Comms Dealer

Technology giant NEC has merged its IT and comms divisions to form an IT and unified communications powerhouse offering off and on-premise cloud and hybrid solutions for partners to take to all markets.

According to UK & Ireland Sales Director Andrew Cooper the integration will enable NEC's 300-strong reseller channel to provide converged IT and communications solutions to every type and scale of business.

This is a major transition for NEC in the UK which has been seen by industry players as solely a traditional voice vendor for many years.

Speaking at the UK launch of NEC's new Smart Enterprise group, Cooper told Comms Dealer: "There have been major ongoing developments within NEC, obviously with the acquisition of Philips and the integration of that into the voice business.

"We then integrated the IT business which was based in France. If you look at the domestic market, we are the dominant player in the IT networking field as well but in the UK that is relatively unknown.

"We have now integrated our comms and IT divisions which formulated NEC Smart Enterprise Solutions and from that we formed the four pillars of the Smart Enterprise."

The pillars outlined by Cooper at the Smart Enterprise launch are Business Agility (enabling mobile workforces and creating a more adaptive IT environment), Cloud Delivery (delivering flexible deployment models), Collaborative Communities (enhancing the user experience for collaboration), and Assured Services (infrastructure designed for business continuity).

Incorporated in the Smart Enterprise solution is a new Cloud Store cloud aggregation platform that will enable resellers to offer customers ready-to-use business applications from the cloud including collaboration, security and applications such as Microsoft Office 365.

Cloud Store can be fully branded by NEC's channel partners and is managed by NEC in a Tier 3 data centre with all registering, ordering and billing capabilities included.

"This is a development that has been going on for a number of years with the likes of Telefonica and Deutsche Telecom so it is a tried and tested solution that is now being brought down into the enterprise space from the carrier business," said Cooper.

"This is genuine convergence of the voice and data marketplace. We are also combining our voice and VDI (Virtual Desktop Solutions) to offer a Smart Workspace integrated voice and data application."

NEC is claiming up to 99.999 per cent reliability on its platforms including the cloud communications suite via its Fault Tolerant servers and Express Cluster Software.

"Reliability sits across the entire portfolio and from an Express Cluster point of view its vendor agnostic so we can run that across Dell, HP or anyone else's platform," added Cooper.

"We are confident both current and potential reseller partners will now look on NEC as a secure one-stop-shop for integrated IT and comms emplacements."

Distributor Tech Data has introduced a new set of online tools including a marketing portal.

These resources are being made accessible through Tech Data Accelerate, an SMB-focused microsite that also provides links to Tech Data's Credit Elevator, vendor partner programmes and events.

The new Marketing Portal has been developed to provide an easier way for resellers to produce customer emails from a range of marketing templates, which they can further enhance with their own messages, links and contact details.

Over 30 vendors are represented in the portal, with names including HP, Microsoft, and Samsung providing SMB messaging; with public sector-focused messages provided by Cisco, Dell, Lenovo and others. Resellers can simply mix and match messages to achieve a broad market appeal.

Nimans has been named Distributor of the Year by structured cabling manufacturer HellermannTyton.

Data Infrastructure Sales Manager for Nimans, Adrian Barker, said product knowledge, training incentives, price and project support along with high stock holding all play a key role in attracting more installers to the brand.

Cat6 warranted systems and Cat5e cabling are some of the most popular products, as Barker highlighted: "HellermannTyton enjoy a reputation as a competitive premium brand backed by a 25 year warranty available through its accredited installers (when trained by the manufacturer)."

Karen Miller, UK Channel Manager for HellermannTyton, commented: "Nimans have shown exceptional month-on-month sales growth in 2015. We want to recognise this performance by presenting this award."

A new report on the outlook for the UK telecommunications sector produced by IHS has highlighted the key role of new players in driving broadband connections, accounting for a 70% rise in high speed broadband connections over the next five years, from almost nine million at the end of 2015 to more than 15.5 million by the end of 2020.

The report also identified CityFibre as a 'notable' alternative to BT Openreach.

"While BT is working on expanding superfast services using VDSL (FTTC) and G.Fast, alternative operators have entered the market using FTTP to increase their coverage," said Fiona Vanier, senior analyst at IHS Technology.

Infrastructure supplier CityFibre was founded in January 2011 and operates a 1,500km local (city network), 1,500km long distance network, and has 36 major metro footprints and network in over 80 towns and cities.

CityFibre is targeting a total of 50 major metro networks by 2020, addressing 20% of the UK market.

"This means that ISPs looking to move into certain towns or cities may have the option of choosing CityFibre as a wholesaler instead of BT," Vanier added.

"Key players in the UK broadband market, such as Sky and TalkTalk, already recognise CityFibre as a viable alternative to BT Openreach, and a number of significant agreements have been signed with CityFibre over the last 12 to 18 months."

Another company pushing the boost in connections is Gigaclear. "Gigaclear has found its niche in the market," Vanier said. "With take-up rates as high as 40%, it is clear that this company is expanding quickly in key areas in the UK."

Dell has added analytical data management platform Zizo to its Service Provider Partner programme.

As part of the new agreement, Zizo's analytical data management solution will be proposed to customers alongside data centre hardware and support provided by Dell.

The company delivers an end-to-end Analytics-as-a-Service platform, through its own patented technology, with customers including the BBC, Marks and Spencer and the Royal Mail in the UK.

Peter Ruffley, Chairman at Zizo, stated: "We chose Dell as a partner in order to provide consultancy and high performance data centre hardware. It has helped us to architect our service, and ensure that we have the tools to deliver."

Analytics professional services adoption accelerated in the second half of last year with at least 70% of analytics software purchasers surveyed using such services, according to researcher TBR.

"Enterprises understand analytics have become essential to compete in today's data intensive economy," said TBR Professional Services Senior Analyst Jennifer Hamel.

"Regulatory compliance, risk management and data security will be the primary concerns impacting analytics purchase decisions over the next two to five years," said Hamel. "Enterprises will increasingly rely on services vendors for strategic and tactical advice in deploying analytics to solve broad business and IT challenges."

Consulting continues to be the primary entry point to analytics professional services engagements.

However, growing demand for design-build-run services highlights the rapidly maturing market and interest in end-to-end analytics management.

Bundled services and technology solutions remain the default purchase option, enabling IBM, SAP, Microsoft and Oracle to lead the market, while the consulting and system integration vendor landscape remains fragmented.

SSE Enterprise Telecoms has given aql's data centre customers access to a range of connected dark fibre routes and optical networking connectivity solutions linking the world to its Leeds metropolitan data centres.

Founded and headquartered in Central Leeds, aql is a wholesale communications operator with international reach.

"SSE Enterprise Telecoms shares our plans to ensure Leeds is recognised as one of the key digital hubs in the UK," said Dr Adam Beaumont, founder and CEO of aql.

"The city has a world class digital industry including a thriving community of big data innovators, driving demand for a hyper-connected city. Organisations such as SSE Enterprise Telecoms providing dark fibre solutions ensure that the Northern Powerhouse can support the terabit demands of data research and innovation."

Colin Sempill, MD of SSE Enterprise Telecoms, added: "With a new multi-terabit capable dark fibre link underpinning its operations, aql can ensure its wholesale partners are connected with low latency and jitter free connectivity - paramount for services such as IP voice.

"Meanwhile, with a range of our networking solutions now available at the data centre, ISPs and enterprises can easily connect into the carrier-neutral aql data centre, which will help lay the foundations for a vibrant digital economy in the City."

Ann Potterton is to reprise her role as Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) CEO following a two year break from the post, returning in June 2016.

She takes over from Adam Oliver and will continue to build on the ITP's core strengths in promoting the professional and career development of members, as well assisting the industry by offering apprenticeship consultancy and its apprenticeship scheme.

"I would like to thank Adam for his hard work and commitment to our members," stated ITP Chairman Lucy Woods.

"Ann will also ensure that the ITP is a strong advocate for the industry at all levels of private and public enterprises."

Satellite Internet has reported growing demand for satellite connectivity via the BDUK broadband project.

As part of the satellite-specific scheme's supplementary element, Satellite Internet is offering an entry level proposal which includes 10GB of monthly data and speeds of up to 20Mbps direct to end users.

Satellite Internet MD Mike Locke said: "Despite the nationwide demand for fast connectivity, many properties in the UK still don't have the most basic broadband speeds, rendering users unable to make full use of the internet.

"BDUK's Basic Broadband For All scheme recognises the importance of satellite Internet connectivity in providing an acceptable level of broadband speed to the "final five percent" - those premises that cannot realistically be served by traditional terrestrial-based broadband delivery technologies."

Satellite Internet partners with SES Techcom Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of satellite operator SES, to deliver high speed satellite broadband services across the UK and Ireland.

Updata Infrastructure, part of Capita IT Enterprise Services, has signed a national framework agreement with CityFibre enabling it to offer public and private sector services over CityFibre's national network.

With 36 network footprints across the country, and a financed plan to reach a total of 50 cities by 2020, CityFibre's national reach provides Updata with an alternative to incumbent networks.

CityFibre's pure fibre networks will be used as a platform for Updata's growing ranks of public sector and enterprise customers as well as providing the company with an option to migrate existing customers where commercially preferable or technically essential.

CityFibre's Commercial Director Rob Hamlin said: "A framework agreement with Updata cements CityFibre's position as a key supplier to the sector.

"As an emerging national alternative to Openreach, our networks provide Updata with a platform over which it can continue to innovate and grow."

Bruce Strang, MD, Updata, added: "Our clients' demands are constantly growing and it is important that we can meet them by leveraging a pure fibre network infrastructure."