Finalist Q&A: AADT, UK IT Industry Awards finalist
'The next leap isn't technology for its own sake; it's better, safer public services.'
A&A Digital Tech (AADT), a UK IT Industry Awards finalist, cites repeat public-sector wins and a zero-disruption 1.2 billion-record migration as its proudest achievements this year.
The UK IT Industry Awards are the largest and most well-known event in the technology industry calendar. Owned and operated by Computing and BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, the awards enjoy a level of professionalism and industry knowledge not seen at other shows.
This year's winners will be announced at a live awards ceremony on Wednesday, 11th November in London.
A&A Digital Tech Ltd. is in the final for the Services Company of the Year (SME) award.
We talked to Murala Rama Rao, Founder and Director of A&A Digital Tech (AADT) to learn more about the company's biggest challenges and achievements over the past year.
Murala Rama Rao brings nearly three decades of experience in enterprise architecture, software engineering and digital transformation to AADT. Progressing from hands-on software development to leading complex technology programmes, he founded AADT in 2016 to combine deep engineering expertise with the agility of a specialist SME.
He champions AI, intelligent automation, cloud modernisation, cybersecurity and secure-by-design digital services. His leadership drives AADT’s growth through innovation, engineering excellence and strategic partnerships, while building high-performing teams that deliver complex, mission-critical public-sector transformation with measurable business outcomes.
What prompted you to enter the UK IT Awards this year?
Our size defines our category, not the scale of the challenges we solve. We entered Services Company of the Year (SME) to showcase what a specialist digital engineering and technology services company can achieve: engineering excellence, bold innovation and measurable customer impact.
With strong business growth, proven delivery of complex, mission-critical public-sector programmes and growing industry recognition, AADT demonstrates that SME agility and enterprise-scale delivery go hand in hand.
Following two Cloud Excellence Awards wins and recognition at the British Data Awards, this felt like the right moment to stand alongside industry leaders. Above all, we celebrate our people, partners and shared achievements.
What would winning this award mean to your people and your customers / partners?
Awards recognise achievements; people and partnerships make them possible. Winning would be a proud moment for our engineers, architects, testers and delivery professionals whose expertise powers vital public services, often behind the scenes. Many have shaped AADT's journey over several years, and national recognition would celebrate their dedication, teamwork and engineering excellence.
For our customers and partners, it would reinforce confidence in AADT's ability to deliver complex, mission-critical transformation with the security, accountability and continuity they expect from larger organisations.
More than a trophy, winning would recognise our people, strengthen partnerships and celebrate trust earned through consistent delivery.
What would you say is your company's proudest achievement over the past year?
The strongest endorsement of our work isn't an award - it's a customer choosing us again and again. Securing our third consecutive Enterprise Solution Architecture engagement with a UK public-sector organisation demonstrates sustained customer confidence in our technical expertise, engineering excellence and delivery reliability.
We also successfully migrated and synchronised 1.2 billion-plus records for a major UK public-sector organisation, achieving zero service disruption, significantly reduced processing times and multi-million-pound annual cost avoidance. Our two 2026 Cloud Excellence Awards further recognise our engineering excellence and delivery achievements.
For AADT, our proudest achievement is earning lasting customer trust through consistent performance, measurable business outcomes and successful delivery of mission-critical public services.
What have been the biggest challenges of the current year so far and how have you overcome that? How have people and partners helped with that?
Winning new business drives growth. Earning the trust to deliver consistently, at scale, defines success. Our biggest challenge has been scaling delivery across multiple complex public-sector programmes while maintaining engineering excellence, security and uninterrupted service continuity, alongside growing demand for specialist cloud, AI and cybersecurity expertise.
We addressed this through structured capability planning, investment in continuous learning, retaining experienced professionals and rigorous engineering assurance. Our strategic partnerships with leading technology and delivery organisations bring complementary expertise, strengthen collaboration and support successful delivery across complex programmes.
What lessons do you think the industry has learned over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?
AI isn't a strategy until it delivers secure, measurable outcomes. The industry's biggest lesson is that experimentation alone does not equal transformation. AI-assisted engineering, intelligent automation and agentic workflows offer significant opportunities to improve productivity, streamline complex processes and accelerate service delivery.
However, trusted data, cybersecurity, responsible governance and human oversight remain essential.
Looking ahead, we must move beyond isolated AI pilots to secure, scalable solutions integrated into everyday operations, modernise legacy systems and measure success through tangible improvements in efficiency, resilience and user experience.
Greater collaboration between government, established technology providers and specialist SMEs can combine complementary expertise, agility and engineering excellence to turn AI innovation into smarter, safer public services and lasting value for communities.
What do you see as the main opportunities for the industry in the coming 12 months? How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?
The next leap isn't technology for its own sake; it's better, safer public services. Secure cloud modernisation, AI-assisted engineering, Agentic AI and intelligent automation offer significant opportunities to improve productivity without disrupting essential operations.
AADT is already exploring these opportunities through our Agentic AI innovation initiative, underpinned by strong technical governance, security and responsible AI principles.
Over the next 12 months, we'll expand our AI and automation capabilities, accelerate cloud modernisation and pursue further public-sector transformation programmes. We'll strengthen strategic partnerships and invest in specialist skills, apprenticeships and local employment.
Our ambition is simple: turn innovation into faster delivery, measurable outcomes and lasting benefits for the communities we serve.
The UK IT Industry Awards will take place on 11th November in London. Click here to view the shortlist and here to book your table.