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Built on integrity, driven by customer service and keeping businesses connected since 2006
Today, RPS Telecom is celebrating 20 years in business.
Reaching two decades is a significant milestone for any company, but it is particularly meaningful to us because the principles RPS was founded on in 2006 remain at the heart of the business today.
RPS began with a clear ambition: to rival the larger telecommunications providers by delivering the very best customer service.
The business was built on integrity, honest advice and a genuine commitment to doing the right thing for its customers. It was also created with the belief that a successful company should look after its people and provide a supportive place to work.
Twenty years later, the technology, the telecommunications industry and the needs of businesses have changed enormously. However, those original values have not.
Telecommunications has always been essential to the way businesses operate, but dealing with larger providers could often feel complicated, impersonal and frustrating.
RPS was created to offer businesses an alternative.
The aim was not simply to supply telephone systems or internet connections. It was to provide customers with a knowledgeable and responsive team they could speak to, advice they could trust and ongoing support from people who genuinely cared about their business.
That personal approach has remained one of the most important parts of RPS.
We have always believed that the right telecommunications solution should be based on what a customer actually needs, rather than whichever product happens to be the newest, most complex or most expensive.
Sometimes that means introducing new technology. Sometimes it means improving what is already in place. Often, it means taking the time to understand how a business works before recommending anything at all.
For 20 years, our role has been to make business communications easier to understand, easier to manage and more reliable.
It is difficult to overstate how much telecommunications has changed since RPS began in 2006.
Traditional telephone lines and on-site telephone systems were once the standard for almost every business. Remote working was far less common, internet connectivity was slower and many of the tools businesses now rely on every day did not yet exist.
Over the past two decades, we have seen the industry move towards cloud communications, fibre connectivity, hybrid working, Microsoft Teams integration, call analytics, recording, transcription, automation and artificial intelligence.
One of the most significant periods of change came during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Almost overnight, offices closed, teams began working from home and businesses needed to find new ways to remain available to their customers. Reliable communications became more important than ever.
Like businesses everywhere, RPS had to adapt quickly while continuing to support customers through an uncertain and difficult period. Our team helped businesses redirect calls, enable remote working and keep their employees connected, often while those customers were managing significant operational challenges of their own.
The pandemic accelerated the adoption of cloud communications and flexible working, but it also reinforced something RPS had always believed: technology is only valuable when it is supported by people who understand the business using it.
It was a challenging time for our team, our customers and the wider community, but it demonstrated the resilience of RPS and the strength of the relationships we had built. The way people communicate with businesses has continued to evolve since then.
Customers increasingly expect to contact organisations from anywhere, receive faster responses and move seamlessly between telephone calls, emails, online meetings and digital channels.
Businesses need systems that can support office-based teams, remote workers and employees working across multiple locations. They also need greater visibility of how calls are handled, where enquiries may be missed and how customer service can be improved.
RPS has continued to evolve alongside these changes.
Today, we support businesses with cloud-hosted telephone systems, Microsoft Teams calling, business broadband, call reporting, analytics, recording and transcription.
Our services include solutions such as TeamsTalk, hosted communications, RPS Insight, VoiceIQ and MeetingIQ, alongside the connectivity and infrastructure needed to keep those services working reliably.
More recently, we have also been exploring how automation and artificial intelligence can solve practical business problems.
Our approach is not to introduce AI simply because it is the latest technology. It is to understand where it can deliver a genuine benefit, whether that is improving call handling, capturing enquiries, reducing administration or providing businesses with better information.
What is the right outcome for the customer?
The next chapter of telecommunications will bring some of the most significant changes the industry has experienced.
The UK is moving away from its traditional public telephone network, and many of the legacy services businesses have relied on for years are being withdrawn. This change affects much more than desk phones.
Traditional telephone lines may also support alarms, lift lines, door-entry systems, payment terminals, emergency equipment, CCTV systems and other services that are easily overlooked until they stop working.
RPS has been working to raise awareness of these hidden dependencies and help businesses understand what may be affected. Our role is to help customers plan early, review their existing services and move to suitable alternatives without unnecessary disruption.
The more complex a business or site is, the more important it becomes to start planning before the legacy services are removed.
This work reflects the same approach RPS has taken throughout its history: helping businesses navigate technical change with clear advice, practical support and no unnecessary jargon.
One of the things we are most proud of is the number of long-standing relationships RPS has built.
Some customers have trusted us with their communications for a significant part of our 20-year history. Those relationships have continued through changes in technology, changes within their organisations and changes within our own business. We never take that loyalty for granted.
Long-term relationships are built through the everyday things: answering the phone, keeping customers updated, taking ownership when something goes wrong and being honest when a particular solution is not right for them.
Customer service is not simply a department within RPS. It is the reason the business was created and a responsibility shared across the whole team.
We know that technology does not always go to plan. Networks fail, equipment develops faults and external suppliers do not always deliver the experience we expect. What matters is how we respond. Our customers need to know that someone is listening, investigating the issue and keeping them informed.
That commitment to communication, accountability and doing the right thing continues to shape the standards we set for ourselves.
Over the past 20 years, RPS has supported organisations across a wide range of sectors.
These have included legal practices, estate agencies, accountancy firms, healthcare providers, manufacturers, education providers, professional services businesses and growing small and medium-sized companies.
Every organisation communicates differently. Our job is to understand those differences and recommend a solution that works for the individual business.
That means looking beyond the number of users or telephone handsets and understanding how communications support the wider organisation.
No business reaches 20 years because of one person.
RPS exists today because of the founders who established the company, the team members past and present who have helped build it, and the customers who have placed their trust in us. Over the years, every person who has been part of the team has contributed to the RPS story.
They have installed systems, answered support calls, managed projects, resolved faults, looked after customer accounts, processed orders, handled billing, developed new services and supported the wider team. Each person has helped move the business forward.
Although many members of our current team were not here at the beginning, they are now responsible for shaping the next part of the RPS journey. They bring new ideas, different skills and fresh perspectives while continuing to uphold the values the company was built on.
We are proud to employ and develop local people, support early-career talent and provide opportunities for team members to increase their confidence, knowledge and responsibilities. Looking after our people has always been an important part of RPS.
We believe that when employees feel supported, trusted and valued, they are better able to provide the level of care our customers deserve.
RPS is proud of its roots in South Wales and of the relationships we have built with businesses across Wales and beyond.
Being a local provider means more than having an office nearby. It means understanding the communities our customers operate within, being available when support is needed and building relationships that extend beyond a contract or monthly invoice.
We are also proud to contribute to the wider business and telecommunications communities through local networking, industry groups, events, knowledge sharing and charitable activity.
Prostate Cymru has become a charity especially close to the RPS team. Over the years, colleagues have supported fundraising and awareness through events including the Big Walk, the Big Breakfast, the Blue Tie Ball, running challenges and PSA testing initiatives.
This summer, members of the team will also join Prostate Cymru’s Walk of Wales, supporting the eight walkers taking on the full route. Our work with the charity has brought the team together while helping to raise funds and awareness for an important Welsh cause.
Whether we are helping a small business install its first professional telephone system or supporting a larger organisation through a complex communications project, every customer matters.
Our size allows us to remain personal and responsive, while our experience and partnerships allow us to provide the technology and capability businesses expect from a much larger provider.
That balance has been central to the RPS story from the beginning.
Telecommunications can be highly technical, but customers should not need to become telecommunications experts to receive the right service. Our role is to translate technical information into clear business advice.
That means explaining the options, being transparent about costs and limitations and helping customers make informed decisions.
It also means recognising that the latest technology is not automatically the best solution for every organisation.
New systems, automation and AI can create significant opportunities, but they must solve a genuine problem or deliver a clear business benefit.
We believe the future of telecommunications will become increasingly consultative.
Businesses will not simply need a provider that sells them products. They will need a partner that understands their goals, identifies risks, supports change and helps them get value from the technology they invest in.
That is the role RPS intends to continue playing.
Leading RPS into its next chapter
Today, RPS is led by Managing Director Natalie Strange, who has been part of the business for almost half of its 20-year journey, alongside a team helping to shape its next chapter.
Reflecting on the anniversary, Natalie said:
“Leading RPS as it reaches its 20th birthday is something I feel incredibly proud and privileged to do. The business was founded on integrity, customer service and looking after its people. Those values remain just as important today as they were in 2006.
The telecommunications industry is changing rapidly, and there are exciting opportunities ahead in cloud communications, analytics, automation and AI. However, our focus will continue to be on solving real business problems and delivering the best possible outcomes for our customers.
I am very conscious that I am continuing something that was started 20 years ago, and I am grateful to our founders, our team, our customers and our partners for the trust and support they have given RPS.”
The future of RPS will involve new technology, new services and new ways of helping our customers communicate. We will continue supporting businesses as they move away from legacy infrastructure and adopt more flexible, resilient and future-ready services.
We will continue helping customers understand their communications, identify hidden risks and plan for change before it becomes urgent. We will also continue exploring the responsible use of AI and automation, always starting with the business problem rather than the technology itself.
Our customers do not simply need more features. They need solutions that create value, improve their customer experience, reduce unnecessary administration and make their organisations easier to run.
That will require us to remain curious, continue learning and keep improving. However, growth and innovation will never mean moving away from the principles RPS was built on.
Our aim remains to provide honest advice, reliable technology and personal support while looking after our customers, our people and the relationships we have built.
Reaching 20 years is an opportunity to reflect, but it is also an opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to our founders for having the vision and determination to start RPS.
Thank you to every member of the RPS team, past and present, whose hard work, care and commitment have helped shape the business.
Thank you to our suppliers and partners for the part they have played in supporting our team and customers.
Most importantly, thank you to our customers for trusting us with such an important part of their business.
Some have been with us for many years, while others have only recently joined the RPS journey. We value every relationship and every opportunity to support a business.
We will be celebrating this milestone properly with our team at a special summer BBQ, where we can recognise the people behind RPS and everything that has been achieved.
For today, we are taking a moment to appreciate how far the business has come.
RPS Telecom
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