Today, Newbridge Business Centre (NBC) is a state-of-the-art digital hub located in Charlotte House in Newbridge Town, Co. Kildare. 

Built in 1840 the prestigious landmark has transformed into a modern co-working space offering multinational companies and professional individuals a flexible high-end office facility with high-speed internet connectivity, top-tier cyber security and professional support services.

The business hub boasts: 

• 60-desk workspace and digital hub.
• Private offices and co-working areas.
• Three meeting rooms, 18 offices and extra hot desks.
• A unique soundproofed booth for content creators.
• Modern kitchen, breakout spaces and a rooftop garden
• Private Offices include an optional daily desk booking system.
• Receptionist and administration support

It also offers refreshments, secure bike racks and lockers in the centre of the town – just a 22-minute relaxing train journey from Dublin City Centre. Clients of Newbridge Business Centre benefit from high-speed broadband, security, electricity, heating, rates, office furniture, cleaning and waste disposal.

The building, which is rich in history as the birthplace of Crystallographer Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, has been meticulously renovated by Martin and Ainé Cooper. The five-year renovation has ensured the protected building’s longevity. The facility has been brought back to the future by Sleepless. Launched in 2023, NBC is the most cyber-secure co-working facility in Ireland.

The Technology Challenges

Sleepless Managing Director Daragh Naughton met with the visionary owner/developer Martin Cooper when Charlotte House was a derelict shell, having fallen into disrepair following years of neglect. Martin immediately saw the potential in the historic Newbridge site and shared his vision for a cutting-edge modern workspace. 

NBC understands the importance of high-quality IT infrastructure and secure internet access. For this reason, the business centre invested heavily in the best technology solutions available. 

Martin told us, 

“I spent 25 years working in business centres in the UK, North America and the Middle East. I could see where these types of buildings usually fall short. I designed the Newbridge Business Centre with the architect to address all my gripes! 

Busy professionals need fast, reliable broadband and inexpensive phone and video call solutions. They want to grab a coffee and take a break in a relaxed environment. They want easy access to data points. The little things make a huge difference to the comfort and productivity of your day. We spend a lot of our time at work. Let’s make it work for us.”  

The IT Security Solutions

Martin wanted to create a remote hub with exceptional IT infrastructure and IT Security.

Martin explains, “We went out to several IT consultancies knowing the sort of quality of service we wanted. Sleepless came recommended and they kind of got it straight away. We felt when talking to Daragh, that there was a good quality of service and understanding of what we wanted. It was a much nicer, more comfortable professional conversation. The main driver for me has always been the quality of the service. It was very refreshing to talk to people who we were confident could do the job.” 

Sleepless helped to design and build the innovative IT system and network solution available at the Newbridge workspace. It provides IT support, a fully managed VoIP (Voice over IP phone calls) network plus cyber security support for the remote working hub. This allows for high-performance, secure WiFi, telephony, and firewall services for all NBC customers.

Other Managed IT features include: 

• Free VoIP call with Ireland and the UK
• High-speed business-grade secure broadband
• Newbridge Business Centre also has a backup secondary failover internet access line to ensure continuity of service. 
• It offers 18 secure Wi-Fi access points throughout the building, including the roof terrace! 
• Customer and guest Wi-Fi access is controlled through a secure password system. 
• Every private suite is protected behind a corporate firewall, with each office having its own protected network. 
• Support is available, even in the event of a power failure. 
• NBC clients can avail of dedicated IP addresses and Wi-Fi network if required. 
• High-speed CAT 6A network cabling runs throughout Charlotte House. The network comprises 300 wired data points accessing a fast 1 GB internet service. 

As Martin said,

“You will never need to look for a charge point, a mains socket or a data point in this building, by design we have completely overstated it.” 

Sleepless MD, Daragh Naughton commented, 

“Martin has created something very unique in Newbridge, that he should be very proud of. The facility is second to none, merging past and future. You don't see a facility like this too often. It's quite exclusive. The technology in use will suit every kind of business, and customers of NBC can rest assured that the technology in the building is high-performance, reliable and secure. It has been a pleasure to work with Martin and the team, and I have no doubt that this business will be a roaring success. Well done to all.”

Managed IT and Support Services 

Sleepless offers technical support to the Charlotte House network, ensuring its customers have the peace of mind that their Internet Infrastructure and systems are in safe hands. The proactive support team of Glen and Shane are available to ensure the continuity of business operations to everyone working and co-creating at Newbridge Business Centre. The result is a best-of-breed solution that gives Charlotte House residents a fantastic work environment where they can be productive without problems.

Sleepless is here to support your productivity at every step. We’ll leave the last word to Martin, 

“People can't believe how neat the Comms Cabinet is! Glen did a fantastic job. It's the job that I would have expected with my background starting out as a bench technician and moving into the aerospace industry. Glen comes from the same mindset. We have a very good relationship with Glen and Shane. They clearly understand what we wanted to achieve and they're very personable. You can have a very nice easy flowing conversation. They are ‘jeans and trainers guys’ who will get in with their sleeves rolled up and get the job done. Any problems that we had they just found solutions for and got stuck in.”