14 01732 759725 VIEW FROM THE CHANNEL View from the channel With Ben Smoker, CEO of Sota Since it was founded in Kent in 1989, Sota Solutions has grown into one of the UK’s leading independent providers of professional IT managed services and cyber-resilient cloud solutions, with 500‑plus customers and more than 70 employees. Last month the privately-owned business was featured in The Independent’s Best of British series, the only technology company included, and in 2025 it was highly placed in Informa’s MSP501 listing of the world’s top managed services providers, ranked 10th in the UK and 160th globally. Sota’s success is based on ongoing investment in its people (it is Great Place to Work-certified, April 2025 to April 2026) and in its technical capabilities, including its own regional fibre-optic network, its own datacentres and its own cloud, backup, telephony and security platforms. Today, Sota helps customers gain an edge through digital transformation by providing a comprehensive range of cloud solutions and managed services across IT support, cloud computing, cyber resilience, connectivity and unified communications. Last year, Ben Smoker took on the CEO role after 11 years in charge of the company’s finances, first as Finance Director and then Chief Financial Officer. Here, he 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? Ben Smoker (BS): I’m delighted to say business is strong and, importantly, moving in the right direction. Over the past 12 months we have seen steady growth across the mid-market as organisations look for partners who can simplify technology and help them operate more securely and efficiently. The role of an MSP has evolved significantly in recent years. Customers aren’t just looking for reactive support anymore, they want strategic guidance, resilience and accountability. At Sota we have seen strong demand across cyber resilience, infrastructure services and managed cloud environments. We have also been investing in automation and AI internally, which is already helping us scale operations without adding headcount. Despite the wider economic backdrop, the UK mid-market remains remarkably resilient. Many organisations now recognise that technology investment isn’t optional, it is fundamental to productivity, competitiveness and risk management. We were recently featured in The Independent as part of a Best of British Business campaign as the only technology and cybersecurity provider covered, which was a proud moment for the company. It highlights the role independent UK providers play in supporting the country’s SME backbone. Similarly, being ranked 10th in the UK and 160th globally in the MSP501 reinforces the continued strength of our managed services model. Looking ahead, I’m very optimistic. Technology is moving quickly, organisations need partners who can help them navigate that change safely, and I feel we can more than fulfil that expectation. TR: In what areas are you experiencing strongest demand? BS: I’ve discovered that three areas stand out. The first is cyber resilience. The threat landscape has changed dramatically over the past few years. Attacks are becoming more automated and increasingly AI‑assisted, and organisations are recognising that traditional security tools on their own simply aren’t enough. What businesses want now is visibility and response capability, not just alerts. Managed detection and response, monitoring and incident readiness are all areas where we are seeing significant demand. The second area is cloud optimisation and cloud repatriation. In the past few years many organisations moved towards public cloud-first strategies, often driven by speed rather than long-term architecture decisions. What we are seeing now is a more balanced conversation. For some workloads public cloud remains the right answer. For others, organisations are exploring private cloud or hybrid approaches, particularly where cost predictability, performance or data sovereignty are important. Because we own and operate our own UK data centres and core network, we are well positioned to support those hybrid models. We are finding more and more that customers want the ability to place workloads where they make the most sense rather than being locked into a single platform. The third area is AI enablement. There is naturally huge interest in how AI can improve productivity and decisionmaking, but many organisations are still working out how to adopt it responsibly. We are seeing demand both around governance and practical implementation. Across all three areas, the common theme is complexity. Customers value partners who can simplify technology and translate it into tangible business outcomes. TR: What recent wins are you most proud of? BS: For me, the most meaningful wins aren’t always single contracts, they’re moments where you can see the business evolving in the right direction. Over the past year we have successfully reorganised Sota into clearer service pillars covering Cloud, Cyber Resilience, Support & Customer Experience, Modern Work and Digital Infrastructure. Structuring the business this way has given us much greater focus and accountability within each area, as well as clearer visibility into the revenue streams that drive the business. Just as important has been the progress we have made culturally. Over the past 12 months we’ve worked hard to strengthen accountability, collaboration and transparency across the organisation. Coming from a finance background, I put great emphasis on operational visibility and making sure our senior technical resources are aligned to where they Ben Smoker
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