NRG Holdings Ltd

We recently chatted with Heidi Philp, Services Manager at NRG’s head office in Cults, Aberdeen to find out what benefits she feels she has gained from working with IT Hotdesk, what switching IT companies was like and what they have achieved so far...

Why did you decide to switch IT companies?
"We had an outdated IT system in place and were looking to improve security without losing a system which worked well in practise for all of our personnel.

“When we approached our previous IT company with the problems we were facing, they offered us a single solution which was not overly appealing to us. They didn’t seem very flexible, and didn’t offer alternative solutions to best suit our style of working.

“IT Hotdesk, however, were willing to come up with a range of solutions and allowed us to determine which path was best for us. They also had a very flexible approach, and seemed to be up to speed with current and new technology, especially with regards to cyber security, which was very important to us.”

What has IT Hotdesk helped you achieve?
“We were approached by the IT Hotdesk team to complete the Cyber Essentials certification, so we met with Gordon to discuss this, and were given some helpful advice. He suggested they completed an audit of our systems, and they discovered a number of areas where we could improve. As we decided to sign up with them to help solve these issues, our audit was free of charge which I thought was really good.

“There are several areas IT Hotdesk have assisted us with already. Firstly, they have added an extra layer to our security, specifically focusing on our email accounts. With the current risk of phishing attempts, this is a reassuring change for us to have made. They have also built a new virtual remote environment, which they have just completed testing. This is scalable and allows secure access to our business applications and collaboration with our colleagues from any location.

“The team wanted to fully understand what we were hoping to achieve and the way we worked before they began implementing all of this.

“They are also providing us with ongoing support, which includes day-to-day issues or questions. As they charge per user rather than by the hour (unlike our previous IT company), this allows us to fully rely on them for daily support so I can focus on my main role.”


What have you been impressed with so far?
“The whole team has been so easy to talk to and they are very responsive. They’re all really good, flexible and their responses are really fast.

“One of the good things about IT Hotdesk is they don’t baffle our personnel with too much technology-speak. They are very good at putting things in simple terms, so we all understand.”

What do you feel are the main benefits of using IT Hotdesk?
“To name only a few:

- Confidence in the security of our systems.

- Knowing they will keep our IT systems up to date - we know we won’t get left in the dark ages with our IT, which is what had previously happened.

- They are very approachable and keep us informed.

- They provide us with a bespoke service that is built around our needs and aims.”

Did you think switching IT companies was going to be a complicated process?

“Yes, I really did! I’d assumed that expecting someone else to completely take over, fill in the gaps and really understand our systems was going to be a huge amount of work.

“I was surprised how easy and slick the switch to IT Hotdesk was. The handover from one IT company to the other had always intimidated me, however once I put them in contact, my involvement ended there. All the relevant information was passed over behind the scenes, making it a stress free transition for us.

“We began our discussions with IT Hotdesk in February this year. Initially, I really liked what they were offering but we decided to put it on the back burner due to lockdown. After receiving some proposals from Gordon we actually decided that this was the perfect time to get it all moving as we had a bit more time, and we knew the benefits would be worth it in the long run.”

What advice would you give to other companies who are considering switching IT providers?
“It is worth making the change if you feel you aren’t being provided what you require. Don’t wait until things start to go wrong before you look for alternative solutions. Many companies are trying to save money in the current climate but IT, especially security, is not an area which you can afford to scrimp on.

“Also don’t be put off by the transition process - it's very simple and straightforward.