Armstrong Bell marks 25 years with AI & cybersecurity

Armstrong Bell is marking its 25th anniversary and now supports more than 400 organisations.

The Bromsgrove managed IT provider says its business mix has shifted sharply over the past two decades, from office telephone systems and cabling to managed IT, cybersecurity, cloud and communications services. It is also developing AI voice agents designed to handle customer calls and complete transactions within clients' systems.

William Copley founded the business in 2001, when its work centred on physical telecoms installations. Traditional telephony still accounted for about 90 per cent of Armstrong Bell's business as recently as 2010, but managed IT and cybersecurity are now central to its operations.

Armstrong Bell employs about 20 people at its Greenbox headquarters. Its growth has come through both acquisitions and organic expansion.

The latest area of development is AI voice agents that can answer calls using natural speech, understand enquiries, gather information and take action inside customer systems. Copley said the practical value of AI lies in its ability to do more than respond to questions.

"Truly useful AI seemed like witchcraft not so long ago, and now it is here. The most important thing is that it can take action. If you can take an action on a website, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to do it on a phone call with an AI agent. It should have exactly the same capabilities," said William Copley, Managing Director of Armstrong Bell.

The company's development reflects broader changes in workplace technology, from conventional telephony to hosted voice, mobile services and unified communications, then to cloud platforms, managed IT support and cyber defence. Copley said even the rebrand from Ocean Data and Voice to Armstrong Bell was shaped by the pace of change in technology markets.

"I wanted to find a name that sounded as though it had some heritage and weight behind it, but didn't tie us to a particular technology. Technology changes so fast," he said.

Acquisition strategy

One of the company's most significant commercial decisions was its 2022 acquisition of managed service provider Control & Shift. The deal added an IT helpdesk operation, Microsoft 365 services, hosting, technical staff and additional customers.

Copley said the purchase followed a decision to make managed IT and cybersecurity a primary focus for the business. A later partnership with technology distributor Arrow gave Armstrong Bell access to Microsoft, Sophos and other cloud and security services through a wider delivery platform.

"Rather than build that from the ground up, we were able to acquire the smallest viable unit of a fully functioning MSP with heritage, history, knowledge and experience, bring that in, and then develop that offering within Armstrong Bell," he said.

Long relationships

Some of Armstrong Bell's longest relationships have spanned most of its history. Ian 'George' Emmett, one of the company's longest-serving employees, joined about 23 years ago to install systems and cabling.

"He still treats the business like it's his own, and he's irreplaceable," Copley said.

The company has also maintained a long-running relationship with 9 Group, now Onecom, dating back more than two decades. That connection was important during Armstrong Bell's early expansion in telecoms services.

Copley's own route into the sector was unusual. Before founding the business, he spent a decade as lead singer and guitarist with the Stourbridge band Fretblanket, which was signed to PolyGram and toured Britain and the United States.

During breaks in the band's schedule, he learned the telecoms trade while working with a friend's business, travelling around the country to install systems and cabling. The work included fitting extra seasonal tills in Toys "R" Us stores before Christmas and removing them in the spring.

That engineering experience influenced how he wanted his own company to deal with customers, with a focus on installation day and the period immediately afterwards.

"As an engineer, you see customers' problems and their journey very clearly. I felt the important part was the day itself, engaging with the customer, and then the next two or three days afterwards, making sure they had a seamless transition. We felt we could do that part of the job better," he said.

The company's anniversary comes after a period in which the communications sector has moved a long way from the infrastructure that once defined it. Copley said he remembers the Birmingham BT Tower from childhood, but now sees it as a sign of an earlier era in telecoms.

"I'm proud we're still here after 25 years. I think we've done a good job. Our customers say they enjoy doing business with us, and that's not a given. We're well set for growth. We're well set for the future. I'm really excited about what the next five years brings in IT, AI and cybersecurity, and we'll follow what our customers need," he said.