Your technology partner – through COVID-19 and beyond

It’s been a full year since Boris Johnson’s dramatic address from Downing Street, when people across England were told categorically to ‘stay at home’. The journey from then to now has been long and difficult, but the vaccine rollout and phased easing of restrictions provide hope that a return to some semblance of normal is coming.

Throughout the pandemic, it’s been our goal to keep you fully informed and updated through various communications and resources. For this latest business update, we share insights from Dermot Briody – MRI’s Executive Managing Director for Europe. Dermot reflects on an unprecedented 12 months, discusses how MRI has continued to serve and support clients, and looks ahead to what the rest of 2021 has in store.

How have COVID-related restrictions affected MRI’s ability to deliver software?

“We’ve actually delivered more software projects in the past year than ever before in the European region. So, I must say thank you. Thank you to my MRI colleagues, and most importantly to you, our valued clients. We couldn’t have done what we’ve done without our teams and our users adapting so successfully to remote working – continuing to collaborate and innovate despite the obstacles in place.”

Has working from home been problematic for MRI users?

“There’s no denying this past year has been challenging, but today’s technological capabilities have made it possible for teams and individuals to operate effectively from home. For example, we’ve certainly seen the benefits of recent investments in our data centres. More and more clients are relying on our world-class SaaS infrastructure, and that infrastructure has stood up to the test. As a result, we’ve been able to help clients quickly migrate from on-premise setups to a hosted environment – minimising disruption to their business.”

Has the pandemic impacted MRI’s growth and business performance?

“As many people will have heard, our business has expanded significantly in the region over the last year – most notably in the social housing sector. I’m proud to say we are now more than 750 people strong (out of 2,000 globally), serving all of the major asset classes in the UK real estate industry. But, while we have continued on our growth trajectory despite the uncertain market, what matters most is our commitment to being a trusted technology partner and advisor for our clients. It’s what we strive to deliver every day.”

What measures has MRI put in place to ensure client engagement during the first half of 2021?

“Our comprehensive client interaction programme quickly moved to an online format when the pandemic was declared – with various user events, webinars and virtual seminars running throughout 2020 and into the start of this year. Across our teams we’ve created more digital content, free training, resources and various other materials in a bid to provide as much support and guidance as possible. The mantra is, and will continue to be, ‘we’re here to help in any way we can’. To demonstrate, we’ve just announced that our MRI Ascend Europe client conference will be taking place in May – delivered via a dedicated virtual event environment. While we (hopefully) can look forward to a return to an in-person exhibition in 2022, the virtual format has a number of benefits and we’re tremendously excited to be bringing you a fantastic set of sessions covering the full depth and breadth of real estate technology.”

Looking further ahead, what is the longer-term vision for MRI in Europe?

“Simply put, we want to be the best – delivering world-class software, services and support each and every day. You’ll see more organic and acquisitive growth as we continue to enhance our offering. You’ll see further innovation as it pertains to a single software experience across our ecosystem of MRI products and Partner solutions. And we’ll continue our relentless focus on client satisfaction – measured in both qualitative and quantitative terms. There are challenges yet to come, of course. But there are also opportunities. I am confident in the ability of the MRI team to deliver for you, and I believe our partnership will see us succeed together.”

Dermot, and other executive leaders from the MRI team, will be sharing much more on our company vision and software innovation at the upcoming MRI Ascend Europe virtual client conference. Visit the dedicated event website to learn more and view the full agenda.