Halo Service Solutions
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Software |
| Founded | 1994  |
| Founders | Paul Hamilton Alan Rogerson |
| Headquarters | Stowmarket, Suffolk , England |
Number of employees | c. 250[1][2] (2026) |
| Website | usehalo |
Halo Service Solutions, also known as Halo, is a British software company based in Stowmarket, Suffolk, England.[3] It develops software for IT service management (ITSM) and professional services automation (PSA).[4][2] The business was co-founded by Paul Hamilton and Alan Rogerson. It was previously known as Net Help Desk and adopted the Halo name in 2020.[3]
The BBC reported in July 2025 that the company was worth £1 billion.[3] In October that year, The Sunday Times reported Hamilton's statement that Halo had recorded turnover of nearly £112 million over the preceding 12 months.[4] Halo became the principal front-of-shirt sponsor of Ipswich Town F.C. in 2025 after previously appearing on the club's shirt sleeves.[5]
History
[edit]Hamilton worked with Rogerson at a freelance IT company in Inverness from 2004 to 2008 before setting up Net Help Desk.[3][4] After moving to Suffolk, he ran the business from his mother-in-law's spare bedroom between 2009 and 2011. It later moved into a small office in Stowmarket.[3][4]
Net Help Desk hired its first employee in 2011 and moved to larger Stowmarket premises in 2017.[3] The business was renamed Halo in 2020 and moved again within Stowmarket the following year.[3]
The BBC put Halo's workforce at about 150 in July 2025.[3] By early 2026, The Sunday Times and CRN were reporting approximately 250 employees across five offices worldwide.[1][2]
The Sunday Times Rich List estimated Hamilton's wealth at £1.081 billion in May 2026.[6] The Ipswich Star placed him fifth among the East Anglian entries.[7]
Products
[edit]The Sunday Times has described Halo's software as a service management platform used by organisations to run their IT operations.[4] CRN has described Halo as a professional services automation vendor and reported that its platform competes with ServiceNow, Kaseya and ConnectWise.[2] CRN also reported that Halo had been selected for Gartner's Magic Quadrant for AI Applications in IT Service Management.[2]
Customers named by the BBC include Red Bull, Sports Direct and AO.[3] The Sunday Times has also identified Microsoft, the Ministry of Justice and the University of Cambridge as customers.[4][1]
Headquarters
[edit]In January 2026 it announced that the Willis Building in Ipswich would become its global headquarters during 2026.[8] The Grade I listed building, designed by Norman Foster, opened in 1975.
Willis, now part of WTW, had occupied the building since it opened. A WTW spokesperson said the transaction was a sale-and-leaseback, with WTW remaining in the building as a tenant.[8] Halo also said it would keep an office in Stowmarket.[8]
Jack Abbott, the Labour MP for Ipswich, called the announcement "massive" for the town.[8]
Sponsorships
[edit]Halo first appeared on Ipswich Town's shirt sleeves in 2023.[3] In June 2025, the club announced a three-year agreement under which Halo would replace Ed Sheeran as principal front-of-shirt sponsor of its men's and women's first teams.[5] Club chairman Mark Ashton described it as a record shirt sponsorship deal; the financial terms were not disclosed.[5]
A three-year agreement with the Scottish Football Association, Scottish Professional Football League and Scottish Women's Premier League followed in November 2025.[9] Halo also entered a partnership with Scottish Rugby in February 2026.[10]
In March 2026, Halo agreed a deal with the Professional Darts Corporation covering the 2026–27 PDC World Darts Championship.[11]
Halo Festival
[edit]Halo Festival, a one-day music event organised by the company, was launched in 2026 at Trinity Park near Ipswich.[12] The first festival was held on 4 July 2026, with a line-up that included Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, Natasha Bedingfield and Scouting for Girls.[13]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 "Halo Service Solutions". The Sunday Times. 16 January 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Fairfield, CJ (5 February 2026). "Halo CEO On Global Expansion, Hiring And Taking On The Competition: Our Mission Is 'Better' Value, 'Higher Standards'". CRN. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Cunningham, Alice (1 July 2025). "Who is the man behind Ipswich's new shirt sponsor?". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Jones, Jess (11 October 2025). "I built a £112m tech business from my mother-in-law's spare room". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 Parker, Ben (30 June 2025). "Local firm is new shirt sponsor for Ipswich Town". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "The Sunday Times Rich List 2026 revealed". The Sunday Times. 15 May 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Drake, Katie (15 May 2026). "Suffolk's Paul Hamilton of Halo makes The Times Rich List". Ipswich Star. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 Bennett, Connor; Prickett, Katy (21 January 2026). "'Iconic' Willis Building to become Halo's global HQ". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Gabbitass, Anna-Rose (14 November 2025). "Scottish football seals landmark HALO partnership". Sport Industry Group. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "Scottish Rugby and Halo join forces in new partnership". Scottish Rugby. Scottish Rugby. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ "Halo Returns As Headline Partner Of 2026 World Championship". Matchroom. Matchroom. 13 March 2026. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Bennett, Connor (20 March 2026). "New music festival aims to 'give back to county'". BBC News. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- ↑ Sebastian, Nicola (9 July 2026). "Halo Festival brought a sold-out day to Trinity Park". Ipswich.co.uk. Retrieved 7 August 2026.