Comms Dealer

Alternative Networks has issued a profit warning following 'significant ongoing pressures' on its mobile business, namely on roaming revenue and profitability arising from a combination of increased network competition and the regulatory headwinds carriers currently face.

The Group's Advanced Solutions business continues to make good progress following the completion of the integration of the acquisitions made in 2014, but this has been offset by the mobile shortfall, said the firm in a statement.

The Board currently estimates that for the six months ending 31 March 2016, aggregate revenue across the Group is expected to be broadly in line with the same period in the prior year.

The statement also notes that gross profit is expected to be, in percentage terms, low double digits below the level seen in the same period in the prior year resulting in Adjusted EBITDA also below the first half of FY2015.

The Group has taken measures to improve profit margins and is considering further mitigating actions that should alleviate some of this impact over the rest of the current financial year and beyond.

Mobile revenue and profitability reductions are being driven by significantly reduced roaming revenues as a result of new global tariffs launched by the carriers.

This impact is being seen across the UK mobile market but Alternative has been particularly impacted due to its comparatively larger roaming base.

Historically, the Group has generated a large proportion of mobile profits from roaming in both voice and data, particularly from outside of the EU as demonstrated by the comparatively high ARPU, said the company in a statement.

Alternative's approach has been to match competitive tariffs to retain customers and the Group will continue to invest in the mobile proposition to attract new customers and provide existing customers with a market leading experience.

The balance of the Group's portfolio - Advanced Solutions and Fixed Voice - continue to trade in line with the Board's expectations.

The Group's cash generation remains strong and in line with current guidance the Board currently intends to propose a full year dividend at least 10% above the prior year level moving to 15% in the medium-term.

Public sector digital transformation is more vital than ever amid the latest cuts, according to Skyscape Cloud Services.

"Although there was no direct mention of digital economy or transformation in his speech, the Chancellor's plans will place pressure on already many overstretched Government departments, necessitating the implementation of structural reforms," stated Nicky Stewart, commercial director at Skyscape Cloud Services.

"The Chancellor has announced a further £3.5bn cut in public spending by 2019/20 on top of last year's cuts, meaning that those departments which are not protected will have to revisit their plans.

"Many departments are already pared to the bone and appear to be struggling to make the efficiency gains set out in their previous plans. Achieving these latest cuts will be extremely challenging, making digital transformation of government services even more vital and compelling, especially regarding cloud adoption.

"However, there will be more devolution of power and spend to local communities with the Chancellor promising that by the end of this parliament, 100 percent of local government resources will come from local government. This measure could force the case for wider adoption of G-Cloud by local government over the course of this parliament, which is to be welcomed.

"The Chancellor has announced a number of measures that will benefit UK SMEs, and I would expect further galvanisation of the UK digital economy as a consequence.

"A reduction in corporation tax, coupled with measures to make the UK a more attractive prospect for international investment are balanced with measures to counter tax evasion and avoidance.

"Skyscape expects the vast majority of UK SMEs will welcome a level playing field from a UK tax perspective with the multi-nationals."

Call analytics company IOVOX has set its sights on global expansion via a channel model. The company has launched a new affiliate programme designed to extend its reach through local reseller partners.

"Customers like to buy from people and companies they trust," said Ryan Gallagher, founder and CEO of IOVOX.

"A big part of IOVOX's success has been working with partners and we have introduced a channel sales programme that allows us to reach more customers in locations all around the globe."

IOVOX has customers in 32 countries that use its analytics services to make call data visual, actionable, and as important as web data.

"Instead of trying to interpret a monthly phone bill to derive answers to important business questions, IOVOX provides businesses with a simple to use, easy to interpret, real-time dashboard to measure call performance," added Gallagher.

"By using data to reveal the truth about call performance, IOVOX helps businesses improve efficiency, deliver better customer service, and become more profitable in short order."

IOVOX also has a solution called IOVOX Insights which is available for integration into cloud PBX based SPs.

The solutions offered through channel partners require no involvement post-sale, due to IOVOX's customer onboarding and support, noted Gallagher.

Distributor Westcoast and Aerohive have parted company just eight months after linking up to extend the wireless vendor's reach in the UK.

When the deal was struck it was was hailed as a 'bold and significant mobility play for Westcoast' and described as a 'massive coup'.

Aerohive noted that the partnership was 'a great fit'.

The circumstances leading up to the split are unclear.

A joint statement simply said: 'Aerohive and WestCoast today announced to be parting ways by mutual consent'.

KPMG has welcomed the Chancellor's encouragement of connected vehicle technology in the UK.

Alex Holt, Partner and Head of Telecoms at KPMG, said: "While some people may be terrified about the prospect of autonomous or driverless vehicles on the streets of the UK, in my view it's a reality they'll need to get used to.
 
"The Government's announcement to bring down the regulatory barriers facing autonomous vehicles and establishing a ‘connected corridor' from London to Dover are the sort of measures that might encourage significant telecoms infrastructure investments.

"Seamless, high quality and ultra-fast fixed and mobile connectivity is essential for successful and safe deployment of connected vehicles.
 
"The sooner Ofcom can conclude the Digital Communications Review, the sooner organisations can get the long-term assurance they need to write the big cheques for telecoms infrastructure that will underpin the creation of new digital opportunities, such as connected vehicles."

NG Bailey's IT Services division has completed an IT infrastructure overhaul at the 11,000 capacity SSE Arena, Belfast, bringing the project home on budget and in time for the venue's sell-out relaunch in autumn 2015.
 
The £1.2m contract awarded to NG Bailey by the Odyssey Trust, required the development of a solution architecture together with the installation of 120km of Commscope Systimax CAT-6a structured cabling and a network of HP switches linked to a blown fibre ring enabling 10Gbp/s connectivity to edge devices and connecting numerous communications cabinets around the arena.

The physical network infrastructure supports an Aruba high density Wi-Fi solution which targets zones with directional antennas from the gantries above the crowd. In a UK first, the Wi-Fi solution enables visitors to order merchandise, food and drinks directly from their seats via the SSE Arena's mobile app.
 
Also installed is a state of the art IP-CCTV system, comprising over 70 high performance IP cameras from Axis, together with a new payment acceptance terminal and till infrastructure, a new IP telephony solution and an arena-wide network of digital signs to display booking information, crowd control messages and showcase forthcoming events.
 
All of the arena's new assets are IP-converged, giving network administrators a new level of systems coordination via a single platform. Many of the systems also support cloud-based remote systems management.
 

Today's budget included a number of announcements that will be welcomed by the UK tech sector, according to Julian David, techUK CEO.
 
He said: "The Chancellor's commitment to adopt all recommendations made by Professor Sir Charles Bean is positive recognition of the importance of the digital industry to the UK economy.

"Investment of £10m in a new hub for data science will help the public and private sector make better use of data, which has the potential to reduce cost and improve public services.
 
"5G represents the next stage of mobile development and will play a key role in future connectivity for people and businesses. The UK has the opportunity to be a world leader in the development of 5G, and the tech community will be keen to contribute to the National Infrastructure Commission's assessment of how this can be achieved.
 
"techUK members will be pleased to see the government's ambition for the UK to be at the forefront of the development of autonomous vehicles, alongside support for the sharing economy."

AlienVault has signed a global distribution agreement with Westcon-Comstor and will take part in Westcon-Comstor's Global Incubation Programme, which helps technology vendors develop global distribution relationships for their products and services.

Based on the agreement, Westcon-Comstor's global network of technology solution providers will now have access to AlienVault's Unified Security Management (USM) platform. The new agreement also enables these partners to more efficiently address worldwide security market opportunities and gives AlienVault access to a proven distribution channel.

"With this distribution agreement in place we can immediately and significantly expand our global reach," said Anthony D'Angelo, vice president of worldwide channel sales, AlienVault.

Onyx Group has appointed Andrew Bevan a Director of Client Solutions with a remit to oversee the design and implementation of new customer solutions and services.

He will also contribute to the development and introduction of new propositions.

Bevan said: "I am looking forward to applying both my industry and technical experience to help deliver the aggressive growth plans the company has in place. I can't wait to get started."

Onyx Group CEO Neil Stephenson added: "In Andrew, we have appointed someone with the technical capabilities and business acumen to exceed our customers' expectations. It is testimony to the progress being made at Onyx that we can recruit people with Andrew's pedigree and I am confident that he will have a big impact on our business."

Bevan's appointment is the latest move in Onyx Group's long-term plan to become a £100 million revenue IT support and services business within the next five years.

Fujitsu has appointed Andy Hooper as Distribution Sales Manager UK&I. He brings 20 years IT experience including a stint at Hammer where he was nominated for the Storage Awards Channel Excellence award three times, winning in 2011. As Business Development Manager he grew Hammer's external storage business by 1,400 per cent in two years. He went on to become Sales Manager and later General Manager of UK Sales.

Kevin Matthews, Head of Channel and Direct Services at Fujitsu UK&I, said: "Andy brings a proven track record in growing vendor franchises within the distribution segment. His first task will be to shape our distribution strategy as we move into our new financial year."

Hooper added: "I hope to use my 20 years of experience to bring fresh ideas and help develop a new and exciting strategy for the foreseeable future."