About Forefront IT
About James Bennett-Ackland – Founder of Forefront IT
James’ passion for IT sparked in the early 90s, well before the advent of Windows 95. As a curious youngster, he would often disassemble his family computer just to understand its inner workings. One memorable (and slightly explosive) learning experience involved a 120v/240v switch on an old power supply, resulting in a vivid fireworks display!
His journey in IT didn’t stop there. James honed his skills by building computers for friends and learning programming. His first professional role was as a System Administrator at his high school. Demonstrating remarkable dedication, he earned a Certificate IV in IT Network Management and completed Cisco CCNA 1 & 2 courses at just 15 years old, becoming RMIT’s youngest achiever at that level. Concurrently, he launched his first break/fix IT business, showcasing his entrepreneurial spirit.
Over the years, James has held prominent IT leadership roles including Head of IT, IT Manager, Director of IT, and CIO in various multinational companies. He also uses his extensive experience to mentor up and coming IT Professionals. His expertise spans across industries such as Legal, Medical, Education, Retail, Finance, and Hospitality. Additionally, he has served as a Technical Director for several Managed Service Providers (MSPs).
The inception of Forefront IT was driven by James’ insight into the rapidly evolving cyber threat landscape and the evident gap in education and tailored solutions for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) during a conversation with his Partner at a local park. Unlike the standard one-size-fits-all approach, Forefront IT emphasises educating users, strategic IT infrastructure, security, and support, customised to meet the specific needs and budgets of SMBs.
This ensures that businesses only pay for the services they truly need. Integrity, honesty, and compassion are the core values that James upholds, and these principles are deeply embedded in Forefront IT’s ethos. Clients can trust that they will receive honest advice; if a service isn’t necessary, they won’t be sold on it. These values also drive Forefront IT’s commitment to working with Non-Profit Organisations, reflecting James’ dedication to giving back to the community.
At Forefront IT, we’re not just about providing IT solutions; we’re about building lasting partnerships grounded in trust and tailored needs to solve your pain points now and in the future. Join us, and experience IT services that truly understand and cater to your unique business needs.
More About Forefront IT
At Forefront IT, we aren’t your typical break/fix IT company nor your typical MSP (Managed Service Provider), we want to become an extension of your business. We are Security-focused first, then Strategy and finally, Support.
We have many years experience in Medical, Legal, Retail, Creative and Finance. We can work with any business regardless of the industry, we just have the most experience with the previously mentioned industries.
During our first meeting with you, we will ask many questions about the systems you have in place, whether they were planned or organic growth, your security, and your business operations so we can identify what you want to achieve, what pain points holding your business back you want gone, and to ensure your security is adequate. We will also ensure your IT and Business are aligned and your systems are fit-for-purpose.
Based on that, we’ll work on a proposal and then meet again. If everything lines up and it’s a good match, we can start doing business together.
How we start will vary depending on your business needs, as every proposal and plan is bespoke to the individual business, as it should be. You don’t want a service off the shelf; you want something custom-tailored to fit your business perfectly.
Forefront IT is also incredibly proactive. Most often, we’ll contact you to let you know that we’re working on an outage or performance issue.
Now that you know more about us, why don’t you give us a call, schedule a meeting and experience the Forefront Advantage?
Book a Consult Today!
Global Reach
Although we are based in Australia, our location doesn’t limit the clients we can help.
We work with businesses in:
Australia
New Zealand
USA
Canada
UK
Europe
Varied Experience
Whether your business is in Medical or Legal, our IT expertise covers a range of industries, including
Creative
From Creative Studios to Design Agencies and Architects.
Legal
Commercial Law Firms, NFP Law Firms and any in between.
Medical
Private Practices, Specialists, Pharmacies and More.
Construction
Commercial and Residential Construction Companies.
Finance
Insurance
We Want to Hear from You
Together, let’s streamline your IT infrastructure, boost productivity, and safeguard your confidential information. Uncover the unique Forefront IT Advantage today.