View from the Channel 01732 759725 32 The company is also an NHS Approved Supplier, a Crown Commercial Service Supplier and an HM Government G-Cloud Supplier. In July, The One Point secured a £1.4m debt funding package through Mercia’s SME Loans fund and NPIF – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund. The SME Loan from Mercia will enable The One Point to complete a management buy-out, giving company founder and CEO Martin Lauer a majority shareholding and enabling Spectrum, a Hull-based managed print and digital services firm that had been a partner in the business since 2014, to exit the company and focus on its new digital growth strategy. The One Point will use the NPIF funding to support its next period of growth, which is expected to increase company headcount from around 40 employees today to 60 by the end of 2025. Much of this growth is being generated by rising demand for outsourced IT services which has helped increase revenues for the company’s managed IT division by 79% in the last two years. Here, Martin Lauer gives his view from the channel. Technology Reseller (TR): How’s business? Better or worse than 12 months ago? And how confident are you about the future? Martin Lauer (ML): I am very confident about the future. Our IT revenues were already growing significantly, up more than 30% in the last 12-18 months, and we are looking forward to continued growth after making big investments in people and tools pre-and-post Management Buy-Out (MBO). TR: In what areas are you experiencing strongest demand? ML: Managed IT, Cloud and Cyber services have all been growing strongly. Customers more and more rely on The One Point to safeguard their sensitive data, critical infrastructure and digital assets in compliance with data protection regulations and standards. Our cybersecurity portfolio extends from state-of-the-art firewalls, intrusion detection systems and data encryption protocols to proactive cybersecurity services such as regular vulnerability assessments, penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities and comprehensive cybersecurity training to reduce the risk of employees falling victim to phishing and social engineering attacks. TR: What recent wins are you most proud of? ML: Securing a large multi-site law firm as a client. We helped them migrate fully to the Cloud and as part of the project are providing them with innovative, new cybersecurity services. TR: Where is business proving most difficult? ML: Recruitment is a persistent challenge for the IT and tech industry. As technology continues to advance The One Point is an IT support and managed services provider headquartered in Hull and with offices in Newcastle and Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. Founded in 2005, it provides hundreds of organisations across the private, public and third sectors, and their 20,000-plus end users, with a one-stop-shop for managed technology and a ‘single point of contact’ for support. Today, the range of services offered by the double Microsoft Gold Partner include IT support, cloud, cybersecurity, business applications (CRM, ERP, field & mobile apps), cloud hosting & web development, IP telephony & collaboration, mobile communications, disaster recovery, networks and connectivity. Additional capabilities are available through sister companies N3i, a provider of IT support and digital services to the NHS and other healthcare providers; software development company think 360; and telecoms specialist loop, acquired in 2021. The One Point’s product and service offering is underpinned by partnerships with leading vendors, such as Microsoft, O2, Vodafone, Sage and Ubiquiti UniFi, and accreditations with ISO 9001/27001/14001 and Cyber Essentials Plus. View from the channel With Martin Lauer, Founder and CEO of The One Point Martin Lauer
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