What Silversands does

Silversands is a UK-based IT services brand that has operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chess ICT since its November 2024 acquisition, retaining its brand identity, customer-facing services, and the Silversands Portal for existing customers while being absorbed into Chess ICT's broader portfolio. The acquisition was explicitly framed as extending Silversands' capabilities with Chess ICT's AI, cloud, and business intelligence offerings without disrupting service continuity.

Chess ICT, the effective operating entity behind Silversands, employs over 360 people across the UK and supports over 30,000 business customers. The combined business delivers a comprehensive portfolio organized across six pillars: Connect (Internet, Mobile, IoT, telephony lines, calls, WAN, LAN, WiFi); Cloud (collaboration, productivity, public/private cloud, business continuity, contact centre, cloud voice); Devices (servers, storage, end-user computing); Digital (AI solutions, document/content management, business applications, automation, BI and data analytics); Security (detect, protect, support, certify); and Services (managed services, consultancy, project management, professional services, cloud adoption). Core technology leverages a multi-vendor stack spanning Microsoft (Trusted Solutions Partner), Cisco, HPE, Dell, VMware, Datto (Partner of the Year), Veeam, Lenovo, Mitel and others.

Revenue is generated primarily through managed-services contracts with multi-year terms and quote-based pricing tailored to customer requirements, supplemented by project-based professional services and consultancy. GTM is sales-led, with dedicated Sales Director and Commercial Director-led direct sales teams covering four horizontal customer segments — Large Business, Medium Business, Small Business, and Public Sector — augmented by a self-serve customer portal and content marketing (events, blog, guides, case studies). Credentials underpinning enterprise and public-sector eligibility include IEC 27001 (ISO/IEC 27001), ISO 9001, Cyber Essentials, and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

Name

Silversands

Legal name

Chess ICT Limited

Website

https://silversands.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Silversands, wholly-owned by Chess ICT since November 2024, is a UK IT services brand delivering connectivity, cloud, devices, digital transformation, security, and managed services to over 30,000 UK business and public-sector customers across large, mid-market, and SMB segments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Poole

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. IT Services and Managed Services: Provides comprehensive digital services including managed IT, cloud hosting, professional services, and technology consulting across connectivity, security, devices, and digital transformation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Silversands, now part of Chess ICT following its November 2024 acquisition, provides comprehensive IT services and digital transformation solutions to UK businesses. Its portfolio spans connectivity (internet, mobile, WAN/LAN, WiFi, IoT), cloud services (collaboration, productivity, public/private cloud, business continuity, contact centre, voice), hardware (servers, storage, end-user devices), digital services (AI, document management, applications, automation, BI), security services (detect, protect, support, certify) and professional services (managed services, consultancy, project management, cloud adoption, web/software development).

Product overview

Silversands (now part of Chess ICT family following November 2024 acquisition) offers a comprehensive portfolio of IT and digital services organized into six main categories: Connect (connectivity solutions including Internet, Mobile, IoT, Lines, Calls, WAN, LAN, and WiFi), Cloud (collaboration, productivity, public/private cloud, business continuity, contact centre, and voice services), Devices (servers, storage, and end-user computing hardware), Digital (AI solutions, document management, applications, automation, and business intelligence/data analytics), Security (detect, protect, support, and certify services), and Services (managed services, consultancy, project management, professional services, and cloud adoption/change management). The portfolio provides end-to-end technology services spanning from infrastructure connectivity through to digital transformation and AI-powered solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Connect — Internet Access
• Connect — Mobile
• Connect — IoT
• Connect — Lines
• Connect — Calls
• Connect — WAN
• Connect — LAN
• Connect — WiFi
• Cloud — Collaboration
• Cloud — Productivity
• Cloud — Public
• Cloud — Private
• Cloud — Business Continuity
• Cloud — Contact Centre
• Cloud — Voice
• Devices — Servers
• Devices — Storage
• Devices — End User
• Digital — AI Solutions
• Digital — Document & Content Management
• Digital — Applications
• Digital — Automation
• Digital — BI & Data
• Security — Detect
• Security — Protect
• Security — Support
• Security — Certify
• Services — Managed Services
• Services — Consultancy
• Services — Projects
• Services — Professional Services
• Services — Adoption (Cloud Adoption)
• Digital Consultancy
• Web Development
• Software Development
• Cloud Hosting & Managed IT Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting over 30,000 business customers across the UK

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationTrusted Microsoft Solutions Partner providing cloud services, productivity solutions, and Microsoft technology implementations to customers.
• HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)coreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology vendor partner providing servers, storage, and enterprise hardware solutions.
• DellcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology vendor partner for servers, storage, and end user devices.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology vendor partner providing networking, collaboration, and security solutions.
• VMwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology vendor partner for virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions.
• DattocoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner of the Year; provides backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Wavenet: Wavenet is a UK managed services and connectivity provider offering cloud, voice, connectivity, and cybersecurity to mid-market and enterprise customers. Its service mix, UK-only footprint, and acquisition-led growth strategy closely mirror Chess ICT's profile.
• ANS Group: ANS is a UK-based managed cloud, digital transformation, and IT services provider. Highly comparable in customer mix (mid-market and enterprise, including public sector) and Microsoft-led service portfolio.
• Focus Group: Focus Group is a UK managed communications, cloud, and IT services provider (formed via acquisitions including Pure IT). Directly comparable service mix and customer base; similar acquisition-led growth strategy.
• Daisy Communications: Daisy is a UK-based managed IT, cloud, connectivity, and unified communications provider serving enterprise and mid-market customers. It is the closest like-for-like competitor to Chess/Silversands in terms of service breadth (connectivity + cloud + managed services) and customer segments.
• Trustmarque: Trustmarque is a UK IT services and solutions provider delivering managed services, software licensing, cloud, and digital transformation to enterprise and public sector customers. Comparable in scale and service breadth.
• Gamma Communications: Gamma is a UK-headquartered provider of communications, cloud, and managed services primarily through a channel partner model. Strong overlap on connectivity, cloud voice, and UCaaS offerings with Chess/Silversands.

Broad incumbents

• Computacenter: Computacenter is a large European IT infrastructure and services provider serving enterprise customers with managed services, supply chain, and digital transformation. Overlaps significantly on managed services and Microsoft partnership but operates at much greater scale.
• SCC (Specialist Computer Centres): SCC is one of Europe's largest independent IT services groups offering managed services, cloud, infrastructure, and digital workplace solutions. A larger incumbent with overlapping capability but broader geographic scope.
• BT Enterprise: BT Business is the enterprise division of BT Group, offering connectivity, cloud, security, and managed IT services across the UK. A large incumbent that competes for the same mid-market and enterprise customers.

Emerging players

• Air IT: Air IT is a UK managed IT services and cybersecurity provider focused on SMB and mid-market customers. Smaller scale but directly comparable on managed services, security, and Microsoft-led cloud offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/silversandsltd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ChessICT
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/silversands

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Silversands