Comms Dealer

RingCentral UK has announced the availability of enterprise-grade room video conferencing with the introduction of RingCentral Rooms.
The cloud technology specialist says its key objective is to help organisations overcome the pain points of complex, difficult to use, and costly, fixed infrastructure systems associated with traditional telepresence-type set-ups.

RingCentral Rooms uses a web conferencing platform to connect meeting room hardware, such as screens, cameras and speakers, with external and internal users, as well as with other rooms. This is said to enable seamless participation with other RingCentral Meetings with people joining from mobile, tablets, desktops, or IP desk phones.
 
Sahil Rekhi, Managing Director, EMEA at RingCentral, says: "Currently, there simply isn’t a reliable and cost-effective way for companies to deliver a professional room conferencing environment. We’ve launched RingCentral Rooms to fill this gap in the UK market, giving our RingCentral Office® customers the smoothest solution available.\"

Registrations are flooding in for The Managed Services and Hosting Summit, which will take place at 155 Bishopsgate, London, on 21 September 2016.

The growth in the sector means new opportunities for existing MSPs and new entrants, and the high proportion of CEOs attending (70%) is not unexpected, say organisers IT Europa and Angel Business Communications.

The event has also already attracted a very strong line-up of more than 20 sponsors including many of the industry’s most innovative vendors and service providers. FalconStor, LOGICnow (now part of SolarWinds MSP), Schneider Electric and Sinefa have been confirmed as Platinum-level sponsors; Autotask, ESET, Ingram Micro and Kaseya as Gold; and ConnectWise, Digital Realty, Exponential-E, Infrascale, Intronis/Barracuda, LogicMonitor, Mimecast, RingCentral, StorageCraft, Volta, Webroot and WellData as Silver.

Now in its sixth year, the Managed Services and Hosting Summit 2016 will focus on how the market is changing and what it will take for MSPs to succeed in this brave new digital world. Under the theme of 'The Digital Dividend – The Role of Managed Services in a Digital World’, this year’s event will examine the rapid changes taking place currently in the industry and among IT customers. The way companies are buying IT is changing, creating threats and opportunities for existing MSPs and new market entrants alike, just as IT models themselves are undergoing fundamental change.

The strong speaker line-up will feature Mark Paine of Gartner addressing the question 'Where Next for MSPs?’.

"Value Added Resellers and other suppliers who have transitioned their business to Managed Service Provision are only at the start of their journey,\" he said.

"Customers will lead them in to the world of enterprise cloud applications, integration and software development as they become participants in the digital business ecosystem. This session will explore the reasons why customers will demand more from MSPs and give advice on how to transform to the new world.\"

In another keynote, 'The Age of the Customer’, Tiffani Bova, Salesforce's Global Customer Growth and Innovation Evangelist (and former Gartner VP, Distinguished Analyst and Research Fellow) will address how companies of all sizes can create new business practices that leverage technology to strengthen customer relationships and accelerate sales and growth. Attendees will hear actionable takeaways on how to create a customer-centric business and long-lasting brand loyalty.

The UK Managed Services & Hosting Summit 2016 is a management-level event designed to help channel organisations identify opportunities arising from the increasing demand for managed and hosted services and to develop and strengthen partnerships aimed at supporting sales. The event is jointly staged by IT Europa and Angel Business Communications. MSPs, resellers and integrators wishing to attend the convention and vendors, distributors or service providers interested in sponsorship opportunities can find further information at: www.mshsummit.com

Guest Wi-Fi specialist Cloud4Wi has announced the Volare Partner Programme, which claims to help solution providers, service providers, and system integrators seize the enormous business opportunity for personalised customer engagement using guest Wi-Fi networks.

The Volare platform uses an over-the-top (OTT) architecture to enable partners to secure high value targets like retail brands, restaurant chains, and shopping malls by leveraging existing Wi-Fi networks. According to Cloud4Wi, the solution will enable businesses to provide superior on-site mobile experiences, while gaining valuable insights into who customers are and how they behave.

"Partners are at the core of our business,\" said Andrea Calcagno, Cloud4Wi CEO and co-founder. "We’ve introduced this new partner programme to make sure our partners are set up for success, enabling them with a new profit opportunity on top of their Wi-Fi services.\"

According to Maravedis Research, it’s forecasted that 100M access points will offer guest Wi-Fi services by 2020, producing more than $25B in annual software licensing revenue. This represents a huge opportunity for partners already selling Wi-Fi as part of their portfolio.

"We’re delighted to participate in the revamped Volare Partner Program,\" said Scott Pedersen, VP, Network Architecture, Pomeroy. "OTT guest Wi-Fi services are a rapidly growing market that addresses both existing and new Wi-Fi customers. The Volare Partner Program includes all the tools we need to take advantage of this burgeoning market opportunity.\"

Technology dealmaker GP Bullhound, which provides independent strategic advice to the UK’s top  technology entrepreneurs, companies and investors, has named Metronet (UKas one of the top 10 telecoms companies within the tech ecosystem in the North of England.

The report has been put together to showcase the region’s most valuable businesses, the growing companies and the exciting, upcoming start-ups. The research follows on from GP Bullhound’s Northern Tech Tour, held in collaboration with Bloomberg, which brought a selection of leading tech investors from across Europe to Leeds and Manchester for two days of presentations from 23 local technology companies.

According to the report, the North boasts eight businesses that have joined the elite $1bn valuation club and is supported by a very strong and tight knit start up community. With these foundations and the presence of globally leading businesses such as Sage and Skyscanner, the Northern tech ecosystem has the potential to be recognised as a Top 5 worldwide technology cluster.

Metronet (UK) is one of GP Bullhound’s top picks within the telecoms services sector along with Ask4, Daisy and Onyx Group, having already been listed in the Top 50 tech companies in the North at the Northern Tech Awards earlier this year.

Hugh Campbell, Managing Partner at GP Bullhound, commented, "The message to tech investors in Europe and the US is clear – world leading tech companies don’t just exist in London. The tech ecosystem that has been established in the region has a proven track record of fast-growth tech success stories and the depth of talent, ideas and funding available is creating real momentum.\"

Lee Perkins, CEO of Metronet (UK) said, "It is great to be highlighted within GP Bullhound’s report.. There is still a lot more success to come for Metronet (UK) and for the North of England and we look forward to being a part of it.\"

Bob Dunnett’s NG Bailey IT Services Division has secured a five-year, £50m+ contract with Fujitsu to support its work to transform the delivery of information and communication technology across the Ministry of Defence (MoD).  

It is hoped the contract will enable greater agility and mobility to service personnel, deliver significant financial savings over the next 10 years and help keep Britain safe.  

NG Bailey will work with Fujitsu to provide core global connectivity services for the next five-years. The new network will underpin the delivery of current and emerging MoD services both in the UK and overseas.

"This is a significant win for NG Bailey,\" said Bob Dunnett, Managing Director of NG Bailey’s IT Services Division. "It is a privilege to work alongside Fujitsu to develop and improve the MoD’s IT infrastructure. The vital role that our partnership will play puts us at the heart of the future UK defence strategy and will ultimately help the MoD defend the UK’s national interests.\"

David Hurcomb, NG Bailey’s CEO, added: "Working hand-in-glove with Fujitsu has already been a pleasure and we are very proud to be applying our expertise to such an important initiative.

"By enhancing the MoD’s communications infrastructure our work will not only realise tremendous cost savings which will be reinvested into defence, it will also make the Ministry more efficient and more effective in its mission to keep Britain safe.\"

News of the deal follows a 7% hike in sales for NG Bailey’s IT Services division. In the last year sales have risen to almost £60m.

"We have been successful in the past couple of years because we have focused on the customer first and the technical solutions second,\" said Dunnett.

"The IT services marketplace has become increasingly complex and it’s easy to get carried away with emerging technologies. Our priority is always to understand what the customer is looking to achieve, and then build innovative and cost-effective solutions that meet those objectives, rather than trying to shoe-horn technology into a solution that doesn’t fit the customer’s needs.\"

Network provider Metronet (UK) has secured a £1million deal with North West based specialist furniture retailer Sofology to connect the retailer’s sites across the UK.  

The 33 multi-site MPLS solution includes both wireless and fibre connectivity, including backup connections at each site. The solution enables Sofology to roll out a revolutionary customer experience at each of their stores.

Metronet (UK) underwent a formal tender process, which included several of the legacy ISPs, and were primarily selected due to ability to deliver the best connectivity solution much faster.

Gavin Nickerson, IT Operations Manager at Sofology said: "We really want to revolutionise the way our customers shop in store and in order to do this we need a robust and reliable internet connection across our stores and HQ. Metronet (UK) are able to deliver exactly what we need, in the time frame we require and with excellent support to back it up.\"

Tony Hughes, Sales Director at Metronet (UK) said: "Sofology is a landmark win for all parties. It truly demonstrates our commitment to both customers and the marketplace. Our technology solutions are simply far faster to install with exceptional resilience, robustness and flexible capacity. We look forward to working with Sofology and seeing how this solution transforms their customer experience and business operations.\"

Mobile solutions specialist CWSI, has signed a strategic alliance with Apple Authorised and Premium Reseller Compu b, to deliver Apple devices and Device Enrolment Programmes to large and medium scale enterprises in the UK.

"With more enterprise customers migrating to Apple technology as their mobile platform, CWSI and Compu b are ideally placed to offer complete solutions combining our hardware, support and training with CWSI’s industry leading mobile device management expertise and systems,\" said Ciaran McCormack, CEO at Compu b.

Ronan Murphy, CEO at CWSI added: "We have been working with Compu b in Ireland and are delighted to be able to deliver the same hardware, software and services solutions to the UK market.

"The partnership will appeal to existing as well as potential Compu b and CWSI customers seeking to build their mobile enterprise on Apple technology. Many companies struggle with DEP (Device Enrolment Programmes) and don’t understand Mobile Device Management (MDM). Together we can provide competitive solutions along with ongoing support to ensure the seamless integration of mobile workers within client businesses to improve efficiency, increase productivity, mitigate risk and add value."

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation which champions manufacturing and engineering in the UK and the EU has joined forces with Oracle to get UK manufacturers fit for the 4th industrial revolution (4IR).

The organisations claim that 4IR is being driven by digitisation, big data and other rapid advances in technology. Eight in ten manufacturers (80%) say that this next industrial transformation will be a business reality within the next ten years.

This new industrial age is widely expected to open up new opportunities, as well as challenges, for UK manufacturing. As a result, collaboration between the technology and manufacturing sectors will gain in strategic importance, particularly in driving productivity, innovation and growth.  

Critical to this is identifying manufacturers’ experience with and understanding of 4IR, what they want to achieve for their business and how they think digitisation and new technologies will support them.

The collaboration will kick off with a series of focus groups with manufacturers around the UK and will culminate in an Executive Report that will help industry leaders to identify the key barriers, enablers and drivers of 4IR.

Above all, however, it will provide practical guidance on how manufacturers can adapt and implement new technologies in a way that suits their individual businesses.

Terry Scuoler, Chief Executive of EEF, says: "This collaboration is an important step forward in providing our sector with thought leadership and practical support and guidance ahead of the biggest industrial transformation of our time.

"It is vital that British companies are able to fully realise the opportunities and stay at the forefront of 4IR. This will require increasing levels of collaboration between our two sectors, so I am delighted that Oracle will help us engage and inform manufacturers on this crucial theme.\"

Mark Newton, VP of Applications at Oracle UK, says: "The British manufacturing industry has always kept up with the pace of innovation, but the advent of the fourth industrial revolution marks one of the biggest technology-driven shifts in modern times.

"Working together with EEF, we seek to provide manufacturers with both the information and practical paths they will need to successfully navigate the changing technology landscape. This represents a significant opportunity for manufacturers to transform their operations and harness the benefits of digital cloud technologies in both the UK and in global marketplaces.\"

To find out more about UK manufacturing and 4IR, visit: www.eef.org.uk/fourthindustrial.

Now here’s a cool idea for some extra revenue. The next time you are in a customer’s office see if they have a cooler.  Better still if you have retail, leisure, hospitality or catering sector customers ask if they’ve ever seen a cooler that has digital signage integrated into the unit.

Distributor Exertis, has announced availability of the LG Smart Hybrid Cooler that innovatively combines a built-in transparent signage display with a cooler. The 49\" HD that renders brighter images for a vivid digital content. Messages can be managed and displayed remotely with content distribution via the internet or an USB.

By eliminating air gap between the door glass and the transparent LCD panel, the LG Smart Hybrid Cooler displays accurate image and colour. Built-in speakers can add to the experience. Proximity sensors automatically switch the display from advertising mode to transparent mode enabling a see-thru view of the cooler contents.

Ian Aitken, Exertis, general manager, AV said: "The LG Smart Hybrid Cooler has a great many applications. For end users, it not only provides the functionality of a cooler that can display product or brand imagery but also the opportunity to generate advertising income.\"

The Exertis AV Enablement Suite provides resellers and their customers with a showcase for digital signage and interactive technologies, highlighting the IT infrastructure and control environments required to enable them.

ICT distributor Exertis has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Airangel, the UK based provider of venue based, value-add Wi-Fi systems and services.  It means resellers will be  able to sell and support Airangel’s Wi-Fi technology and services for the first time.

Rob Leggett, Exertis’ sales director for wireless and mobility solutions said: "Airangel is the perfect complement to our wireless infrastructure portfolio. We already provide a choice of Wi-Fi infrastructure solutions to fit organisations large and small, centralised and distributed, Airangel enhances our offering in public facing Wi-Fi adding next generation customer connection,  engagement and insight solutions.\"

Exertis claims the Airangel solution will enable resellers to help their customers extract the maximum value from their investment in Wi-Fi, providing the best connection experience for the guest or public, delivering customer analytics to the Wi-Fi provider and enabling personalised, targeted communication during a visit; a real value-add for both parties. MyAirangel, the cloud managed platform at the heart of the solution integrates with third-party Business Intelligence Systems, PMS, CRM, and other platforms delivering additional benefits to the customer.  It is used by hotels, retailers, apartment buildings, large public venues, and outdoor leisure facilities all over the world, including The Ritz, Mercedes Benz, Hilton Hotels, IHG, and the NHS.

David Weston, head of channel at Airangel added: "We have had great success enabling venues to maximise their on-property guest value and customer satisfaction with MyAirangel.  Exertis’ expertise in wireless networking, knowledge of the UK channel and ability to help recruit, train and nurture the right resellers will mean we can grow together and provide a significant new strand of business for those partners who want to add value to their customers with a need for next generation venue and value based Wi-Fi.\"