Devon Chamber of Commerce has proudly welcomed one of the South West’s leading technology and cyber security partners as a Patron.
Tomlinson Solutions was founded in 2008 and moved into business technology support in 2014. Since then, it has grown from a local IT provider into a strategic technology partner trusted by organisations across the region.
Today, the business is led by founder Ian Tomlinson and Managing Director Troy Wheeler, whose partnership began with a chance meeting at a business expo in Torbay.
Ian’s technical expertise and years of experience supporting organisations through technology are complemented by Troy’s background in cyber security leadership and commercial strategy, including senior cyber security roles with global brands.
That experience left him frustrated by the perception that South West businesses should accept second-best when it comes to technology, security and digital transformation, and shaped the company’s mission: to ensure businesses in the region are not left behind.
While Tomlinson Solutions provides the managed services businesses expect – including service desk support, cyber security, infrastructure management and monitoring – the team’s real focus is helping leadership teams understand how technology can support growth, reduce risk and improve organisational performance.
The business structures its support around three connected pillars:
Foundation Services
Reliable IT support, cybersecurity and operational resilience that keep businesses running.
Technology Alignment
Regular engagement with customers to understand how technology, people and processes interact within the organisation.
Virtual IT Leadership
Strategic support for leadership teams, helping businesses align technology with future growth plans, risk management and innovation opportunities.
In practice, that means bringing strategic technology leadership back into organisations that cannot justify a full-time IT Director, but still need technology to drive growth, resilience and AI readiness. It is an approach more commonly associated with large consultancies than traditional IT providers.
People sit at the centre of that approach. The team spends significant time understanding how organisations operate and how technology affects culture, productivity and wellbeing, whether that means improving cyber security awareness, helping a team adopt new systems or preparing for the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence.
Troy said: “We don’t want to sell something we don’t believe in. We believe in partnerships first and revenue follows naturally.
“Devon has been a big part of Tomlinson Solutions’ story, so becoming a Devon Chamber Patron felt like a natural next step for us. We want to play an active role in the business community, share what we’ve learned, build stronger partnerships and contribute to making Devon an even better place to build and grow a business.”
Helen Wylde-Archibald, Devon Chamber CEO, said: “We are delighted to welcome Tomlinson Solutions as our newest Patron.
“Many businesses have outsourced their IT and, in doing so, have lost strategic technology leadership around the boardroom table.
“Tomlinson Solutions is closing that gap, bringing the kind of expertise more commonly associated with large consultancies to organisations that cannot justify a full-time IT Director, and helping them approach growth, resilience and AI readiness with confidence.
“What stands out just as much is their belief that technology is about people. Helping teams understand, adopt and feel confident with change is what makes transformation work, and that focus on education and empowerment is exactly what our members need.
“Ian and Troy share our ambition for this region. Their determination to prove that world-class technology businesses can be built in the South West, and that local organisations deserve the same strategic expertise available in any major city, is exactly the spirit we want to champion.
“Our Patrons are some of the most respected and influential names in Devon’s business community. They help shape our lobbying, strengthen our voice and play an important role in the future of this region. We are proud to have Tomlinson Solutions on board.”
