2023 is drawing to a close (how fast did that go??) and as the holiday season descends it’s a good opportunity to look back on the year and what it brought for Smile IT.
It’s been an epic year that we’ll look back on as a tipping point in our growth journey, with big increases in staff, capacity and clientele. We’re really proud we’ve been able to achieve this while maintaining the same exceptional customer service and fast response times. Big high fives to the team for driving that!
Let’s take a look at some of the key moments and outcomes of 2023 and what they’ve meant for us.
Acquisition of RVC IT
You may have seen our blog post about this significant milestone that occurred towards the end of the year. RVC ICT are an established force in the north of Brisbane IT sector, and this was a strategic decision to expand our client footprint while absorbing some of the world class knowledge and experience of the RVC team.
We’re particularly excited about what this means for our communications sector. Smile IT has a reputation as the remote communications experts, and this will only increase thanks to RVC’s expertise in voice services, WLAN and cellular solutions.
We’re excited to see what 2024 and the future holds now we’re got this step under our belts!
EnviroConnect Takes Off
EnviroConnect is our connectivity arm that has been slowly developing and growing in the background. 2023 marked a turning point as EnviroConnect has now grown into its own distinct entity. At the core it offers connectivity solutions to businesses in remote areas, but the range of services doesn’t end there. Site security, Starlink installations, Internet of Things solutions and much more on offer to our clients.
EnviroConnect got its own brand new website this year, complete with smart new branding. Our marketing department did a great job on this one, so why not go and give the website a look.
We’re proud to report the EnviroConnect team has tripled in size this year, vastly increasing our capacity to take on new clients and help them with their connectivity challenges. They’ve delivered a large number of technology solutions to businesses around Queensland, and we’re excited to expand on that number in 2024. Get in touch if you think our EnviroConnect team can help you in any way!
Finance Team
The unsung heroes that keep any successful organisation ticking over, our finance team has developed to a new level of capability and skill in 2023. They are one of our important engine rooms – an integral cog in our organisational governance that ensure smooth sailing for the rest of us. Plus, they’re a bunch of legends!
Ticking the Growth Boxes… and More
With almost 60% growth in the Smile IT team personnel, we’re well positioned to serve current and future clients in an efficient manner. This year we met all our growth targets, which is a rewarding feeling because it means we’ve got technical and industrial capabilities to better serve you. Not only have we been able to take on more managed services customers, but we’ve supported the growth of our clients in the mining sector through specialised connectivity solutions. We’ve also seen big advancements in our cybersecurity capabilities.
ISO 27001 Re-Certification
If you’re looking for a third-party endorsement of a company’s ISMS (information security management system), then check to see if they’re ISO 27001 certified. This is an international standard from an accredited certification body, and it’s no small feat attaining it. The thing is, once you’ve got it, you’re required to maintain it with a strong framework of policies and procedures to minimise your information security risk.
In 2023, we once again maintained our ISO 27001 accreditation, one of the few managed service providers to reach this level of compliance. Our team definitely deserves all the credit for this, as they put in the hard yards of knowing, understanding and meeting the requirements of the certification. Hats off to all of them!
New Management Structure
We’ve onboarded a few new specialised team members to our management team, implementing a new structure of senior personnel. Not only is this a good opportunity to welcome those new faces, but also to commend on a job well done so far in 2023. Great to have you on board guys.
Thanks to All Our Clients
As the year draws to a close, we’d like to extend our biggest thanks to you, our truly valued clients. Your support over the years has kept us going, and none of the above could have happened without you! So, thank you very much – we look forward to keeping your IT and more on track in 2024.
When he’s not writing tech articles or turning IT startups into established and consistent managed service providers, Peter Drummond can be found kitesurfing on the Gold Coast or hanging out with his family!