Eight years. Every client a referral. We think that says more about us than any brochure ever could.
Every client that's ever worked with us came through a referral from someone who already did.
hbs connect was founded in 2017 and started trading in January 2018 out of Wexford. For the first few years we cast a wide net, broadening our service offering as much as possible.
We made a deliberate choice: stop being generalists, become specialists. Build deep expertise, deliver it at a consistently high standard. That decision shaped everything that followed.
Eight years later, we've never spent a cent on advertising. Every client has come through word of mouth. We think that says something.
2017
Helmut founded hbs connect in Wexford in 2017, with Alison named co-director from day one. The partner and steady support behind every step since. The founding principle was simple: IT should be personal, fast, and honest. No pitch, no jargon — just do the job properly.
Before we recommend anything, build anything, or change anything in a client's environment, we run it through three filters.
Cyber Security isn't a feature we add. It's the foundation we build on. Every environment we design is aligned to the NIST framework — identify, protect, detect, respond, recover. If we can't say yes with confidence, we build until we can.
Technology should get out of the way and let people do their jobs. Microsoft 365 Business Premium, deployed properly, is our baseline. If a solution creates friction, we don't deploy it.
Every client environment is built assuming something will eventually go wrong. Immutable backups, redundant connectivity, and a documented recovery plan mean we're never starting from scratch. We recover fast, every time.
Everyone here comes from a customer service background. Hospitality, retail, hands-on client-facing roles. That's not a coincidence. It's how we hire.
Helmut Burger-Smit
Managing Director
Founded hbs connect in 2017 after a career in hospitality and retail — which is probably why every client gets treated the way he'd want to be treated himself. Dad of two, and a firm believer that every day is a school day.
LinkedInShane Redmond
Technical Director
First hire in 2020, now a director and part-owner. Clinical attention to detail and always learning — his background stretches from computers into electronics and mechanics. Outside work, a car nut with a weakness for building track-ready Fiats.
LinkedInAlison Bates
Director
Founding director since 2017, running marketing for hbs connect. Brings a non-technical lens to a very technical team — fresh eyes, honest feedback. Outside work: her own Pilates studio, a candle business, and two kids.
LinkedInSinead Kavanagh
Office Manager
Runs finance and HR — and, unofficially, the parent of the crew. Brings the accounts know-how (ACCA), joined in June 2022 and kept everyone on track as we grew fast. Mum of three, happiest on a beach with the family.
LinkedInDaryl Roche
Support Engineer
Ex-military, with customer service and manufacturing on the side — joined in November 2021 as our third hire. CompTIA certified. Heads-down work ethic, never short of a joke. Outside hbs he's always fixing something: cars, home projects, somebody else's problem.
LinkedInDean Rossiter
Support Engineer
Came from consumer electronics retail — that's where he learned to translate technical problems into plain English. Joined in 2022 and now handles escalations and project work alongside Shane. Car guy, soft spot for video games.
LinkedInMichael Glynn
Support Engineer
Methodical by nature — won't let a ticket go until it's done in the right order. Joined in July 2025 from an IT apprenticeship at a multinational manufacturer, CompTIA certified, with call-centre customer-service instincts. Into Lego, games, football, and steam trains.
LinkedInJames Hanlon
Support Engineer
The newest face on the team. Fresh out of a BSc in software systems development, bright and detail-focused, with a natural way with clients. Learning the craft quickly. Football fan and keen Liverpool supporter, plays badminton, and big on staying fit.
LinkedInWe hire for attitude. If you're good with people and genuinely curious about technology, we'd love to hear from you. No open role? Send us your CV anyway — we keep every application on file and go there first before advertising or engaging a recruiter.
Send us your CVCurrent vacancies
"They answer the phone, and nine times out of ten they solve the problem right there and then. That alone puts them ahead of every other IT company we've tried."
Professional services client, Wexford
When something goes wrong, you reach a person. Not a ticket queue.
We explain things clearly. No jargon, no condescension.
After a few months, we know your systems better than you do.
We fix problems before they reach your desk.
Transparent pricing, every line item explained. No calls you weren't expecting.
Genuinely. Your success is our success. That's not marketing copy.
Our office is at Wexford Office & Business Park, Whitemill Industrial Estate, Wexford. Our strongest roots are across the South East: Waterford, Kilkenny, Carlow, Wicklow, plus Dublin. Remote-first support covers the rest of Ireland, and we support clients internationally when they expand: UK, Asia, Australia, the US.
We're a team of eight, which means you're working with a tight-knit group that communicates well and knows every client's environment. We're not a faceless national provider.
Yes, absolutely. We'd love to hear from you. We're selective because we want to do things properly, and we'll be straight about whether we're the right fit. The first step is a free IT review.
Honestly? The people. Everyone here has a background in customer service. We're not just technically good — we're good to work with. Fast, friendly, plain english, and genuinely invested in your business.
We manage transitions regularly and handle the whole process. The IT review is the starting point. We get a clear picture of where things stand, and if you want to move forward, we manage the full migration from your existing provider.
The IT review is a no-pressure conversation. We look at your setup, tell you honestly what good looks like, and you decide if we're the right fit.
Book your IT reviewOr call us on 0818 35 35 35 — we answer.