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NewsStart-up promoting 40pc IT cost savings
Start-up promoting 40pc IT cost savings
21.04.2010
Founded in 2008, Fort Technologies believes it has identified a clear gap in the market by offering cloud management software and complete IT services in the cloud with all the benefits of in-house solutions but with zero capital costs, increased flexibility, real-time scalability and greater security.
Claiming to offer IT cost savings of 40pc to companies, Fort's intuitive management interface empowers service providers to independently design, cost, build and manage complete IT environments, according to its founders Gerry Murray, Noel O’Grady and Garrett Burke.
“This disruptive technology provides an opportunity to out-manoeuvre entrenched vendors and create extremely ‘sticky’ customer bases for service providers,” says Murray.
Fort’s cloud software and service enables the delivery of a premium level of infrastructure (IaaS) where a high level of reliability, security and data storage in the client’s local jurisdiction is required. This can include servers, storage, backup, business applications, security, monitoring and networking – all delivered online, managed through the management interface and paid for on a monthly basis.
Fort founders with years of experience
The founders met several years ago while working for different ISP and datacentre providers. Murray has 20 years’ experience at a senior level in military, telecoms, IT systems and logistics working for international organisations across five continents; O’Grady is a senior sales and marketing professional, having worked for 16 years in the IT, telecoms and electronics sectors. Burke has 16 years' experience delivering both infrastructure and software-development projects for large technology providers.
In addition to investment by the owners Enterprise Ireland has provided financial support through its high potential start-up programme.
Expansion plans in the pipeline
“The business is trading in the Republic of Ireland and the UK. Partner Agreements have been signed with multinational service providers (MSPs) in Dublin, Cork, Fermanagh, Belfast, Galway and Sligo. The cloud management software has been targeted by datacentres and MSPs for use in their cloud computing offerings,” O’Grady says.
The business is growing month-on-month. Murray says: “Fort is looking to expand in the UK where discussions have taken place with prospective partners, followed by a US market launch later.”
Photo: Garrett Burke, CTO; Gerry Murray, CEO and Noel O’Grady, sales and marketing director, Fort Technologies
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