Comms Dealer

Allied Telesis has bolstered its converged wired and wireless solutions portfolio with the formation of Allied Telesis Wireless.

The new entity incorporates the former Extricom team and the assets acquired (intellectual property, technologies, product portfolio and its customer base).

The Extricom product portfolio has been deployed for over a decade in challenging environments such as large public venues, warehouse/logistics/industrial manufacturing facilities, schools, and hospitals throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Seiichiro Sato, Allied Telesis director of global product marketing, said: "The formation of Allied Telesis Wireless and the launch of the Extricom product line will allow Allied Telesis to offer a complete portfolio of wireless and wired LAN solutions to our customers."

Manchester-based Invosys (formerly ICS) has completed a staff recruitment drive that builds a solid platform for future expansion.

Following its rebrand from ICS last April the company sharpened its focus on innovating communications software to expand the product suite and level of technical expertise. The move created a number of key roles that Invosys has now fulfilled.

The product development team sees the arrival of Amina Marfoua, from Alternative Networks, who has been appointed in the newly created position of Head of Products, bringing over six years experience in designing and rolling out telecoms solutions.

Additions to the team include Tanya Schultz from Global Capacity as Tester and Graphics Designer, and Jim O'Brien as Graphics Designer, along with Hernan Carreras and Montserrat Areal as Java Developers (key roles which focus on innovation and product functionality).

They are joined by Zeeshan Hussain as iOS developer, who will have a focus on communication related apps.

Invosys has also increased its client services offering with three new appointments. Ed Cheung, also formerly of Alternative Networks, joins as Project Manager. He brings experience in managing a wide range of products including inbound/outbound and mobile, LAN/WAN solutions, Mitel and Avaya system installations.

Cheung is supported by Stephanie Warwick from Redrow Homes in a customer service role along with Andrew Lindley, who joins the order desk.

Amina Marfoua said: "2014 has been a critical year in the evolution of ICS to Invosys. We are thrilled with our new additions to the team who bring a wealth of expertise, which will help us achieve our vision to become the global innovators in the communication software industry, at the forefront of product development."

Radio comms specialist Icom UK welcomed HRH The Princess Royal to its stand at the 61st Annual London Boatshow.

Bob Stockley, MD, said: "We are proud and honoured that HRH The Princess Royal took time to visit us and was interested in our new models, particularly our new Wi-Fi digital radios.

"As a company we have been attending the Boatshow for over 20 years. To have Her Royal Highness visit our stand at the end of our 40th anniversary year in business was absolutely fantastic."

During the show Icom showcased its range of marine radio and navigational equipment.

The company launched two new fixed marine VHF radios to the boating media including new models called the IC-M323 and IC-M423 which feature integrated GPS receivers.

Distributor Nimans has unwrapped its 2015 trade catalogue and according to Group Sales & Business Development Director Richard Carter the launch banner could read 'there's more to Nimans than you think'.

"The world of communications continues to evolve and we remain at the vanguard of all the industry's latest developments," he said.

"From our own hosted voice service to the latest Wireless LAN technologies, low-cost video conferencing and an expanding networking and infrastructure portfolio - including cost-effective own brand cabling, there's a lot more to Nimans than you may realise."

The 472-page Voice & Data Book features 10 colour-coded technology sections and over 7,000 products.

Unemployment has fallen to 1.9 million in the UK and according to Clive Jefferys, MD of recruiter JMA Network, this downward trend could prompt ambitious companies with a growth agenda to reconsider their staffing policies.

"You could not wish for a stronger indicator of how the economy is picking up," he said. "Unemployment is not just scraping below two million, it's now 100,000 lower and still falling."

The Office of National Statistics has revealed that Britain has its biggest ever employed workforce at 30.8 million and wage rises are outstripping CPI inflation.

"For the first time in years, most people will find the cost of living getting a little easier, not by much, but it's a start," added Jefferys.

"The biggest worry for business now is how to support growth plans. Those having trouble securing staff will need to reevaluate their recruitment model."

Jola has joined the growing posse of comms providers accredited to the Government's Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme which has been extended to March 2016.

The business communications supplier is helping partners win connectivity and hosted telephony deals while claiming up to £3,000 to fund the implementation.

"With so many organisations moving to hosted voice and the cloud there has never been a better time to persuade customers to upgrade their connection to the Internet," said MD Andrew Dickinson.

"As long as the end user is in a qualifying area and meets the basic eligibility criteria for the scheme I am confident we can apply for a voucher regardless of the contract term or published set-up fee.

"Although the end customer has to physically apply for the voucher, we do all the work for them and their dealer.

"Approval times vary but none are onerous and the incentive of taking £3,000 off the total cost of a service should be incentive enough to go through the process and upgrade from broadband."

York City Football Club has called in a North East based business telecommunications specialist to overhaul its telephony system. 

Gateshead's Eclipse Networks has just completed the installation of a new hosted telephony system at the League Two club's current ground. 

York City, who have been at their Bootham Crescent ground since 1932, called in Eclipse Networks to assist with a much needed updating of its ageing, traditional telephone system. 

The club didn't want to invest in a long-term solution as the go-ahead has just been given for an 8,000-capacity community stadium in the town's Monks Cross development which the club will move to.

James Drake, MD at Eclipse Networks, said: "York City presented us with a unique challenge. Most clients are looking for long-term solutions. Understandably, we didn't want to offer them a lifetime fix as in eighteen months time they will be in their new stadium with other tenants and the requirements could be quite different.

"We worked closely with the office-based team at York City to understand their frustrations with the old telephony system and have provided them with our hosted Horizon system.

"It comes within their existing communications budget, and allows them the chance to communicate better with each other and their fans. It also gives them to flexibility to transfer the same system to the new stadium when they relocate."

General manager at York City FC, John McGhee, said: "The new system offers us far more efficiency than expected, and unearthed considerable cost saving opportunities too that meant the whole project was cost neutral." 

Pictured: James Drake, MD at Eclipse Networks; John McGhee, general manager at York City FC; and Dean Lamb, hosted telephony specialist at Eclipse Networks.

Small businesses are potentially missing out on thousands of pounds of free funding according to Gateshead-based telecoms and IT infrastructure firm Advantex Network Solutions.

This could be used to pay for superfast broadband connections and associated hardware such as wireless and Internet security.

The Government has set aside £150 million to fund its Broadband Connection Vouchers scheme. Under this, a business can apply for up to £3000 to use towards the cost of installing new internet and Wi-Fi services.

Advantex is a registered supplier of the connection vouchers and delivering the Go Digital scheme in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead, which closes in 2016 after delivering vouchers to numerous businesses already.

The firm has started work on several projects under the scheme, where new superfast and secure internet connections will be installed to improve services to tenants. These include the six storey Broadacre House on Market Street and Westgate Road's prestigious The Beacon business centre.

Director Stephen O'Connell says the UK already does more business online than any other European country, and the widespread access to superfast broadband offered by the scheme will provide a tremendous boost to the Tyneside economy.

However, he's concerned that there are hundreds of small businesses unaware of the scheme or who believe that they might not be eligible for funding.

"Although the Government has set aside hundreds of millions of pounds to help companies become better connected to the Internet, there is still huge capacity for Tyneside companies to access funding.

"Which business wouldn't want the opportunity to tap into a no-obligation funding package that puts them on the fast track to success using superfast broadband connectivity as well as associated IT hardware for connectivity?

"So, more companies need to register and take advantage of an initiative that can help them to improve competitiveness and boost growth."

O'Connell also wants to see more commercial property landlords take advantage of the scheme. "Under the scheme, a landlord could be eligible for up to £3,000 per tenant," he said.

"If they have several tenants then the available funding package can add up to tens of thousands of pounds for investing in an enterprise grade Internet for their building as well as an enterprise level wireless network and Internet security."

D-Link has extended its reach into Ireland following a link-up with Irish distributor Memory Bank which will offer the full range of D-Link's business solutions products, covering switching, wireless LAN, network storage, IP surveillance cameras and service packs.

"Memory Bank's focus is predominantly on the networking infrastructure, IP surveillance, power, and data centre segments of the business market in Ireland," said Lester Horsefall, Commercial Director for Memory Bank.

"And there are excellent synergies between Memory Bank's existing vendor partners and D-Link which will allow us to offer our customers additional choice, quality and functionality over and above our current range, while enabling our customers to build and grow sustainable, profitable businesses selling D-Link solutions and differentiated services such as IP surveillance networks."

Andrew Mulholland, Head of Business Solutions & Marketing at D-Link Europe, added: "D-Link is growing strongly across the European and UK market, and this growth period makes it the ideal time for D-Link to strengthen its business in Ireland."

Evolve Telecom has signed up to the Ebillz Enterprise solution designed to meet the capacity demands of a growing acquisitions portfolio and keep pace with new technology releases.

Enterprise also boasts ready-made integration with popular accounting software packages and white labelling bureau services.

Toby Stubbington, Director at Evolve, said: "The scope and capability of Enterprise has made it an essential element of our business critical systems.

"Enterprise is already translating into increased operational value with further potential to join up our systems."

Arvind Meghani, MD at Ebillz, added: "It is a proud statement for Enterprise that a significant company like Evolve Telecom can benefit from such a company-wide transformation after incorporating the Enterprise solution as the bedrock of their business systems."