A Birmingham woman who launched her own IT business at home is celebrating after moving into new offices in Solihull. Network engineer Julie Eyre set up Bronte Business Networks 18 months ago after 13 years working in the IT industry.

The 31-year-old and her team have moved into the Blythe Valley Innovation Centre in Solihull after starting the business from her home in South Birmingham. “It might sound like a cliché but I wanted to make a real difference and offer something the market was clearly crying out for.  “It is important to get the trust back into IT – some customers have lost trust because they have occasionally been sold products that are not up to scratch or their expectations have been raised beyond what can be reasonably achieved.”Julie is keen that a recognised quality mark is set up for the IT industry and is on the Birmingham committee of United Kingdom IT Association (UKita), an organisation dedicated to improving the image of the industry. She is also a founder of the UKita Women in Technology special interest group where members are able to discuss and share best practice of working in the IT industry.She said: “Women represent around 50 per cent of PC and internet users and it is important that the workforce reflects that demographic.“Things are changing and while women were once put off technology and science at school, the Government is now actively pushing them to go into these fields.”Julie also explained the thinking behind the company name: “I used to live in Bronte country, and whilst I’ve built a home in the midlands I’ll always be a Yorkshire lass at heart. And there is the obvious the link with my name!”She is now looking to grow the company and sees the new offices at the Innovation Centre in Solihull as the ideal base.“With customers based across the West Midlands we were looking with offices close to the motorway network as we often have to be on-site very quickly,” she said.“The managed offices suit our needs and the size is right, with the option to expand as the business does.”Norman Childs, the Innovation Centre manager, said: “Julie is passionate about offering a superior service and that will set her company apart in this competitive market.“She also dedicates a lot of her time to ensuring women are fairly represented in the IT industry and we are delighted to welcome the business to the centre.”