Brigantia is a specialist cybersecurity distributor, established through a management buyout from Claranet in 2016. Headquartered in Thirsk, Yorkshire, it provides channel partners across the UK & Ireland with a range of cybersecurity solutions and services that enable them to protect their customers and profit from stable, recurring revenue. Here, Sales Director Angus Shaw highlights recent developments at the company.
What do you see as key recent developments at Brigantia?
I truly believe what we’re doing is unique. We bring specialist, often new-to-the- market technology vendors to the UK & Ireland to solve genuine cybersecurity problems. Our product specialists and account management teams support vendors and sell into an established, rapidly growing channel of partners.
Since selling our telecoms business in March, the board of Brigantia Partners authorised the investment of the sales proceeds to accelerate scaling our core cybersecurity software distribution business. Two new vendors recently joined our portfolio, ITagree and Octiga, further strengthening our offering.
ITagree provide customer agreements and the support needed to run a reseller or MSP business, while Octiga are all about maintaining a security posture and unlocking the capabilities of Office 365. The initial uptake of both vendors’ services has been the fastest we have ever seen.
What are your business highlights of the last 12 months?
In January, we moved our sales, finance and support office to a modern 5,500 square foot space in Thirsk. The space can accommodate our planned future growth, with the option of a further 3,500 square feet if required. The new office is proving to be a great hub for our team to develop and is ideal for hosting our vendors and assisting our reseller and MSP partners.
It was fantastic to have all our efforts recognised by our reseller and MSP partners in 2022, winning four channel awards. Winning the awards is a testament to the hard work of the entire Brigantia team.
Why should MSPs use Brigantia above other distributors?
Brigantia has a reputation for focusing on quality over quantity. We’ve implemented
a vigorous vendor selection process to assure quality and commercial viability, while also making sure that our smaller, focused portfolio offers a comprehensive range to resellers and MSPs. The reduced number ensures our team’s expertise is maintained across the entire range and gives vendors peace of mind that we’re not partnering with their competitors.
Another attraction is our insistence that the Brigantia sales team has technical knowledge and all product specialists have some sales responsibilities. This helps drive sales and resolve technical queries usually at first contact. Our product specialists offer a direct link to our vendors, providing unprecedented levels of collaboration and helping resolve issues rapidly.
What should IT managers do differently given the forecast economic downturn?
Consolidate. There’s a very strong cybersecurity argument for using fewer tools and reducing the number of endpoint agents on users’ machines. There are so many opportunities to consolidate and it’s not a difficult exercise, but it is something that people tend to put off. When it’s done right it can lead to significantly reduced costs, and if it’s done strategically it can actually enhance an organisation’s cybersecurity posture.
What impact do you think AI will have on MSPs’ daily operations?
I think it’s still too early to say. There is so much conversation around AI right now that it’s difficult to know how it might affect MSPs in the future.
One thing we do know is that AI is already being used in many next generation cybersecurity solutions, helping to keep businesses safe. An excellent example of AI being deployed in the real world is Heimdal and I would recommend anyone who doesn’t already know the company to check out their revolutionary, unified AI cybersecurity solution.
What, for you, are two key trends to watch this year?
Password managers will become standard practice, instead of just nice to have, and unification will happen at speed. We’re seeing huge demand for vendors of ours that are pushing the unification message, particularly Heimdal. They have a broad portfolio of cybersecurity modules that can stand alone, but which when used together communicate and learn from one another – it really is ground-breaking technology. We are seeing significant growth of unification, particularly in our rapidly growing MSP channel.
What currently is having the greatest impact on your business?
As a rapidly growing business we are constantly looking to hire people who will fit in well with our culture and the way we do things. Investing in the development of our team of product specialists is having a significant impact, and making sure they have the skills and knowledge to work closely with designated vendors, our sales team and the ever growing number of channel partners we have in our community is paying dividends for our vendors, for our partners and, as a result, for us as well.
Where do you see the next big opportunity for MSPs?
Recently, we signed a fresh-to-market vendor from Ireland called Octiga, which to put it simply, I see as a game changer for our channel partners. Octiga can transform how channel partners assist their Office 365-dependent clients. It allows them to monitor and react to risky activity; report and remediate for best practice configurations tailored to each client’s business; and it helps them close the gaps where security breaches can arise for their clients. It cuts out so much stress and saves so much time. Frankly, I believe everyone should be using it.
What’s the best bit of business advice you’ve been given?
Listen. Whether it’s from someone who’s senior or junior to you, every opinion or idea matters. The worst thing you can do is go off on your own and assume your opinion or idea is gospel. I’m a huge believer that the more ideas that are generated the better off a business is going to be in the long run.
If you had had a crystal ball, would you have done anything differently in your life? Well, I suppose I would have liked to have played cricket for Yorkshire! In the real world, though, there is little point in dwelling on the failures or mistakes you’ve made along the way. Those mistakes provide you with chances to learn and can open doors to opportunity.
What is your favourite quote and why?
I think James Sinegal, the founder of Costco in the United States, got it right when he said “When you hire good people and you provide good jobs and good wages and a career, good things are going to happen.”
What was your first job?
My first job was as a gap year sports teacher at a private prep school in North Yorkshire. It was the year after I left school and it really helped me to develop my communication skills. Spending each day on a sports field was great fun but it wasn’t something I could have done as a full-time career!
What would your dream job be?
I joined Brigantia back in 2012, when it was part of Techgate PLC. I was incredibly lucky to land there at that time and have Martin Wright, Techgate’s phenomenally successful MD, as my boss and mentor.
An opportunity arose in 2016 to be part of the MBO of Brigantia from Techgate, after its acquisition by Claranet, which allowed me to learn how to build a recurring revenue distribution business from scratch.
Brigantia’s original founder, Iain Shaw, is an unusual and visionary thinker. Combined with Martin Wright’s down to earth approach to growing a business, this gave me a once in a lifetime opportunity to develop a sales operation from a few hundred thousand pounds ARR to well over eight figures in less than seven years.
I haven’t achieved this on my own, and I’m incredibly proud of the talented team we have here at Brigantia. As investors and Directors, Martin and Iain have always been there, but they’ve allowed me to hone my sales and business skills. So, in answer to the question, I am in my dream job!
How do you like to spend your spare time?
I live in the North Yorkshire countryside and enjoy spending as much time outside as possible. My favourite hobby is playing cricket; I spend 22 weeks of the year playing cricket every Saturday! I also enjoy walking my two dogs after work and the occasional round of golf. Those who have attended the Brigantia annual golf days will understand it is an ‘occasional’ round of golf!
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