Chapter 1
Why we started
David has been taking computers apart since he was 13, when his family got their first PC. School and college IT turned out to be lessons in writing letters, so he left college and found his own way in.
His first IT job was phone support at Reckitt Benckiser. It was all reacting to problems down a phone line, never meeting the people he was helping. A better role in Leeds followed, then a move back to Hull and the job where he really learned his trade. He and the IT manager ran everything for a small Hull business, from the servers up, and every change had one aim: make staff’s lives easier, keep the business running, and keep improving.
When that business was sold, David joined a large legal software company. Within three months he knew it wasn’t for him: nobody asked whether there was a better way, or whether something was right for the client.
So in 2015, after the FEO (For Entrepreneurs Only) business programme, he started Just Gilbey to do IT the way he’d learned it should be done.
I started Just Gilbey because I was tired of seeing businesses pay for the same fixes again and again. We take ownership of your IT and look after it month by month, so you’re not paying for the same fix twice. And we won’t recommend anything unless we’re sure it will work for you.
Chapter 2
What we’re against
Too much IT support still works like this: wait for something to break, fix it, send the invoice. Ask what you want, quote like for like, and never ask what you’re actually trying to do.
We do the opposite. We find out how your business works, fix the cause rather than the symptom, and tell you what’s likely to cause trouble before it does.
Chapter 3
Who we work with
Our clients are mostly solicitors, accountants and manufacturers, usually between 10 and 100 people, and smaller teams too.
They have one thing in common: when the IT stops, the business stops. Fee-earners can’t record time, emails don’t go out, production waits.
Many are regulated and handle financial and personal data, so they take IT seriously and can’t afford downtime.
Chapter 4
What it’s like working with us
Clients tell us we’re not what they expect from IT people: easy to talk to, plain English, and willing to go the extra mile when it matters.
Our support team looks after you day to day, the same people every time, working from full documentation of your systems, so nothing depends on one person. David leads the projects and the planning.
After a year, we’d like you to think of us as your own IT department, and to find you rarely need to call, because things just work.
What we won’t do
We won’t patch something up and walk away. IT has a lot of moving parts, and a quick fix in one place can cause a problem somewhere else later. We’d rather look after your systems properly and tell you what’s coming.
Moments we’re proud of
- Taking back control for a client after a rogue former IT employee: we recovered their systems and domains, and handed full control back to them.
- Taking over a law firm’s IT from a provider who wasn’t doing a good job. Just before 2020 we’d started a long-term plan with them: improving their systems, streamlining old processes, and explaining why remote working mattered while we got them ready for it. When COVID shut everything down, they were already prepared, and so were many of our other clients. It took little more than buying a few extra computers ahead of schedule. Without that plan already under way, they’d have been in a much harder position.
Why we still love it
David still loves the work: improving systems, putting in the extra effort when it’s needed, always learning something new, and the better balance that running his own company brings.
Chapter 5
Certified, and you can check.
We hold the same standards our clients are asked about. Each one links to our certificate on the certification body’s own register.
Check it : Cyber Essentials Plus, See our certificate on the IASME registry (opens in a new tab)Cyber Essentials Plus
A UK government-backed scheme that certifies basic security controls. Plus adds independent technical testing.
We hold it ourselves and can help you get certified.
Check it : ISO 9001 (quality management), See our certificate on UKAS CertCheck (opens in a new tab)ISO 9001 (quality management)
The international standard for quality management.
Documented, repeatable ways of working, checked by an outside auditor.
Check it : ISO 27001 (information security), See our certificate on UKAS CertCheck (opens in a new tab)ISO 27001 (information security)
The international standard for managing information security.
Information that passes through our hands is handled to a certified standard.
We’re independently audited every year for ISO 9001, ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.
What our clients say
5.0 from 8 Google reviews(opens Google)
Just Gilbey offers a complete support package, which means that I no longer need to worry about anything computer-related. Always happy to help, David provides honest advice and even showed me useful tools that I was already paying for but was completely unaware of.
Vicky ParkinsonManaging Director, VSP Accountancy LtdWe called upon Just Gilbey IT Solutions during an IT disaster we encountered whilst working on a Bank Holiday weekend. They responded immediately, travelled on site, worked through the night and were able to get our environment fully operational the next day. I received a detailed report which included steps taken to recovery, the root cause of the issues along with a priority list of tasks to be done going forward. We look forward to working with Just Gilbey IT Solutions in the future on our supplier list.
Clare WebsterSenior Systems Administrator, Daifuku Logan LtdJust Gilbey have greatly improved our IT both here and in our manufacturing facility in China. They have implemented, amongst other things, our Disaster Recovery plan to protect us against a full site failure, brand-new virtualised servers to maximise the benefit of hardware we already owned – a very cost effective solution which I am confident some other providers would not have suggested. I find working with Just Gilbey is always productive and they are not looking to invoice us but to improve our systems, often utilising assets we already own!
Mike SwannIT and Business Process Manager, Orvec International LtdDavid helped define, develop and document our company IT policies, which helped form part of our larger IT strategy. I was very happy with the level of professionalism whilst at the same time keeping it simple and easy to understand. I look forward to working alongside Just Gilbey Ltd in the future and can recommend them to anyone else for IT assistance and support.
AshleyCEO, Compare TechnologyJust Gilbey have already moved our email systems to the cloud, resulting in significant improvements in ease of use for our employees. They continue to recommend and improve our IT systems, which has also saved us money. David is very professional and easy to work with.
Rob DerryManaging Director, Jointline LtdDavid and the team helped tremendously when I needed assistance moving away from a previous company and was being pushed from pillar to post between Microsoft and the other company. In the end David was able to speak to both parties, gain access to everything, transfer and then complete the setup that was required.
Jude RhodesOwner, Lawrence Legacy LtdExcellent service, they knew exactly what to do to make sure our IT set up is fit for our business now and in the future. Nice clear communication and able to explain the process in non-IT language. Would recommend.
Joe OughtredCo-Founder, Gateway Procurement LtdJust Gilbey migrated my emails from my Gmail account to Office 365 in order for me to have my domain, which provided my company with a more professional image rather than using a private email account. David and the team are highly knowledgeable and professional in their sector and I would have no hesitation in using or recommending them for IT-related matters in the future.
John BensonOwner, Benson Planning StudioI got in touch with Just Gilbey IT Solutions to transfer my emails from Gmail to Office 365. They were very helpful and completed the project overnight, so when I arrived at work the next morning, I was ready to go. Impressive and professional. I continue to use Just Gilbey for my IT needs.
Matt WildboreCreative Director, Mattix Design LtdTechnology partners
Chapter 6
Start with a conversation.
Tell us about your company in our two-minute IT Assessment, or call us for a quick chat. We’re at 4-5 Parliament Street, Hull, HU1 2AZ.
Before you start
Do you offer ad-hoc IT support?
Yes, two ways. Without a contract, call us and tell us what’s happened: if we can help, we’ll tell you the charge at our published rates before we start. Or MYLE Essentials is pay-as-you-go support with a monthly retainer: your backups and email protection are managed, and support work is charged when you use it. See pricing.
Why managed IT rather than ad-hoc?
With managed IT our interests line up with yours. We don’t want you to have downtime, and we don’t want to keep fixing the same problems, so we spend our own time fixing the cause of a problem. That leaves time for the interesting work: new technology and projects that move the company forward.
Do you help with IT projects?
Yes. We’ve helped clients, companies and in-house IT staff with all kinds of projects. Ask us about yours.
How do you price your services?
Usually per user, per month, which scales with your company and keeps costs easy to budget. We also have a hybrid model. All our plan prices are on our pricing page.
Interested in working with us? See careers.