As we near the end of 2023, there’s some big changes taking place over here at Boxx.  October has marked the start of an exciting future, and we are pleased to share that Boxx are now part of Focus Group, a leading provider of essential business technology.

About Focus Group

Focus Group, established in 2003, is proud to be one of the UK’s leading providers of essential business technology. With its vision of connecting communities and creating opportunities in a place that people love to work, Focus Group deliver innovative technology solutions, so its customers are free to focus all their energy on the important stuff. Like growing their business. 

Boxx joining Focus Group marks a further step in Focus Group’s progressive drive towards offering transformational solutions to businesses across the length and breadth of the UK, whilst delivering an unparalleled level of service, support and value to customers from an integrated network of regional hubs.

With a team of over 900 passionate experts. Focus Group provide over 27,000 businesses with an extensive range of the latest technology solutions across Telecoms, IT, Cyber Security, Connectivity, Mobile and Energy. 

Boxx and Focus Group

The decision to invest was underpinned by a strong pre-existing link between the two businesses, established back in 2018 when Focus Group purchased a customer base from Boxx. Since this point, a unique affinity between the two businesses has evolved which has undoubtably paved the way for a seamless integration.

At Boxx, we’re committed to growing the business organically, with a consultative & collaborative approach to sales. This is achieved by delivering service excellence, careful selection of suppliers and a pledge to continuous improvement.

Ralph Gilbert, Co-founder & Director at Focus Group said: “When the opportunity arose to acquire Boxx Communications, the decision was an easy one. Beyond their clear commitment to service excellence and an enviable organic growth trajectory, the team at Boxx are quite simply the nicest people in Telecoms! Our long-standing relationship and shared vision will no doubt provide the perfect springboard into exciting times together.”

Our CEO, Dean Burgin shared: “We’re very much looking forward to our future as part of the Focus Group family. Over the years, our rapport with Ralph, Chris and the wider team has matured into an important relationship for us and we had no doubt Focus would prove to be an ideal fit for the next stage in our journey. Our valued customers are set to benefit from an exceptional range of technological products and solutions while our dedicated team is looking towards a promising future.”

James Green, Co-founder at Boxx added: “Working with Focus Group for a second time, on what is naturally a huge step for Boxx, has been a genuine pleasure from start to finish. The team on all sides have moved incredibly fast, enabling us to complete the transaction in a way that has minimised impact on day-to-day operations. Our brilliant team in Milton Keynes fully intend to continue offering the equilibrium of small company service levels, equipped with big company possibilities.”

What would happen if you lost all your company data tomorrow? Do you have a backup ready? What about if your website went down and no one could place product orders, do you have a contingency plan?

From network performance to data backups, and as we enter a digitally saturated world, IT is part of the foundations of every business.

But does a small business need outsourced IT support? The answer is most likely – yes. So, let’s talk through what IT support is available, the benefits to small businesses, and how Boxx provide tailored IT support for SMEs.

What do IT providers offer and what does that look like for businesses?

The two main types of IT support available to businesses, fully managed and co-managed, offer different levels of remote support for businesses of all sizes. A fully managed service handles all aspects of a business’s IT, from maintenance and security to management and performance.

In contrast, a co-managed service blends an outsourced MSP with any in-house IT function. The responsibility of the IT support is therefore split between the MSP and any IT employees working within the company. Often, the outsourced IT provider will oversee the wider IT infrastructure, with the in-house team managing more day-to-day IT ticket requests.

No matter which setup a business chooses, the services available from third-party IT providers keeps the status of your IT healthy. These include network management and security, IT infrastructure maintenance, hardware and repairs, and ongoing troubleshooting and technical support.

What are the benefits of IT support for a small business?

Small businesses especially benefit from outsourcing their IT to a third-party provider, and with Boxx, the package can be tailored to suit your individual needs and requirements.

Cybersecurity & protection

The impact of a cybersecurity breach can be devastating. An IT provider will set up firewalls and protective measures to safeguard your business and your data. This peace of mind is invaluable, as the impact of a breach can severely damage company reputation, relationships with clients, and finances.

Small businesses are just as responsible for data protection and GDPR compliance as larger business are. Cybersecurity is a defence against data theft, but IT providers can handle backups, which protect companies against data loss.

Reduced downtime

The role of an MSP is also to monitor your network, troubleshooting problems, and to fix any technical issues as they arise. This will reduce downtime in the event an IT fault occurs, such as system failure, or your website going down. This saves your small business valuable time and money.

Cost saving

Outsourcing your IT needs to a third-party is often more cost-effective than salaries and all the associated costs that come with them, including the spend investment on training.

Increased productivity

Speaking of costs, time is money, and any service that increases productivity and efficiency is a worthwhile investment for any small business. Managed IT support reduces downtime in the event of an issue, but also means your team resolves queries quickly, saving company time and resource.

Expertise

When you choose to invest in a managed IT support provider, you benefit from their expertise and knowledge. From software updates to data recovery, IT can get complex and overwhelming. By leaving it to the professionals, you have a valuable resource that allows you to focus on running your business.

Scalable 

IT support services scale with your business as it grows.

How do I decide what IT support service is right for my small business?

Start by taking a close look at your business and deciding your priorities, your compliance responsibilities, and any future company goals, such as expansion.

Next, decide what IT services you think would benefit your setup. For example, if you handle lots of employee or client data, you’ll want to consider an IT provider that has strong cybersecurity infrastructure. Or perhaps you’re a small digital company that needs cloud services and cloud protection. At Boxx, our managed services extend to cloud communication, which is something that’s beneficial for businesses of any size.

You may be a small company that just needs some simple help desk support to make sure you’re always operational. Whatever the unique IT demands of your business, Boxx can help. Check out our website for more information.

Why choose IT support from Boxx?

Here at Boxx, we understand that IT can be a confusing rabbit hole. It’s an important function within any business, and no matter what level of support you require, you need a provider that can assist you with IT and communications as a package.

With our IT support service, our experts know their craft. We help small businesses with a range of IT setups, and we react quickly in the event of a technical fault.

Our cloud solutions and unified communication tools, such as Microsoft 365 and Teams, promote productivity and collaboration for small business, supporting remote or hybrid employees to connect, collaborate, and harness productivity.

We provide network monitoring software to help monitor performance and install firewalls, which increase business security. For a fast, resilient data backup, look no further than Boxx. Encryption and automatic updates mean you sleep soundly knowing your data is in safe hands.

Final thoughts 

The IT support needs of a business are unique to their industry, company size, in-house IT resource, budget, and employee working setup.

No matter what level of support you need, the benefits of an IT provider will usually outweigh the cost for most small enterprises. This is especially true as businesses become more vulnerable to cyber-crime, and SMEs are no less vulnerable to this threat than larger companies.

For a secure, productivity-boosting solution that offers peace of mind and a wide range of IT and cloud services, speak to Boxx. We’re experts in our field, creating bespoke MSP packages for small businesses. Contact us to see what IT support is right for you.