Welcome to CraftPC!

I am Simon, an IT pro with more than 20 years experience in IT hardware, software and networking, and I don't believe in "close enough". Everyone has different needs from a PC, be it a personal workstation, servers or other racked gear; providing virtualized compute, fulfilling storage needs, becoming part of their network or building infrastructure in homelab, business or charities or any size.  And the response to this so often is wasteful, harmful for the environment and damaging to bottom lines.

Too often, business or charity feels pressured to throw tens of thousands of pounds at big, expensive replacements they often don't need and which rarely fit their needs - leaving perfectly serviceable, older kit redundant and off to pasture too soon! Smaller organisations often "make do" with whatever they can find online within their budget, pushing the limits of consumer devices or "entry level" servers because they "can't afford" the real answers. And, in homelabs (personal learning and development playgrounds for IT pros!)  around the country, it's hard to justify spending big on kit which doesn't generate an income!

The truth is, there's a wealth of powerful, flexible hardware out there, flushed away from big business who just don't care to watch the pennies, or who can somehow make more from very creative accounting! Equipment which is 5 or more years old is readily available on a wide ranging secondary market - and it's as capable now as the day it arrived, just without the shocking original bills!

This includes power-and-money efficient Xeon E5 v4 systems, bargain basement and still capable Xeon E5 V2, or even first and second gen Xeon Scalable or AMD Epyc, all for a fraction of their original sale price. The first generation of mass deployed GPU compute  for AI, 10, 25 and 40GbE network connectivity, and flexible, high performance NVME storage is all also on the menu - not to mention a world of decommissioned SAN hardware, providing the building blocks for extremely capable, expandable, efficient and affordable new storage systems, now and into the future.  

The world will not fall down if your equipment is declared end-of-life and unsupported by the manufacturer - despite what they tell you! Sensible access controls, staying on top of software updates, and firewall rules do far more to mitigate vulnerabilities than firmware updates most businesses forget to apply anyway! 

I hate the waste, and if you do too, and aren't forced to comply with strict ISO or CyberEssentials plus policies (or are happy to document exemptions, justifications, and mitigations for keeping older equipment in play), you're in the right place! 

I don't proclaim that nothing is ever e-waste - energy efficiency is a big factor and should not be forgotten. Some needs cannot be met with just any old hardware. Performance and  purpose will dictate what can work and what will not. A lot of kit *should* be thrown out, because there are far greener and simpler ways to achieve the same ends - but there's a balance to be struck.

If you have systems to upgrade and repurpose, or the need to source more, you can go hunting for hardware on your own - and I applaud you if you do! I'm happy to offer consultation and troubleshooting assistance on an hourly basis through www.beardytech.com , and like nothing better than to  see needs met through the most efficient and elegant route possible, good for the planet and good for the customer - if not necessarily Dell or HPE's quarterly earnings :)

However, I can best apply the wealth of my knowledge from the ground up - get in touch, let me know what you're trying to achieve, and what you have - initial discussions over email (when my time permits!) are free, and up to a half hour chat on the phone will also incur no charge! I'm not just interested in what hardware I can supply - I can also configure software and networking alongside, providing the whole package, not just the box! 

I will tailor a quote around a blend of new, repurposed and refurbished hardware - and my labour! -  to hit straight at the bullseye of your goals.  I can upgrade, refurbish and configure your systems, on their own or in conjunction with additional hardware sourced new and used to meet your needs. Once we have a quote agreed, discussion around it is included in fixed labour charges on the invoice - as is technical support on implementation and installation once it's in your hands!

Stop the waste!

Drop me a line today, and see if I can offer a greener, cheaper way to meet your needs :)

contact@beardytech.com

01223 92 1982

(leave your availability and number for a call back if you hit voicemail!)