Comms Dealer

Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman and his partners are creating a $16bn fund to invest in tech and telecom companies in the US and Europe.

LetterOne Technology plans to buy struggling telecom companies that require fresh capital, or technology companies that make apps or streaming services that could be used by its global mobile operations.

The fund will also act as a holding company for the group's 48% stake in VimpelCom and 13% stake in Turkcell.

Norbain has boosted its video analytics portfolio with the addition of Agent Video Intelligence (Agent Vi), a global provider of open architecture video analytics software.

Customers will be able to buy Agent Vi's unified video analytics software solution, savVi, which offers a variety of analytics functionalities through a single, easy to use platform that integrates with existing or new surveillance systems.

Mark Field, Supplier Relations Director at Norbain, said: "Agent Vi and savVi have a great track record for providing the reliable analytics that are increasingly being demanded for today's applications."

Ariel Frischoff, VP Sales EMEA & APAC at Agent Vi, comments: "Agent Vi sees growing demand for video analytics in the UK market, and Norbain is a key strategic partner to help meet this growing demand.

"Norbain offers a wide range of surveillance products, including many cameras and VMSs that are seamlessly integrated with Agent Vi's analytics platform, savVi.

"Accordingly, the addition of Agent Vi's video analytics solutions benefits Norbain's customers by adding value to their surveillance installations."

Demand for IT skills is highest in the south east where 65% of SMEs are struggling to recruit IT staff for their in-house IT operations, closely followed by the north east and the east midlands, where 60% of SMEs are finding it difficult to recruit IT talent.

That's according to Node4's regional study which also found that 46% of London-based SMEs are suffering from the IT talent shortage.

As a result, says the firm, outsourced IT provision is becoming an increasingly viable option for the 79% of UK SMEs that are frustrated with their current IT infrastructure - 65% of SMEs agree that outsourcing their IT infrastructure removes the headache of IT management and almost half use some form of cloud infrastructure.

An increasing number of business decision makers are choosing to completely outsource their IT infrastructure. Cost is also a factor, with nearly a third of respondents saysin in-house IT infrastructure costs too much to maintain.

Node4's research highlights a 5% increase on last year in the number of UK SMEs with entirely outsourced IT provision.

Paul Bryce, Business Development Director, Node4, said: "Companies increasingly view technology and IT as a business enabler, as something that underpins their day to day operations.

"But along with the growing importance of technology has come the need for increasingly skilled staff to manage, maintain and constantly develop these complex systems.

"The nationwide struggle for skilled IT talent is a major concern for businesses. With a large number of SMEs frustrated with technical limitations and the day-to-day administration of their infrastructure it's hardly surprising that local outsourcing has become a preference so that organisations can continue to win more business, beat the competition and succeed."

A management buyout of Pinacl Solutions UK led by MD Rob Bardwell has put the company on a stronger footing and signals a new growth phase for the business, he claims.

Commenting on the MBO of Perseus Pinacl Holding from New York-based investment company Centre Lane Partners, he said: "We will continue to draw on the success of the last 30 years, in particular the past 18 months.

"We are looking forward to the challenge and relish the opportunities that exist for our business in the market."

Pinacl's services are used by FTSE 100 companies, local government, enterprise and SMEs.

Pinacl specialises in Wi-Fi, managed services, IP networking and the 'Total Communications Fabric'.

The firm is Silver Investors In People accredited and has BSI standards in Quality Management (ISO 9001: 2008), Environmental Management (ISO 14001:2004) and Information Security Management (ISO/IEC 27001:2005).

Gigaset pro has unwrapped the Gigaset S650H PRO, a new handset developed for SMEs and in response to the growing demand for DECT IP telephones that are replacing traditional ISDN devices.
 
The S650H PRO offers a range of audio profiles and the sound quality is based on Gigaset's patented HDSP audio technology. This provides HD audio quality for a range of different noise levels.
 
The new S650H PRO is suitable for use in N720 multicell environments, which means it can be used with confidence throughout the company's premises without any dropped connections.

Later in 2015, a software update will make it possible to apply updates wirelessly, so new software can be installed on a large number of handsets in a short period.
 
The S650H is fully compatible with the N720 and N510 base stations and can be used from any location to search cloud-based or local phone books, listen to voice mails and manage incoming calls etc.

Elliot Howard has been named as NetApp's new UK & Ireland Country Manager.

Reporting directly to the Northern EMEA management team, his main area of focus will be accelerating sales and overseeing the development of NetApp's field operations.
 
He joins from Sopra Banking Software where he spent four years as UK Managing Director.

Howard also held the position of Executive Vice President, reporting to the CEO and contributing to global business strategy.

Prior to that, he spent five years at HP as Global Client Business Manager, leading key relationships with global banking customers and developing sales strategy across the full HP portfolio.
 
Howard commented: "I'm excited to join NetApp due to its data management value proposition and company culture."
 
Dave Allen, Vice President & GM Northern EMEA, NetApp, added: "Elliot's experience, focus and leadership style will help develop our business and drive growth in the UK&I.

"He brings tremendous insight from previous engagements managing global customer relationships, sales, and portfolio strategies, all of which are key in helping our partners and customers leverage their data assets and maximise their business value."

Gigaset pro has introduced the first in a series of new product launches that will include a UC CTI desktop client for Windows and MAC OS planned for H1 2015, along with enhancements in mobility, integrating smartphones and tablets into the communication environment.

First out of the pipeline is a new hybrid PBX series, the T440 PRO and T640 PRO VoIP telecommunication platforms for SMBs.

With the built-in legacy support customers can still use their existing ISDN and analogue lines while seamlessly moving into the VoIP and SIP world, noted the firm.

Businesses can also adopt a flat licensing model.

The T440 communication platform is capable of handling 40 users, 100 devices and 20 parallel calls; while the T640 supports up to 80 users, 250 devices and 40 parallel calls.

All users have access to a web-based user interface for easy management of their calls, voicemail messages, contacts etc.

The new Gigaset PBX platforms integrate seamlessly with all Gigaset PRO SIP-based desktop phones as well as its business DECT solutions.

All devices connected to the system are fully auto-provisioned.

"In the current fast-paced business world we live in, flexibility is essential," said Stefan Berens, Senior Product Manager VoIP at Gigaset pro.

"The Gigaset T440 PRO and the T640 PRO let companies adapt quickly to changing environments. The PBX is scalable, which is key, especially when SMBs start to expand and need to hire new staff.

"With the flat licensing model and the built-in smart migration concept, the cost per user as well as the TCO is low."

Agent has unveiled the AG headset range, comprising the AG1 (single ear) and AG2 (dual ear) models which incorporate two key design developments.

Firstly, the headsets have stronger, more durable frames and they weigh in as the lightest headsets of their type in the Agent portfolio to date.

Secondly, they incorporate a new noise-cancelling microphone and an aluminium speaker housing.

Both AG models are acoustic shock protected and meet all European safety standards.

They offer the user 270-degree microphone rotation, enabling operators to choose and change how they wear their headset for maximum comfort during every call, and come with a three year warranty as standard.

Cloud-based video services firm Blue Jeans Network reckons 50% of business VC users have video conferencing hardware in place that is out-dated and not fit for purpose.

The firm's research found that 90% of video conferencing purchasers believe video meetings build stronger relationships than audio calls, with 76% agreeing that video conferencing has had a significant positive impact on their business and employees.

Yet, only 8% plan to update their hardware in the next 12 months.

James Campanini VP & GM EMEA, Blue Jeans Network, said: "It is clear that a lot of businesses see the value in video conferencing, but are unable to take full advantage of the solution as the hardware being used is deemed to be 'past its best' and not fit for purpose.

"With budget cuts and other priorities affecting the IT agenda, updating and managing video conferencing hardware may not be top of the IT department's list. Businesses should therefore look to make the most of their current equipment by exploring complementary services that can extend their reach and leverage their initial investments."

With 87% of companies predicted to be using more video conferencing by 2017, businesses need to find ways to address the current gap of what is needed and what is available.

Campanini added: "IT decision makers need to ensure that the solutions provided to the workforce are as flexible and easy to use as possible, without this, expensive hardware equipment can end up gathering dust.

"We see customers dramatically increase the return on investments made in expensive video hardware, essentially upcycling equipment to increase productivity and improve collaboration, both internally and externally."

Brecon Beacons National Park Authority's 100-plus remote staff and home workers are now better connected following the implementation of a new comms infrastructure from Unify.

Unify's OpenScape Voice technology is being delivered to the National Park Authority's HQ in Brecon via the Unify Wales portfolio, a suite of SIP gateway, hosted telephony and hosted contact centre services which is available to all public sector organisations in Wales and is exclusively enabled by Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA), a secure managed network service connecting public services in Wales.

The National Park Authority was previously using an ISDN telephony system that allowed only 16 simultaneous connections at any one time. Moving telephones from one location to another was a challenge as the previous system was on-premise, with each phone requiring its own networking port.

Selecting the OpenScape Voice solution enabled Brecon Beacons National Park Authority to become a more flexible and mobile workforce, able to take and make calls with virtually no limit on the number of connections, as well as the ability to reroute calls to mobile phones, allowing staff to work remotely when necessary.

As OpenScape Voice does not require a fixed line, being a hosted solution in this instance, IT staff at the National Park Authority can now switch a phone from one location in an office to another.

Kevin Booker, IT Systems Officer at Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, said: "We have undertaken a bold approach to enable our staff and volunteers to communicate and work with one another effectively regardless of location or current call volumes.

"Unify's OpenScape Voice has helped us deliver flexibility and the ability to work more effectively with remote teams, while maintaining the reliability of our communication systems within the park which is directly related to staff safety.

Nia Morgan, Alliance Director, Wales from Unify, commented: "The National Park Authority is a fantastic example of where modern communications systems can make a huge, palpable benefit in a short space of time."