industry news
Excel reveals brand refresh
Excel Networking Solutions has been updated with a new brand. Excel was launched 14 years ago and the brand is now credited as the third largest cabling supplier for 2010 as reported in the latest BSRIA UK Market Report. Andrew Percival, managing director, commented, ‘The Excel range has expanded
signifi cantly over the years and has over 1,628 products in the portfolio including recently introduced solutions such as intelligent infrastructure management (IIM), pre- terminated high density MTP fi bre, blown fi bre and intelligent power distribution units. With such signifi cant product development, growth in market share, and independent recognition through awards, we felt it was time to give the look and feel of the brand a refresh. Working with a branding specialist, we undertook extensive research with staff, customers, end users, main contractors and consultants and the end result has been a completely fresh and new look, which better refl ects this premium performing end-to- end infrastructure solution’. Percival continued, ‘The Excel relaunch isn’t just about a new look and feel to the brand, it’s the ethos behind everything that we do. Without compromise defi nes our approach to every element of the brand from quality, design and performance of the products, through to our exceptional customer service and accredited partner programme and of course continuous improvement and development. ‘In line with the brand changes we have completely updated and rewritten the
Excel Partner Programme, which includes the addition a new level of ‘Excel Solutions’ partner (ESP) and far more emphasis on continual learning to our partners via online and classroom style training, to ensure the end user customer receives not only the best products, but the best experience from start to fi nish.’
The Excel refresh takes effect immediately and includes a new website, marketing literature, marketing campaigns and partner briefi ng events.
Advantex
chooses Mitel as solutions vendor
Advantex Network Solutions has become an authorised partner of Mitel, following its success in delivering telecommunications solutions. The relationship will enable Advantex to further enhance its solutions portfolio and expand its integrated IT and telecommunications services in the North East and across the UK.
Advantex achieved the Mitel authorised partner accreditation after investing heavily in training its 35 strong workforce and proving its ability to design and deliver high performance IT infrastructures based on Mitel’s IP communications platforms.
By becoming an authorised partner, Advantex will be able to leverage Mitel’s expertise and technology to offer new and existing clients an expanded portfolio of solutions, including advanced voice, video and data communications platforms, as well as applications for customer relationship management and mobility. Advantex’s director of sales and marketing, Stephen O’Connell, said, ‘Mitel is a well known and highly respected brand, so being recognised as an authorised partner is a great achievement. It is also testament to our commitment to deliver quality services and solutions, and invest in a highly skilled workforce to meet customer expectations. Through our Mitel authorised partner status we will now be able to offer additional added value solutions to our clients, providing them with advanced, competitively priced platforms on which we can help them build future communication strategies.’ James Madgwick, account executive at Mitel, said, ‘Advantex has built up an impressive reputation and client base by demonstrating a proven ability to deliver advanced communications solutions that meet client demands. The company’s understanding and knowledge of IP telephony systems will ensure it is an asset to the Mitel partner programme.’
Cisco survey shows cloud adoption is at ‘tipping point’
Cisco has recently conducted a survey, interviewing 250 senior IT professionals across fi ve sectors looking at current and future cloud adoption. The majority of IT decision makers across the public and private sector believe that cloud adoption is at tipping point – with 52 per cent fully aware of the benefi ts of cloud and increasingly putting it on the strategic agenda, yet only making tentative steps towards full scale adoption. Just seven per cent of organisations across the UK said they considered cloud to be critical. The Cisco CloudWatch report found that companies in different sectors are seen to be at varying points along the path to cloud adoption; fi nancial services are more readily adopting cloud compared with other sector organisations.
The report reveals various factors are seen to be impeding cloud growth, not least the absence of cloud industry standards, which the overwhelming majority of respondents (95 per cent) would welcome. Key fi ndings included: Better control of costs is the biggest draw for IT decision makers (72 per cent) in the fi nancial services industry to adopt cloud computing technologies over in-house IT or managed services, more so than any other industry polled as part of Cisco’s newly announced CloudWatch Report. Concerns over the location of data (70 per cent) and compliance issues (68 per cent) were highlighted as barriers preventing any further adoption by the industry.
Easier maintenance and automatic updates (72 per cent) was also a key benefi t. Ian Foddering, chief technology offi cer and technical director, Cisco UK and Ireland, commented, ‘Cloud looks set to change the landscape of technology provision in companies over the coming years but until there is better collaboration within the industry to address issues of standards, security and innovation, customer reticence will remain.’
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