About Akhter Computers

Akhter Computers was founded in 1979 by Prof Humayun Mughal

In 1981, realising the niche market potential of UK manufactured computer products; the Company began to produce disk drive sub-systems for BBC computers. Akhter designs and assembles hardware including personal computers, notebooks, fileservers and storage systems. Akhter also develops software and provides design, installation and maintenance services. Working closely with its customers, Akhter provides customised computer solutions, including hardware and software, product development, project and network management, consultancy and aftersales support.

Akhter continues to increase the breadth of its support for ICT systems delivering background services that support the computer infrastructure, plus tools and solutions to simplify the day to day administration of networks.

Every modern organisation is under constant pressure to manage costs, mitigate risks and to maintain compliance with industry and legal regulations – in pursuit of the reduction of ICT cost and risk in addition to an improvement in performance, organisations are now having to look beyond their in-house infrastructure to seek the help of a solution provider who understands modern business problems and the IT services that resolve them. Working with an IT partner will help organisations maintain and manage the technology that delivers their business goals.

Akhter Computers is based in Harlow, Essex, UK.

The Value of Partnership

In the corporate market, Akhter believe strongly in the value of partnership to help develop and implement effective IT strategies. Drawing on their own experience, Akhter listen carefully to their customers to ensure they understand their business and will then make informed recommendations on how technology can best realise the companies objectives and ensure return on investment.

Research and Development

Akhter is continually seeking to use the very latest advances in technology to provide state of the art solutions. The company invests heavily in ongoing Research and Development and as a result, enjoys a favourable reputation as a company at the cutting edge of the technology industry. Creating new products in response to customer requirements is one of Akhter’s strengths.

Akhter has developed a range of flexible managed IT Support Services to help you meet compliance, support delivery of business objectives, mitigate risks, reduce costs and improve performance while protecting your existing assets, long term IT resource and people investments. All our services are continuously monitored and controlled using industry best practice, via accreditation to ISO9001:2015 Quality Assurance & through ISO27001:2013 IT Security.

Today’s customers are increasingly sophisticated in their choice of computing technology. However, there are occasions when even the most discerning client can benefit from Akhter’s support and advice.

Akhter Computers history

Akhter, along with Acorn Computers, built the very first computers used in schools alongside the BBC, 2 years before the Dell corporation started, 3 years before the first Toshiba, and even before the Microsoft MS-DOS hit the IBMs first PC in 1981 in the US.

Akhter took their first order from the RAF in 1982, and in true Akhter fashion, took a gamble on supporting Defence over profitability for themselves.

Back around 1982, RAF Innsworth were at the time using CCTA, the early predecessor of CCS. The following three individuals were working on Project SAMA; Gp Capt Alan Jackson, Wg Cdr Ian Hadley, and Sqn Ldr Roger Gilbert. Akhter was very new to the MOD and as yet weren’t a ‘Standing Supplier’, as they hadn’t ever had an order for £500k, which was the set criteria. The deal had Akhter working with a Prime supplier at the time; In the meeting with the three RAF Officers, the Gp Capt stated that a part was missed from the tender for printers. The Prime contractor immediately fell into type and started calculating how much extra it would be and that parts were on back order and would take ages to deliver. Meanwhile, Professor Humayun Mughal (Akhter’s founder) was speaking with the Wg Cdr and suggested that Akhter could deliver these parts, and indeed for free.

Akhter took a hit on this deal and made zero profit, however, since it was their very first deal with the MOD, Humayun wanted to show how he and his business would always consider the bigger picture. The prime in all of this refused to cut their margin and didn’t help with the supply chain either.

After the order was delivered, on time and on budget, Akhter was sponsored to become a prime supplier to the RAF.

By 1987 the Company was manufacturing the first range of 'Akhter' Personal Computers at its Harlow premises. Akhter won its first significant contract in 1987, to supply personal computers to the Open University, followed in 1988 by a £1.2 million contract for PC’s from the RAF. In 1991 Akhter was awarded its first major contract from the MoD. Akhter has continued successfully with contracts for MoD work and used this experience to extend its client base to include other central government organisations

During 1988, the business was restructured with the Company becoming the holding company for Akhter Computers plc. Akhter Computers took over the Company's design and manufacturing operations while Microsales was established to continue to sell a wide range of computer peripherals and bought in products including power supplies. In the same year Akhter Computers opened further facilities in Burnley, Lancashire and Microsales opened a sales office in Basingstoke to support the `M4 Electronics Corridor'.

By 1991 the business had grown significantly and a second personal computer manufacturing facility was installed at the Burnley site. The Group's product portfolio was also expanding to include, in addition to basic hardware and software packages, notebooks, fully integrated systems and the provision of installation, networking, training and support services.

In 1993, Akhter Computers developed the CADDI removable hard disk drive sub-system representing a significant achievement for the Group's product development function. To date, over 38,000 CADDIs have been sold either as individual units or as part of a personal computer system, both to the MoD and to customers in other sectors such as education.

From 1995, recognising the opportunities presented by structural and technological changes in a number of niche markets, and in order to broaden its customer base, the Group began increasing market penetration of its products and services into the education, healthcare, law enforcement, corporate and OEM sectors.

In 1997 the Group upgraded its Harlow production facilities and now has four semi-automated production lines at Akhter House. As part of this process the Group was also able to replace the production lines at Burnley.