Networking industry disrupter brand celebrates successful first year

Network services provider Principle Networks, which has offices in Manchester and Leeds, is celebrating a successful first year which saw its turnover top £350,000, and the firm achieve an operating profit of £111,827.96.

In the first quarter of its second financial year, the company had already doubled the volume of sales compared with figures for its entire first year and had hit its 12-month target by the end of the second quarter.

Launched in May 2018 as a disrupter brand, Principle Networks aims to lead the way in SD-WAN services, offering a fresh and alternative proposition to mid-enterprise businesses across the UK.

Unlike the more traditional networking providers the company is not tied into any legacy systems and so can offer tailored and bespoke solutions, working with a strong base of global suppliers.

The firm now employs five specialists, with a sixth joining later this year, and plans are in place for further recruitment.

Principle Networks is working with more than 25 different clients including Hargreaves Services, Parseq, Graham & Brown and Intu Properties.

By working with a wide range of global partners, the company has also benefited from investment and support from leading vendors which has helped the fledgling business with funds for marketing and events.

The company plans to use that investment to create and deliver a series of online and offline seminars across 2020 to help educate its core market on the adoption of SD-WAN technology.

Russell Crowley set up Principle Networks with Alex Steer, having worked together previously.

Russell said: “It’s been a fantastic first year for Principle Networks, and it seems like our second year will be even stronger with a great pipeline of projects.

“We’ve grown from just two people to what will be a team of six by the end of the year, and we are already thinking about our next hire.

“When we launched the company we had a strong sense that this was what was needed in the industry – something tailored and flexible, which worked around business needs, rather than trying to shoehorn a company into a one size fits all product.

“The way businesses of all sizes now work, which is rarely with everyone sat in one office, is becoming more complex and it needs a more sophisticated solution.”

Alex Steer, who has held CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) status for more than 10 years, added: “We’re looking to create intelligent solutions that improve efficiencies and meet the genuine business demands of today, such as cloud adoption, data security, workforce mobility and a positive end user experience.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what the next 12 months will bring.”