– John Robertson Architects and Avanti Architects turn to Spitfire to help upgrade connectivity infrastructure and meet growing digital challenges that architects face –

LONDON, UK. 11 JUNE 2025 – Spitfire Network Services Ltd (Spitfire), the award-winning provider of voice, internet, IoT and wide area network connectivity services, today revealed details about two companies operating in the architectural sector that have transformed their connectivity infrastructure since partnering with Spitfire – and announced plans to double down on the recent sector traction.

John Robertson Architects and Avanti Architects both turned to Spitfire to provide connectivity support for different challenges:

John Robertson Architects

John Robertson Architects (JRA) is a prominent architectural practice headquartered in Southwark Street, London, with additional offices in Edinburgh and Poland. With a team of around 90 staff spread across multiple locations and satellite workers worldwide, JRA handles large-scale refurbishment and commercial projects, often overseeing the work of other architects.

Despite their reputation for modernising buildings, JRA’s own IT infrastructure was outdated. Their internet connection—a single 8Mbps line—had been in place for two decades. Everything was on-premises, with no cloud adoption, running on aging desktops used as servers. For their IT team, it was a challenging and inefficient setup that was long overdue for an upgrade.

Spitfire worked with JRA to devise a multi-stage strategy to gradually upgrade JRA’s connectivity infrastructure. Back in 2012 when Spitfire and JRA first engaged, the first step was replacing the legacy 8Mbps line with a business class resilient 10Mbps copper ethernet circuit as primary and an ADSL back-up that fit within their budget while laying the groundwork for future improvements. In 2014 the primary circuit was upgraded to a 100 Mbps dedicated fibre ethernet circuit and the backup circuit to a 15 Mbps copper ethernet circuit.

In 2018, Spitfire upgraded the primary to a 1 Gbps dedicated fibre ethernet circuit and then in 2022 the backup was upgraded to a 100 Mbps dedicated fibre ethernet circuit. Today, JRA’s primary internet line is peaking at close to maximum capacity, with a roadmap in place to implement a new dedicated fibre circuit from Spitfire at 10 Gbps in due course.

James Martin, JRA’s IT Manager said: ““From initial sales conversations to installation and long-term support, Spitfire has been exceptional. As an IT professional working remotely, I rely on connectivity more than anything. Knowing that we have Spitfire supporting us has been absolutely brilliant.”

Avanti Architects

Established in 1981, Avanti Architects is a London-based architecture firm specialising in public sector projects, including hospitals, schools, and heritage restorations. In late 2022, Avanti relocated from City Road, London, to a new office closer to Old Street. The move presented an immediate connectivity challenge: their existing landline could not be transferred, necessitating a new connectivity solution. Avanti was introduced to Spitfire by John Robertson Architects.

After settling into their new office, Avanti decided to modernise their telephony system. In late 2023, they opted to transition to Spitfire’s FireSwitch Hosted PBX 2.2, replacing their outdated telephony provider, whose rigid contractual terms had become a point of contention.

Spitfire facilitated the porting of Avanti’s existing DDIs and enabled the firm to retain their familiar Yealink handsets. To ensure seamless functionality, Spitfire’s team returned to upgrade handset firmware at no additional charge. The VoIP solution provided Avanti with a more flexible and cost-effective communication system.

“Spitfire didn’t try to sell us anything we didn’t need,” notes Guy Michaelov, Associate Director, Avanti. “They were direct, honest, and did exactly what they said they would. That kind of reliability is invaluable.”

Harry Bowlby, Managing Director, Spitfire Network Services Ltd said: “Spitfire works with customers spanning multiple sectors across the UK, and as a company we have the ability to devise a strategy to support any business looking to upgrade their connectivity infrastructure. To see our services providing immense value in a specific sector like the architectural vertical is great to see – and we hope to build on this traction further.”

For more information or to contact Spitfire Network Services Ltd directly, organisations should visit www.spitfire.co.uk.

ENDS

About Spitfire Network Services Ltd

Spitfire has been providing internet and telecoms services from our central London offices for 35 years.

With an emphasis on engineering skills and customer service, we aim to build long-term relationships with our clients – delivering innovative, award-winning solutions and significant cost savings to businesses and organisations.

This approach has seen us grow from a modest start-up to a business with more than £23m turnover and over 100 staff.