MEET THE CONNECTIVITY TEAM

ROB SMITH

Rob Smith
Head of Networks

I’ve been in IT for about 24 years now, and I started out in quite a typical way – on a helpdesk, supporting a travel booking system. It was my first IT role, and I quickly found myself really enjoying the technology. I got involved with Microsoft products, completed industry certifications, and then discovered Cisco networking, which I’ve specialised in ever since.

Networking is fascinating to me because it’s like the glue that holds everything together. Without it, none of the systems and applications we rely on would work properly. After joining Redcentric nearly 19 years ago, I moved into senior architecture roles, covering everything from cloud services to communications. These days, I’m leading our Network Solutions department, working with an amazing team to help businesses solve their connectivity challenges.

As the Head of Network Solutions, I manage a team of eight people who are responsible for designing network solutions for our clients. We specialise in everything from SD-WAN, private networks, LAN and Wi-Fi solutions. My role is a mix of leadership and hands-on work—I’m very much a “player manager.” I’m involved directly in customer discussions, meetings and the design of solutions, leading by example, ensuring that my team is supported and has everything they need to succeed.

At the heart of what we do is understanding customer challenges and aligning our technical expertise with their business needs. Whether it’s helping them move to a hybrid working model or ensuring their network is resilient and scalable, it’s all about making technology work for the customer.

Right now, SD-WAN is one of the big trends. Many of our customers are talking about it, and we’re heavily involved in helping them implement this technology. We offer two main options—Cisco Meraki for a more lightweight solution and Fortinet for enterprise-grade security and performance. SD-WAN is a game-changer for businesses because it allows them to manage their networks more intelligently and securely, especially as hybrid working becomes the norm.

We’re also looking at Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which integrates networking and security into a single, cloud-delivered service. This is a response to the growing need for secure access to corporate resources from any location, especially with so many people working remotely.

Another area we’re focusing on is providing better resilience for customers who rely on public cloud services. We’re working with partners like Megaport to offer geo-resilient, carrier-diverse connectivity to the hyper-scalers such as Azure and AWS. This is crucial as more businesses become dependent on cloud services and need to ensure their connections are always available.

At Redcentric, our goal is always to provide right-sized solutions that meet our customers’ current needs while allowing for future growth. We take a consultative approach, understanding their challenges and objectives, and then design a solution that delivers value without unnecessary complexity or cost. For example, we’re seeing a shift from traditional fixed-line connections to more flexible broadband solutions like FTTP (Fibre to the Premises), which can offer the same performance at a lower cost.

Our solutions are about more than just technology—they’re about solving real business problems. Whether it’s ensuring connectivity for pharmacies that need to move to electronic prescriptions or helping a customer transition their network to support remote working, we focus on providing reliable, scalable, and secure networks that enable businesses to thrive.

One recent example is a nationwide pharmacy group, who came to us with concerns about their future network needs. They are in a period of transition, reducing the number of branches while expanding in key areas, and they needed a network that would allow them to adapt quickly without being locked into a rigid structure. We’re helping them move from low-end ADSL broadband to higher-speed services, and we’re right-sizing the network for each site, ensuring they have the resilience they need, especially as they shift towards electronic prescriptions. Connectivity is absolutely critical for them; without it, they can’t serve their customers, so we’re also implementing secondary connections to ensure they’re never offline.

Another example is a national healthcare organisation, where we’re providing both fixed-line broadband and cellular backup solutions for over 400 sites. They needed a resilient network that could support their operations across the UK, and we’re working with them to provide reliable connectivity, using a combination of fixed lines and wireless WAN solutions like 4G and 5G. This approach ensures they have a backup in place if their primary connection goes down, which is essential for their day-to-day operations.

One thing I hear time and time again from customers is that it’s the people at Redcentric who make the difference. Yes, we provide top-notch technology, but what really stands out is our ability to understand customer needs and provide a solution that works for them. We’re not just selling products—we’re building relationships and acting as trusted advisors.

Our approach is all about keeping things simple and effective. Just because we can add complexity doesn’t mean we should. We focus on delivering solutions that are right-sized, cost-efficient, and future-proofed, so the customer gets the best possible outcome without overpaying or dealing with unnecessary complications. It’s about delivering value and maintaining constant communication throughout the process.