YORKSHIRE’S LEADING INTERNET PROVIDER CELEBRATES TENTH ANNIVERSARY
The technology company that revolutionised Internet provision in Yorkshire is celebrating its tenth anniversary as it continues to go from strength to strength. After a decade of steady growth, York Data Services is now one of the region’s leading Internet service providers.
York Data Services (YDS) was formed in 2003 in response to growing demand in York for reliable and affordable high-speed internet connectivity in multi-occupancy buildings. The company runs its own fibre-based network from its data centre on the York Science Park, where it was one of the first ever tenants in the then new IT Centre. Having designed the fabric of internet provision for the park’s IT, Innovation and Bio Centres, in 2009 the company invested over £250,000 in an infrastructure upgrade that enabled it to deliver the first ever gigabit network in York; this allowed local businesses to benefit from reliable, high-speed internet connections for the very first time. YDS was also instrumental in the creation of IXLeeds, the Leeds Internet Exchange.
Over the years YDS has expanded its portfolio of services and now also offers hosting, Cloud and IT support services to over 200 businesses, such as York Racecourse, Garbutt & Elliott and the University of York. In addition to numerous businesses across the Science Park and York, YDS customers now also include the Thorp Arch Trading Estate near Wetherby, as well as companies throughout the UK.
Managing Director Mark Fordyce says “Over the years we’ve invested significantly in cutting-edge infrastructure to provide excellent internet and support services. However, our success is equally due to the unparalleled levels of customer care and support we offer. When YDS was launched our aim was to take away the headaches often associated with managing IT. We knew they wanted to focus on growing their business without having to worry about technology, and this is still the case for all our clients, most of whom are SMEs. As an SME ourselves, we have great empathy with our customers, and because we have complete control over what we offer we can provide them all with a very personal, tailored service, whether they want a simple broadband connection or a fully-managed solution”.
YDS was the first Internet service provider to offer businesses in York superfast fibre broadband and localised data storage solutions. Its high-speed, high-capacity fibre optic network was far superior to any other broadband services available at the time and established York as a premier location for business. Tenants in the York Science Park automatically benefitted from these advantages, giving their fledgling businesses a flying start.
YDS played a significant role in the IT Centre and The Catalyst at York Science Park being the first buildings in North Yorkshire to be presented with an ICT Active Leading Edge Award. This accreditation is given to sites recognised as having the highest possible standards of information communications technology (ICT) support. When the city of York was awarded a prestigious eGovernment title in 2004, YDS was recognised as a leading contributor to the Yorkshire region’s economic growth.
William Derby, Chief Executive of York Racecourse says “Every organisation is increasingly dependent on reliable communications, a fact that is given sharp focus by having seventeen critical days in your year when the system needs to be right first time. Increasingly, the very operation of a race day requires data services, and the modern media rely on them, so I am delighted that we have a strong, reliable and local partner in YDS. Their commitment has seen overnight upgrades to deliver for a demanding customer base”.
As the reputation of York Data Services has grown over the last ten years, Mark Fordyce has become a major player within the Yorkshire business arena. Recognised as an expert in his field, he holds the IT & Digital Sector Chair on the board of Science City York and will shortly represent North Yorkshire at the European Internet Exchange Conference in Helsinki. On a community level, Mark is also a founding trustee with the Archbishop of York’s charity, Acts 435, and YDS provided a hosted platform between organisations involved in the recently-staged York Mystery Plays. He is also a member of the Company of Merchant Adventurers, which has recently launched a mentoring scheme for new businesses.
Mark says “Our mission moving forward will be to continue the growth of our national private network, spreading from Yorkshire to London and nationwide. We’ll be expanding our Cloud services, which include hosted telephony and other virtual services; and of course we’ll maintain the high standards of service we’ve set, and which our customers have rightly come to expect”.
