Sirius Corporation Ltd

Sirius Corporation Ltd is an open-source software services company based in Weybridge, United Kingdom. Founded by Mark Taylor in 1998, the company provides implementation, engineering and support services intended to help medium-sized and enterprise organisations use open-source technologies while improving productivity and controlling operational risk. Its work covers the deployment of network and infrastructure systems, application development and technical support. Rather than being identified with one proprietary software product, Sirius has been associated with an integrated open-source enterprise technology stack. The components described in connection with its services include Linux, Apache, Asterisk, JBoss, Squid, OGo and Scalix, Sendmail, Cyrus, Samba, CUPS, OpenLDAP, PostgreSQL and PostGIS. Together, these technologies represent operating systems, web and application servers, voice-over-IP, proxy and filtering systems, groupware, email, file and print services, directory management, databases and geographic information systems. Sirius's role was therefore principally that of a systems integrator and support provider, helping organisations select, deploy and maintain interoperable open-source platforms. The company has been reported as working with well-known organisations including PepsiCo, BOC, Three, Sony Ericsson, Axa and Specsavers. Its public-sector and education activity was particularly visible in the late 2000s. In 2008, Sirius was one of 12 software suppliers awarded a place on the Software for Educational Institutions Framework, an agreement valued at £80 million. The framework gave educational institutions a route to acquire software-related services and positioned Sirius within a broader group of approved suppliers. In 2009, Sirius worked with the North West Learning Grid on the National Digital Resource Bank. That work received a Highly Commended recognition in the e-Government National Awards. Other contemporary coverage described open-source deployments and partnerships involving schools, including email and web-filtering applications. These activities illustrate Sirius's emphasis on practical deployment rather than advocacy alone: the company applied open-source systems to organisational infrastructure, education and public-service requirements. Available reference material does not establish the company's current ownership, leadership beyond its founder, financial performance, present website, listed status or continuing operating status. It also does not provide a detailed account of later product development. Sirius is therefore best described from the available record as a specialist open-source consultancy and technology-integration brand whose documented activity was concentrated on enterprise, public-sector and education deployments.

Sirius Corporation Ltd was founded in 1998 by Mark Taylor and developed as a United Kingdom provider of open-source software services. Its base was in Weybridge. The company focused on helping medium-sized and enterprise organisations use open-source technologies in production environments, with services spanning network and infrastructure deployment, application development and technical support. The company's model reflected the growing adoption of open-source software as an alternative to exclusively proprietary systems. Sirius did not appear to centre its identity on a single internally developed application. Instead, it assembled and supported a broad enterprise stack using established open-source projects. The technologies associated with that stack included Linux, Apache, JBoss, Asterisk, Squid, OGo and Scalix, Sendmail and Cyrus, Samba and CUPS, OpenLDAP, PostgreSQL and PostGIS. This combination covered core computing infrastructure, web delivery, application servers, telephony, proxy services, email, collaboration, directory management, databases, geographic information and printing. Sirius's activities included both technical implementation and ongoing support. That positioning made the company relevant to organisations that wanted the flexibility or cost characteristics of open-source software but required professional deployment, integration and operational assistance. Reference material identifies work for major commercial organisations such as PepsiCo, BOC, Three, Sony Ericsson, Axa and Specsavers, indicating that its client work extended beyond small specialist users. Education and public-sector work became an important part of the documented record in the late 2000s. In 2008, Sirius secured a place among 12 suppliers on the Software for Educational Institutions Framework. The agreement was reported at a value of £80 million and created a procurement channel for software suppliers serving educational institutions. Sirius was also involved with the North West Learning Grid in the National Digital Resource Bank project. In 2009, that work was recognised with a Highly Commended result in the e-Government National Awards. Contemporary reporting also connected Sirius with open-source email and web-filtering deployments in schools. One referenced deployment used open-source web filtering for approximately 200,000 Yorkshire schoolchildren, while other coverage described Welsh schools adopting open-source email and public-sector agencies demonstrating open-source practice. These examples show the company applying open-source systems to large, distributed education environments, where reliability, administration and support were important alongside software licensing considerations. The available material provides no reliable information about Sirius's later ownership, current executives, present product portfolio, financial position, corporate listing or whether the company remains active. Its documented historical identity is consequently that of a UK-based open-source consultancy, integrator and support company with enterprise, commercial, education and public-sector experience.

• 2009

  National Digital Resource Bank work recognised

  [1]Sirius Corporation Ltden.wikipedia.org

  The company's work with the North West Learning Grid on the National Digital Resource Bank was Highly Commended at the e-Government National Awards.

• 2008

  Selected for education software framework

  [1]Sirius Corporation Ltden.wikipedia.org

  Sirius was among 12 suppliers awarded a place on the Software for Educational Institutions Framework, reported as an £80 million agreement.

• 1998

  Company founded

  [1]Sirius Corporation Ltden.wikipedia.org

  Mark Taylor founded Sirius Corporation, which developed as a UK provider of open-source software services.

A specialist open-source systems integrator and support provider for medium-sized, enterprise, education and public-sector organisations.

• Software integration services

  Enterprise open-source stack integration

  Sirius's principal offering was an integrated enterprise stack built from open-source technologies. The documented components included Linux, Apache, JBoss, Asterisk, Squid, email and groupware platforms, directory services, databases and file-and-print systems. Sirius supplied deployment, integration and support rather than presenting the individual upstream projects as proprietary Sirius products.

• Education technology services

  Education-sector open-source services

  The company provided open-source software services for educational and public-sector environments. Referenced applications included school email and web-filtering systems, while its framework appointment and National Digital Resource Bank work indicate experience with institutional procurement and large-scale education deployments.

• IT consultancy and support

  Network, infrastructure and application services

  Sirius offered network and infrastructure deployment, application development and technical support. These services were designed to help medium-sized and enterprise organisations operate open-source systems while reducing implementation and maintenance risk.

• 2009

  North West Learning Grid project receives e-government recognition[1]Sirius Corporation Ltden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Sirius and the North West Learning Grid received a Highly Commended recognition for their work on the National Digital Resource Bank at the e-Government National Awards.

• 2008

  Sirius awarded place on Software for Educational Institutions Framework[1]Sirius Corporation Ltden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Sirius was one of 12 software suppliers selected for places on the Software for Educational Institutions Framework, reported as an £80 million agreement supporting education-sector software procurement.

1. 1Sirius Corporation Ltden.wikipedia.org