COMPANY PROFILE Solar: A bright star in the
Solar Communications is one of the brightest stars in the telecoms firmament. Here, we enter the universe of Mark Colquhoun, Chief Executive, whose background includes setting up and running a game lodge in Kenya.
C
olquhoun
established his first communications business, Call
Options, in 1997. He later sold the company to AIM-listed Adept Telecom in 2005 and wasted no time in setting up another firm called Drumbeat Communications. In 2007 he acquired Wiltshire-based Solar Communications. Not a bad resume for a non-techie whose previous experience included setting up and running a game lodge in Kenya. “Not only was Solar Communications four times the size of Drumbeat, but it had already been established for 20 years,” said Colquhoun. “Solar had great credentials with loyal customers and talented engineers, but it had been stagnant for a number of years and was losing money.”
Colquhoun turned the business around and in 2010 Solar (the name of the combined businesses) was ranked as the fourth fastest growing telecom company in the UK with offices in London and Wiltshire. “Solar’s mission is to be a trusted communications partner,” noted Colquhoun.
“We establish this trust through dedication to customer support, a close understanding of our customers’ business and goals, as well as our own knowledge and expertise of the latest communications products and services.”
Based in Chippenham and London, Solar is a customer-focused provider of solutions suitable for businesses of any size that embrace UC, LAN, WAN and mobile technologies. “We have experienced significant expansion and revenue growth during the last three years, and currently have 1,000 business clients based across the UK,” added Colquhoun.
Solar is now ranked as the number one partner for ShoreTel IP telephony systems in the UK, and has been the vendor’s top European partner for the last three years. In 2010, Solar won the Circle of Excellence award, the highest recognition that a partner can receive as it is only awarded to the top 10 partners globally. Solar’s product portfolio is wide and deep. As well as UC, the firm offers WAN
Mark Colquhoun
and LAN connectivity, call plans, business mobile, HD videoconferencing and telephony services including call logging and recording.
One-stop-shop All of these products support and complement each other, and therefore support Solar’s vision of a one-stop- shop for all voice and data communications. “From a sales perspective, a focus on account management ensures we understand the needs of our customers and can help them formulate solutions that support their business as they move forward,” added Colquhoun. “Technical training for our support and engineering staff includes industry and highest- level vendor accreditation.”
The firm’s headcount has grown by 55 per cent since
The Comms National Awards yet? Visit
www.cnawards.com
Have you entered 22 COMMS DEALER JUNE 2011
Sponsors the Vertical Market Category
www.comms-dealer.com
It’s essential to listen to every customer carefully
2007 and its revenues have increased by 30 per cent year-on-year. “Our customers come from a wide variety of market sectors including financial, legal, health, travel and education,” Colquhoun said. “Our goal is to deliver the products and services that our customers need to make a real difference to their businesses. Our deep understanding of the telecommunications marketplace has seen us expand our capabilities from the sale and support of traditional telephone systems with associated call plans to a broad portfolio of high speed Internet
access services, leased line provision based upon SIP and MPLS, high performance LAN infrastructure, HD videoconferencing and a focus on UC.”
Solar was quick to identify the benefits that UC would bring to its customers in terms of improved customer service, operational efficiencies and cost savings. “Our key growth areas are based around UC, mobility, high speed Internet connectivity and HD videoconferencing,” added Colquhoun. “More and more companies need to support a mobile workforce
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72