INDUSTRY NEWS COMMENT: WHOLESALE LINES Colin Annette
RESEARCH commissioned by BT Wholesale from Gartner found that around half of the world’s enterprises already have, or are planning to, invest in cloud computing or cloud computing services this year. I often get asked whether I think cloud computing will become the next big thing. The answer is that it is simply the evolution of the connected world that many of us in this business have
been building and developing for the last decade or more. To succeed in this competitive and fast-changing world, businesses need to be more agile and responsive, and they need to keep costs to a minimum. This applies to carriers and operators as much as it does to large enterprises. However, all the virtualised data centre capability in the world, rock solid security and applications written to the cloud mean very little unless in parallel we can provide users with appropriate access. Because of the investments in fibre and higher speeds over copper, as well as Ethernet, we believe that access, capacity and speed will not be barriers to the adoption of corporate cloud services. Of course, it is not just data services that benefit from cloud services, voice services can benefit too and we have been busy building a Communications as a Service (CaaS) capability. This effectively means bringing our hosted IP voice services and cloud computing together. Not everyone uses IP voice and our CaaS solution integrates seamlessly with our IP Exchange platform and with our Hosted IP Voice platform, to help our customers bridge the traditional and IP voice worlds. Cloud computing is here to stay. There’s so much
more we can do in the cloud: Upgrades are easier, developments are easier and innovation is easier.
Colin Annette, Director, BT Wholesale
Ofcom faces big question
A BIG challenge for Ofcom is the fast deployment of mobile broadband, says the FCS in its response to the watchdog’s consultation and the Commons Culture Select Committee inquiry into spectrum release for mobile broadband.
According to FCS the major challenge is how to ensure mobile broadband is used by the economy quickly and to maxi- mum benefit.
Jacqui Brookes, FCS CEO, said: “Ofcom’s challenge in releasing the 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum is to ensure rapid and maximum deployment of mobile broadband.
“The spectrum packages could be a single package, with the entire spectrum in the hands of one entity that acts as a pure wholesaler like Openreach, or as Ofcom proposes, four nation- al licensees and several sub- national RANs. “Under Ofcom’s proposed option of four competing national licensees there must be adequate spectrum for each and a minimum of 2x10 MHz of the lower frequency spectrum to enable a healthy fourth operator to compete effectively.” Brookes also noted that FCS members report continued bar-
Jacqui Brookes
“Rapid and widespread delivery of services requires regulatory oversight to ensure fair retail competition.”
riers to entry into the mobile broadband market.
“Rapid and widespread delivery of services requires regulatory oversight to ensure fair retail competition, and FCS suggests wholesale access obli- gations on the licensees and national roaming between the networks,” she added.
“FCS supports an alloca- tion for sub-national RANs to encourage niche services, and argues that there may be a role for setting aside suffi- cient spectrum to ensure that the Critical National Infrastructure has broadband spectrum for the future, following the example of the USA.”
SHORT CALLS
Avaya has appointed Luc Zuidhof as Head of Channels for Western Europe. He’s responsible for growing revenue and market share through existing and new channel partners in France, Iberia, Italy and Benelux. Prior to joining Avaya he was VP for Northern Europe at Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories.
iomart Group, the managed hosting and cloud computing services company, has reported a healthy 618% rise in profit before tax. The majority of growth came from its hosting operations which generated revenue of £17.7m, a rise of 61% from £11.0m in 2010. This figure includes revenues from the acquisition in November 2010 of Titan Internet for £4.2m.
Entanet’s big investment in its network continues to pay off as more disgruntled customers unhappy with their incumbent supplier switch to the firm, according to Darren Farnden, Head of Marketing. “In the business market in particular we’re seeing companies re-evaluate their suppliers,” he said.
Do you have used or excess stock? We will buy telecoms and now data equipment from anywhere in Europe.
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Bigger Margins - Better Service - Happier Customers 8 COMMS DEALER JULY 2011
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