Curveball Solutions celebrates 25 years as Liverpool's digital pioneers

In 1998, Liverpool was a different world. We bought our clothes at TopShop and Wade Smith, DVDs were all the rage, and Liverpool ONE was still ten years away from completion.

The city has transformed since then. As have we.

Because if you could go back in time 25 years to walk down Church Street, the first thing you’d notice wouldn’t be the kids wearing Reebok Classic or the Saving Private Ryan posters in HMV’s window.

It’d be the lack of mobile phones. Back then, hardly anyone had one.

Those who did have a mobile could use them only for calls or texts. Even the classic Snake game didn’t exist at this point.

The digital revolution was still in its infancy. Few of us would have seen it coming. But one Liverpool company, Northern Communications, already had their eyes on the future.

DID YOU KNOW? The first text, sent in 1992 on the Vodafone network, read ‘Merry Christmas’.

Now known as Curveball Solutions, they were among the first companies to see where the technological revolution was heading.

This year, Curveball celebrates 25 years as the city’s digital pioneers. We ought to celebrate with them. A quarter of a century in business is a massive success for anyone. Not only this, but Curveball Solutions is also forward-thinking in supporting local charities and good causes.

Let’s look at how it all began and what the future looks like for the technology Curveball Solutions are synonymous with.

The Early Days

Founded by Dave Brown in 1998 as Northern Communications, Curveball Solutions was born from a passion for new technology and intuition about an exciting new opportunity in the marketplace: mobile phones.

With only enough money to operate for a month and plenty of faith, the business was set up in an old bank building on County Road, offering mobile and fixed-line services to the Liverpool business community.

Early products included brick-like Alcatel phones and early versions of the infamous Blackberry. Back then, people took some convincing that they even needed a mobile phone for business. We must have preferred getting drenched in open phone boxes on the city streets.

But convince people they did. Soon Curveball was supplying mobiles across Liverpool and beyond. As technology developed further, they stayed ahead of the curve, helping businesses take their first steps in the mobile and digital world.

Dave Brown, Managing Director of Curveball Solutions, said:

“When I decided to set up the business in 1998, it was a big risk. I’d left my job and had enough money to operate for one month, so the pressure was really on. I knew, though, that mobile phones could revolutionise the way we do business. We took out a lease in an old bank building in Walton, and with a few phone lines and the Yellow Pages, the company was born.”

“We started with a small team, including my brother Steve and his wife Paula, my nephew Neil, and my good friend Lisa Conley. Peter Quinton and Colin Uittermark joined the sales team in those very early days too – and they’re all still part of the business 25 years on.”

“Back then, business was very different. Instead of the internet, we had phone books. The guys would be battling with A-Z maps when visiting clients as sat nav wasn’t mainstream. And contracts would take weeks to process, as we didn’t have eSign – it was Royal Mail!”

As the team grew alongside the tech, Curveball added fixed-line telecoms and fleet telematics to their portfolio. They began researching and identifying technology and services to simplify business and add more value for their clients.

After rebranding from Northern Communications to Curveball Solutions in 2013, the company began the journey to becoming a Managed Service Provider, delivering IT Support, cyber security and digital telecoms services.

DID YOU KNOW? Apple launched the first iPhone in 2007.

Today, Curveball is an award-winning technology company and one of the most established and trusted Managed Services Providers in Liverpool and the UK. Offering a range of Managed IT and Communications Solutions, including IT Support, Cloud Computing and more, they’re the first port for simplifying and future-proofing your business.

But beyond the services Curveball Solutions provides their clients, they’re also keen to invest in their community by supporting local charities working with young people.

Curveball in the Community

Over the years, Curveball Solutions has greatly supported good causes in its local community. The Curveball team are proud to sponsor the fantastic Weapons Down Gloves Up, which works to reduce violent crime by lifting young people out of difficult circumstances through Sport, Education and Employment.

Curveball is also a sponsor of The Hive Youth Zone in Wirral as a partner of The Hive 100, an initiative to support disadvantaged young people on Merseyside.

Ahead of the Curve

Over 25 years in business, Curveball Solutions has grown alongside the city they call home. It’s easy to forget the level of deprivation in Merseyside in 1998. We’ve come a long way.

And like Liverpool, Curveball’s commitment to development means it has a bright future. As technology continues to evolve relentlessly, they intend to remain at the forefront of the digital revolution.

So when you think of what lies ahead, like working from a virtual office in the metaverse or the chance of getting a fraudulent phone call from voice sampling software, rest assured that Curveball Solutions will be on hand to lend their expertise and advice.

Did you know? The ChatGPT website generated 1.6 billion visits in June 2023.

Dave Brown added: ”Technology has come a long way over the past 25 years; even now, it’s evolving fast. By 2025 the UK will be fully digital for communications and connectivity. And this is critical as we need excellent connectivity to power the technology of the future. In 25 years from now, I imagine we will see remote employees working in virtual offices within the metaverse. Due to the revolution in AI, cyber security will need to adjust to protect against advanced security threats – for example, the use of voice sampling to make fraudulent calls. Augmented reality and AR glasses could also play a role in business communications and marketing.”