About Adept
A bureau that learned to build software, and still runs the bureau
Adept started with a simple idea: publishers deserve a subscriptions partner who knows the trade inside out and can change the software when the business needs it. That's still the whole idea.
Where we came from
Our founder, Rob Sherwood, started out at the big subscription bureaux, WDIS, Optima and CDS Global, looking after circulation for titles like the Financial Times, The Economist and Haymarket's brands. Several of our team came the same way: Kevin from CDS Global, Abacus e-media and WDIS, Julie from Wilmington, VNU and Datateam.
What we saw, over and over, was publishers stuck with legacy bureau systems that hadn't kept up, a separate tool for every job, and audits that turned into annual panics. The people knew what they needed. The systems just couldn't do it, and changing them took months.
What we did about it
Rob founded Adept Data Services to put modern bureau services and modern software under one roof. Along the way we acquired proven publishing software from CDS Global and rebuilt it into Avio, our enterprise subscription platform. Then we built Adeptis for smaller publishers who wanted their CRM, circulation, news sites and advertising in one place.
Both are built and supported by our own in-house development team in the UK. Most of that team are publishing experts as well as developers, so when you describe a problem they already know what a renewal series, a controlled circulation request or a deferred revenue report should look like.
Why it's quicker with us
Because we own the software, we don't raise tickets with a supplier and wait. And because we use AI coding tools in a careful, controlled way, changes that used to take a quarter now take days. Here's exactly how we do that without cutting corners.
What we believe
Clear communication, figures you can trust, and long-term relationships. Whether you run our software yourself, hand the work to our bureau, or a bit of both, you deal with the same experienced people throughout.
When we joined Adept, the team worked hard to transfer all our data, making sure a smooth transition took place. What is also good is that they are forthcoming with new ideas to help our business grow. That's really important in B2B media, and appreciated.
Publishers who work with us include
Credentials
The boring but important bits
Cyber Essentials certified
Independently certified against the government-backed Cyber Essentials scheme. Our software adds two-factor login and audit trails as standard.
AgilePM (DSDM) practitioners
We run projects with the AgilePM method, built on DSDM: fixed time, agreed priorities, frequent working releases.
Registered with the ICO
We're registered as a data controller (CSN0432962) and act as a data processor for our clients' subscriber data.
