This July marks ten years since Trusted Computing began.
Reaching this milestone is something we’re incredibly proud of – but more than anything, it’s left us feeling grateful.
Over the last decade we’ve had the privilege of working with businesses across Greater Manchester, helping them grow, adapt to new technology and navigate an ever-changing cyber security landscape. Most importantly, we’ve built relationships with people who have trusted us to look after a vital part of their business.
That trust is something we never take for granted.
As we’ve reflected on the last ten years, we’ve realised that the moments we’re most proud of aren’t the ones that make headlines. They’re the everyday moments that allow our clients to get on with running their businesses without having to think about their IT.
The laptop that just worked
One of our favourite moments happens more often than you might think.
When a new employee arrives for their first day. They’ll find a new laptop waiting on their desk. It’s fully configured, secure, loaded with the right software and ready to use. They can just sign in and get straight to work.
Most people wouldn’t think twice about it.
But recently we’ve been reminded that this isn’t always the experience.
While having some building work done at home, we got chatting to one of the suppliers. She mentioned she’d been given a brand new laptop at work but still didn’t have all her files. Although the device was new, the work wasn’t any easier. She spent valuable time trying to find documents, regain access and piece everything back together.
A similar thing happened when our son started a new job. His laptop arrived exactly as it had left the manufacturer. Before he could do anything useful, he had to contact IT to have it configured. User accounts, Microsoft 365, applications, permissions and security settings all had to be set up first. Instead of feeling productive on day one, he spent much of it waiting.
Those conversations reminded us that what feels normal to us isn’t always normal elsewhere.
At Trusted Computing, we call it our white glove setup.
Every business laptop is prepared before it reaches the user so Microsoft 365 is ready, email is working, files are available, security policies are already in place and applications are installed, tested and updated. We even make sure the latest Windows updates have been applied so the user isn’t greeted by a long list of downloads before they can begin.
The result is wonderfully uneventful. The user signs in with their password or PIN and starts work.
For the client, that’s exactly how it should be.
For us, it’s the result of careful preparation, testing and planning that started days before the laptop ever arrived on their desk.
They’re small details, but they make a big difference. Every unnecessary delay creates frustration. Every interruption steals time from people who simply want to get on with their jobs.
Good IT doesn’t need to shout about itself.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s exactly the kind of behind-the-scenes work that quietly makes life easier.
The problem that never became a disaster
Some of our most valuable work is preventing problems before they have a chance to affect the business.
One example that sticks in our minds was when our security monitoring alerted us to repeated attempts to access a client’s Microsoft 365 account from Latvia and the Netherlands. We contacted the client straight away to check whether the user was travelling.
They weren’t. In fact, they’d only popped out to the dentist.
We ensured that the fraudulent login attempts were blocked before any damage was done. Without a team of IT experts in the client’s corner, those attempts may have never even been noticed, never mind blocked.
It’s a similar situation with failed backups, failing hard drives or security settings that have drifted away from best practice. These issues don’t always sound a massive alarm signalling their presence – they just silently fail and users don’t find out until it’s too late.
Catching these issues early often means our clients never experience the disruption they would have caused. And that’s exactly how we think IT support should work.
When "good enough" IT wasn't good enough
Over the years we’ve met plenty of businesses whose IT had evolved organically without any real plan.
Laptops purchased from high street retailers as and when needed. Former employee email accounts still in the ether. A password known only by someone who left the business. A friend or family member helping out when IT issues reared their head.
It often seems perfectly adequate… until the business reaches a point where it isn’t.
As organisations grow, reliable technology becomes more important, not less. Downtime is more expensive, cyber security risks increase, and systems need to support a larger team.
Helping businesses move from reactive fixes to well-managed, secure IT has been one of the most rewarding parts of the last ten years.
We love watching businesses grow
One of the greatest privileges of the past decade is seeing our clients succeed.
We’ve supported businesses as they’ve recruited new staff, opened new offices, launched new products and expanded into new markets. Every stage of growth brings new technology requirements, yet our role has always been the same: to make sure IT supports business progress instead of holding it back.
This isn’t us trying to take credit for our clients’ successes of course. They’ve built great businesses through their own hard work, determination and expertise in their own fields.
But we’re incredibly pleased to have played a part, clearing the IT speed bumps from their path.
Technology has changed. Our purpose hasn't.
Tech has changed immensely over the past 10 years. Cloud services have gone from the hot new thing to just business as usual. Cyber security has (rightly) become an issue for entry level employees, all the way up to the board. And now, AI is starting to reshape how organisations operate.
The technology will continue to change, and we’ll continue helping our clients make sense of it.
But what hasn’t changed is why we started Trusted Computing in the first place.
Because we believe business owners should be able to focus on running and growing their businesses, confident that their technology is secure, reliable, and looked after by a team they trust.
A sincere thank you
So, to every client who has trusted us over the last ten years, thank you. No matter how long we’ve been working together, you’ve helped shape the business we’ve become.
To celebrate our tenth birthday, we’re delivering cakes to many of our clients and local contacts. It’s a small gesture, but it’s our way of saying thank you for your support, your recommendations and the trust you’ve placed in us over the years.
We know there are plenty of IT providers out there, so we’re genuinely grateful that you’ve chosen us.
Technology will continue to evolve, particularly with the rapid growth of AI, but our commitment will remain the same. We’ll continue helping businesses worry less about IT so they can focus on what matters most.
Thank you for being part of our first ten years. Here’s to the next decade!
