INDUSTRY NEWS EDITOR’S COMMENT: Stuart Gilroy
IN OUR newly christened Internet Age few areas of modern life remain unaffected by on-demand trends and connectedness. The term ‘click of a mouse’ has become a universal byword for the way we gain instant access to data and communications. And to say that we have become wholly reliant on the network would be to greatly understate
our loyalty to on-demand applications both at home and in the workplace. It is not unreasonable to suppose that a culture of ‘people on demand’ will drive Unified Comms and the collaborative process at the ‘click of a mouse’. This desire for presence and immediacy of access to people continues to be the biggest force in driving the evolution of UCC, be it audio or visual. Microsoft argue’s that its Lync UC proposition is the next natural next step, believing it to offer seamless connectivity and communication between parties literally using a click of a mouse. Its interoperability and tight integration with other familiar MS applications could make it a force to be reckoned with. Figures suggest that Microsoft gained three per cent
share against its UC competitors during the last 12 months. With Lync now firmly established within the long-term strategies of a growing number of traditional channel vendors and distributors this growth figure can only go one way and bring about wider implications for resellers. Two important distributors have taken a lead, creating
credible Unified Comms propositions with Lync at their core supported by a number of well known Lync-optimised vendors which together form a complete channel-ready UC solution. Westcoast and Westcon Convergence have set out their stalls as wholehearted proponents of MS Lync and last month they made significant gains in advancing their Lync strategies to the channel. See pages 22 and 30
Stuart Gilroy, Editor
Nine to TUFF up on fraud
NINE Group has put its weight behind the Telecommunications United Kingdom Fraud Forum (TUFF) and is urging resell- ers to make customers aware of telecoms fraud which cost the UK private sector economy about a billion a year.
Nine Group Operations
Director, Barnes Clutterbuck, who has joined the board of directors at TUFF told Comms Dealer: “We are committed to establishing a reseller forum for fraud management in the UK. “This will help bring a level of fraud awareness to the chan- nel which hasn’t been as preva- lent before.”
THE summer of sport will continue way beyond the Olympics for Comms Dealer and our charity Sparks. The Comms Dealer Five-a-Side football tournament returns to Leicester Goals Soccer centre on
September 27th (see Page 55) and the celebrated Comms Dealer Sir Trevor Brooking (pictured) Celebrity Golf Day takes place at Batchworth Park Golf Club, Rickmansworth on October 13th (see Page 47). Proceeds from both events will go to the work Sparks carries out for seriously ill children across the UK. To book a team at either tournament call Elvira Morrison at Sparks on 020 7340 0672.
Chess acquires Westcon launch
CHESS has added £2.4m of annual turnover and 1,000-plus customers with the acquisitions of Essex-based Cable Telecom- munications and the mainte- nance base of Pink Telecom. The acquisitions follow a series of buys by Chess ear- lier this year, including Supply Communications, Rely Telecom and Deep Blue Networks. Chess’ Chief
Exec’ David
Pollock said: The acquisition of Pink’s maintenance base and Cable Telecommunications are a great strategic fit.
WESTCON Convergence lifted the lid on its Microsoft Lync proposition on July 17th at Microsoft’s UK headquarters in Reading, Berkshire.
The launch attracted 140- David Pollock “We welcome in particular a
new team of telephone system engineers who further strength- en our ability to deliver cost- effective telephone systems and maintenance services.”
plus delegates and was applaud- ed by Julie Simpson, MD of ResourceiT Consulting (respon- sible for Microsoft Customer Lifecycle Management). She said: “It is rare to see a distributor move with so much agility and forethought. For a business of this size to demon- strate such a deep understanding
of its channel and market oppor- tunity with Microsoft Lync and UC, and then to invest at the level it has will considerably help to accelerate its partners’ success.” See page 22
PARTNERS and customers of Fidelity Group together with O2 enjoyed a memorable day at last month’s Henley Royal Regatta. The Henley-based service provider laid on hospitality and also sponsored the earpiece radios provided by Henley Regatta Radio.
Julie Simpson
With 30 deals in less than 3 years, whether fund raise, acquisition or disposal, we truly understand your business
www.comms-dealer.com
Pictured: Fidelity Group MD Alan Shraga and Henley Regatta Chairman Peter McConnell pre- senting an iPad to draw winner Scott Devereux.
0844 557 8470
www.knightcf.com @knightcorpfin
COMMS DEALER AUGUST 2012 3
Barnes Clutterbuck Jack Wraith MBE, CEO at
TUFF, echoed Barnes’ com- ments: “There are two types of people in the telecoms industry: Those who have been hit by fraud and those who are going to be hit by fraud.” See page 32
SHORT CALLS
Daisy opened its 24 hour in-house call centre on 1st August to meet a rise in the number of customers operating during the evenings and over weekends. Andrew Fryatt, Operations Director, said: “To guarantee a higher level of customer service it is important for us to bring the service in-house rather than outsource it.”
Alcatel-Lucent has posted its first net loss in five quarters, of 254m euro. The vendor plans to cut 5,000 jobs (6% of its staff) in a move to save an additional 750m euro. Ben Verwaayen, CEO of Alcatel-Lucent, said: “We are taking aggressive action that will improve our agility in the marketplace.”
TalkTalk Business customers can access a range of new financing options following a link-up with BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions. Andy Lockwood, Transformation Director at the operator, said: “The current climate is averse to new investment but the finance packages will help customers take immediate benefit from our solutions while spreading the cost over a number of years.”
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