About Network London, and how it began

How Network London began

In 2000, Lee Smith was working in bookkeeping and finance at an investment firm. The firm's website needed an update, so he rebuilt it himself. That small job got him interested in web design and search, and before long he had started his own business.

Along the way he met Ian Welch, an IT consultant at a company that specialised in hosted desktops. Lee suggested they start an IT company together, and Ian said yes. One of their first projects was a hosted desktop platform for the same investment firm where Lee's story had started.

That was the start of Network London, 20 years ago. Lee and Ian are both still here. Ian is our Technical Director. He is a certified ethical hacker (CEH), a CISSP and an ISO 27001 lead implementer, with more than 25 years' experience.

We're now a team of 17, and many of us have been here for years. Meenash and Nazheer joined in 2016, Jamie in 2017, and Ryan and Jessica in 2018. Jessica is our Operations Director and replies to every enquiry herself. Because people stay, our clients speak to engineers who know them, their setup and how they like to work.

That is what we'd like you to remember about us. You'll know the people looking after your IT. They'll know your business and be there when you need them. A lot of it is low key: remembering someone's setup, knowing their name, calling back when we said we would.

We look after IT and security for growing businesses with 20 or more people, many of them in finance, investment, legal and professional services. That covers everyday support, cyber security and compliance, phones and IT projects, as well as helping teams put AI to good use. Support runs 24/7, and a real person answers the phone.

We hold Cyber Essentials Plus. More and more of our clients are sent detailed security questions by their own clients, insurers and investors. We help them answer with confidence, and put right anything that needs attention first.

For founders, partners and directors whose working day can't afford to stop, we offer a VIP concierge service. They have a direct line to a senior engineer and IT director who know them, with priority support when they need it. We also take care of the practical things around their working life: a new phone, a home setup or a laptop ready before a trip. They know who to call, and they know they'll be looked after.