Key Milestones in UKFast History
Our milestones represent key moments in UKFast's history, providing a snapshot of some of the achievements that we're really proud of.
2018
March 2018
Cloud hosting firm UKFast is further cementing its commitment to bridging Manchester’s technical skills gap by opening up its award-winning apprenticeship training programme to other businesses. The fast-growing hosting provider is set to open up its industry-accredited training facilities to the wider business community, after being approved by the government to join the register of apprenticeship training providers.
February 2018
UKFast is set to offer NHS services through the new Health and Social Care Network (HSCN) after receiving accreditation as a supplier from NHS Digital. The move makes UKFast the only provider to offer HSCN connectivity directly from a government-approved data centre.
February 2018
Cloud hosting firm UKFast is still officially Manchester’s best place to work, after being named ninth best workplace in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For.
January 2018
UKFast was proud to receive HRH The Earl of Wessex as a guest at its Manchester campus today, during a royal visit to Manchester. The Earl met a number of UKFast’s staff and learned more about their contribution to Manchester’s thriving technology sector.
2017
December 2017
Technology brand UKFast is taking its mission to inspire young digital talent to the next level, creating five new Raspberry Pi cafés for schools across Greater Manchester. The ‘cafés’ use Raspberry Pi computers which provide a simple and flexible tool for students to learn programming skills, giving them the opportunity to get hands-on with technology.
October 2017
Leading British hosting firm UKFast announces a five-year partnership with LateRooms.com to support the development of the popular online booking site’s technology infrastructure. The deal sees the online accommodation site migrate its web hosting arrangements from a colocation solution with ATOS in favour of a bespoke-built, cloud-based solution, developed in partnership with UKFast.
September 2017
A small team of ethical hacking specialists from British firm Secarma has come out on top of the pile at the world’s largest hacking convention in Las Vegas; exposing more IoT (Internet of Things) vulnerabilities than any other team in the last four years.
August 2017
UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones MBE today announces the firm's commitment to reduce spiralling graduate debt by creating a £1 million “GradCash” fund to directly contribute to paying off student loans for new recruits joining their graduate scheme.
August 2017
Ambitious growth plans at cloud and colocation firm UKFast see the firm today announcing the appointment of two managing directors. The move sees the business formally split into two arms with current MD Jonathan Bowers making a lateral move to head up the firm’s fast-growing Enterprise division, whilst co-founder Gail Jones takes on the role of Managing Director to facilitate the business’s next stage of growth.
July 2017
UKFast and Manchester High School for Girls, one of the city’s top performing schools, have joined forces in a bid to tackle the widening gender gap across the tech industries.
June 2017
Leading British cloud and hosting firm UKFast today announces the appointment of Kristina McGuirk as marketing director, as it looks to triple the size of its marketing function and build on impressive recent results.
May 2017
Cyber security consultancy and ethical hacking specialist Secarma today announces the appointment of Paul Harris to the role of managing director, as it prepares to challenge the biggest players in a rapidly expanding security market. Secarma, owned by UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones MBE, boasts a team of more than 50 ethical hackers and security experts, following the acquisition of CHECK and CREST accredited security business Pentest Ltd in July 2016.
May 2017
It’s been another strong year of growth at technology firm UKFast, as acceleration in the cloud market and high client retention rates drive a £5.7m increase in sales, taking turnover to £40m in 2016.
May 2017
Technology firm UKFast today announces that it is approved to supply 21 separate cloud offerings – across hosting, software and support – through the latest iteration of the government’s G-Cloud framework.
April 2017
A new high school focussed on digital literacy in Manchester has been approved by the government and is set to tackle the growing skills gap in the region. The new school, which caters for 11-16 year olds, will combine traditional education and values with digital literacy and the skills young people need to thrive in an increasingly technology-led workplace. The high school is a first for the region, seeing one of Manchester’s most successful businesses, UKFast, team up with thriving educational provider The Dean Trust, an initiative backed by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools, Lord Nash.
March 2017
Cloud and colocation firm UKFast is officially Manchester’s best place to work, after being named the fifth best workplace in the Sunday Times Top 100 Best Companies to Work For. The people-focussed business has become renowned in the city for its extraordinary office space, UKFast Campus, on the edge of Manchester’s Science Park which has an onsite gym, steam room, crèche and dedicated training and education space.
March 2017
Hosting firm UKFast is slashing the price of its self-service, open source cloud platform eCloud Flex, as the cloud price battle with Amazon Web Services (AWS) continues to rage.
February 2017
UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones MBE announces the acquisition of another cloud and cybersecurity service provider, Secure Information Assurance (S-IA), following the announcement of a £2.3 million investment to bolster his firm's government data centre space.
February 2017
Fast-growing Manchester hosting firm UKFast is today announcing the creation of a raft of new places on its popular IT and software development apprenticeship programmes, with applications for the IT scheme opening this week. Since the launch of UKFast’s apprenticeship scheme in 2013, more than 50 apprentices have joined the award-winning tech firm on a two-year programme, developed and delivered by on-site teachers who’ve recently made the transition from public sector schools to UKFast’s classroom.
January 2017
Manchester-based cloud and managed hosting specialist UKFast has delivered on its 2016 promise to create 100 new jobs, despite Brexit uncertainty, with headcount rising across the firm's associated brands from 250 to 350 in less than one year.
January 2017
UKFast is continuing its long-term investment in making Manchester the UK's number one tech city with a £2.3 million upgrade at the firm's data centre complex.
2016
December 2016
Technology firm UKFast is hailing another stellar year for its flagship cloud range, eCloud, as annual recurring revenue from its exclusively UK-based cloud service grows 38% in a year to £13.79m.
November 2016
By separating areas of the UKFast operation into individual registered businesses, Jones is creating more opportunities for top talent to develop leadership skills, increasing staff retention. The businesses include building and office refurbishment firm UKFast Space, technology magazine BusinessCloud and cyber security and ethical hacking specialists Secarma.
October 2016
Growth at one of the North's best-known firms looks set to continue as UKFast announces it is doubling the size of its HQ in a landmark property deal. The deal sees the cloud and colocation business, run by tech entrepreneur Lawrence Jones MBE, secure a further 40,000 sq. ft. adjacent to its current campus in Manchester Science Park.
September 2016
UKFast cemented its position as a great workplace, throwing a festival to thank its employees for another year of industry-leading service and support. The festival, UKFest, saw a two-day music line up, fairground rides and a 100ft inflatable assault course enjoyed by all of the UKFast team and their friends and family.
August 2016
Digital entrepreneur Lawrence Jones MBE was yesterday awarded with an honorary doctorate by The Manchester Metropolitan University, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the North West economy. Jones joins a select group of individuals to receive the Honorary Doctor of Business Administration (DBA). The University praised the entrepreneur for his tireless work in support of the UK's digital economy and for displaying 'world-class innovation and leadership'.
July 2016
Top-flight Rugby Union club Sale Sharks today announced the largest sponsorship deal in the history of the club, with Manchester-based cloud and colocation firm UKFast. The undisclosed seven-figure deal sees the firm return as shirt sponsor of the club after a five-year break, with Sale Sharks ready to compete for the European Champions Cup this season after finishing sixth in the Aviva Premiership.
July 2016
Secarma, the cyber security business owned by UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones MBE, has confirmed the acquisition of Altrincham-based application security specialists Pentest Limited for an undisclosed sum.
June 2016
The first edition of the UK's newest business technology magazine has been published. BusinessCloud has been set up by former regional newspaper and magazine editor Chris Maguire and tech entrepreneur Lawrence Jones MBE, CEO of UKFast. The full colour magazine is 80 pages in size and will focus on "demystifying technology for a business audience".The initial print run is for just under 20,000 copies. Of these, 12,500 will be distributed in Greater Manchester by the Manchester Evening News, with the balance sent out to UK-wide businesses and customers of UKFast.
June 2016
Manchester hosting specialist UKFast launches a new cloud-based solution, FASTdesk, encouraging the continued rise of flexible working.
May 2016
UKFast has been named the best medium-sized tech company to work for in the UK, placing fifth overall in medium category of the UK's Best Workplaces 2016. The Great Workplaces lists rank the UK's workplaces based upon culture, health and wellbeing and engagement through employee surveys and external recognition.
May 2016
UKFast is to launch a Master of Business Administration (MBA) scholarship with Manchester Metropolitan University, giving one budding entrepreneur the chance to join the highly-valued business programme later this year.
April 2016
Leading North West charity, The Christie, has been announced as the official charity partner for this year's UKFast City of Salford 10K race. Runners who take part in the UKFast City of Salford 10K on Sunday 4th September can run for The Christie and raise vital funds for The Christie NHS, one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe.
March 2016
Manchester-based cloud computing provider UKFast has been revealed as the new sponsor of the Cheshire Cricket League in a 10-year deal worth £50,000 which also sees the firm boosting tech use by member clubs and the league.
February 2016
Over 150 apprentices affected by the collapse at Bright Future Software attended a careers open day in the hunt for new employment. The event, hosted at UKFast Campus in Manchester, saw the apprentices meet face-to-face with a huge range of businesses looking to recruit new talent.
January 2016
Cloud computing entrepreneur Lawrence Jones MBE is joining forces with Chris Maguire, editor of the North West Business Insider to produce a new-look national business technology magazine.
January 2016
Cloud computing firm UKFast launches a new self-service, open source cloud platform, built on OpenStack and hosted entirely in the UK with no vendor lock-ins.
2015
December 2015
UKFast announced that revenue from its eCloud range has grown by 82.9% in the last year. The eCloud model has surpassed all expectations with cloud services now netting £9.9m a year, and the figure representing 27% of total annual recurring revenue currently worth £37.2 million.
November 2015
Lawrence Jones MBE has joined the local executive board of children's charity Cash for Kids. The UKFast CEO becomes a trustee of radio station Key 103's charity having helped to raise more than £1.4 million during last year's Cash for Kids Mission Christmas campaign and supporting the cause for several years.
September 2015
Cloud hosting firm UKFast has joined forces with The Dean Trust to launch a Raspberry Pi Cafe, bringing hands-on tech and computer science education to Broadoak School in Partington, Greater Manchester.
September 2015
Fast-growing Manchester cloud firm UKFast is driving its rapid expansion into the channel and public sector markets with the acquisition of a London office.
August 2015
We invested in one of the biggest team events in the history of UKFast with a trip to Chester Zoo to say a big thank you to the team for a fantastic start to the year. With over 700 UKFast friends and family in tow, Zoofari was the perfect way to reward and motivate our team.
July 2015
Hosting and colocation firm UKFast has taken home its second award in two years running at the Skills for Business awards, recognising its commitment to changing education in businesses across the city.
June 2015
This month CEO of UKFast Lawrence Jones received an MBE for his services to the digital economy. It is a testament to the hard work Lawrence has put into helping UKFast's clients grow, and in doing so, helping the digital economy.
May 2015
UKFast teamed up with local radio station, Key 103, to sponsor Superhero Day in aid of Beechwood Cancer Care; a charity to help and support young children, carers and family members who are affected by cancer and other life limiting illnesses.
April 2015
Corporate M&A legal specialist Nicola Frost joins the team ahead of UKFast's ambitious growth plans.
March 2015
Security heavyweight Andy Hague joins UKFast, heading up its security division, Secarma.
February 2015
UKFast has enjoyed a year of growth after the popularity of cloud computing skyrocketed. For the year end December 2014, UKFast reported a 24 per cent turnover increase from £23.4m to £28.9m.
January 2015
UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones is awarded an MBE for services to the digital economy in the New Year's Honours List. Jones noted that the honour recognises the extraordinary effort of the whole UKFast team.
2014
December 2014
As one of the main campaign sponsors, UKFast helps to raise £1.7m of toys for Cash for Kids Mission Christmas, ensuring that more than 36,000 in poverty in Greater Manchester will receive gifts from Father Christmas this year.
November 2014
UKFast is named Manchester Business of the Year (£10-25m) at the Manchester Evening News Business of the Year awards,
October 2014
UKFast sponsor Raspberry Pi project to create an internet cafe at a South African community centre, providing a revenue stream and tech skills for the centre.
August 2014
UKFast launches 'drag and drop' UK-based storage solution, eCloud Vault to add to it's record-breaking eCloud range.
May 2014
Lawrence Jones announces plans for our next data centre and states that he is on the hunt for an underground site to transform into the North West's largest data centre space.
April 2014
We announce our Random Acts of Kindness Year. UKFast's 2014 is focussed on giving back to the community however we can.
March 2014
We launch our auditorium - we're offering the space to businesses, schools and networking groups free of charge. The space, equipped with theatre lighting and sound, a 100sq ft screen and bar area brings a new creative space to Manchester.
February 2014
UKFast CEO Lawrence Jones continues his record of exceptional rewards and incentives by giving his long-serving employees a record bonus of £10,000 for ten years' service.
January 2014
UKFast helps to rebuild Harvey's Den, an autistic seven-year-old boy's sensory room, after it was raided and torched on Christmas Eve. The whole UKFast team came together to rebuild the boy's room and landscape the family's garden.
