Comms Dealer

InTechnology has scooped a managed services contract with East Lancashire Medical Services (ELMS), a social enterprise organisation.

InTechnology is to provide a secure environment to manage urgent primary care services out of hours across its seven treatment centres and throughout its 50,000 patient interactions every year.

The contract, which continues to boost InTechnology's client base in the health sector, will see ELMS's IT infrastructure removed from under the guidance of the local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and into hands of InTechnology where it will be supported as a managed service.

In addition to IT infrastructure provision, InTechnology is also providing N3 connectivity, IP telephony, managed firewalls, hosted virtual servers and SIP Trunks.

This provides ELMS with full control of all systems, enabling it to swap low value housekeeping activities for added value projects that support of both staff and patients.

ELMS is now able to mine its call statistics to identify patterns to help refine its services and ensure patients are getting the quality, speed and accuracy of care that they need and allowing ELMS to better match resources.

Craig Winters, IT and Systems Manager at ELMS, said: "We were frustrated and felt we lacked the degree of control we needed to deliver IT that both supported our staff and could drive better patient care. Previously there were restrictions on what we could do, changes were slow to happen, and there simply wasn't the agility, will or resource to help us fully capitalise on today's technology."

"The switch was remarkably empowering. The new telephone system sits on the network and we're aggressively mining the call statistics and patterns to help refine our services and ensure patients are getting the quality, speed and accuracy of care that they need.

"It's allowing us to better match resourcing to demand and with the seven treatment centres soon to be linked together, we'll be able to leverage the opportunities and efficiencies within an enlarged but fully connected unit."

ELMS needed a high availability service that provided UK-based support 24/7, 356 days a year and peace of mind that patient data would be completely secure. InTechnology Managed Services was chosen due to its technical capabilities, full track record in N3 provision and its UK data centre estate.

Comms-care has named Mark Berry as Account Director responsible for the growth of key accounts across the firm's existing clients as well as supporting its efforts to expand operations across the UK.

Comms-care's network of customers has grown rapidly to over 700 channel partners, including top tier enterprises that offer IT services to a wide range of private and public sector customers.

Berry has more than 20 years' business development and customer services experience and will be in charge of managing the important relationship between customer and partner. He will also address opportunities to grow important segments of the business, including key account growth and new services adoption.

Prior to joining Comms-care, Berry was account director at cloud and managed IT services provider Phoenix IT Group. During his time at Phoenix, he was responsible for managing enterprise clients, winning new business and ensuring the successful delivery of hardware, design and network services, as well as local and wide area network technology.

Berry said: "My experience within the IT sector will help to support Comms-care's ambitious growth plans."

Rob Darby, Sales Director, added: "Mark has extensive commercial experience across all business sectors and a solid track record in achieving impressive business results. Most importantly, he has a great can-do attitude and is willing to go the extra mile."

Mitel has unveiled its 6800i series of IP business phones, using the SIP protocol the phones are designed to offer the broadest interoperability and support both on-premise and hosted services with the best path for businesses migrating to the cloud.

"Adding the 6800i series to our portfolio further expands customer choice with interoperable phones that are designed to work with all of the leading IP call platforms," said Dave Johnson, marketing manager for Business Communications at Mitel.

This new SIP phone series comes from Mitel's recent merger with Aastra and further expands Mitel's offering of business phones and enterprise voice solutions.

The latest phones build on the 6700i series feature set, adding high-resolution colour displays and GigE interfaces for clearer image and video support.

They further enhance the phones' crystal clear audio and speakerphone performance and include a native electronic hook switch (EHS) headset port. With lower power consumption, intelligent Power over Ethernet (PoE) Class reporting and smaller packaging that includes 100 percent recycled and biodegradable material.

8x8, a provider of cloud-based unified communications, contact centre and collaboration solutions, has introduced two new Virtual Office service enhancements that support the scalability and internal communications requirements of its growing mid-market and distributed enterprise customer base.
 
8x8 Branch Office is a new Virtual Office feature that allows customers to segment their primary 8x8 cloud-based PBX to unique physical or logical branch offices, while still keeping those individual locations fully integrated into a single unified communications platform.

System administrators are able to quickly define a branch office and associate extensions from their corporate directory to that location or group.
 
"Branch Office is an example of how the cloud technology inherent in the 8x8 Virtual Office communications solution can be put to work to support an organisation's strategic business processes and goals," said 8x8 CEO Vik Verma.

"In this instance, rapid deployment and scalability, characteristics many of our mid-market and distributed enterprise customers choose us for, is easily achieved using our cloud-based service delivery model which also carries the added bonus of requiring very little oversight on the part of an organisation's internal IT staff."

8x8 also announced Virtual Office Switchboard Pro, a web-based multi-faceted offering that streamlines call routing and management capabilities for receptionists and other front office users.

Switchboard Pro enables the receptionist to view real-time presence of all users, corporate-wide or within a branch office, all on their computer screen. This allows them to manage multiple incoming calls, and quickly apply call treatment options such as Call Park (public, Branch, or extension), Hold, and Call Transfer to an extension or directly to voicemail, all with the click of a mouse.

Switchboard Pro also provides a platform to coordinate call coverage with other receptionists when on a break and toggle to auto attendant when no receptionist is available. Incoming calls can be answered from either the Switchboard application or from a physical handset.
 
 

Mobile phone giant Vodafone has agreed to buy Spanish cable operator Ono for £6bn. Vodafone's shares rose 3% on the news which follows the sale of its US joint venture stake to Verizon for £69bn. Ono boasts almost two million customers. Before the deal Vodafone had approximately 14 million customers in Spain. The deal is due to be completed in the third quarter of this year, subject to the usual regulatory approvals.

Vodafone Group Chief Executive Vittorio Colao said: "The combination of Vodafone and Ono creates a leading integrated communications provider in Spain and represents an attractive value creation opportunity for Vodafone.

"Demand for unified communications products and services has increased significantly over the last few years in Spain, and this transaction - together with our fibre-to-the-home build programme - will accelerate our ability to offer best-in-class propositions in the Spanish market."

The Chairman of the Ono Board of Directors José María Castellano Ríos added: "As part of Vodafone, Ono will continue to seize new growth opportunities and deliver the quality that our customers expect. The enlarged business is also expected to drive innovation in the Spanish telecommunications industry."

Unify has released more details on its Project Ansible platform, reporting that pre-Beta trials with users were already underway. 

After solution reviews at the beginning of this year added additional features and functionality , the company said that the time frame for  Beta trials is May, including an internal roll-out at Unify. 

After Beta trials with customers, general availability will be in October 2014 and the first version will be delivered to customers in a Software-as-A-Service (SaaS) model.

Dean Douglas, CEO of Unify, said: "Project Ansible is our answer to intensive market research that started over two years ago. Based on what users expect from their communications and collaboration behaviour, Project Ansible is the solution to take them there, enabling individuals and teams for the New Way to Work, and we're happy to be driving the conversation and playing a pivotal leading role for this industry."
 
Unify also announced a development to be delivered before the end of 2014 which will include intelligent connectors into on-premise OpenScape Voice (OSV) environments. 

By providing connectors to its communications platforms, Unify said customers will be able to consume rich enterprise voice and video services on the Project Ansible client and allow users to interwork to other voice and video endpoints connected to their existing communications platform. 

This approach will allow current customers a smooth transition to the New Way to Work, said the firm.  

Unify said a third wave of innovation on the Project Ansible development roadmap will include integration to on-premise OpenScape Business and OpenScape 4000 by mid-2015, allowing Unify customers and channel partners around the globe to consume Project Ansible, generating additional investment return on their existing platforms.

These elements allow flexibility for the customer, to choose a pure cloud service, leverage a premise-based solution, or take the best from both worlds as their needs evolve.
 
Ansible is a software offering designed to extend UC supporting recognised industry like bring your own device (BYOD), addressing the role of millennials in the workforce, their requirements of mobility and the rise of the Anywhere Worker.

Unify also confirmed that the solution will officially take the name of the continuing research and development program that created it, and be called Ansible, beginning with general availability shipments in October.
 
A Customers Advisory Council has been formed with more than 40 customers and partners participating, which is helping to shape solution requirements and provide strategic council to the Project Ansible team. Members will be among the first customers to participate in the Beta trials beginning May 2014.
 
"We are positive on the vision provided by Unify's Project Ansible for the marketplace, and are encouraged by progress made on key features and capabilities," said Jerry Caron, SVP of Analysis, at Current Analysis, a leading industry analyst firm. "Project Ansible shows promise to be the kind of solution that can deliver on user expectations for ease of use and true collaboration, and deliver the required return on investment to business and technology managers."
 

Cloud-based UC, contact centre and collaboration solutions provider 8x8 has extended its global reach with the launch of a services platform in a new Hong Kong data centre facility.

Collocated in a facility owned and operated by Pacnet, the new Asia Pacific platform will provide services to 8x8's growing mid-market multi-national customers, many of which manage 'follow the sun' call centre operations.

With the addition of this new facility, 8x8 now maintains data centre infrastructure in five worldwide locations, with the opening of additional facilities planned for later this year.

"This new Asia Pacific footprint allows us to provide our customers with operations in the region with the same reliable, secure and high quality service they are accustomed to receiving from 8x8 here in the US," said 8x8 Senior Vice President of Network Operations and Support Mehdi Salour.

"These customers will gain the strategic advantage of having their communications needs served using the dynamic routing capabilities of our proprietary Geo Routing technology which utilises the shortest/best media path based upon geographic location, ensuring optimal reliability and call quality."

By Clive Jefferys, JMA Network: So the survey said - eight out of 42 countries now have fully positive employment trends, and that includes six out of seven G8s. Poor old France eh? Here in the UK, agencies have seen general placement rates increase by 12.6% and in the services sector by a whopping 30% over the last 12 months.

Business is in Hire Mode and yet in the UK we have such high employment in some form of job or another, that it's got even harder to find the right people! Economists are talking about a new shape to employment trends, so here's my fourpennyworth.

Number One on my list is the power of technology and how it has massively eroded the real worth of labour over the 27 years I have spent in work.

The average wage today has only half the buying power of when I started because IT has automated and in so many cases, totally removed the value of many jobs. I'll use my own company as an example. Compared to just five years ago, we employ only a third of the staff we used to and achieve better results. Every month our total consumption of man hours divided by the number of sales indicates it takes an average of 70 hours of legwork to yield a placement. Yet this equation doesn't even include the 24/7 operation of our software, which replaced five youngsters that used to load CVs for us. They lost their jobs to a single PC sitting in the corner of our office.

I've now become a free career councillor for all my friends and neighbours' children as they graduate from university. However, despite their degrees they are struggling to get on the career ladder. There's plenty of work as a barista or in a mobile phone shop, but long gone are the days when thousands were needed as a runner in the City or an apprentice in engineering now that so much is computer controlled.

Point Two is about how to build a real career. You have to choose something that can't be run by software. If you don't you'll either remain low paid or eventually be replaced by technology.

Whatever industry you pick, you need to know how to sell yourself to other people, something that software can never match. It's why the service sector is so big in our economy. We have near full employment because so many people are needed as delivery drivers, on supermarket checkouts, or sorting boxes somewhere. However, these are not jobs that will allow you to save enough money for a decent mortgage deposit.

Looking specifically at our sector, Point Three is about what has happened to in-house recruiters over the last year. From being a safe place in a storm, it's rapidly become a thankless task.

Even the big outsource companies are struggling as the supply of candidates has become so fragmented. Professional white collar recruitment can only be mastered by the organisations that focus 100% on finding the match.

Meanwhile in-house recruiters are run ragged by conflicting responsibilities that overlap into HR and wider company issues. Agents have the time to find the candidates and when they do, can offer more than one employer to entice their interest and turn them into an active jobseeker.
My fourth and final point is prompted by an excellent programme on the Beeb - all about London and its dominance of the economy.

The crux of the issue seems to be the size and networking potential of its population, and it pointed out that London's main competitor is now the Liverpool-Manchester-Leeds Strip. I certainly agree, as this exactly matches our own client base.

However, the marked difference between these conurbations is the quality of their transport links. Our resourcing in the North West is constantly frustrated by poor public transport links and Manchester town planners should take heed! I seriously think the strength of Central London is that everyone can pop out for a few pints and a chat with colleagues after work, and strengthen their creative potential.

So my profound advice for job seekers this month is twofold: Learn to do something that computers can't. Move to a big city where everyone can get to work easily and talk to each other on the way!

Sennheiser has unveiled the Mobile Business Series Pro (MB Pro) premium Bluetooth headsets for business use.
 
Sennheiser's multi-connectivity Mobile Business Series Pro headsets offer business professionals high definition audio quality with the ability to seamlessly manage calls when connecting to different laptops, smartphones or tablets.
 
The MB Pro 2 binaural series is the first product range to incorporate the Sennheiser Room Experience. By externalising the sound from the user's head, Room Experience gives callers the impression that they are talking to a person in the same room. 

According to Sennheiser, this more realistic sound gives users a more natural and comfortable listening experience and reduced listener fatigue for all-day users. This new feature can be activated and de-activated on the headset as the user requires.
 
Jane Craven, Director of Sennheiser Telecoms Sales, said: "Today's business professionals have to deliver the highest quality work and be ever more time-efficient in the face of multi-platform work environments and frequent travel commitments. The MB Pro Series meets all these different requirements." 

Skills gaps, high demand and concerns surrounding staff retention are driving pay rises in the IT arena, according to the latest ReThink Recruitment IT directors' survey.

The IT recruitment consultancy also found a gap between resourcing capacity and expected activity in its survey of over 1,500 director level professionals.

Figures in the seventh annual survey highlight that salaries have continued their upward trend after a challenging period during the global recession.

The majority of directors (65%) reported salaries grew in the last twelve months, with a further 95% reporting contractor rates had either increased or remained stable during this time.

This rise in pay looks set to continue throughout 2014, with 27% of those surveyed predicting contractor rate rises and 69% expecting to increase permanent salaries.

As the competition for talent continues to increase in a limited pool of specialist skills, this trend is to be expected. With staff retention remaining a critical concern - 66% of respondents stated this was a significant concern - salary increases look set to continue over the coming months.

The results of the report also identified a gap between predicted workload over the next year and the capacity of current resources.

The majority of those surveyed (77%) expect to see an increase in workload over the next twelve months. While this remains on par with 2013 figures, the comparison between this and budget forecasts suggests IT departments are set to continue working in a 'more for less' environment.

With only 47% expecting a rise in budgets, it's perhaps unsurprising that 52% of directors do not feel they have the capacity to increase output with current staffing levels.

This has also led to a rise in the number of organisations offshoring work, with those expecting to utilise this resource rising from 21% in 2013, to 35%.

Michael Bennett, Managing Director at ReThink Recruitment, commented: "The results of this year's research have built on the promising figures returned in the last edition and give plenty of cause for optimism for IT departments in 2014. This follows on from the positive findings from the KPMG/Markit Tech Monitor report that revealed the UK tech sector recorded its best growth performance for almost a decade in the fourth quarter of 2013.

"Initial signs suggest stability is returning to the market, but there is clearly some way to go yet before full confidence returns. IT directors face growing competition for talent which is driving salary increases across the board. Recruitment within this arena also looks set to be highly active with 49% of those surveyed planning to increase headcount, mirroring recent reports from KPMG and Markit, which will be further exacerbated by the gap between demand and resources identified in our survey.

In an industry where talented specialists are always in high demand, it will certainly prove challenging for many directors to keep their top performers and, indeed, attract new experts. While the UK economy continues to show signs of positivity, it seems the IT arena still has a number of challenges to contend with. The next year, then, looks set to be extremely busy for IT professionals."