--- title: "Rebecca's story: How Assured Energy Solutions Turned Security Spend Into A Government Framework Listing, With labdesk's Microsoft 365 Accelerator" description: Discover how Assured Energy Solutions transformed their IT and security processes through a partnership with labdesk, achieving government certification and streamlined operations. image: https://labdesk.co.uk/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(10)-png.png --- [Skip to content](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator#main-content) [![ld-innovate-insider-logos-15-1](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/ld-innovate-insider-logos-15-1.jpg?width=600&height=203&name=ld-innovate-insider-logos-15-1.jpg)](https://labdesk.co.uk) - [HOME](https://labdesk.co.uk/) - [ABOUT YOU](https://labdesk.co.uk/labdesk-helping-you-with-it-challenges-business-growth) Show submenu for ABOUT YOU - [Need a better IT experience?](https://labdesk.co.uk/it-challenges) - [Get more out of your Microsoft 365](https://labdesk.co.uk/365) - [Grow your business with HubSpot?](https://labdesk.co.uk/hubspot) - [Get Cyber Essentials certified](https://labdesk.co.uk/cyberessentials) - [Improve Task + Project management](https://labdesk.co.uk/monday) - [Moving to the cloud?](https://labdesk.co.uk/move-to-cloud) - [Technology to support growth?](https://labdesk.co.uk/growth) - [Need to protect your business + team?](https://labdesk.co.uk/protect) - [Need help protecting data + 'IP'?](https://labdesk.co.uk/protect-ip) - [Get your business ready for AI](https://labdesk.co.uk/ai) - [Better connectivity for Business Parks](https://labdesk.co.uk/preconnect) - [Tech to support your sustainability?](https://labdesk.co.uk/sustainability) - [Technology to enable a joint venture?](https://labdesk.co.uk/joint-ventures) - [Technology for a start-up / Incubator?](https://labdesk.co.uk/startups) - [WHO WE HELP](https://labdesk.co.uk/labdesk-innovating-sectoring-in-science-aviation-space-and-energy) - [WHAT WE DO](https://labdesk.co.uk/labdesk-core-cloud-services) - WHY LABDESK Show submenu for WHY LABDESK - [About labdesk](https://labdesk.co.uk/about-labdesk) - [Partner Success](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/partner-success) - [Social Impact](https://labdesk.co.uk/social-impact) - [Leadership Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/leadership) - PARTNERS Show submenu for PARTNERS - [Partner Program](https://labdesk.co.uk/partners) - [Technology Partners](https://labdesk.co.uk/technology-partners) - [Referral Partners](https://labdesk.co.uk/refer) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [HOME](https://labdesk.co.uk/) - [ABOUT YOU](https://labdesk.co.uk/labdesk-helping-you-with-it-challenges-business-growth) Show submenu for ABOUT YOU - [Need a better IT experience?](https://labdesk.co.uk/it-challenges) - [Get more out of your Microsoft 365](https://labdesk.co.uk/365) - [Grow your business with HubSpot?](https://labdesk.co.uk/hubspot) - [Get Cyber Essentials certified](https://labdesk.co.uk/cyberessentials) - [Improve Task + Project management](https://labdesk.co.uk/monday) - [Moving to the cloud?](https://labdesk.co.uk/move-to-cloud) - [Technology to support growth?](https://labdesk.co.uk/growth) - [Need to protect your business + team?](https://labdesk.co.uk/protect) - [Need help protecting data + 'IP'?](https://labdesk.co.uk/protect-ip) - [Get your business ready for AI](https://labdesk.co.uk/ai) - [Better connectivity for Business Parks](https://labdesk.co.uk/preconnect) - [Tech to support your sustainability?](https://labdesk.co.uk/sustainability) - [Technology to enable a joint venture?](https://labdesk.co.uk/joint-ventures) - [Technology for a start-up / Incubator?](https://labdesk.co.uk/startups) - [WHO WE HELP](https://labdesk.co.uk/labdesk-innovating-sectoring-in-science-aviation-space-and-energy) - [WHAT WE DO](https://labdesk.co.uk/labdesk-core-cloud-services) - WHY LABDESK Show submenu for WHY LABDESK - [About labdesk](https://labdesk.co.uk/about-labdesk) - [Partner Success](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/partner-success) - [Social Impact](https://labdesk.co.uk/social-impact) - [Leadership Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/leadership) - PARTNERS Show submenu for PARTNERS - [Partner Program](https://labdesk.co.uk/partners) - [Technology Partners](https://labdesk.co.uk/technology-partners) - [Referral Partners](https://labdesk.co.uk/refer) # labdesk innovate insider [view all articles](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog) Sep 14, 2026, 11:17:47 AM # Rebecca's story: How Assured Energy Solutions Turned Security Spend Into A Government Framework Listing, With labdesk's Microsoft 365 Accelerator ![Picture of Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png?width=50&name=labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png) [Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/author/labdesk-team) Share: [facebook-f icon](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) [linkedin-in icon](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) [Twitter icon](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) [pinterest-p icon](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) [envelope icon](mailto:?body=https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) *![](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(10)-png.png?width=1080&height=1080&name=Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(10)-png.png)* *Assured Energy Solutions designs and installs energy-efficient lighting, controls and green technology across university and student accommodation estates. Working out of Manchester, the business has delivered programme work for one of the largest providers of on-campus student housing in the UK. * ---   # **AT-A-GLANCE** - **Industry:** Energy-Efficient Lighting and Green Technology - **Scale (Size):** SME - **Legacy Replacements:** Google to Microsoft 365 migration under labdesk's 365 Accelerator + managed backup and recovery + Microsoft Defender + Cyber Essentials certification + cyber awareness training - **Primary ROI:** " Peace of mind knowing that if one of our laptops just packs up, we have a full backup that we can turn to." — Rebecca McKay, Assured Energy Solutions [Download the PDF →](https://labdesk.co.uk/hubfs/ASSURED_1pager_x_labdesk.pdf)   ---   ## **PARTNER JOURNEY** - **The Challenge:** A small team running estate-scale projects wanted one standard everybody kept to, and the Cyber Essentials certification that would open a government framework.  - **The Solution:** labdesk migrated Assured off Google and onto Microsoft 365 under the 365 Accelerator, then project managed the business through Cyber Essentials. - **The Result:** Assured qualified as an approved supplier on the framework, and has since been approached by companies that had not previously known the business.   > **"As a small business, it's my job to watch all the pennies and make sure that what we are paying for is giving us everything that we need." ** > > > > ![Rebecca Finance Manager-modified](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg?width=180&height=180&name=Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg) > > **REBECCA McKAY, ** > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS --- ## INTRODUCTION Assured Energy Solutions installs energy-efficient lighting, controls and solar across UK estates, working with Tier 1 manufacturers including SITECO and one of the largest providers of on-campus student housing in the UK.  Assured Energy Solutions recently undertook a three-year programme covering more than 150,000 luminaires across 20 universities.  Rebecca McKay looks after the finances. She is also the most IT-literate person in the business, which is how managing the company's technology came to sit on her desk alongside the ledger. --- ## CHALLENGES Often found administering the company's finances, "tech-savvy"  Rebecca McKay discovered the team's technology work slowly started piling up on her desk.  Rebecca understood that managing a company's IT placed significant strain on her other business commitments. Taking stock of those commitments, she set out what an IT partner could help alleviate:   - **One standard across every machine:** Each person worked from their own laptop, and Rebecca wanted an accessible IT platform everybody could use, instead of reaching across 3 different platforms for 1 IT need. - **A security spend she could check:** The antivirus subscription kept recommending further add-ons, and each one was bought on a warning rather than on an IT roadmap of what was genuinely necessary in their unique business. - **A daily check that did not rest on one person:** Running and confirming the scans took Rebecca 10 to 15 minutes every day. - **Certification for a framework:** Cyber Essentials was the condition of getting onto a government framework of approved suppliers. For Rebecca, the business bottleneck that helped decide to partner with labdesk was getting Cyber Essentials certification done for her to work with promising government frameworks. > **"It was more that we needed to get on this framework agreement with this government agency so that we could be an approved supplier, to help grow the business."** > > > > ![Rebecca Finance Manager-modified](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg?width=180&height=180&name=Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg) > > > > **REBECCA McKAY,** > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS --- ## CONSEQUENCES Without a change, Assured Energy Solutions faced several risks across their IT spend: - **A framework opportunity out of reach:** Cyber Essentials was the gate for potential business, and without certification Assured could not be listed as an approved supplier. - **Continued excess of £128.30 a month on Gmail alone:** Google Mail ran as its own subscription, on its own renewal date, separate from everything else the business paid for.  - **£386 a year on antivirus that kept asking for more:** Each antivirus add-on was bought because a pop-up said the business was at risk.  - **£887.42 a year on Microsoft licensing:** Assured Energy Solutions had its focus split between 3 IT suppliers, with Microsoft among the 3 spread across that bundle. - **Senior time going on IT routine checks:** Every working day, IT maintenance took time Rebecca would otherwise have spent on customers and proposals.  Rebecca describes it as feeling like there was always another upgrade to buy. What Assured needed was one IT partner who could tell them what was necessary and what was not.  > **"It was pop-up box after pop-up box. Oh, you need this add-on, you need that add-on… > > It's constantly telling you you're at risk, you're at risk, you need this, you need that. And all the time it's adding, adding. So I say to the boss, I'm worried about this, right, we'll buy that add-on, we'll buy this add-on. And it ends up being way more expensive than it should have been. And you're still getting warning signs saying you're not totally covered. Oh, it was an absolute headache." ** > > > > ![Rebecca Finance Manager-modified](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg?width=180&height=180&name=Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg) > > **REBECCA McKAY,** > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS   --- ## SOLUTIONS Enter labdesk. Assured's non-executive director knew labdesk, and the decision inside the business to partner up for their IT  became unanimous.   > "He spoke very highly of you, and labdesk ticked all the boxes that we needed. So it was a no-brainer, really. It was something we needed to do, and you absolutely fitted exactly what we needed."  > > REBECCA McKAY,  > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS    Assured leveraged labdesk to: - **Consolidate** three separate subscriptions into one Microsoft 365 platform under labdesk's 365 Accelerator, so mail, files and licensing renew together instead of separately - **Move** shared work into SharePoint, so a document lives in one clean, organised library rather than in somebody's sent items - **Put **managed backup and recovery behind every laptop, so a machine failing stops being a question about what was on it  - **Replaced** the add-on antivirus with Microsoft Defender, monitored and updated by labdesk, so cover is confirmed rather than assumed - **Deliver** Cyber Essentials end to end, with a named labdesk project manager owning the standard and the deadline The Cyber Essentials certification carried a commercial deadline, and Rebecca personally found labdesk's project management team especially helpful in securing the accreditation.   > "That was something that Hannah did for us. She's an excellent project manager, by the way. She was brilliant."  > > REBECCA McKAY,  > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS    > ** "You were extremely accommodating, especially when we did the migration. Inevitably there were slight issues when moving over, and you were great, and looked after us really well." ** > > > > ![Rebecca Finance Manager-modified](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg?width=180&height=180&name=Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg) > > **REBECCA McKAY, ** > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS --- ## THE RESULTS - **Qualified** Assured as an approved supplier on the government framework the business had set out to reach - **Opened** the company to buyers who previously had no way of finding it - **Turned** security spend from a run of reactive add-ons into a known cost with a certificate at the end of it - **Ended** the antivirus routine that had been taking 10 to 15 minutes of Rebecca's day, every day Partnering with labdesk meant Rebecca was no longer the person who had to hope the company was covered for technology and Cybersecurity.    > "Having Microsoft SharePoint has helped. We share folders rather than emailing… And peace of mind knowing that if one of our laptops just packs up, we have a full backup that we can turn to."  > >  REBECCA McKAY,  > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS    > **"We've been approached by companies that would never have known about us, and we've been able to submit proposals. "** > > > > ![Rebecca Finance Manager-modified](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg?width=180&height=180&name=Rebecca%20Finance%20Manager-modified.jpg) > > **REBECCA McKAY, ** > > FINANCE MANAGER, ASSURED ENERGY SOLUTIONS --- ## Get Started **See exactly what you are paying for** - every licence, subscription and renewal across your Microsoft 365 tenancy, in one list. **Get certified without it becoming your job** - labdesk runs Cyber Essentials end-to-end, so you can answer the tender question and move on. **Stop guessing whether you are covered** - backup, M365  Defender, and additional Cyber awareness training monitored for you, with a personal IT  project manager.     [Book a 365 Accelerator Audit and Stop Renewing what you Don't Need →](https://labdesk.co.uk/consult)   PS. Prefer the one-page version? [Download the PDF →](https://labdesk.co.uk/hubfs/ASSURED_1pager_x_labdesk.pdf)   [Partner Success](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/partner-success) ## Related posts [![](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(2)-png.png?height=200&name=Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(2)-png.png)](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/how-jcs-nuclear-solutions-halved-time-lost-to-it-issues-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) [Partner Success](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/partner-success) ## [Olly's Story: How JCS Nuclear Solutions Halved Time Lost To IT Issues With labdesk's Microsoft 365 Accelerator](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/how-jcs-nuclear-solutions-halved-time-lost-to-it-issues-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) ![Picture of Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png?width=50&name=labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png) [Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/author/labdesk-team) Aug 11, 2026, 3:34:19 PM [Read more](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/how-jcs-nuclear-solutions-halved-time-lost-to-it-issues-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator) [![](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that-png.png?height=200&name=Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that-png.png)](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/partner-success-how-labdesk-gave-the-herne-group-reliable-managed-it-a-painless-cyber-essentials-plus-and-genuine-peace-of-mind) [Future](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/future), [Microsoft](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/microsoft), [Growth](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/growth), [insights](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/insights), [labdesk](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/labdesk), [Partner Success](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/partner-success) ## [Partner Success: How labdesk helped The Herne Group build steady, stress‑free IT, breeze through Cyber Essentials Plus, and finally feel confident about their systems](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/partner-success-how-labdesk-gave-the-herne-group-reliable-managed-it-a-painless-cyber-essentials-plus-and-genuine-peace-of-mind) ![Picture of Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png?width=50&name=labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png) [Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/author/labdesk-team) Jun 30, 2026, 2:18:55 PM [Read more](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/partner-success-how-labdesk-gave-the-herne-group-reliable-managed-it-a-painless-cyber-essentials-plus-and-genuine-peace-of-mind) [![](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(5)-png-1.png?height=200&name=Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(5)-png-1.png)](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/how-fortress-care-transformed-it-without-a-costly-in-house-hire) [Partner Success](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/tag/partner-success) ## [Ayo & Bunmi's Story: How Fortress Care Built A Full IT Function Without A £20,000 In-House Hire, With labdesk's Microsoft 365 Accelerator](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/how-fortress-care-transformed-it-without-a-costly-in-house-hire) ![Picture of Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png?width=50&name=labdesk-logo_1_bolt%20icon-1.png) [Labdesk Team](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/author/labdesk-team) Aug 24, 2026, 3:36:48 PM [Read more](https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/how-fortress-care-transformed-it-without-a-costly-in-house-hire) --- [![labdesk](https://labdesk.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(10).png?width=180&height=50&name=Untitled%20design%20(10).png "labdesk")](https://www.labdesk.co.uk) Copyright © 2026, labdesk Ltd ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Labdesk Team", "url" : "https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/author/labdesk-team" }, "dateModified" : "2026-09-14T10:18:28.602Z", "datePublished" : "2026-09-14T10:17:47.000Z", "headline" : "Rebecca's story: How Assured Energy Solutions Turned Security Spend Into A Government Framework Listing, With labdesk's Microsoft 365 Accelerator", "image" : [ "https://labdesk.co.uk/hubfs/Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Copy%20of%20Labdesk%20are%20awesome!%20At%20Nuclear%20Capital%20LLP%2c%20we%20are%20looking%20forward%20to%20building%20a%20successful%20Fund%20Manager%20with%20Labdesk%20supporting%20us%20fully-%20As%20an%20entrepreneur%20that%20%20(10)-png.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://labdesk.co.uk/blog/rebeccas-story-how-assured-energy-solutions-turned-security-spend-into-a-government-framework-listing-with-labdesks-microsoft-365-accelerator", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://labdesk.co.uk/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(10).png" }, "name" : "labdesk" } } ```