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This spring Microsoft will turn 50. From simple beginnings in Albuquerque, New Mexico, it has actually become one of the biggest companies in the world, credited with transforming the computing market and, with it, our daily lives.

Microsoft technology initially went on sale over here in the 1980s and, in 1982, Bytes Computer Supplies opened in Surrey, specialising in floppies and other accoutrements from the American group.

Today, Bytes Technology, as it is now known, is a ₤ 1.1 billion business with about 1,200 staff members and 6,000 consumers.

It floated on the Stock Exchange in December 2020, a fortnight before Britain's first Covid Christmas. Shares were priced at ₤ 2.70, market reaction was passionate and, by January 2024, they were trading at more than ₤ 6.50. The past year has been less productive, morphomics.science and today shares are just ₤ 4.65. At this level they are underestimated and must rebound through 2025 and beyond.

Back in the 1980s, Bytes' range was little. Early tech geeks utilized Microsoft to compose simple files and develop spreadsheets on their computers, and the set that made it possible.

Since then the computer system world has actually altered beyond recognition, with Microsoft alone using hundreds of services, from Outlook and Teams to create ware, cloud storage and, recently, Copilot, an expert system tool.

In safe hands: Bytes Technology has sales personnel who understand their items completely

Individuals can purchase many of these products straight, but services tend to go through representatives, called resellers, who use lower rates, guidance and support when things go awry.

Bytes is the number one Microsoft reseller in the UK, with consumers ranging from the authorities, fire service and regional authorities to Harvey Nichols, Trainline and Findus food group.

Customers tend to utilize in between 500 and 2,500 staff - large adequate to need plenty of IT however not so big that they can arrange whatever out themselves. That is where Bytes comes into its own.

Technology has actually become a vital tool for personal businesses and the public sector alike, but services have ended up being so complicated that even IT teams need specialists to help them exercise what to buy, when to purchase and how to utilize what they have actually bought.

Bytes staff are extremely trained, frequently beginning there as graduates and costs years with the firm.

To an outsider, conversations between these salespeople and their clients can seem like PhD interactions - or gobbledegook. To those in the understand, such extensive settlements are a vital part of service success.

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Bytes chief executive Sam Mudd prides herself available top-level service to new and existing consumers and, although Microsoft is a significant partner, she works with a range of providers, covering nearly every innovation requirement, including cyber security.

A veteran staffer, Mudd took the helm last spring after previous president Neil Murphy resigned, having actually purchased shares in Bytes without telling the board.

Investors took scare, Bytes stock plunged and, although Murphy was later on cleared, the shares have actually remained depressed.

Mudd is undeterred, having spent current months drawing up a growth plan created to drive sales and earnings over the next five years.

Potential is clear. Despite its top position, Bytes has simply a 4 per cent share of the market so there must be a lot of chances to expand.

Despite wobbles on Wall Street, need for software application is rising too, with with forecasters recommending annual development of about 10 per cent.

Brokers anticipate Bytes profits to increase 19 per cent to ₤ 73 million in the year ending February 28, climbing to ₤ 87 million by 2027.

The group has a history of paying ordinary and special dividends too, forking out 8.7 p in ordinaries and 8.7 p in a one-off special in 2015, and anticipated to deliver 19.6 p for 2025, increasing to 21.5 p next year.

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Midas decision: Recent results from Microsoft and other tech titans might have dissatisfied financiers, but the days when we handled completely well without IT are long gone.

Bytes helps business, charities and the public sector to navigate the digital minefield.

With a strong performance history and a reputation for delivering on its promises, the business needs to show durable, even in today's uncertain times.

That makes the shares a buy, at ₤ 4.65.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: BYIT Contact: bytesplc.com