Blowfish Technology provides cloud services in Cheshire with UK-hosted desktops, business applications and websites, backed by managed technical support. We shape the setup around the software your team uses, where people work and the connections available at your premises.
Cloud services for Cheshire SMEs
Managed cloud services give Cheshire SMEs access to business systems away from the office, with less dependence on on-site servers. Users and storage can change as your business grows, without every adjustment becoming a hardware project.
The practical aim is straightforward: staff can reach their applications and files, while someone takes responsibility for updates, monitoring and support.
Our cloud services across North West England support Cheshire businesses with different starting points. That might mean replacing an ageing server, supporting an existing cloud environment or keeping selected workloads on site while moving others into UK hosting.
Hosting options for everyday work
Hosted Windows desktops suit teams that need the same applications, files and settings in the office and elsewhere. The desktop runs on UK servers and is accessed over the internet through a browser or lightweight client. Updates, patching, monitoring and support are managed for you.
Hosted remote desktop servers provide another option for shared access to business applications. The choice depends on how staff work and what the software requires. For example, if your Chester accountancy team needs access from home and the office, assess the working environment each person needs before choosing the hosting arrangement.
Business application hosting puts specific software on our privately owned UK infrastructure. Supported applications include:
- Sage 50, Sage 200 and Sage Payroll
- CCH Central, IRIS and Virtual Cabinet
- LEAP and Proclaim
An application list is a useful starting point, but the assessment also needs to cover integrations, access permissions and the people using each system. Moving an application should preserve the working processes your team relies on.
Managed UK website hosting and bespoke development address different requirements, such as running a business website or building something around a specific operational need. They should be assessed separately from staff desktops and accounting software.
You can adjust users and storage as requirements change. Hybrid arrangements also allow selected workloads to remain on site. There is no requirement to move every system together: the decision should follow application needs, connectivity and business priorities.
Regional support for Cheshire teams
Blowfish supports Cheshire businesses from our Ormskirk head office and Liverpool Cotton Exchange office, with on-site engineering available across the county. Coverage includes Chester, Crewe, Macclesfield, Northwich, Ellesmere Port, Knutsford and Wilmslow.
Managed delivery covers assessment, design, migration, training and ongoing administration. We can also assess an existing cloud environment for takeover, rather than automatically replacing systems that already meet your needs. That gives you a route to better management without making a fresh migration the default.
Our approach is jargon-free communication and ownership of an issue through to resolution. Clear support boundaries help: we manage the infrastructure and environment that hosted software runs on, while application-specific faults involve the software vendor. The incident needs an owner even when more than one supplier is involved.
Our hosted desktop and server infrastructure carries a 99.9% uptime service-level agreement (SLA). That commitment applies to those services; connectivity and other services have their own terms.
Continuous monitoring and human helpdesk availability are separate commitments. When reviewing support, establish who you can contact, during which hours and how urgent incidents are escalated.
Connectivity at your Cheshire premises
Cloud hosting at Cheshire premises needs an address-level connectivity assessment, including upload capacity, office Wi-Fi and the number of people working online.
In its July 2026 update, Building Digital UK (BDUK) records a £37.5 million Cheshire contract covering 18,460 premises. These are contracted premises, not a count of properties already connected. A rollout announcement does not establish whether your address can order service.
Ofcom’s business guidance recommends considering service levels and resilience alongside the connection. Compare repair commitments as well as speed. Leased lines provide symmetrical upload and download speeds, guaranteed bandwidth and a contractual uptime commitment; those features do not apply to every broadband service.
A second connection also needs closer inspection. Two lines can share a building-entry route or upstream network, leaving a common point of failure. Mobile backup depends on local signal and suitable data allowances.
Test failover against actual work. Staff should be able to reach hosted applications after the connection changes, not merely see that the router has switched lines. Firewall settings, traffic priorities and applications tied to a static IP address can affect the outcome.
Choosing a Cheshire cloud provider
Choose a Cheshire cloud provider on written evidence covering certification scope, support responsibilities, recovery arrangements, costs and exit terms. A local service relationship matters, but the agreement must explain who does what when an application becomes unavailable.
Credentials with distinct purposes
Blowfish holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications. Each addresses a different part of service assurance:
- ISO 27001: Information security management. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) distinguishes assessment of the management system from technical cyber-security testing.
- ISO 9001: Quality management and continual improvement, as defined by ISO. Its purpose differs from a technical security assessment.
- Cyber Essentials Plus: Independent technical testing across the scheme’s five control areas, explained in the NCSC’s Cyber Essentials overview.
When assessing a supplier, connect the certification’s scope to the service you are buying. These credentials address distinct areas; none replaces a clear support or recovery agreement.
Responsibilities and recovery evidence
Cloud security needs named owners for accounts, permissions, updates, backups and incident escalation. The NCSC’s shared responsibility model explains why responsibilities vary between the cloud provider, managed service provider and customer.
Our software-hosting environments include Cisco Duo multi-factor authentication, monitoring, patching and tested restores. As of October 2026, daily full-environment backups are retained for 30 days.
Ask how recovery works when normal business systems are unavailable. The NCSC’s cloud-backup principles cover protection against destructive actions, retained history, independent recovery access and restoration testing.
A successful backup job and a successful restore answer different questions. Identify which applications and records you need first, then assess the recovery arrangement against that order. For a payroll team, restoring the payroll environment may take priority over less urgent shared files.
Pricing, data handling and exit
Compare written service inclusions before comparing headline charges. Our software hosting uses monthly per-user billing, with security, backup and monitoring included. Quotes should distinguish recurring support, migration work and any separately agreed backup or disaster recovery services.
UK hosting establishes where infrastructure sits. Supplier assessment should also cover access, sub-processors and end-of-contract data handling. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) sets out processor-contract responsibilities, including security and sub-processor arrangements.
Agree data export formats, exit assistance, timescales and costs before signing. GOV.UK’s technical lock-in guidance offers useful procurement principles on portability and migration costs. For an SME, the practical test is whether you understand how your data and systems could move when business needs change.
Book your free cloud assessment
Book a free, no-obligation cloud assessment with Blowfish Technology to identify suitable hosting and support arrangements for your Cheshire business.
Bring your application list, user numbers, business locations and current connectivity details. Include any existing cloud services you want to retain. We’ll assess that starting point with you, including the applications people need and the connections they use, before discussing the right setup.
The Blowfish Technology team. Managed IT, cloud services, software development and connectivity for North West businesses since 1999.