Comms Dealer

Lee Perkins has joined Manchester-based network operator and ISP Metronet (UK) as Chief Executive Officer.

He brings 20 years experience working in senior commercial roles including stints at Tech Data UK, Computacenter and IQ-Sys. He was most recently EVP and Managing Director of Sage UK & Ireland.

Perkins is actively involved with topics surrounding the Northern Powerhouse and Digital Skills of the North and is a frequently noted commentator. In addition, he is a member of the Tech North Advisory Board and a leadership committee member for the Princes Trust.

Andy Lockwood, Chairman of Metronet (UK), said: "With our ambition to become the UK's leading alternative technology network operator and ISP, securing a CEO of Lee's pedigree to drive the next phase of our growth and development is a reflection both of the scale of our opportunity and of our ambition."

A new ordering portal launched to dealers by Jola Cloud Solutions allows partners to build co-branded, online sales proposals for multiple products in one portal, and send them directly to end users to accept, triggering off the order provisioning process.

Andrew Dickinson, MD, commented: "We have been working hard on automating the quoting and ordering tools for our growing partner base. Jola dealers can now build an online quote for connectivity, hosted voice and mobile SIMs in minutes, which is co-branded and emailed directly to their end users. The customer only needs to click on a link in the email to place their order.

"The new portal adds value for our dealer partners who can take advantage of the quick, professional proposals automatically generated with full product descriptions included."

Jola is running webinars to demonstrate its new portal.

Managed services provider GCI has added more scale and skills to the business following the acquisition of Essex-based Fusion Media Networks for an undisclosed sum. GCI CEO Adrian Thirkill revealed that the firm's gaze had fallen on Fusion at least two years ago.

"We have been keeping a quiet eye on its progress," he stated. "As part of the GCI family Fusion's customers will now benefit from our scale, managed services portfolio and our multi-million investment in technologies and monitoring and management systems."

Wayne Martin, GCI's founder and Chairman, added: "As I look back on GCI's journey, it's nice to reflect on the many fine organisations that are now woven into our DNA.

"They build scale, add new and contemporary services, bring a depth of technical experience and, piece-by-piece, they are transforming GCI into something special.

"Our aim, through rolling acquisition and continual up-skilling, is to keep ahead of the curve. It's as simple as that."

Thirkill noted that GCI's acquisition activity is just one strand of its growth plan.

"In the last four months alone we have assembled a seasoned and proven leadership team with decades of experience in what 'good' looks like.

"There is now a palpable energy building across GCI and a common objective.

"Our growth will not just come from acquisitions, but from the joined-up effort of empowered staff, good management and clear direction.

"These are early days in the next stage of GCI's journey, but I feel the company is tracking nicely as we continue our push through the MSP premiership. But there is more to do and more to come - watch this space."

Lee Norvall, CEO at Essex-based Fusion Media, added: "Building Fusion has been my passion and total focus over the last few years.

"The fact that it is now part of the GCI Group feels right.
"GCI's grasp of the fast changing technology landscape and its consultative approach is exactly right."

Over 150 customers and prospects attended Alternative's FusionLIVE 2016 event at the end of last month.

Held at Victoria House in London the show was intended to provide a deep insight into the service provider's proposition set, which is built around workspace, collaboration, infrastructure, and visibility and control.

Alternative's creative team used the sprawling whitewashed basement of the neoclassical building as a canvass to create a series of sets, tech bars, theatres and workspaces, to reinforce Alternative's consolidated 'device to data centre' propositions.

The busy tech bars enabled delegates to talk and test products openly with experts from Alternative and vendor partners, while a packed keynote theatre provided a series of business IT focused presentations from Microsoft, Avaya, Citrix, Wandera and Netapp.

Alternative has had a hectic 18 months following the acquisitions of InterceptIT and ControlCircle, and the opening of its new group headquarters and concept lab at 240 Blackfriars Road in London.

The company's products and services include cloud computing, virtualisation, managed hosting, fixed line voice, mobile, systems, IP networks and complex billing software solutions.

Nick Burrows, Proposition Director at Alternative, commented: "FusionLIVE gives our customers access to a range of resources they need in order to make the right choices for optimising, augmenting and developing their IT infrastructures and deliver tangible business outcomes.

"By bringing everything together under one roof, customers have the opportunity to see how things work both individually and as a whole, hence the name Fusion."

Pictured are Alternative's Fusion Live creators Aidan Jackson (Communications Director), Nick Burrows (Proposition Director) and Suzanne Langton (Marketing Manager).

Ellie Farley has rejoined Entatech UK as Microsoft Product Manager, picking up on a previous five year stint working at the distributor.

Her remit is to increase Entatech's market share and help customers to upsell from Windows Home to Pro. She will also lead the distributor's licensing business and front-up Entatech's DPaaS (Digital Platform as a Service) for the firm's electronic software fulfilment.

Dave Stevinson, Entatech MD, said: "Ellie is no stranger to Entatech's reseller partners and was one of the reasons why our Microsoft business grew so much. Ellie's return will cement the existing foundations and provide a fantastic platform for our ambitious growth plans.

"Our investment in Microsoft software has been extensive in early 2016 and we are looking to increase our headcount to capitalise on new marketing and product initiatives. By reintroducing Ellie to the team, this demonstrates our commitment to Microsoft and the partners."

Content Guru has been awarded a Queen's Award for Enterprise for its storm CONTACT cloud contact centre product.

storm CONTACT has been adopted by hundreds of the world's largest enterprises and allows customers to communicate using any type of medium, such as email, instant messaging, SMS, social media, video and voice and provides a range of fully-automated and agent-assisted services for sectors such as financial services, online, retail, travel and utilities.

Sean Taylor, CEO of Content Guru, commented: "Cloud computing is currently undergoing tremendous growth and we have been able to utilise that technology to improve the customer engagement services that enterprises large through to small are able to offer.

"Behind the scenes the Content Guru team have had to work incredibly hard to keep at the forefront of our industry and receiving a Queen's Award is such a tremendous way to recognise that effort, especially in such a special year during which the Queen celebrates her 90th birthday."

Daisy Group has updated the comms infrastructure at a flat once occupied by the legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix.

The London flat, now a museum opened in February, benefits from hosted VoIP and dedicated managed broadband provision.

Simona Tocco, Facilities and Buildings Manager at Handel & Hendrix in London (a museum dedicated to composer George Frideric Handel is in the adjoining property), said: "I had no idea what a hosted VoIP telephone system was prior to speaking to Daisy."

Due to the museum's location and Grade I listed building status, fibre broadband was unavailable, so Daisy installed a dedicated managed Internet connection, not shared with other businesses, which provides guaranteed speeds and improved reliability.

Dave McGinn, Managing Director at Daisy SMB Services, added: "It's a real thrill for us to be so centrally involved in preserving the legacy of such an iconic figure as Jimi Hendrix. He was an innovator himself, just like we are, so we hope he's looking down with approval!"

With the deadline for Fastest 4 approaching, partners have less than a fortnight to qualify to race supercars at the world renowned Aerodrome at Palmer Sport on June 8th.

There will be many new faces at this year's event as 50% of racers are newly on-boarded partners and ex-stig Ben Collins is looking forward to putting both new and long established Partners through their paces.

"I gather we have some fresh meat on the track this year alongside the track veterans, which is great news for my scream collection. I'll be doing another SuperRide in the Palmer Jaguar JP-LM so I'll make sure they get the full Le Mans experience!" said Collins, host at this year's Fastest 4.

The Fastest 4 incentive is proving more popular than ever according to Henry West, Head of Channel Sales at KCOM.

He said: "Ethernet Lines and Leased Lines are the most popular point getters so far this year but we do have some players that qualified really quickly by signing managed WAN deals with us. It's the quickest way to race!"

www.fastest4.co.uk

Bob Swallow is to lead Logicalis UK as MD following his promotion from Sales Director and the completion of a wider company restructure.

Swallow said: "We're seeing a decisive change in leadership priorities across the world. We understand that prioritising digital transformation is front of mind for many progressive organisations, and therefore we've spent the past 12-18 months adapting our own business to support and serve our customers on their digital transformation journeys."

"This year our focus is on making Every Customer a Reference, and to achieve this, we anticipate growth in our core portfolio of solutions and services, investment in disruptive technologies and services and the simplification of our business processes."

Mark Rogers, CEO, added: "Bob brings a wealth of experience to the role having spent the past three decades leading IT businesses in key sales and executive management positions."

A digital divide is opening up across the British economy, with just over half (55%) of 'pioneer' firms adopting digital technologies and processes, while the other half (45%) are falling behind, according to new research by the CBI and IBM.

Despite the UK taking top place globally for e-commerce and fifth place for the availability of technology, it ranks only 14th in the world for company-level adoption of digital technology, with many companies struggling to digitise their businesses at the rate of peers in other countries.

Companies cite a mix of connectivity challenges and security concerns as barriers to digital adoption, but predominantly they are hindered by a lack of appropriate skills inside their business (42% of firms) and an unclear return on investment (33%).

The problem is not lack of conviction about the potential impact. Nearly all firms believe that digital technology has the ability to revolutionise the business landscape, driving productivity (94%), growth and job creation, and almost three quarters (73%) see improved customer satisfaction and experience as its biggest benefit.

Carolyn Fairbairn, CBI Director-General, said: "Businesses globally are in the throes of an extraordinary digital revolution that is transforming productivity and creating a new generation of winning companies. But in the UK, too many firms are being left behind.

"While pioneering firms are seizing digital opportunities, nearly half are struggling - a growing digital divide that is threatening UK competitiveness.

"It's vital that businesses in all sectors - from manufacturing to retail - truly understand digital technology's potential, from the boardroom to the shop or factory floor.

"Giving digital a human face by appointing a Chief Technology Officer will help businesses build the long-term digital strategies that will be critical to their futures."