Principle One: The Multi-Disciplinary Technologists

James Oliver is the Founder and Managing Director of Principle One, his background is in Computer Science, studying at UCL in London and spending his early career at British Telecom Laboratories. During his tenure there, he discovered his innate flair for Unix Systems and his ability to manage them efficiently. Soon, his Unix Systems Management skills got him a coveted job at Goldman Sachs as a contract systems administrator. Later in 1996, he was relocated to Goldman Sachs’ Hong Kong branch for managing Enterprise Technology for the APAC region. Managing IT Systems at Goldman Sachs and working in the finance industry helped him hone his entrepreneurial skills and in May 2003 he incorporated Principle One, a technology solutions and operational support provider for hedge funds and investment banks. “I wanted to challenge myself to be at the centre of a business rather than solely playing a supporting role,” says James, Founder and Managing Director, Principle One.

Principle One is a multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural, multi-lingual IT and audio-visual (AV) services company that designs, integrates and operates complete solutions for technology infrastructure including computers, phones, video conferencing, digital signage and network that connects them. The company specializes in providing services across five different business units: IT Managed Services, IT Projects, AV Projects, AV Managed Services and AV Maintenance. Managed IT services offer desk-side and remote support, customer response, regular reviews and strategic advice.

In its AV projects, the company designs, builds and installs audio-visual systems for its clients. Its thorough understanding of client’s business and client-centric solutions make the company a preferred choice amongst clients across Asia. In terms of IT project services, Principle One works closely with companies to design and implement IT infrastructure in a way that fits client’s immediate requirements and allows them to grow their businesses in the long run.

AV managed services, on the other hand, operate and support a client’s audio-visual equipment enabled meeting rooms, training facilities and auditoriums. It also supports special events both at the client’s and at the third party venues. AV maintenance services take preventive care, repairs and component replacement of audio-visual systems to ensure that they function well on a day-to-day basis. The audio-visual solutions glue images, light, sound and motion that optimize the cost faced for promotional events, conferences or meetings.

Principle One has recently undertaken complete overhaul of its internal organizational structure, which will allow the company to focus on its deliverables and to maintain high quality of services as it grows. Apart from its offices in Hong Kong, the company has branch offices in Singapore Japan and a presence in Mainland China. The company serves clients from various industries such as finance, retail and professional services which include ANZ, Cisco, Morgan Stanley, KPMG and Manchester United.“2015 has been a phenomenal year of growth for Principle One; we saw completion of several major projects and won the confidence of our new customers,” says James. By retaining its commitment to delivering strategic technology support, maintaining prompt response time, high reliability and minimizing the downtime,Principle One plans to expand in the APAC region in the years to come.