Comms Dealer

Free public Wi-Fi has been made available from over 100 locations in Cambridge and beyond following a partnership between Virgin Media Business and Cambridgeshire County Council.

As part of the Connecting Cambridgeshire the Wi-Fi will extend to public buildings across the city of Cambridge and surrounding areas and will also be accessible from open public spaces such as parks and streets. 

Vendor Unify has announced enhancements to Circuit, its next-generation communication and collaboration platform.

Improvements include Circuit Enterprise Integrator which integrates the Circuit cloud service seamlessly into on-premise infrastructure such as any Unify or third-party telephony system or corporate identity management solution.

Circuit also now enables users to share files on a Box drive seamlessly inside a Circuit conversation.

Finally, Circuit has extended its single-pane-of-glass experience to encompass external team members, more devices and media, including an Android app, enabling the many enterprise users of Android devices to now take full advantage of Circuit while mobile.

Leonard Pascual, Chief Executive Officer of Circuit user A Sound Look, Inc. commented: "Prior to Circuit, we were using multiple separate apps in order to do so, such as Skype, Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and texting.

"With Circuit, we now have one app to collaborate, enabling us to connect instantly via video conference at any time of day, and we can move conversations with us between devices."

Chess Partner Services dealers will receive up to 45% revenue share on all their O2 mobile connections following a new airtime agreement with the carrier announced this week.

Chess says the fee is instantly payable on a partners' existing customer base from April 1st. This means partners can benefit from an instant uplift in commissions, regardless of any re-signs, from April 1st onwards.

Other deals under the agreement include a new connection bonus with partners receiving up to £230 bonus for all new voice connections; full advance revenue share for up to 36 months on all new connections and re-signs; 50% revenue share for re-signing contracts that have less than 12 months remaining; and an additional £20 per connection, plus revenue share, upon activation of any digital product, regardless of any re-sign taking place.

Also announced is the '125 Club' which offers O2 approved partners a £5,000 quarterly bonus by achieving 125 new voice connections, 125 customers Re-Signs, 125 Digital connections, and less than 8% churn on O2.

Combined with the newly announced Elite Partner Programme, allowing partners to earn an additional £16,000 per annum, the new commercials are said to form an integral part of Chess Partner Service's 2015 'Year of Growth & Opportunity' promise.

John Pett, Sales Director at Chess Partner Services, said: "With our technological expertise and our new O2 commercials, our partners have even more tools to go out and do what they do best, to win and retain business and enjoy fantastic commissions."

Jason Philips, Head of Partners at O2, said: "Our relationship with Chess Partner Services continues to be strong and we look forward to working even closer with them as we launch our new Direct Partner Programme, supporting our partners and their customers."

Chess Partner Services was formed in August last year from the merger of Chess Wholesale and Avenir Telecom's Airtime division.

Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of operator Three, has agreed terms to buy Britain's second largest mobile operator O2 for £10.25bn, creating a giant that will have 40% of the market.

The deal follows BT's £12.5bn takeover of EE, and with both BT and Hutchison having now reached definitive agreements to acquire EE and O2 respectively the focus turns to getting the necessary regulatory approval, according to Matthew Howett, Practice Leader, Regulation at Ovum. 

"The exact timing and next steps in each case remain somewhat unclear given the complexity of what lies ahead, but approval could take up to a year and will almost certainly be fraught," he said. "The UK's competition authority, the CMA, has already invited stakeholders to comment in relation to BT/EE.

"A full investigation will begin once formal notification takes place. In the case of Three/O2, European authorities will probably take the lead, but they will likely need to remain in close contact with the CMA over issues coming out of BT/EE.

"In both instances the battle lines have been drawn, and it's becoming clearer what concessions might be offered in an attempt to get things through, or what potential remedies might be imposed from above. These will almost certainly focus on mobile backhaul, spectrum holdings, and the current network sharing agreements between Vodafone and O2, and Three and EE."

A number of uncertainties remain, believes Howett. "First, how will the CMA consider Three/O2 as it works its way through BT/EE? EU competition authorities are unlikely to want to hand over control of the Three/O2 approval, but the CMA might try its luck and ask for jurisdiction," he added.

"Which leads to the second uncertainty - how EU competition authorities will view further consolidation (the now-familiar cases of Germany and Ireland were approved under the previous Commission) and what concessions they might accept.

"MVNO access has been a popular choice, but the UK already has a vibrant MVNO scene and so that is less relevant here. Instead, competition authorities will want to preserve the 'challenger' behavior in the market we've seen from Three. What could that look like? Will Vodafone's bullish statements about moving into broadband and TV be enough?"

Plowman Craven, a chartered surveying company and 3D laser scanning specialist, has adopted a new solution from VIA, the business telephony and communications specialist, to better connect its field-based employees with those working in the company's offices in London and Harpenden.
 
VIA provided a Microsoft Lync application with added VIA bespoke functionality to improve communications across the business.

Now Plowman Craven operates from a single complete system that brings together voice communication, instant messaging, email, video, and audio, across a variety of devices, such as landlines, smartphones, PCs, and tablets. The VIA package also includes free calls to UK landlines.
 
David Norris, Technical Director at Plowman Craven, said: "The VIA solution has paid dividends from day one by bringing together our remote workers with those working in our offices.

"Wherever our employees our based, they can use the interactive whiteboard and document sharing features to proficiently discuss and evaluate our latest projects.

"The system has allowed Plowman Craven to increase efficiency across the business and it will play an integral role in our plans for future growth."
 
Alex Tebbs, Sales Director, VIA, added: "By providing a Microsoft Lync system plus utilising our in-house expertise to develop a range of additional features, VIA offers a cost0-effective and efficient alternative to a traditional telephony network."

Chess has snapped up IT systems provider Compwise Systems.

The acquisition will see Compwise Systems become part of Chess Corporate Solutions, adding three new people and an additional £400k annual turnover to the group.

The business will be combined within the Chess Partner Services team at the Chess office located in Borehamwood.

Chess Chief Executive David Pollock said: "Compwise has flourished as a total IT solution provider since 1992, possessing a wide and varied knowledge base."

This move complements our continuing expansion into being a one-stop shop, and we will bring the best out of Compwise's IT expertise via its wide, varied base of network and technology capabilities."

Compwise joins ebillz, Integra ICT, Avenir Telecom, Parachute IT and The CRM business as companies acquired by Chess to extend the group's portfolio of services, and takes Chess' acquisition total to over 90 companies to date.

More than 600 resellers descended on Gamma's museum themed 2015 roadshow, staged at museums across the UK during March including Edinburgh, Manchester, Birmingham and London.

The Museum Roadshow provided delegates with the opportunity to hear about Gamma's 2015 product roadmap, how its range of voice, mobile and data services can create opportunities that meet the demands of today's businesses and how resellers can gain access to commercial incentives and marketing support to help them sell more.

Gamma's Marketing Director Richard Bligh said: "It's been a busy time for Gamma with lots of exciting new products and services being launched. With all of this activity going on, it's important to us that we don't lose sight of what matters - understanding the needs of our Channel Partners and their customers, providing access to products, services and commercial initiatives that give them an edge and, ultimately, helping them make more margin."

Pictured at Gamma's London roadshow is CEO Bob Falconer 

Mitel has recognised the contribution of its channel partners in driving growth, presenting awards to the three UK partners who have contributed the greatest revenues in 2014 along with those who have contributed the greatest revenues in the Hosted Cloud Communications and Contact Centre sectors.

The winners of the Mitel Partner Awards were announced at the annual Mitel Directors Briefing in London. The awards focused on total overall sales and also those partners contributing specifically to Mitel's focus areas for growth: Cloud solutions and the Contact Centre.

The winners were: Cloud Services Provider of the Year - Worksmart Technology; Contact Centre Partner of the Year - Britannic Technologies; Partner of the Year - Daisy Group (runners up: Azzurri Communications and Alternative Networks); and Carrier of the Year - BT.

Simon Skellon, Vice President Sales, UK, Mitel, said: "Our partners have all played an active role in supporting our growth. Our awards recognise their contribution within the market overall and in helping us to actively grow our market share for Cloud solutions and within the contact centre.

"The UK continues to be a core region for Mitel and we remain committed to our channel model, providing our partners with the products and services that are designed to meet customer demand and help them to grow their own businesses."

Mitel has more than 200 channel partners in the UK who work directly with Mitel or through its distribution partner Trust.

A year-long partner recruitment campaign launched by Unify UK & Ireland will greatly advance the vendor's plan to become a channel-centric business, according to Tony Smith, UK&I Channel Sales Director.

In October last year Thomas Veit, Senior VP of Channels for Unify EMEAR, stated that Unify intends to drive 45% of revenues through the channel within two years, up from 25%.

The step-up in UK channel activity aims to catalyse 35% year-on-year sales growth, noted Smith, who said Unify's expanded UK sales and marketing team will drive fresh demand for the vendor's new software-led communication and collaboration solutions via the recently launched Unify Partner Program.

Citing a sharp rise in UC attach rates from 4% to 21% during the last year, Smith said: "Over the next 12 months Unify will run a recruitment drive to join the Unify Partner Program, from both the traditional voice space and IT and software partners that can drive our virtualised solutions and our new SaaS solution, Circuit."

"The Program also offers structured incentives such as a rebate on growth with Unify providing up to a 15% increase to the partner's bottom line, and provides opportunities for amplified profitability."

Since November 2014 Unify has hired seven new members into the channel team, including Michelle Jones who was appointed in January as VP of Marketing for Channels in EMEAR. She joined from Avaya where she was the Director of Channel Strategy & Development for APAC and EMEA.

Unify also hired Owain Dobson, Head of Global Pre Sales and Technical Operations, and Ritesh Patel, Channel Finance - both join from Avaya. Meanwhile, Paul Riordan has been named as VP Worldwide Channel Sales Operations.

Richard Carter, Group Sales and Business Development Director at Nimans (Unify's UK & Ireland distributor), said: "We are playing a front line role in embracing the opportunities Unify's programme creates to help our customers accelerate and expand their business capabilities."

Nine Group has moved to a brand new, purpose built office in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire, named 'The Hub'.

The move follows the service provider's rapid expansion over the last five years. The Nine workforce in Stonehouse has grown from 25 in 2009 to over 100 this year and further growth is forecast.

The Hub features the latest innovations in office functionality from touch-screen coffee machines to under-floor heating.

The Nine brand is well represented with purple tints to the glass office walls, quirky signage on director's doors (CEO James Palmer is badged as 'Le Grand Fromage') and even a purple pool table in the staff kitchen.

Palmer told Comms Dealer: "The move to larger premises reflects our strong performance. Nine's success and growth comes as a result of the determination, expertise and professionalism of our staff. We are excited about the office move and the increase in space will enable us to continue to expand in the future."