Touching base
Outsourcer base2’s Managing Director Greg Sharp tells The Channel how the company is helping its customers end their wrestles with ICT, thanks to its managed service offerings. How did it all begin?In September of 2008 Andrew McBeath and I decided that our current employer was not moving in the direction we wanted. We knew base2 had a real future built on industry experience, contacts and a drive to build a company that can turn the IT industry service levels on their head. Base2 has a mission statement that is based on skill, communication and customer service. What changes has the business undergone? Base2 has undergone significant growth since its inception last year; it now has a team of nine people. And with the addition of Hugh Burrett (ex-CEO of ASB Bank) to the board of directors, base2 has adopted a very diligent approach to process and customer service levels have been further cemented. The company’s product set has also taken a different approach to that of the usual IT integrator, with a focus on managed services to concentrate on a proactive approach to IT delivery that is often missing in the market.What is your core business? Base2 provides outsourced IT services to its client base, from online backup solutions to hosted virtual servers on demand, and from high-end engineering for information security to helpdesk services to solve that pesky email issue. Essentially base2 is an IT partner that enables business through technology. What are your clients and what business challenges do they face? The typical base2 client profile is wide and varied, from a TV station of 1500 employees to a private equity firm of two. The commonality they share is the requirement for systems that are robust, provide strategic advantage and enable the business to flourish. The businesses are looking at using technology for solid growth or to streamline business processes. A requirement for change is the catalyst to using technology to satisfy thebusiness requirements as ascertained by our team. Is your physical location a challenge to doing business? No. The systems that base2 has adopted and developed allow for seamless remote management of connected devices. Base2 has clients all over the country in over 30 locations. What technology is hot right now? Base2 is doing a lot with RDS (Remote Desktop Services) from Microsoft. This evolution of terminal services provides a real data center alternative to having to deploy the applications locally. Along with this base2 is doing a lot of virtualisation technology to gain greater use of resources and availability of systems. The ‘backupeasy’ backup solution base2 has built is proving very popular, with a wider and wider client base.What’s not? Tape-based backups – online digital backups cover off the digital and remote requirements and are the way forward, with restore rates that are acceptable. What’s the best thing about your location? Base2 is located in Mt Eden, Auckland, which is in the ‘burbs’ but right on the edge of the city if required. Many of our clients are close by and, even with highly effective remote administration, a level of comfort for the client is provided by proximity. Also a few entertainment and watering holes are next door, which can be a bit of fun later in the week. Without giving away valuable IP – what do you think is the secret to your success? Our skill levels will be comparable to other good engineering teams; however the commitment to effective communication and customer service is seeing the client base grow rapidly. It is also making the clients stay with base2, as they are experiencing a new approach to providing IT services. Base2 engineers are selected for their business knowledge and ability to use technology to effect better business. We feel this is a great value-add.
