Comms Dealer

MeetingZone is to offer a new cloud-based video conferencing service called Cisco Collaboration Meeting Rooms (CMR) Cloud.

The service enables video conferencing participants to come together in one meeting experience irrespective of the devices and software they use to connect.

Participants can join using video from standard desktop or mobile video conferencing services like Cisco WebEx to high-end immersive systems such as those from Cisco, Lifesize, Tandberg and Polycom. Anyone joining a meeting can share the same conferencing experience of audio, video and content sharing regardless of location or device.

Cisco CMR Cloud allows companies to make use of their existing investments in hardware and software. With MeetingZone's subscription-based pricing model, it means avoiding unnecessary capital cost, said the firm.

"Cisco CMR Cloud is the glue that sticks all these video conferencing systems together. It's best thought of as a secure, virtual meeting room in the cloud," said MeetingZone's CEO, Steve Gandy.

"But whereas traditionally such rooms required participants to have the exact key to gain entry - in other words, they all needed to be on the same system - CMR Cloud lets you give people a skeleton key that opens the door regardless of the technology they're using."

Swyx Solution has produced a jargon-free and non-technical white paper designed to help IT buyers quickly grasp the benefits of cloud-based UC and how the technology works.

Harald Bender, Vice President Marketing at Swyx, said: "Although there is plenty of discussions around cloud there is still some confusion over the advantages it can offer the average SME and whether it is right for everyone.

"This informative guide explains how cloud works but also more closely explores how organisations can benefit from cloud-based unified communications and draws comparisons with an on-premise solution."

Focus Group has revealed expansion plans that will see the comms provider relocate to a bigger HQ in Shoreham next year and embark on a recruitment campaign to boost its current 160 staff headcount.

In preparation for its next phase of growth Focus Group has launched a new website that offers quick access to key information on current UC solutions.

The company started out 11 years ago with just five employees and has grown into a major force, scooping a Comms Dealer Reseller Sales Team of the Year award.

Avnet Technology Solutions has launched a CloudReady Programme in the UK, an initiative designed to provide Avnet business partners with the tools and knowledge required to evolve their cloud strategy.

To launch the programme, Avnet is hosting a partner briefing created in conjunction with HP and VMware, on Tuesday 16th June at the Coppid Beech Hotel in Bracknell, Berkshire.

Entitled Future-Proof Your Cloud Proposition, the briefing will reveal the latest findings from industry research and provide delegates with top tips on how to future-proof their own IT strategy.

Industry analyst IDC will present the results from its latest end user surveys of buyers' attitudes and priorities. Cloud specialists from HP, VMware and Avnet will address the major challenges facing IT service providers today and answer some of the most commonly asked questions around HP and VMware cloud solutions.

Christian Curtis, Sales Director, Avnet Technology Solutions UK, said: "We are fast approaching the time when the cloud will simply be the new way business is done and IT is provisioned.

"However, the reality is that many end users and channel organisations are not geared up for the change. IT management are often battling against complex, inflexible systems and infrastructure capacity limitations that compromise their ability to deliver a timely and competitive service to their customers.

"Meanwhile the channel is looking to broaden its capabilities by selling beyond products and break-fix services by offering cloud solutions and managed services that add business value, minimise financial risk and build recurring revenue streams."

In addition to the research from IDC, there will be a series of business-led presentations on how cloud solutions can help boost competitive advantage and enable business partners to respond quickly and efficiently to increased and constantly changing service demands.

Curtis added: "By working closely with supplier partners such as HP and VMware and applying Avnet's SolutionsPath methodology, we are positioned to enable our business partners to take the right evolutionary steps to deliver a seamless service to their customers while keeping ahead of the competition.

"This briefing is an opportunity for business partners and supplier partners to network, share ideas and gain insight into what the future holds. The next step will be for us to develop joint business plans to support our partners' new goals and strategies."

Nimans' evolution from traditional comms distributor to solution architect has taken another step forward with the renaming of its Systems Sales team to Solutions Sales.

Solutions Sales comprises 14 skilled professionals across five system brands - Unify, Panasonic, Samsung, NEC and iQ PBX - each with their own dedicated business development team.

Head of Category Sales, Paul Burn, said: "Some people still perceive us as just a traditional voice distributor but there's much more to us than that. We focus on delivering complete end to end solutions,from the planning through to installation and post sales support.

"The rebrand is a flag in the ground and a statement of intent of who we are as a company and most importantly how we serve our customers.

"Our expertise encompasses much more than just the box on the wall. For example we are developing new areas of activity around WLAN as well as data connectivity and Skype For Business integration - and we also have our own dedicated leasing and network services divisions."

Mitel's Mavenir Mobile Division has won the NFV Innovation of the Year award at the Network Virtualisation and SDN World event staged in London.

This is the third Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) Innovation award in 12 months for Mitel's Mavenir Mobile virtualised solutions, which enable mobile service providers to offer innovative services such as VoLTE, VoWiFi and Rich Communications and messaging services.

Pardeep Kohli, President of Mitel's Mavenir Mobile Division, said: "Service Providers are looking to NFV to not just virtualise, but revolutionise.

"The move to all-IP LTE and IMS networks based upon NFV/SDN architectures is bringing revolutionary change to mobile networks and services.

"We have consistently seen significant cost and time-to-market advantages for service providers with advancements such as NFV which enables fast, efficient rollout of network services and enhancements, with minimal disruption and easy scalability.

"Our customers are no longer tied to proprietary hardware solutions from large traditional vendors."

Powerdial Services has linked up with Avaya and Sinclair Voicenet to build a VoIP and call recording solution for the Teesside operations centre of global emergency services provider Falck Fire Services UK.

Falck delivers a fire fighting service across the whole Teesside area including Wilton, Billingham and North Tees, and manages a number of other services in different parts of the country from its Teesside operational UK headquarters.

Jakob Thinggaard, Project Manager at Falck IT Fire Services, said: "We have the same degree of responsibility across the Wilton site as any other emergency service would have, which means that absolute reliability and robustness is essential for the technologies we use to manage any emergency alarm calls that come in."

Paul Farn, MD and co-owner of Powerdial Services, added: "Maximising uptime was an absolute pre-requisite for this project.

"Our system provides Falck with a critical reliability solution that has no single point of failure and duplicates critical components at every point along the way to ensure maximum reliability.

"The Falck project represents what we believe Powerdial is especially good at - delivering precisely what they client needs and adding much more along the way."

A new interactive desktop device is proving popular among resellers according to Nimans.

The Maxwell 10 from Gigaset pro is an Android-based multi-purpose comms solution with a HD ready 10.1" touch display, cordless or corded handset, built in camera, three loudspeakers, microphone and integrated PoE.

Ian Brindle, Nimans' Head of Conferencing and Telephony Sales, says the Maxwell 10 is growing in popularity thanks to features such as integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and DECT capabilities, with the capacity for up to 12 SIP accounts.

"Everything a user needs is at their fingertips as part of a powerful, slick and sophisticated all-in-one desktop solution," he explained. "It's the next chapter in desktop business communication and demand is growing on a monthly basis."

Designed for professional and vertical market applications, Maxwell 10 creates a new product class for channel partners keen to address markets that need integrated telephony and video conferencing solutions - combined with integration to either hosted or traditional IP-based PBX and collaborative tools, Brindle points out.

"The Maxwell 10 is also ideal for meeting rooms. It comes with a front-facing HD camera (720p), an integrated microphone, three speakers and HD audio to reduce delays and echoes. The Maxwell 10 is also equipped with technologies such as Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, WiFi and Ethernet to allow connection of external devices such as an extra conference loudspeaker, headset or access control equipment."

Each component - the screen, the cordless or corded handset, the base and the wall attachment set - is available separately.

Reading an article by Adrian Marlow, Chairman of the ARC, I agree entirely with his concern about how recruitment agencies are mostly held responsible for rising costs. It seems that blaming the agent is an instinctive reaction to avoid the nasty subject of market forces at work, writes Clive Jefferys, MD of Telco Recruiter, JMA Network.

This situation belies the general, widespread problem in the UK economy - the chronic shortage of experienced 'white collar' professionals available for new hire. Unfortunately, the media persists with the populist view that with 1.5 million unemployed there are still loads of people seeking work. However, the reality is that within high talent sectors like IT, telecoms, medicine, construction and engineering, hardly anyone is looking for a new job.

In all my 25 years in recruitment I have never seen such low staff turnover, no doubt because of post-recession adversity to risk.

Consequently, the price of basic salaries, advertising and linked recruitment costs has risen and employers don't like it. Some look for the nearest backside to kick. Unfortunately there is little to be gained from blaming the middle-man, whose own costs of service and employment have risen dramatically too.

So now we see that companies are choosing who their best clients truly are. For hirers that don't 'get it' about recruitment, they are finding it ever harder to secure an agent to work with them. More market forces.

Like all things in business and yours are no different, the 'relationship' is key to how you pick and work with clients. If you look at your own customer list, it won't be defined by who pays the highest price, it's not all about money!

Your best business will be typified by relationships that allow you to work closely together, the same side of the desk, often in difficult circumstances, to get the job done. That's why we continue to do well. Human nature never ceases to please me that time, and time again, the best business is created by people who understand and trust each other.

True Telecom's profile-building campaign has received a welcome boost following the appointment of Claire Crane as Head of Marketing. She brings 30 years experience working at Shell Oil Company as Global Digital Marketing manager where she oversaw all of the digital work for Shell's Fuel Retail Marketing.

Since leaving Shell Oil Company in 2011, Crane travelled and worked at an Elephant Sanctuary. She has also completed a Diploma in Interior Design, and built up a small portfolio of SMEs that drew on her marketing expertise.

"I'm enjoying the passion and energy at True Telecom, and I'm looking forward to working with the team to make True Telecom the number one telecoms company in the UK," said Crane.