IceStar Media

IceStar Media: custom database, CRM and website development

IceStar Media Limited is a British company founded in 2002 by Seran Bond, currently creative director, which presents itself as specialising in bespoke technology solutions. Its activity covers custom databases, CRM systems, SuiteCRM development and customisation, website design and development, online shops, custom PHP coding, specialist website portals and cloud applications. The company states it has over 25 years of technical and creative experience and serves clients throughout the UK and internationally.

Services for businesses, schools and charities

IceStar Media's offering is organised into several lines of work. In the area of systems, it develops custom databases and CRM, integrates third-party applications — from sales CRMs and accounting systems to multi-channel sales outlets — and compiles bespoke software for applications ranging from stock control to complex frameworks. On the web side, it designs and builds professional websites, carries out SEO optimisation, customises WordPress and offers secure hosting and content maintenance. It also develops online shops based on Magento and WooCommerce, custom eCommerce and EPOS solutions, and provides support and customisation for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento and SuiteCRM, from installation to updates.

Its specialist services include website portals for Local Medical Committees (LMCs) and school websites. The company states it is one of the very few independent companies in the UK able to provide development and support services for SuiteCRM.

SuiteCRM and its own Osiris platform

IceStar Media highlights SuiteCRM development and customisation, as well as custom coding for advanced reporting and data management processes. The company maintains and continues to develop its own software platform, Osiris, on which it builds scalable cloud systems adaptable to the client's needs. Compared with standard software, it argues that bespoke solutions make it possible to incorporate specific improvements without having to discard legacy systems. Its applications incorporate data security and disaster recovery processes, with continuous backups.

Management team

Mark Bond is technical director and head of systems development. He has over 25 years of IT experience and has developed, programmed and managed custom database projects, bespoke software and online systems for clients in the public and private sectors. His technical experience includes PHP, Linux, MySQL, MariaDB, Angular, SuiteCRM, Magento, WordPress and WooCommerce, as well as consultancy and project management for several large UK organisations. He holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Essex, has implemented and managed a help desk system for The Open University library and holds professional qualifications in Solaris administration and Crystal Reports. He has worked as a consultant for The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual), where he contributed his knowledge of SuiteCRM as the backend of the organisation's case management and support system, installing the tool, adding modules, establishing relationships between data entities and customising the REST interface to improve integration with other systems.

Seran Bond is creative director and head of systems design. She graduated in Management and Systems from City St George's University of London and began her career at the publishing company Pearson Education (formerly Addison-Wesley Longman) as a marketing database executive. She subsequently developed her career in website design, database systems development and online interface design, with roles such as web content manager at an IT and telecoms research consultancy in central London and as IT project manager at The Open University in Milton Keynes. She founded IceStar Media in 2002.

Clients and reviews

The company collects client testimonials that highlight its quality and commitment. The chairman of Reach Society, Dwain Neil, states that IceStar Media has been his website designer of choice for several years and that its directors represent all that is good in creative, service-oriented internet providers. Daniel Phillips, head of eCommerce, endorses its work on several eCommerce projects. Hugh Howard, senior research specialist at SBD Automotive, highlights Mark Bond's ability to bring clarity in the early stages of a project, challenge the status quo and explain complex technical concepts to non-specialists.

Contact and company details

The company is open Monday to Friday, from 9:30am to 6pm. Its headquarters are at Mayden House, Long Bennington Business Park, Newark, Lincolnshire, NG23 5DJ, United Kingdom. Its company registration number is 5365843 and its UK VAT number is GB 854 1150 47.

Location and contact

Mayden House, Long Bennington Business Park, Newark, Lincolnshire, NG23 5DJ, UK · Phone: +44 (0)1476 848 168 · Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am to 6pm