Web hosting company makes major investment in data centre to improve service for customers

BLACK Nova Designs has become one of the only web design and hosting company in Wiltshire to have its servers based in the county thanks to a major investment.

The company, based at Port Marsh in Calne, has invested £40,000 in six powerful servers at the Proximity Data Centre in Swindon to ensure its 900 website customers benefit from faster performance – and any issues can be dealt with more speedily.

Managing Director Danielle Holmes said she and fellow founder, and husband, Kyle, took the decision to make the investment to keep pace with the growth of the company, which now has four staff and hit its £300,000 turnover target this year.

She said: “It’s a question of economics really, it costs a lot to rent space on someone else’s servers so we took the plunge and bought our own and we are glad we did because we have already seen the benefit and so have our customers.

“A website will respond much faster when it is based in the same country your audience is in. The ongoing support from Black Nova is comprehensive and the feedback we’ve had is that it has been life-changing for our clients so far, especially photographers when they're trying to upload at events. Their websites used to crash while they were trying to upload 50,000 images for people to download instantly.”

The company spent 18 months researching data centres before choosing to work with Proximity at the South Marston Industrial Estate. “Their centre has incredible security, and all of our servers are powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, which makes a huge difference because obviously data processing and the internet is the biggest contributor to global warming and being a sustainable and green company is one of our top priorities,” said Danielle.

The company has seen a record-breaking summer for new orders after months of exhibiting at equestrian events across the area. “We spent the summer covered in mud but it paid off with the new sales coming in,” said Danielle.
She has also been nominated as a finalist for Leading Women in Tech at the Wiltshire Techies Awards.

The Techies is an award scheme that aims to recognise the technology talent working in Swindon and across Wiltshire and highlight the amazing projects they are working on. Now in its sixth year, the awards include categories recognising social impact, innovation and tech security - as well as the Leading Woman in Tech category that Danielle is a finalist in. 

The finalists were chosen by the awards judging panel of the most influential tech entrepreneurs and business growth partners in Wiltshire and were announced on Thursday the 21st of September. 

The overall winners, who will be picked by the judges, will be unveiled at an awards ceremony which will take place on Thursday 12th October 2023 at BCC in Chippenham.

Danielle, who runs Black Nova Designs with her husband Kyle and is responsible for sales and marketing at the company, works hard to ensure IT is accessible for everyone and empowers people to make the most of technology. A self-confessed technophobe when she joined the company, Danielle now sees first-hand how technology can transform businesses, helping them grow and thrive in today’s digital world, and wants to make sure that everyone - men, women and children - knows the value of IT skills. Her open approach across social media and in face-to-face networking events demonstrates the ethos at Black Nova Designs. 

“My aim, remembering what it’s like to have no IT skills at all, is to ensure that anyone feels that they can call us and know that no question they have about IT is seen as silly or small.” Danielle comments, “IT is so interwoven in our lives now that no one should feel like it’s beyond their capabilities. We also pride ourselves on our customer service and our support is based here in Wiltshire. Our customers are confident that they know what they are paying for and that the team here will do a great job. “

Black Nova Designs is based on the Portemarsh Industrial Estate in Calne and works with customers across Wiltshire and beyond. The company offers a range of IT services including website design and hosting, WordPress maintenance, PC and laptop repair and networking and Wi-Fi solutions.

To learn more visit their website HERE!