Comms Dealer

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."

Ingram Micro has expanded its Cloud Marketplace into France, Netherlands and the UK.

The Cloud Marketplace offers partners online access to a range of cloud solutions and services.

Cloud vendors debuting on the Marketplace include Microsoft Office 365, Acronis, Nomadesk, and Cirius.

Ingram Micro anticipates adding others, including Intel Security.

The Ingram Micro's Cloud Marketplace is scheduled to launch in Belgium, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Sweden in the second quarter of 2015.

The Marketplace works as an 'ecosystem' of buyers, sellers and solutions that enables channel partners to purchase, provision, manage and invoice cloud technologies.

Channel partners can manage the end customer subscription lifecycle from a single, automated platform, provided and supported by Ingram Micro.

"For our channel partners, enabling businesses to operate in a hybrid environment that includes cloud-based solutions is as much about business transformation as it is about technology," said Carl Alloin, Executive Director Europe, Ingram Micro Cloud.

"Our Cloud Marketplace was designed to help channel partners quickly scale as they seek to expand their footprint and profitability in the cloud."

Microsoft Office 365 is now available on the Ingram Micro Cloud Marketplace, providing partners the ability to directly purchase, provision, and offer unique Office 365 bundles, set prices and invoice monthly.

Partners can also offer consolidated billing.

SSE Enterprise Datacom (part of the SSE Group) is to be integrated into sister company SSE Enterprise Telecoms.

SSE Enterprise Datacom specialises in the design, installation and maintenance of in-building and campus-wide data cabling solutions as well as undertaking civil engineering works for the construction of private fibre networks for telecoms customers.

SSE Enterprise Telecoms provides data connectivity services between customer buildings throughout the UK, and the merger creates a single business unit designed to fulfil demand for high performance connectivity solutions and services 'from desktops to data centres'.

"Bringing the network build capabilities of the Datacom team together with the network operation capabilities of the telecoms team makes good sense," said Colin Sempill, MD of SSE Enterprise Telecoms.

A stand-out performance in the contact centre space has secured Britannic Technologies a top industry award from vendor partner Mitel.

Britannic Technologies was presented with the Contact Centre Partner of the Year Award at the vendor's annual Directors Briefing (staged at The Shard in London) by Executive VP and President for EMEA Graham Bevington.

The award recognises Britannic's revenue contribution of 41% year-on year-growth.

"This award is the result of Britannic's unwavering focus on developing and shaping their customers' contact centre and customer experience strategies, through thought leadership and industry best practice," said Bevington.

This is the third award bagged by Britannic for its contact centre expertise over the last year.

Jonathan Sharp, Sales and Marketing Director, Britannic Technologies, commented: "Our 30 years experience in the contact centre market combined with our consultancy approach is what differentiates us. We discover what the customer's challenges and issues are, and how we can help improve the customers' journey and benefit the business overall."

It's double points this April in Eclipse's Fastest 4 incentive scheme which is accelerating towards the finish line next month.

"April is the last chance for partners to enter Eclipse's Fastest 4 incentive which will see those collecting the most points racing supercars at the Aerodrome at Palmer Sport this June," said a spokesperson.
 
"In an effort to help partners secure a photo finish, Eclipse has doubled the points available throughout April, so those selling most of Eclipse's fastest four connectivity products (plus SIP Trunks) can hit the track."
 
Nexus, Adept Telecom, B4B Telecoms and ACS are the latest to secure places.

Zen Internet has augmented its credentials in cybercrime prevention as the first UK ISP to secure two regulatory accreditations - the Cyber Essentials Plus certification and IASME Gold standard accreditation.

The company's security controls were assessed by certification body SJG Digital.

Following accreditation Zen joins a handful of schools, police forces and online retailers who possess both the certificates.

Only 76 organisations hold Cyber Essentials PLUS, with Zen the only ISP.

Richard Tang, CEO of Zen Internet, said: "Awareness of online safety is increasing as Internet users are exposed to news of high profile hacks and malware programmes almost daily.

"Zen Internet is keen to prove we'll do anything in our power to ensure we don't unwittingly place our customers and their data in a jeopardised position in our now highly-connected world.

"We hope to work together with the government and SJG Digital to spread the word about these certifications, and make Britain a safer place to shop, socialise and do business online."

Customers are driving the pace of change in European software development, attendees at the European Software and Solutions Summit were told last week.

Consumers and users are pushing for more and better systems. "Patience with technology is plummeting," said John Madelin, Verizon EMEA marketing VP told the 150-plus in the audience drawn from ISVs and channels across Europe.

"Early adopters are no longer the ones who lose money," he said with a 'get in first' message for bigger gains by software companies.
And it was the opportunity to solve business problems with a minimal IT investment that would be the economic answer for customers, he added.

HP's Duncan Campbell said that the pace of change meant that the dialogue shifted even more to business outcomes, with faster cycle times on top.

Oracle's John Abel, Senior Director, EMEA Engineered Systems, pointed to a dramatic change in the software landscape with real cloud adoption in two years time more than doubling from the current position.

Virtualisation had driven efficiency, but 'had only taken customers so far'. It means that the 'everything as a service' model will appeal even more to ISVs who will need to look at not just Software-as-a-service (SaaS), but data-as-a-service, middleware-as-a-service, as well as infrastructure-as-a-service.

Interoute's CTO Matthew Finnie also looked at IT efficiency. "In a world where to the costs of people and real estate seem to only go up, business must turn to the silicon in the form of the digital model to push costs down," he said.

"He also warned that standing still was not an option for ISVs and solution providers generally, saying: "With most technologies forever evolving, trying to preserve stuff is no answer."

Earlier in the day, Gartner's Errol Rasit set the scene with a keynote on how customers, channels and competition was changing how IT was delivered.

He had started by saying that IoT is the most important thing to happen to IT in years, a theme quickly picked up by Melissa Di Donato, head of European Channels & ISV Programs at Salesforce.com who pointed out that a connected environment would mean connected sales teams, digital sales aids and an integrated customer platform as part of the broader pattern.
"The world has gone social with 2.3 billion social users, but companies are building their own social networks in the form of communities," she said.

There were other major implications for channels, she said, with the way things were sold.
Errol Rasit had earlier warned that only about 15% of existing channel sales teams would be able to sell concepts to business rather than the traditional point solutions. At least half the rest might be retrained to to the new ways of working, he said, but it would be an issue.

In the afternoon sessions, HP and Oracle seemed to be much in agreement for once, on the need to transform both their businesses, their channels and how customers interacted with them.

ISVWorld's CEO Rene van Erk commented that 'It feels like Oracle and HP are the emerging players in cloud and SaaS after years of headlines dominated by the likes of Amazon'.

HP used the occasion to launch its European ISV2SaaS programme which promised resources and help for software houses making the transition to the new marketplace.

It would offer ISVs a way to reach new markets with service providers and this was a key part of the HP move, Duncan Campbell said, and the model would be developed further in future years.

And while everyone agreed on the speed and nature of the changes in the industry, Oracle also warned of pressures in the channel for resources.

"Available skills are a rising barrier to cloud adoption, even as security concerns, while still top, diminish," commented John Abel - while ConnectWise's Solution Strategist, Malcolm Diack said that any differences in skills between networking and IT people were fast disappearing.

Tom Davis, Exertis VAD Vendor Manager for Dell said that support for channels making this transition would be essential.