Cloud technology specialist Vapour has announced its expansion in Leeds city centre with new workspace in tech hub Platform. This news coincides with two new additions to the company’s engineering team, as the business furthers its fast-paced growth plans.
The additional workspace at Leeds’ well-known coworking space, Platform – adjacent to the railway station – increasing Vapour’s network across the UK, with its HQ in Huddersfield, and satellite bases already in Glasgow, London, and Lancashire.
Vapour’s duo of hires includes cloud voice UC engineer, Graeme McCabe who joins Vapour having worked with Avaya systems for the last five years. In his new role, Graeme will install, troubleshoot, and manage all changes on Vapour’s platforms, working alongside the team to ensure customers have a smooth transition and quality ongoing support.
Further strengthening Vapour’s cloud and networking resources, Jordan Stephenson – as senior cloud and network engineer – will ensure the resilience and efficiencies of Vapour’s services. Focusing on maintenance and diagnostics, as well as uplift and project work around the network infrastructure and cloud environment, his strong background in information technology, following his previous role as network lead at Contrac IT, will be a great asset to the technical team.
Tim Mercer, CEO of Vapour, commented: “This is a promising time for the company as we scale to meet the demands of our customers and the ever-growing cloud market. Our new hires Graeme and Jordan will be a huge asset to our technical team, and I welcome them onboard.
Announcing our new workspace at Platform is also a proud moment for me as we’ll share the building with some of the region’s most innovative tech companies. To be able to offer my growing team access to more vibrant office space in a new city is a key part of our ongoing recruitment strategy – not to mention our accessibility for customers seeking face to face time – and I look forward to expanding further throughout the year.”
Two new graduate sales recruits are also set to join Vapour soon, in a fresh collaboration with Pareto Law.
The search is also on for a sales and marketing administrator, with the vacancy now open.
It’s Salim Ramzan’s turn in the spotlight this month. An Acorn Electron kickstarted his love for gadgets, and now the Computer Science graduate is one of the most technically respected members of our team. Get to know our senior network engineer a little better, as he talks everything from self-discipline to SD-WAN…
How did you first get into the world of tech?
I’ve always been fascinated with technology and gadgets from a young age, so I decided to study Computer Science at university.
And what is your earliest memory of tech in your life?
I can remember using an Acorn Electron games console – it used a cassette to load the game which I recall took forever (if you were lucky!!)
What’s the one quality you need to thrive in this environment (especially at Vapour)?
Be a team player – that involves being proactive, self-disciplined and positive.
And what is the one thing you would change about the tech sector?
There’s not a lot I’d change, to be honest, but I think we’ll continue to see plenty further developments as the sector – and wider business community – recovers from Covid-19.
Why do you think Vapour stands out in the channel?
Because we provide diverse and innovative offerings that don’t are far more than gimmicks – they really meet today’s business needs. Cloud, connectivity and voice has been our mainstay since 2013, but our toolkit has now expanded significantly!
Complete the sentences:
The best piece of tech ever invented is... the internet!
The next purchase on my (personal) tech wishlist is... SD-WAN.
A tech firm that has really stood out for me in the last 12 months is... Fortinet.
The biggest misconception in the channel is that virtualisation is the same thing as cloud computing.
By the end of 2021, our tech will have made organisations… far more secure and geared up for new challenges and opportunities.
Another new colleague has joined the ranks at Vapour HQ, following the appointment of Greeta Sagris as executive and team administrator.
With a strong project coordination skill set, Greeta is experienced in managing varied stakeholder requirements and expectations, among customers, colleagues, suppliers and partners alike. Most recently employed as property manager at a Huddersfield-based lettings firm, she is used to ‘juggling many plates’, keeping complex assignments on track and maintaining clear lines of communication throughout.
In her new role at Vapour, she will work closely with the senior management team in an executive position, bringing together a number of projects that will benefit clients, and freeing up SMT’s time to better support our sales and marketing team as we push for growth in 2021.
She will also take on the day to day running of the office.
Elaborating on why she was attracted to the opportunity, Greeta said: “I’ve known of Vapour for a couple of years so have watched them, from a distance, until now.
“It’s clear how much they’ve invested in not only their tech stack and the development of the team this year, but also ‘doing the right thing’ during Covid-19. This was a strong pull – so many businesses talk about having authentic values, but sadly not all of them walk the walk.
“As we prepare for another wave of growth – evidenced not least by the recently completed scale up programme in association with Barclays and Cambridge University – I believe I can provide an extra pair of much-needed hands. I’m very process driven, hot on quality control and not afraid to roll my sleeves up. I’m really excited to be onboard.”
CEO Tim Mercer added: “If ever there was a year which proved the risk to set up Vapour was worth it, it’s 2020. When the business world spiralled into chaos due to Covid-19, we were there – delivering the same great technologies we’ve always focused on, to a now inconceivable number of businesses who have accelerated their adoption of cloud because of the mass shift to remote working, the pressure to boost productivity and the unswerving need to keep colleagues and customers connected, secure and engaged.”
“Because Vapour has always been committed to bringing enterprise-level solutions to businesses of all shapes and sizes, this meant digital transformation was within reach of organisations large and small – not just those with whopper budgets,” he continued. “But as we grow, it’s important that we keep investing in talent within our team too. Customers tell us our people are as valuable as our technology, so every hire is crucial. We’re delighted to have Greeta on board.”
Greeta (pronounced Gre-ta) has already set the bar high by showing off her baking talents, on day one. She’s yet to reveal her musical flair and ability to speak fluent Italian and Estonian! All in good time…
It’s James Hartley’s turn in the spotlight this month – here, he talks AI, Apple watches and the need to banish acronyms once and for all.
How did you first get into the world of tech?
I came back from travelling and got a job at Virgin Media Business as a telemarketer. I haven’t looked back.
And what is your earliest memory of tech in your life?
It was probably downloading music from the web – using dial up!!
What’s the one quality you need to thrive in this environment (especially at Vapour)?
Passion! We’re unbelievably committed to delivering the best solutions and service levels into the market. So many businesses talk about passion, but it’s just marketing speak. Not here.
And what is the one thing you would change about the tech sector?
Less acronyms! I know all my colleagues say it and I share their frustrations. There’s something wonderfully clever about keeping things simple, especially when speaking to customers and concentrating on what matters – how they will benefit.
Why do you think Vapour stands out in the channel?
We have our own end to end cloud infrastructure and are agile enough to tailor our solutions and services to every specific customer need. This is pretty rare – certainly in the cloud field, and especially while delivering genuinely great, personable customer service.
Complete the sentences:
The best piece of tech ever invented is… the internet. That or the radio.
The next purchase on my (personal) tech wish list is… an Apple watch.
A tech firm that has really stood out for me in the last 12 months is… Peak AI in Manchester. There are lots of brands in the AI space but they’re doing some incredible things with household names and comparatively unknown disruptors.
The biggest misconception in the channel is that… price means value.
By the end of 2020, our tech will have made organisations far more… efficient, productive and ready for the new norm.
