THE Press Business Awards has won the support of a major internet service provider in York.

York Data Services has stepped up to sponsor the Retail, Tourism or Leisure Business of the Year category in the 30th year of the prestigious awards.

The news comes ahead of tomorrow’s unveiling of the the awards shortlist in The Press, with the winners to be announced at a gala dinner on November 25, at York Racecourse.

Based at York Science Park, York Data Services was founded by managing director, Mark Fordyce nearly 20 years ago.

York Press: York Data Services

A pioneer in bringing gigabit connectivity to York and helping it to become a leading digital city, he has been instrumental in helping to position it as one of the leading business destinations in the North, attracting high-quality, digitally-based companies.

The company has invested significantly in developing its own private, fully-resilient, full-fibre network.

Bringing lightning-fast internet speeds with multi-gigabit capability, it directly connects businesses in York, Leeds and beyond to the UK’s national internet exchanges, based in London and Leeds.

This direct connection reduces lag, maximises speed and efficiency and means that companies in York can compete with the rest of the UK on a like-for-like basis by benefitting from the fastest speeds available anywhere in the UK to maintain their competitive edge.

Specialists in providing secure, dedicated and ultra-fast connectivity for businesses, business centres and parks, as well as multi-site offices, YDS’ clients include many leading organisations, including York Racecourse, Garbutt & Elliott, Langleys, Middletons Hotel, York Theatre Royal, York Science Park and Thorp Arch Business Estate.

Mark said: “Ever since we started the company, The Press Business Awards have been an important milestone in the business year, bringing everyone together and celebrating success of businesses across the city.

"We wanted to support the event, particularly after such a challenging time and also we wanted to be a part of the 30th anniversary celebrations.

"We work with a wide cross section of businesses, both large and small across the city, and have chosen to sponsor the Retail, Tourism and Leisure category as many of our clients are in this sector.

"We know many have had a particularly hard time this year, having to adapt and innovate more than ever, in many cases having to embrace a ‘more digital world’ and we feel they deserve some recognition for their resilience and hard work and we want to celebrate their achievements and success.

"We are really looking forward to the ceremony and to meeting the short-listers and winners on the evening.”