After a short stint at internet company e.spire Communications, Irvin was approached by Alfred Mockett and accepted in May 1999 the position of President of the Content and Media Hosting division of BT Ignite, the broadband and Internet services business of British Telecommunications, plc.
Irvin's career path led him from a temporary position at e.spire Communications to being recruited by Alfred Mockett in May 1999 to head the Content and Media Hosting department at BT Ignite, which was part of British Telecommunications' broader Internet and broadband services offerings.