BCN | In the News

Globally recognised software company BCN has made Bury its new home

Booking Online Ltd, known for creating cutting-edge live reservation systems for event and leisure businesses, has relocated from the Sharp Project in Manchester to Castlecroft Court in the heart of Bury.
The move marks a significant step for the business, which supports over 7,000 users across 24 countries. After more than a decade in Manchester, the company has chosen Bury as the ideal base to support its growing team of developers and support staff.

Director Aftab Ali said:
“We’d been searching for the right location for almost three years. With many of our team relying on public transport, we needed somewhere well-connected but also vibrant. Castlecroft Court offered the perfect blend – a great workspace, excellent transport links, and all the benefits of being close to Bury town centre.”

Booking Online Ltd has earned international recognition from trusted review platforms including Software Advice, Capterra, GetApp, and CLW, being ranked among the world’s top booking software providers for three consecutive years.

Since its founding, the company has expanded through key acquisitions, including Rochdale-based Zen Internet’s web team in 2017 and Manchester digital agency Sizzle Media in 2019. That same year, it made a splash at the IAAPA Expo, one of the largest events for the attractions industry, scooping the Best Newcomer award on the opening day.

Since the pandemic, Booking Online has gone from strength to strength, winning awards for both Best Software and Best Customer Support in the UK and US markets.

The company now operates from its new Bury base with a team of 23, continuing to support businesses globally with its homegrown tech solutions.

Co-operative-inspired entrepreneurs recognised as top rental software provider

BCN, a sub-brand of Booking Online Ltd, has been acknowledged as a leading Booking Software Solution by renowned platforms such as Software Advice, Capterra, Get App, and CLW.

This recognition comes as part of Software Advice’s FrontRunners Report for Top Rental Software of 2023, which evaluates verified end-user reviews to determine the top-performing products based on usability and customer satisfaction ratings.

In this global survey, BCN has achieved an outstanding overall rating of 4.97 out of 5, based on verified feedback from active customers over a period of 12 months.

Established in Rochdale, in 2006, Booking Online is an online booking system used by thousands of businesses in 19 countries. The company is run by Rochdale-born entrepreneurs Aftab Ali, Eddie, and Fiona Daniels.

Aftab Ali, co-founder at Booking Online Ltd, said: “Since 2018, we have witnessed tremendous business growth, particularly in the US market. Managing this growth while upholding our 5-star customer support service across diverse demographics has been a challenge, and these user-based awards truly validate that our Rochdale cooperative-inspired service-over-profits approach is effective.”

One satisfied user provided the following review: “BCN offers an impressive level of detail and functionality at an affordable price. They place great importance on training and onboarding, with in-system reminders and tips on enhancing SEO and user experience. The service is excellent, and we can easily communicate through online chat for instant support or use the in-app ticketing system. For more complex requests, we can call, and they always make us feel welcome.”

Fiona Daniels added: “We are thrilled to receive this recognition based on our customers’ feedback, highlighting our commitment to exceptional customer support. We have nurtured great relationships with our clients over the years, and the entire Booking Online team genuinely appreciates the validation from these awards.”

Booking Online Ltd launch software services in the US

Rochdale entrepreneurs Eddie Daniels and Aftab Ali of Booking Online Ltd launched their online booking system services in the US at IAAPA, the world’s largest events industry tradeshow in Orlando, Florida.

With the support of the DIT, Booking Online Ltd launched their multi-award-winning business with much fanfare, showcasing their solutions to their growing US customer base.

Booking Online Ltd is servicing over 3,000 customers from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Europe, Ireland and the UK. The organisation has been building up its presence in the US for the past year.

Their online booking platform is recognised as one of the most advanced booking systems in the event rental industry. They have processed over two million bookings, worth over $610m, a target they are aiming to double over the next three years.

In a surprise turn of events, Booking Online Ltd won an award in Florida. They ranked in second place for ‘Best New Product’ at the Brass Ring Awards in the ‘Services, Equipment and Supplies’ category. It is the first time that a business in the events software industry has won this award.

Aftab Ali, co-founder of Booking Online Ltd said: “Winning an award was a really nice surprise, we didn’t even realise we had won as we were so busy processing orders and doing software demonstrations. It was only after the event organisers third visit to our stand that we realised we had won an award.”

With co-founder Eddie Daniels now based in the US, Booking Online Ltd will be recruiting a sales and tech support team. He mentions: “We have decided to open our first office in Denver, being a very central location, we can cover multiple time zones so we can continue to offer a high level of technical support to our US customers.”

In January 2017, Booking Online Ltd acquired Rochdale-based Zen Web Solutions, the web design subsidiary of Zen Internet Ltd.