In conversation with Infinigate's co-founder - David Martinez

David, it’s an honour to meet the co-founder of Infinigate! Thank you for helping us celebrate this important milestone. What does it feel like to celebrate its 30^th year of growth?

David: “30 years! When we founded Infinigate we had high ambitions for it and believed it had high potential but we did not anticipate it would grow at double digit rate for 30 years. It’s a proud moment for me, as the company reaches 30 and still holds true to its original cybersecurity specialism and to its promise to generate growth for vendor and channel partners. I am grateful to all the employees and partners who have made this extraordinary journey possible. I will keep watching for the next chapter in Infinigate’s evolution – the opportunity for growth is still there for the taking. Congratulations to all!”

Let’s go back to the beginning. What inspired you to create Infinigate?

David: “I have always had a passion for technology and always kept a close watch on the IT market and new tech trends. The Internet was a brand-new phenomenon and there was much debate on whether it would take off or fizzle out. I was convinced it was going to be the ‘next big thing’, so I focussed our consultancy-based business on it. In the early days of the company, which was originally called ‘Internet 2000’ – we focussed on providing companies with browsers, HTML and email programmes to access the Internet. The emphasis was not yet on cybersecurity, with cyber-criminals not yet active, but about helping businesses to join the Internet.”

Where does the Infinigate name originate?

David: “We changed the name of the company after the year 2000. Essentially it is a contraction of ‘infinite gate’ – alluding to limitless access to the world of the internet, which was our business to enable. The name is still relevant as now no longer merely provide access but we secure it! Much more important in today’s online landscape. The original Infinigate logo was inspired by the sci-fi series Stargate, which some may remember – where access to new worlds was enabled through special gates.”

What was your toughest challenge?

David: “The dot.com bubble crash at the beginning of the 2000s, following the dot.com boom was of course a serious challenge for many online and communication businesses and for some a fatal one. We downsized and restructured to navigate through that difficult period.”

Did you anticipate cybersecurity would become such a prominent trend?

David: “Cyber criminality only emerged after the dot.com crisis, with a few cyber-attacks making the headlines. That is when we decided to make cybersecurity our focus and specialism. After a few years, with growth rates of 20-30%, it became clear this was a high growth sector so we switched our focus to be entirely on cybersecurity. Even then it was not easy to hire specialists, highly-qualified tech specialists have always been a precious commodity – but we persevered and made it our differentiator.”

What new tech trends do you expect to become dominant going forward?

David: “Cybersecurity will continue to be relevant, especially as AI enables more sophisticated cyber-attacks but also more effective defences. Speaking of AI, of course, this is another invasive technology that will colour and infuse every aspect of our digital lives. As with all technologies we need to understand it and learn to use it to our advantage. Protecting our businesses and our data integrity, both as businesses and as consumers, has become a paramount concern. The onus is on expert consultants to provide accurate and helpful cybersecurity advice in an increasingly complex landscape. it is an important task and a big responsibility – one that Infinigate continues to embrace.”

What is your advice as an experienced and successful entrepreneur to budding business moguls out there?

David: “Let conviction and passion fuel your progress. Without those it is hard to foster a successful enterprise. Believe in your insights and intuition and communicate your enthusiasm for your dream. Positivity is infectious. Lead by example.”