Spirit UK, a dedicated IT support provider founded in 1995, serves a diverse range of humanitarian and charity clients operating in challenging environments. Needing to streamline services and improve efficiency, Spirit UK turned to Atera and its all-in-one, user-friendly platform. Initially, Atera was used for monitoring, but as Spirit UK sought to overcome fragmented systems and achieve greater operational cohesion, Atera evolved into a central tool for consolidating workflows, elevating client support, and enabling seamless IT management. Today, Atera remains a vital partner in Spirit UK’s mission to deliver responsive, reliable IT solutions that empower their clients to better the world.
“The dashboard’s immediate overview of customer and device status has the biggest impact. We can see what’s critical? what are the important tickets? What’s going on at a glance? ”
UK Spirit, a team that makes a difference
Behind every successful humanitarian organization or charity lies a dedicated IT backbone that keeps operations running smoothly. Spirit UK, established in 1995 by IT enthusiast Pal Sehmi, has been at the forefront of reliable IT service provision for nearly three decades. Serving a broad range of clients, from small teams to large enterprises, Spirit UK simplifies the complexities of technology support to ensure business continuity. Based in the UK, their reach extends internationally, even supporting organizations in challenging environments such as war zones and areas lacking reliable power sources.
What sets Spirit UK apart is its commitment to client-focused solutions. Spirit UK’s core services span dedicated support, robust cybersecurity, and up-to-date hardware and software solutions to meet the ever-evolving needs of its customers. Whether providing wireless communications or solar-powered setups in remote areas, Spirit UK tackles both intricate projects and the day-to-day needs of charities and non-profits.
“We get involved with all kinds of weird and wonderful projects,” Pal said. “But then there’s the humble support. Charities with users that don’t understand technology need help, and we get involved in all aspects.”
Pal Sehmi, Founder and Director of IT Services
The challenge of balancing efficiency and team wellbeing
As Spirit UK delved deeper into the third sector, they faced distinct challenges: Their customers required robust protection, updated systems, and comprehensive support, while often operating on very limited budgets. The need to deliver high-quality services efficiently while also prioritizing Spirit UK’s team wellbeing became paramount.
Their search for a solution led them to Atera. Drawn to Atera’s fresh, user-friendly design and honest, service-oriented team, Spirit UK felt the platform offered a supportive and transparent partnership, setting it apart from colder, more corporate-feeling options. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Atera’s affordable, flexible approach allowed Spirit UK to test the waters without financial strain. Atera has since become a vital tool in Spirit UK’s journey, empowering them to fill the demands of their clients with efficiency and care.
“Atera offered a low-cost solution that allowed us to experience the tool and gradually notice its benefits. It was like a long romance, not a quick thing.”
Partnering with Atera
Spirit UK’s journey with Atera began modestly, with the platform initially serving as just another monitoring tool in their extensive IT toolkit. However, as financial pressures increased and the demand for operational efficiency became urgent, Spirit UK took a step back to reassess its approach.
A detailed analysis of their workflows revealed a patchwork of disconnected solutions—different departments relying on separate systems for CRM, asset management, and monitoring. This fragmented setup created inefficiencies that hindered their ability to respond swiftly and consistently to client needs, highlighting the necessity for a more integrated solution.
Through this evaluation, Atera emerged as the standout choice, a comprehensive platform that could consolidate Spirit UK’s operations under one roof. This decision wasn’t solely about reducing expenses—though the cost savings were significant—but rather about enhancing efficiency and elevating the client experience. By committing to fully leverage Atera’s capabilities, Spirit UK saw an opportunity to streamline processes and improve service in ways that had previously been out of reach.
“The biggest experience we’ve had is that you’re willing to talk, and you’re willing to let us share our ideas. And you say, well, yeah, okay, yeah. We could do that. That’s not hard, or that’s a crazy idea. Go away. Maybe we’ll do that down the road.“
From monitoring tool to essential partner
With Atera, Spirit UK was able to consolidate essential functions, enabling their team to view customer records, ticket statuses, system states, and outage information on a single interface. This led to significant time savings, enabling technicians to access critical information quickly and seamlessly without switching between tools. The ability to manage machines directly through Atera’s agents and the improved client-agent interactions allowed Spirit UK to deliver responsive, high-quality service, streamlining their workflows and enhancing overall efficiency.
Though the journey was not without challenges, and Spirit UK recognizes that they are still on the path to full optimization, the benefits of adopting Atera have been undeniable. The seamless integration, time saving, and increased client satisfaction are all testaments to the transformative impact of this partnership. What started as a simple monitoring tool has evolved into a crucial, cohesive solution, supporting Spirit UK in achieving its operational and service goals.
An AI Copilot for all engineers
A major Atera differentiator is its built-in AI capabilities. For junior technicians, Atera’s AI Copilot has become a digital mentor, guiding them through the complexities of IT tasks and inspiring new ideas. Enthusiastic to prove their skills, they value AI Copilot’s ability to generate command lines and scripts, which accelerates their learning and boosts their confidence. It feels like having a seasoned guide at their side, helping them upskill with every interaction.
Seasoned technicians, however, initially approached AI Copilot with a mix of curiosity and skepticism. Having navigated countless IT challenges, they understood the limitations of AI, recognizing that while AI Copilot’s suggestions were useful, they could sometimes be wrong. Yet, they saw its potential, acknowledging that AI Copilot was a tool that gets better with time, learning from each interaction to become increasingly reliable. In this way, Atera’s AI Copilot bridges the gap between novices and veterans, fostering growth, learning, and innovation within the team as they collectively journey toward a smarter, more efficient future.
“It’s the more junior engineers who rely on AI Copilot. I think the more experienced engineers know that AI can be confidently wrong on a fairly regular basis. And so they’re a bit more careful, a bit more cautious with. But we see great value when it comes to summarizing tickets and generating responses.”
Pal Sehmi, Founder and Director of IT Services
Conclusion
In the evolving landscape of IT services, Spirit UK’s story is one of adaptation, innovation, and unwavering commitment to core values. Their journey with Atera continues, a testament to the power of collaboration and the pursuit of excellence in serving those who strive to make the world a better place.
