Morecambe company gets Microsoft seal of approval

A Lancashire company has become one of only two in the North West and nine in the UK to receive a prestigious accreditation from Microsoft.

ShP Ltd, based in Morecambe, is now a Microsoft Authorised Refurbisher (MAR), allowing it to install licensed products from the software giant onto previously used electronic devices.

The company was founded in 2002 and specialises in managing the secure disposal of sensitive information from PCs, laptops, hard drives, phones, printers and other data-bearing devices.

The MAR programme is for large refurbishers headquartered worldwide who meet a minimum threshold of 1,000 PCs shipped per month. Refurbishers such as ShP can either resell or donate some of this equipment, wiped of all its original data and pre-installed with genuine Windows 7 operating systems. It also gives them access to proprietary installation tools to simplify the software deployment process.

ShP, whose clients include a wide range of public sector organisations such as the police, local authorities and NHS trusts, also works with 60 per cent of the FTSE 250 companies across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

As well as allowing ShP to sell on previously used PCs, providing a greener alternative to throwing away these machines, the MAR seal of approval means it can also embrace digital inclusion, passing on refurbished PCs to charities, schools or other third sector organisations for free or at minimal cost.

Craig Smith, managing director at ShP, said: “We’re delighted to have been accepted onto the MAR programme for which we’ve had to meet a very strict set of criteria.

“We have a long track record of working with highly sensitive data and are ever conscious of the need to ensure that all our work is carried out in a secure environment. “This, along with our conformance to health, safety and environmental regulations, has helped us become one of the few companies in the UK to be accepted onto the MAR programme.”