the depth and breadth of people, technologies and services to expand our customer footprint without sacrificing the values that have made us so successful.”

Michele Lewington, one of the original founders and Managing Director of Network Utilities for 25 years commented: “I am delighted to hear this news. The two companies have worked together on various projects over many years and both bear the hallmark of ethics and service that customers have come to expect. My heartfelt thanks go to those Network Utilities employees who are amongst some of the most talented, hardworking and loyal of all in the industry. It is their commitment to the business over many years that has enabled me now to leave the company in safe hands to enjoy semi-retirement and the pursuit of other interests.”

The acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, will see Network Utilities take over all staff, premises and ongoing maintenance contracts from Metropolitan Networks with a full equivalency of agreed service level agreements. All staff will consolidate at new headquarters in Orpington which will also maintain the new Network Utilities NOC and data centre.

“Metropolitan Networks has grown rapidly, and the last 15 years has been a fantastic journey,” explains Ashok Thomas, Chief Executive Officer and founder of Metropolitan Networks. ” However, to keep on meeting the expectations of our clients while expanding the business proved challenging through organic growth alone. This investment by Network Utilities and the merging of expert technical and sales teams into a new entity offers our existing clients more benefits, including access to some of the best security focused people in the UK plus a management team that have vast experience in successfully growing a business over the last two decades.”

The new company hold top tier accreditations from key vendors including Juniper Networks, Pulse Secure and Fortinet as well as in-house CISSP experts and Security Clearance for its ongoing work with several UK governmental and security agencies. Network Utilities also holds ISO 9001 and 27001 certifications.

“At a time of uncertainty around the UK’s place in Europe, the deal also expands our footprint into new regions around the world such as the Middle East, the Americas and Africa where, although initially small, we have long established, international clients that offer us growth potential,” says Paul Rowe, Sales Director, “Our enlarged size and new areas of the business such as training, private cloud  and Cyber Essentials certifications also provide us with a more rounded portfolio that allows us to offer additional value added services that are  beneficial to both existing and new customers.”

Commenting on the announcement, Mike Catlin, CTO for Polar Capital Holdings Plc; a long-standing client of Network Utilities said, “Network Utilities have been a trusted service provider for over 10 years. Finding a supplier that consistently offers insightful expertise to help us deliver stable IT while meeting complex cybersecurity requirements is always a challenge and knowing that we will be able to retain this relationship over the longer term is good news for us.”

Ashok Thomas, CEO, Paul Rowe, Sales Director and David Bundock, COO are all available for interview or additional written Q&A.