Earlier this year, United Business Group and Paralogic announced it had consolidated its different businesses into one larger technology services organisation called FUTERA. CEO Lee Manning discusses how the restructure signals a new era for the channel.
Mergers and acquisitions have been par for the course for FUTERA, it has completed a number of acquisitions over the years which have either been seamlessly integrated into the business or operated under different brands. However the restructure in February 2025 brings together the company’s IT, print and scan businesses with Paralogic, the UK’s only full service technology channel partner.
All the companies existed under FUTERA ownership, but have now been merged under this new brand. Lee Manning said: “We’ve restructured the business to align with what a modern, technology-focussed company wants from their managed services provider. By consolidating our different businesses into one larger technology services organisation, we will deliver more value, a wider scope of services, and an even better customer experience. “We genuinely believe FUTERA offers the widest breadth of tech services in the country and this restructure and rebrand will form the basis of our growth for the next decade and beyond.”
Innovation FUTERA has been developed to bring high quality tech services to both direct and channel customers. By leaning on decades of experience delivering services to clients across the UK, Manning explains why now was the right time to make this move. “Companies don’t want to be stuck with the same old traditional model of having to pay for support services on fixed 1/3/5 year contracts up front.
In 2025 we should be able to offer more choice, which is why I’m really proud of our innovative per device per month model, meaning our channel customers can keep things supported as long as they need, flexing monthly if they wish to. It means winning new business has never been easier, with a partner like FUTERA in their corner to support walk-in takeovers or ongoing contracts, knowing that we put the same emphasis on the customer experience as they do.” Employee ownership When Founder and Chairman Terry Woods decided to retire, Manning explained that rather than go down the traditional route of a management buyout, they decided to bring the company into employee ownership. “We are very proud that the business is now fully owned by its employees.
One of the key things is that although FUTERA is a new brand and a fresh face in a mature market, we are actually a company with a near four-decadeslong heritage. And most importantly, we have an incredible team with a lot of experience, who are individually invested in delivering on our mission to become the UK’s first choice partner for technology services,” he said. Company culture Creating and maintaining a positive company culture is high on the agenda for FUTERA.
Last year it appointed Natalie Otton as its People Director, a move that enabled the transition to employee ownership and improve an already great culture. Manning continued: “We’ve got really great people on our team who have always given their all, but even in just a few short months after becoming employee-owned, we’ve seen some really positive nuanced changes in our business – that’s a great thing and a trajectory we wish to continue.
“Employee ownership means that all of us are completely invested in the outcome, whether that’s doing a fantastic job onsite, creating operational only are we building a great place to work, but with everyone so invested, our customers feel the benefit of this every single day.” FUTERA has also brought a number of industry veterans on board including James Pittick, Russell Cole and Simon Wright, all of whom have previously held senior roles at Canon and have been attracted by FUTERA. “These are all strategic hires and integral to delivering on our strategy to grow.
They’re fantastic guys, with brilliant reputations and all of them embody the culture we’re building here at FUTERA,” Manning added. Specialists across a a wide array of services FUTERA has a large but specialist services offering which includes outsourced IT Support, Infrastructure, Field Servicing Break/Fix, Cloud Services, Managed Print, Technology Logistics and Storage, PDI, Installation Services, Device Refurbishment, Workshop Services, Hardware Recycling and Secure Disposal, Technology Procurement, Technology Relocation, Service Provider Migration, Digitisation, Bulk Scanning and Document Storage.
FUTERA operates both directly and provides channel services to household names and recognisable industry brands. “We do everything fully in-house and that’s the key here,” Manning explained, adding: “If we’re providing these services to the channel and people are outsourcing to us, it’s absolutely imperative that we have complete governance of the process, so that we can deliver absolutely everything our channel customers expect. “For example, we have fully staffed technical service desks, we’ve got our own onsite technical team UK-wide, we have staging areas within our facilities, where we can, for instance, image hundreds of laptops at a time, ship them out, receive them back, break them down and ethically dispose of them.
“We know from talking to current and prospective new customers that a lot of companies serving the channel work in isolation, and the services they provide are limited to a particular area. The feedback we’re getting is that having one company they can throw everything at and who will consistently deliver to a really high standard is a real value-add. Our comprehensive offering is being received very well.”
Delivering added value Manning points out that FUTERA isn’t operating on a stack it high, sell it cheap basis when it comes to delivering channel services. “That works to a certain point, but everybody’s got customers that need a bit of extra TLC, and the one-size-fits-all approach isn’t okay with them, and that’s where I see the value in what we do.” As a case in point, Manning explains that FUTERA’s logistics team are all technically trained, meaning they can do full installations and field service calls.
“They’re not just men in a van moving things from A to B. This means we can be the trusted eyes and hands onsite for our channel partners and that they don’t have to dispatch their own engineer, cutting down their costs and adding value.” First choice partner FUTERA is well-positioned to deliver on its mission to become the UK’s first choice partner for technology services. “If you want things done properly, FUTERA is the company for you,” Manning said, adding:
“I don’t believe there is another entity in the country that offers the breadth of services that we do. In addition, having operated a direct business for over 30 years, we know exactly what a channel customer needs from us. We understand how to operate on a customer’s site, from saying good morning, to setting up a staging area for new equipment, keeping a clean and tidy work environment, to keeping end-users informed.
We know how things run and how to do things properly. And we want to be the partner for companies that think the same way.” In conclusion, Manning explained that the company has ambitious growth targets. “We’re looking to grow and add excellence to our company, both organically and through acquisition. So if there are any companies that would like to partner with us or potentially exit their business then do get in touch, because we’re starting to build that pipeline again now.”
