London ad agency wows clients with new office and invisible tech

Altair Media

Altair Media is a London-based multi award-winning international media agency specialising in connecting people to brands. With over twenty years’ experience in media planning and buying, this digitally inspired business works across all media channels to create impactful integrated marketing campaigns. With clients including Twilio, the National Theatre and Sage, Altair Media’s tagline is simple. “Never stop, never settle, always improve. Be amazing.”

Which may go some way to explain why the business decided to outsource its tech to managed service provider (MSP) Techsolve, not only to manage the day-to-day IT needs of a thriving business but also one-off projects such as moving office to create a new on-trend collaborative workspace in central London.

“We didn’t really want any wires.  We didn’t want any cables. We wanted everything in the cloud.

“And we wanted it to be seamless, so that when clients, media owners and advertisers come to our offices, people could just come in, sync their tech and present really easily,” said Pete.

Seamless tech for a new breed of collaborative workspace

But the move to Altair’s new creative hub in the heart of London’s West End was more than just about installing a network and rigging desks full of IT kit. Nor was it a question of post-pandemic downsizing because more people have decided to work from home.

Instead, Altair called on Techsolve to meet a specific brief for a new type of office space.

“It’s true, people had got really used to working at home and they got really comfortable with remote working,” said Pete.  “But actually, in advertising, so much of what we do is face-to-face collaboration.

“So, we wanted to make an amazing space in London. Rather than make it high density with loads of desks, it’s much more creative with collaborative and break-out space.”

In a nod to the changing face of modern office space — and the way that technology has to be reflect this new way of working — there are only 12 desks for 30 people. Which means the technology has to be world class. And that’s exactly what the team at Techsolve delivered by finding a technology solution to fit Altair’s needs.

Partnering with an MSP that understands our business

“Obviously we looked at the tech that we had initially and what kind of systems we were comfortable with. They listened to what we wanted to achieve. And then they went out to the market and found the best solution,” said Pete.

While the refurb of the office is perhaps the most visible part of Techsolve’s work with Altair — even if much of the tech and all the cabling is hidden — their relationship is still founded on the ongoing day-to-day provision of IT support that is essential to keep Altair operational.

That includes providing front-line tech support for people with tech problems such as log in or password requests, looking after cyber security, training, and ensuring that the network and cloud-based systems are all working.

In the past, looking after Altair’s IT — and any associated problems — would have been down to Pete and other members of the business who would pitch in to get things done.

“But as we got busier, we found even less and less time to do even simple stuff like email administration or setting up laptops for new starters,” said Pete.

Growing businesses need proper IT support

“As a growing business, there comes a point when you have to accept that you can’t do everything yourself,” said Pete

“To be a professional services business, you need proper IT support. Actually, it’s a milestone in your business’s growth that you need to bring someone on board.

“It’s also a recognition that we’re busy enough — and doing well enough — to outsource our IT because it was simply not cost effective for us to carry on as we were.”

So, when we decided to look for a tech partner, because we knew the guys at Techsolve from a previous relationship, we gave them a call. It was a natural fit, because they’re really approachable, easy to talk to, and they fit the values of the business.”

Approachable experts who understand business

And when it comes down to it, that’s what the relationship between Techsolve and Altair is all about.

“Augi and Austin [who run Techsolve] are just really approachable. They’re really open to new ideas. They really want to work with you. And they really want to understand your business and what you’re trying to achieve.

“The guys at Techsolve are so much more than just a phone number or email address at a faceless organisation. They make a real effort to come in and have that personal touch and understand your business,” said Pete.