IT firm marks 20 years with cyber compliance expansion

A Greater Manchester based IT company has marked its 20th anniversary by expanding its cyber standards and compliance department and appointing a new operations director.

Foresight IT Services, which supports more than 130 organisations across the north-west, said the department would help clients meet security standards and regulatory requirements in their sectors. 

Taylor Hodgkinson has been appointed operations director and will lead operational delivery and service quality across the expanded cyber offering. 

The company was started in 2006 by Ged Tod as what he describes as a "tech-fix" operation, and was incorporated in 2010 with his business partner Craig Barratt. 

It now employs 15 staff at Hollinwood Business Centre in Oldham and works with clients in construction, education, healthcare and professional services, including Moya Cole Hospice, Russells Construction, Dr Kershaw's Hospice and Kingfisher Learning Trust. 

Foresight reported a turnover of £1.7 million for the financial year concluding in 2026, with the aim of reaching £2 million within the next three years. 

Its services include managed IT support, cyber security, connectivity, telephony, and specialist education, and IT support. 

The firm has held Cyber Essentials Plus certification, the higher of the two levels of the government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme, since 2023. The certification must be renewed each year. 

Mr Tod, technical director and co-founder, said: "When I started Foresight back in 2006, we were a small tech-fix operation working out of Rochdale. 

"The threats our clients face today are a world away from 2006, and cyber security is now at the heart of everything we do. 

"Investing in a dedicated cyber standards and compliance department is us giving clients the tools, standards and expertise to stay secure and compliant as the landscape keeps shifting." 

Mr Barratt, sales director and co-founder, said: "Twenty years on, we're a full managed service provider with a brilliant team of engineers looking after more than 130 organisations across the north-west. 

"That journey has only been possible because of the clients who trusted us and the people who built this business alongside us. This anniversary is as much theirs as it is ours."