Intercity at 40: Culture, Commitment, Capability.

This one’s for you, the F5 subscriber.

Some of you have been reading these updates since we rebooted the F5 newsletter. Some of you joined recently. Either way, we’re glad you’re here.

This one’s for you, the subscriber who’s been opening these emails since the start, the curious new joiner who just signed up, or the partner who’s watched us evolve. Because as Intercity gears up to turn 40 later this year, we’re taking a beat to reintroduce ourselves, not just who we are, but who we’ve become.

Then and now: An Intercity mobile communications ad from 1993, and our brand campaign that ran across digital displays in Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games.

A family business with no strings attached

We’re not owned by private equity. We’re not driven by shareholder pressure. We’re proudly UK-based and family-owned, which means we do things differently. Every decision we make is in service of our people, our customers, and our long-term vision.

And that vision? To be the best tech partner to work for and with, to be a nationally recognised technology powerhouse and the most trusted partner for organisations across the UK.

We’ve doubled our revenue in four years, blending organic growth with strategic acquisitions, including the game-changing addition of Microsoft experts Centrality. We’re well on the way to our Big Plan: £100m turnover, 500 colleagues, and limitless opportunity by 2030.

But this isn’t just about growth for growth’s sake. It’s about doing more of the stuff that actually makes a difference, in business, in communities, and in people’s lives.

A culture people believe in

We’re the #1 telecoms company to work for in the UK, and a top 10 mid-sized company overall. That’s not just a nice badge, it means people feel seen, supported, and excited to be here.

From promoting talent like Oli Hayward, who joined us as a sales rep in 2017 and is now our Managing Director of Communications, to investing in over 200 technical certifications in just three years, we back our people at every level.

We’ve transformed our leadership, sharpened our focus, and poured investment into our spaces and systems. The result? A values-driven team with the ambition and firepower to take on the biggest tech challenges out there.

Trusted by the boldest brands

You might’ve seen our name pitchside on the  boards at Edgbaston, or making a splash as the official IT support partner of Birmingham City Football Club.

But we’re not stopping at the pitch. In 2024 alone, we welcomed over 100 new customers, from Uniqlo and Volkswagen to Talbots Solicitors and Carter Jonas. Why? Because we do what we say we’ll do. We don’t just fix tech, we deliver peace of mind, proactive solutions, and serious results.

Tech with purpose

Our holistic approach to managed services has helped businesses achieve their goals. But you know what else matters? Keeping businesses secure and safe. Our cybersecurity framework, which won the 2023 Innovation Award,s has since been rolled out nationally, promoted by trade bodies, and now backed by our friends at Aston University to develop as an AI model.

And when it comes to helping people, we worked with our friends at Ripple to launch digital crisis prevention tech at Edgbaston (making them the first cricket stadium in England and Wales to do this), supported diversity through our HERoes and Women in Tech initiatives, and work tirelessly to raise funds for our local charities and hospitals. 

Built for now. Built for what’s next.

Last year we were named a Wired Trailblazer, and that wasn't something we applied for, but something we were approached on, but because our growth and innovation spoke for themselves.

We hold five Microsoft Partner designations, sit on more than 15 public sector frameworks, and a staggering amount of accreditations for a business of our size. But we’re not resting on that.

We’re scaling nationally, investing in our people, and pushing the boundaries of what a tech partner should be. 

So here’s to you, our F5 readers. You’re not just part of our mailing list, you’re part of our story. Thanks for sticking with us, championing us, challenging us, and growing with us.

As we celebrate 40 years, we’ll be sharing more stories, meeting more customers, and revealing more of the bold, brilliant humans behind the Intercity brand.

Watch the space this autumn for news of our upcoming series, #BORNIN85.

A docuseries looking back at Birmingham across the decades, how the businesses have evolved and the stories from people who where there in the beginning and those who are blazing a trail today.