About Gridline
The IT team down the corridor, without the payroll
Gridline looks after the computers, accounts and networks of offices that are too big
to muddle through and too small to hire a team of their own.
2014
Founded by
two engineers
two engineers
38
Engineers on
the helpdesk
the helpdesk
140
+
Offices
supported
supported
9,200
+
People we
look after
look after
Our story
Started by two engineers who were tired of the ticket queue
Tom Ashby and Lena Corwell ran the helpdesk at a large provider where a broken laptop
meant a ticket, a queue and a call back in two days. In 2014 they left, took four
clients with them and promised each one a phone number that a person would answer.
Gridline still works that way. The engineers are employed, not outsourced; the price is per person, not per problem; and every client gets a written response time and a one-page report each month. There are 38 of us now, looking after 140 offices.
Gridline still works that way. The engineers are employed, not outsourced; the price is per person, not per problem; and every client gets a written response time and a one-page report each month. There are 38 of us now, looking after 140 offices.
Our story
Ten years, four turning points
2014
March
Four clients and a phone
Two engineers, one office and a promise that the phone would be answered by someone who could fix the problem. The first four clients are still with us.
2017
September
The helpdesk goes 24-hour
A night shift, then a weekend shift, staffed by our own people. The 15-minute response time went into every contract the same year.
2020
March
Every client working from home in a week
Laptops, remote access and multi-factor sign-in rolled out to 60 offices in eight days. Most of that set-up is still how clients work today.
2024
January
Security operations, in house
A dedicated security team watching every endpoint, testing every backup and sending each client a report they can read in five minutes.
How we work
Six rules every engineer here works to
Answer the phone
A person picks up, and that person can fix it. No ticket number, no queue, no call back on Thursday.
Plain English
We explain what broke and what we did in words you would use yourself. Jargon is a sign we have not understood it.
Fix it properly
A workaround is not a fix. If the same thing breaks twice we find out why and put it in writing.
Say the price
One number per person per month. If something would cost extra, you hear the figure before we do the work.
Keep it secure
Multi-factor sign-in on every account, patches within seven days and backups tested monthly, for every client, no exceptions.
Own the outcome
If a supplier, a line or a licence is the problem, we chase it. You have one number to call and it is ours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions we are asked before people sign
Within 15 minutes, in the contract. Last year the average first response was 14 minutes by email and under three minutes by phone, and nine issues in ten were closed on the first contact.
Everything on the plan for every device that person uses: unlimited helpdesk, security tooling, patching, backups, licensing management and the on-site visits. Hardware itself is the only thing invoiced separately, and only when you ask for it.
No. Plans are 30-day rolling after a three-month start. If you leave, we hand over documentation, passwords and every account to you or your next provider within ten working days.
We audit it in the first two weeks, fix anything dangerous straight away and give you a short list of what should change, with a cost for each item. Nothing gets replaced just because it is not ours.
Yes. Most clients have two or three sites and a good share of people working from home. Remote support is the same everywhere; on-site visits are within the areas listed on the contact page.
