Landmark Leeds building
Hepworth Point has been turned into a new Premier Inn hotel by
commercial space provider Bruntwood, boasting 131 bedrooms and creating
40 new jobs. The new hotel is now open to the public, a year ahead of
the new Leeds Arena in 2013.
The developments are located close to each other on the north side of
Leeds city centre and provide an answer to public calls for the creation
of new entertainment and leisure facilities. The new Premier Inn is
situated on Clay Pit Lane and stands 10 storeys high.
Once open, Leeds Arena will have a capacity of 13,500 and will be graced
by sports events, music and comedy shows and attractions for families –
attendees of which will benefit from the additional accommodation
choice provided by office space specialist Bruntwood.
Craig Burrow, Bruntwood's director of Leeds, said: "Bruntwood are
delighted to have completed the conversion of Hepworth Point in Leeds
and to welcome Premier Inn as a customer. We're now looking for further
opportunities within Leeds to expand our core offering, as our customers
continue to respond positively to the Bruntwood way of doing business
here."
WSB Property Consultants LLP, who handled the deal, commented that the
building's location has made it a star player in Premier Inn's portfolio
of hotels, while Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants – the parent company
of Premier Inn – noted that it is ideally located for access to the city
centre and university, as well as the new arena. The company's focus is
on quality and value and they are convinced that the new venue will
deliver on both counts.
Premier Inn hopes to increase its current UK count of 47,000 bedrooms to 65,000 by 2016.
Bruntwood also offers conference rooms which Leeds businesses can use for training events and high-profile meetings, alongside facilities as diverse as virtual office services and full office suites.
Monday, 30 April 2012
m-hance launches graduate recruitment scheme to support rapid growth plans
m-hance, the UK’s fast
growing provider of business software solutions to mid-sized
organisations, is launching its own graduate recruitment scheme to
support its rapid growth plans. In partnership with specialist
recruitment firm, Discovery Graduates, m-hance is seeking to recruit
six graduates to be based at its headquarters in Stockport from July
2012.
The successful candidates will be given permanent placements in one of six business areas including product management, marketing, consulting, support, finance and sales. In addition to being given permanent full-time paid positions, graduates will also receive a large element of offsite training through Discovery’s OPEN programme.
Mark Thompson, CEO of m-hance, says: “We want to attract the best talent to sustain our exceptional growth and cement our position as the leading innovator of business software solutions to mid-sized organisations. m-hance’s new graduate recruitment programme is a fantastic We are offering genuine opportunities for graduates to mobilise their talent scheme and represents an opportunity for us to invest in our company by training and developing the future managers of our business.”
Thompson comments, “Not only is m-hance committed to offering opportunities to bright, hard-working and creative young graduates, we are also committed to investing in their development. with us and progress their way up the business by working with leading edge technology from the world’s major players.”
m-hance is currently supported by 230 staff from offices in Manchester, London, Loughborough, Dublin and Glasgow. Recently, m-hance acquired sub-divisions of Maxima Holding’s plc’s Maxima Business Solutions Division to elevate its customer base to 2400. This acquisition, the company’s fourth since June 2011, will consolidate m-hance’s presence in its strategic vertical markets and strengthen its focus on infrastructure and project services industries.
m-hance’s graduate recruitment scheme is part of an ongoing recruitment drive. Interested applicants should visit www.m-hance.com/about-us/careers/
The successful candidates will be given permanent placements in one of six business areas including product management, marketing, consulting, support, finance and sales. In addition to being given permanent full-time paid positions, graduates will also receive a large element of offsite training through Discovery’s OPEN programme.
Mark Thompson, CEO of m-hance, says: “We want to attract the best talent to sustain our exceptional growth and cement our position as the leading innovator of business software solutions to mid-sized organisations. m-hance’s new graduate recruitment programme is a fantastic We are offering genuine opportunities for graduates to mobilise their talent scheme and represents an opportunity for us to invest in our company by training and developing the future managers of our business.”
Thompson comments, “Not only is m-hance committed to offering opportunities to bright, hard-working and creative young graduates, we are also committed to investing in their development. with us and progress their way up the business by working with leading edge technology from the world’s major players.”
m-hance is currently supported by 230 staff from offices in Manchester, London, Loughborough, Dublin and Glasgow. Recently, m-hance acquired sub-divisions of Maxima Holding’s plc’s Maxima Business Solutions Division to elevate its customer base to 2400. This acquisition, the company’s fourth since June 2011, will consolidate m-hance’s presence in its strategic vertical markets and strengthen its focus on infrastructure and project services industries.
m-hance’s graduate recruitment scheme is part of an ongoing recruitment drive. Interested applicants should visit www.m-hance.com/about-us/careers/
Advanced Business Solutions launches ‘one stop shop’ mobile business intelligence
Advanced Business Solutions (Advanced), a market leading provider of business applications and services, today announces the launch of Advanced Mobile Business Intelligence (Advanced Mobile BI) in response to increasing demand. Advanced Business Solutions is a division of Advanced Computer Software Group plc.
Advanced is the first software provider to package its mobile BI solution with handheld devices and airtime, providing businesses with a complete ‘one stop shop’ for BI. The devices (Android tablets) and airtime are being supplied by Advanced Mobile Communications – Advanced Computer Software’s newly launched in-house mobile division.
The market for mobile BI is growing considerably with Gartner predicting that by 2013, 33% of BI functionality will be consumed via handheld devices (Critical Capabilities for Mobile BI, Joao Tapadinhas, 10 April 2012).
Joao Tapadinhas, Analyst from Gartner says, “Mobile business intelligence is growing fast in the corporate landscape, with many companies piloting or planning deployment initiatives. A recent Gartner survey of 1,364 organisations that use BI tools indicates that 8% are actively using mobility for BI; an additional 13% are running pilot initiatives; and an additional 33% have plans to deploy mobile BI within 12 months.” *
Advanced Mobile BI, which complements Advanced’s business intelligence portfolio, enables an organisation’s staff to view BI dashboards in real-time from their tablets. This anytime and anywhere access to business critical information, for instance revenue, outstanding debt and sales by product, supports flexible and remote working, enabling key decisions to be made ‘on the move’.
Advanced’s mobile BI applications include IBM Cognos, SAP BusinessObjects and QlikView, which can all be offered with tablets and airtime included.
Dean Dickinson, Managing Director of Advanced Business Solutions (Public Sector and Enterprise) says, “There is a growing need for mobile business intelligence solutions within both the public and private sectors, however no other provider can offer the same ‘one stop shop’ approach. By offering mobile BI applications with tablets and competitive airtime included, organisations only need to deal with one supplier for all their business intelligence needs.”
Dickinson adds, “Organisations need to be investing in mobile BI solutions if they want to get ahead of the curve by making timely decisions based upon accurate and real-time business data. Insightful business indicators shouldn’t be restricted to the office but should be accessible at anytime and from anywhere.”
For further information about Advanced’s new mobile BI offering, contact marketing@advancedcomputersoftware.com
Bechtel selects Active Risk Manager for risk and opportunity management
Loren Padelford, Executive Vice President and GM at Active Risk commented, “ARM is all about minimizing project surprises on even the most complex projects and programs. Bechtel has a track record of delivering and we are proud that they have selected ARM as a standard application.”
Active Risk is the first Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) solution provider to drive business performance by allowing organizations to manage risk more effectively.
Sunday, 29 April 2012
That's Travel: No Better Time For Business Travel Support
That's Travel: No Better Time For Business Travel Support: ABT UK stresses the importance of travel management in the current climate The economic downturn has seen corporates across the c...
Food Industry's New Toolkit Promotes Health At Work
Ahead of World Day for Health and Safety at Work 2012, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), has launched a new, free toolkit for employers to help their employees lead a healthier lifestyle.
Dame Carol Black, expert adviser on
health at work at the Department of Health, supported the launch at
Coca-Cola Great Britain's head office in Hammersmith, London. A tour
of the onsite facilities and introduction to the team helped Dame
Carol appreciate the company's long-standing commitment to workplace
wellbeing.
Barbara Gallani, Director of Food
Safety & Science at FDF, said: "Under the Public Health
Responsibility Deal, FDF and many of its members pledged to take
action to improve public health. In many cases this included a
commitment to improve employee health. The food industry has long
known the importance of looking after its greatest asset, its people.
With this resource we hope to be an exemplar for other sectors."
Dame Carol Black, expert adviser on
health at work at the Department of Health, said: "There is a
wealth of evidence that shows having a healthy, engaged workforce
brings clear benefits - for employees and business alike - with
improved quality and productivity. Government alone cannot tackle the
major public health problems this country is facing. The food and
drink industry has a strong track record on workplace wellbeing, with
many of FDF's members having already signed up to the Public Health
Responsibility Deal. There is excellent work going on and we need to
keep building momentum."
For more information about FDF
visit: www.fdf.org.uk
Retail Jewellers Set To Benefit From New Initiative That Could Cut The Cost Of Having Bespoke Jewellery Made By 20% Or More
A company renowned for producing replacement jewellery for the insurance sector is now making its services available to retail jewellers in a move that could cut the cost of having bespoke jewellery made by 20% or more.
Albion Fine Jewellery is an Anglo Indian partnership that has been making high quality gold, platinum and diamond replacement jewellery by hand for UK insurers for the last three years.
Now the company is making its master goldsmiths available to third parties in an initiative that will allow retail jewellers to benefit from the substantial cost savings and increased profit opportunities that production in India can bring.
"By manufacturing in India, we can produce superb, handmade jewellery for the price retailers would normally expect to pay for cast pieces" says Antony Hayes, business development director at Albion, which is a sister company of the internationally renowned Art Loss Register.
"The service is aimed at jewellers who want something that is a little bit different and who want to make more profit from the items they sell.
"Our goldsmiths can also take old, outdated stock and turn it into jewellery that's more appealing and saleable," he says.
"All jewellers have to do is tell us what they want and we will make it for them by hand - it's as simple as that. It's a bit like having your own team of goldsmiths, workshops and designers, but without the overheads."
All the goldsmiths, finishers and polishers employed by jewellery manufacturer Albion in India are master craftsmen who use traditional skills handed down from one generation to the next. Almost everything is carried out by hand, from choosing the raw materials to the final polish.
As part of its jewellery manufacturing service, Albion is also making its in-house CAD and Matrix design team available to retail jewellers. Although virtually all Albion jewellery is handmade, the company can also offer very fine casting, using the lost wax method, if jewellers require more than one item and uniformity is critical.
To find out more, visit www.albionjewellery.com
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Top UK contact centre outsourcer, Ant, announces new appointment
Richard Snaith, Operations Manager, Ant
Richard, who has spent his career working for outsourcers including Ventura, comments; “This is a fantastic opportunity. I have a lot of experience of delivering complex business to business solutions across multiple sectors and a strong operations background running CRM and quality assurance programmes. Ant has an impressive track record and is working with some of today’s leading UK and international brands. With their inbound, outbound and digital marketing offering I am looking forward to helping to deliver even greater results.”
Richard brings expertise in ensuring compliance with regulatory and legal requirements along with his wealth of experience in project management.
Liam Smith, Strategic Development Director at Ant, comments; “This is an important appointment for us with great responsibility. Our business to business solutions division has a diverse range of activities that operate around the clock contacting customers globally on behalf of our clients. Quality and strong operational management are key.”
For more information please visit www.antmarketing.com
That's Books: Is employment red tape preventing growth? HR exper...
That's Books: Is employment red tape preventing growth? HR exper...: Happy Working Relationships In recent months, there have been calls from ministers and influential MPs to reduce employees’ ...
When A Price Rise Becomes A Price Benefit
The subject of Royal Mail's
price increases has become a hotly debated matter over recent years. On
one hand customers complain about the loss of collections and post
offices. On the other hand few personal customers send much mail, using
modern technologies like email, SMS and Facebook to keep in touch with
friends and family instead. Clip on earring retailer www.make-me-beautiful.co.uk, say they are using this price increase to deliver a better service.
"Over the last decade the use of post has massively changed," spoke Misae Richwoods of Make Me Beautiful. "Letters are sent less but more people use the post to send their online shopping returns or eBay sales. We've enjoyed ultra cheap delivery with super fast shipping as a country for a long time - it's probably one of the reasons why the UK leads the world in eCommerce. I remember living in Canada and 1st class meaning anytime in the next two weeks rather than the next two days!"
Although Make Me Beautiful absorbed the last two Royal Mail price hikes without raising prices, for this raise there will be an increase together with the obsolescence of certain services while newer delivery methods launch. Services to be removed include 1st Class Standard Post which Royal Mail themselves have come to admit has a 92.3% delivery rate or a 7.7% loss rate. Replacing this will be the new courier-style Tracked 48 service which has a tiny 0.03% loss rate.
“Royal Mail Tracked has numerous benefits, both for our customers, as well as us as a retailer,” said Richwoods. “Track & Trace via royalmail.com updates every 15 minutes, compared to the service of a normal Signed-For parcel, which updates the customers of the location of their package only when delivery is attempted. On this new service customers can see where their delivery is right the way up to the door, something that was never possible before and it's a much more reliable service with only a fraction of a percentage point of post getting lost. It's only a pound more yet delivers the type of experience you'd normally only get from a much higher priced courier so although it's a small step for prices, but one huge step forwards for value delivered."
The new services are live on Make Me Beautiful for UK customers and are being switched on for international destinations through the month. For more details, see www.make-me-beautiful.co.uk/shop/shipping.html
"Over the last decade the use of post has massively changed," spoke Misae Richwoods of Make Me Beautiful. "Letters are sent less but more people use the post to send their online shopping returns or eBay sales. We've enjoyed ultra cheap delivery with super fast shipping as a country for a long time - it's probably one of the reasons why the UK leads the world in eCommerce. I remember living in Canada and 1st class meaning anytime in the next two weeks rather than the next two days!"
Although Make Me Beautiful absorbed the last two Royal Mail price hikes without raising prices, for this raise there will be an increase together with the obsolescence of certain services while newer delivery methods launch. Services to be removed include 1st Class Standard Post which Royal Mail themselves have come to admit has a 92.3% delivery rate or a 7.7% loss rate. Replacing this will be the new courier-style Tracked 48 service which has a tiny 0.03% loss rate.
“Royal Mail Tracked has numerous benefits, both for our customers, as well as us as a retailer,” said Richwoods. “Track & Trace via royalmail.com updates every 15 minutes, compared to the service of a normal Signed-For parcel, which updates the customers of the location of their package only when delivery is attempted. On this new service customers can see where their delivery is right the way up to the door, something that was never possible before and it's a much more reliable service with only a fraction of a percentage point of post getting lost. It's only a pound more yet delivers the type of experience you'd normally only get from a much higher priced courier so although it's a small step for prices, but one huge step forwards for value delivered."
The new services are live on Make Me Beautiful for UK customers and are being switched on for international destinations through the month. For more details, see www.make-me-beautiful.co.uk/shop/shipping.html
Experian reveals mortgage fraud increases for fifth successive year
Around 34 in every 10,000 applications for mortgages were found to be fraudulent in 2011, compared to just 15 in every 10,000 in 2006.
The overall rate of fraud at the point of application across the UK's financial services sector increased by four per cent in 2011 to just over 17 in every 10,000 applications. In addition to record mortgage fraud figures, this overall increase was also driven by growth in insurance and current account fraud.
More than 90 per cent of attempted mortgage fraud in 2011 was down to individuals misrepresenting their personal information on applications. Typically, these first party frauds involved falsifying employment status or financial information, and, most commonly, attempting to hide an adverse credit history.
Experian's demographic insight revealed that Mosaic groups, the Terraced Melting Pot - young, poorly educated individuals living in small towns - and the Suburban Mindsets - predominantly middle aged, middle and skilled working class individuals - were both responsible for around 15 per cent of first party mortgage fraud cases in 2011. The young, well educated professionals of the Liberal Opinions were also prone to attempting first party mortgage fraud, being responsible for 13 per cent of cases.
Nick Mothershaw, UK&I director of Identity & Fraud at Experian said: "About 70 per cent of financial services application fraud in the UK fraud is down to first parties misrepresenting their circumstances, and the products such as mortgages and insurance that have seen fraud soar over the last year have a significant first party fraud element to them. This kind of fraud tends to originate from financially stressed segments of society."
Looking at other financial products, Experian found that insurance fraud UK rates reached 11 in every 10,000 applications and claims in 2011, an increase of 23 per cent over the last year. 89 per cent of insurance fraud was first-party led with the Terraced Melting Pot, Suburban Mindsets and Liberal Opinions demographics responsible for the most instances. Combined they accounted for 43 per cent of cases.
Current account fraud increased to 36 frauds in every 10,000 applications in 2011, up from 23 in every 10,000 in 2010. 60 per cent of current account fraud in 2011 was committed by first-parties, almost a quarter (23 per cent) of which was down to the Terraced Melting Pot demographic. The remaining 40 per cent of current account fraud attempts were down to third-party identity fraudsters seeking to open accounts as a springboard to obtain other credit products or for money laundering purposes.
Not all financial products saw fraud rates increase in 2011. Credit card fraud continued to fall, from 19 in every 10,000 applications in 2010 to 12 in every 10,000 in 2011. Automotive finance providers have also seen fraud rates fall. 23 in every 10,000 applications were found to be fraudulent in 2011, down from 38 in every 10,000 during 2010. 85 per cent of these frauds were first party.
Experian's Fraud Index utilises data from the National Hunter and Insurance Hunter fraud prevention systems, which Experian manages on behalf of its clients. These systems enable financial companies to analyse applications alongside previous ones and highlight inconsistencies which may be indicative of fraud.
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Energy Companies Supply cold-calling nightmare for businesses
FURIOUS business energy customers have inundated the Energy Advice Line
with complaints about the cold-calling tactics of utility companies –
with some firms reporting up to 30 high-pressure sales calls a day.
Businesses that have just moved premises have complained of being contacted by callers fraudulently posing as meter “officials” in order to elicit information to take over their energy supplies.
Other customers have complained of being plagued by sales calls to the point where they are forced stop answering their telephones, in once case, a business owner was bombarded with calls during a funeral despite being told to stop.
The Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, has launched a campaign Say No To Cold Calling on Business Energy to lobby energy regulator Ofgem to ban the practice.
Julian Morgan, managing director of the service, said high-pressure cold-calling strategies were increasingly being used by rogue agents acting on behalf of the energy suppliers. Businesses moving premises were particular targets.
“You wouldn’t believe the stories we have heard abut the lengths these callers will go to in order to get customers to sign up to energy contracts,” Mr Morgan said.
“These agents somehow obtain information about businesses who are taking on new leases, and then bombard them with sales calls.
“In many cases they pose as meter “officials” – although no such officials exist – so that business owners reveal meter information. Before they know it, they’ve been hoodwinked into expensive energy contracts.
“We intend to present our evidence to Ofgem and urge the regulator to ban the practice in order to protect businesses from this kind of highly-suspect, high-pressure sales activity.”
Mr Morgan said specific examples of complaints involved cold-callers who:
• Called one prospective business customer 30 times in one day to sell an energy contract
• Called a prospective customer 10 times in one day placing intense pressure on them to agree to a contract
• Called a prospective customer 5 times a day before they had even moved into new premises, having already obtained their contact details and meter information
• Told a business owner they were legally obliged to accept the energy contract they were being offered
• Claimed to be from bogus organisations – variously called Central Registrations, The Meter Registrations Company, The Meter Registrations Department and Central Networks – to elicit private meter information
• Threatened to cut off energy supplies if the business owner refused to accept a contract offer
• Told business owners their meters needed to be “re-registered” in order to obtain meter registration numbers
• Made three unsolicited calls to a business owner in the space of 30 minutes, despite being asked to desist because they were attending a funeral
The Energy Advice Line has produced guidance for firms to follow to avoid being locked into the expensive business electricity and gas deals being touted by cold callers.
1. Speak to a price comparison service that has a large panel of suppliers: check that they are not just working for one specific supplier
2. Say No to Cold Calling: do not accept an energy deal from someone who calls you out of the blue. The price is usually 30%–40% above of the current retail price.
3. Verify who you are talking to: ring the company back and ask to speak to your account manager to ensure they are being truthful about the company they represent
4. Price transparency: go with a price comparison service prepared to put the energy tariffs they offer on their website so you can be sure you are making the right choice
5. Commission transparency: if you want to know how much commission the agency is earning from the switch just ask. A reputable service will tell you. If they will not tell you, be suspicious
6. Pressure selling: a professional impartial and transparent service will not exert any pressure on you to enter into a contract, and will give you the information and time you need to ensure you are making the right choice
You can join the Say No to Cold Calling campaign and get further information at www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php
You can also follow the campaign on twitter @SayNoToColdCall
If you believe you have been tricked into an expensive energy contract by a cold-caller, one of their team of business energy contract experts may be able to help – call 0800 915 1800.
The Energy Advice Line is the UK’s only impartial business electricity price comparison and switching service exclusively for business. It has campaigned for utility companies to change their business energy contracts and billing arrangements to make it easier for firms to switch suppliers to get the best business electricity rates and gas deals.
For further information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk
Businesses that have just moved premises have complained of being contacted by callers fraudulently posing as meter “officials” in order to elicit information to take over their energy supplies.
Other customers have complained of being plagued by sales calls to the point where they are forced stop answering their telephones, in once case, a business owner was bombarded with calls during a funeral despite being told to stop.
The Energy Advice Line, the UK’s leading price comparison and switching service for business, has launched a campaign Say No To Cold Calling on Business Energy to lobby energy regulator Ofgem to ban the practice.
Julian Morgan, managing director of the service, said high-pressure cold-calling strategies were increasingly being used by rogue agents acting on behalf of the energy suppliers. Businesses moving premises were particular targets.
“You wouldn’t believe the stories we have heard abut the lengths these callers will go to in order to get customers to sign up to energy contracts,” Mr Morgan said.
“These agents somehow obtain information about businesses who are taking on new leases, and then bombard them with sales calls.
“In many cases they pose as meter “officials” – although no such officials exist – so that business owners reveal meter information. Before they know it, they’ve been hoodwinked into expensive energy contracts.
“We intend to present our evidence to Ofgem and urge the regulator to ban the practice in order to protect businesses from this kind of highly-suspect, high-pressure sales activity.”
Mr Morgan said specific examples of complaints involved cold-callers who:
• Called one prospective business customer 30 times in one day to sell an energy contract
• Called a prospective customer 10 times in one day placing intense pressure on them to agree to a contract
• Called a prospective customer 5 times a day before they had even moved into new premises, having already obtained their contact details and meter information
• Told a business owner they were legally obliged to accept the energy contract they were being offered
• Claimed to be from bogus organisations – variously called Central Registrations, The Meter Registrations Company, The Meter Registrations Department and Central Networks – to elicit private meter information
• Threatened to cut off energy supplies if the business owner refused to accept a contract offer
• Told business owners their meters needed to be “re-registered” in order to obtain meter registration numbers
• Made three unsolicited calls to a business owner in the space of 30 minutes, despite being asked to desist because they were attending a funeral
The Energy Advice Line has produced guidance for firms to follow to avoid being locked into the expensive business electricity and gas deals being touted by cold callers.
1. Speak to a price comparison service that has a large panel of suppliers: check that they are not just working for one specific supplier
2. Say No to Cold Calling: do not accept an energy deal from someone who calls you out of the blue. The price is usually 30%–40% above of the current retail price.
3. Verify who you are talking to: ring the company back and ask to speak to your account manager to ensure they are being truthful about the company they represent
4. Price transparency: go with a price comparison service prepared to put the energy tariffs they offer on their website so you can be sure you are making the right choice
5. Commission transparency: if you want to know how much commission the agency is earning from the switch just ask. A reputable service will tell you. If they will not tell you, be suspicious
6. Pressure selling: a professional impartial and transparent service will not exert any pressure on you to enter into a contract, and will give you the information and time you need to ensure you are making the right choice
You can join the Say No to Cold Calling campaign and get further information at www.energyadviceline.org.uk/say-no-to-cold-calling.php
You can also follow the campaign on twitter @SayNoToColdCall
If you believe you have been tricked into an expensive energy contract by a cold-caller, one of their team of business energy contract experts may be able to help – call 0800 915 1800.
The Energy Advice Line is the UK’s only impartial business electricity price comparison and switching service exclusively for business. It has campaigned for utility companies to change their business energy contracts and billing arrangements to make it easier for firms to switch suppliers to get the best business electricity rates and gas deals.
For further information visit www.energyadviceline.org.uk
Colortrac - Queen's Award for 2012
Colortrac sales of their SmartLF large format scanners and SmartWorks software achieved a substantial and sustained increase in export earnings over a three year period to a level which is considered outstanding for the products and services concerned.
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is an awards programme for British businesses and other organizations that excel at international trade, innovation or sustainable development. They are the highest official UK awards for British businesses and the scheme was established as The Queen's Award to Industry by a royal warrant of 30th November 1965.
Expanding on the implications of The Queen's Awards for Enterprise, Colortrac Executive Director Peter Brown noted that “Clearly the worldwide economic downturn has had an adverse impact on the performance of many markets and businesses over the past three years.
Colortrac’s long term investments in development of innovative wide format scanner and software products and the expansion of our ISO certified manufacturing facilities, has provided us with greater capacity and the flexibility to react to our customers’ requirements in terms of product quality, performance, functionality and value.
These financial results and the growth in Colortrac market share are a strong validation of our strategic product and business direction. We have a profitable base from which to continue our market expansion and The Queen's Awards for Enterprise is a very pleasing confirmation of our recent success, spurring us on to strive for greater future achievements”.
Furthermore, Peter said "I am delighted our customers have seen the benefits of the quality, innovation and creative thinking put into the SmartLF large format scanners and SmartWorks imaging software that we produce. Customers understand how these technical innovations and SmartWorks software features can increase their business productivity and performance. We have a rapidly increasing order book which, combined with planned new product introductions, should provide us with continuing profitable growth in our business, even in this difficult economic climate.”
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are made on the advice of the Prime Minister after examination of applications by an Advisory Committee composed of leading individuals from industry, commerce and government. The awards are conferred annually by the reigning British monarch Elizabeth II on her majesty’s birthday on 21st April.
Wednesday, 25 April 2012
Gigantic, rare Wide-Angle Lens with a £100,000 Price Tag Goes On Sale at Grays of Westminster
One of the few 220º Nikkor fisheye lenses ever made is now available for purchase and is looking for a buyer at London’s Nikon-only reseller, Grays of Westminster.
Nikon stunned the photographic world at Photokina in 1970 by introducing the 220º fisheye Nikkor with an astonishing speed of f/2.8. It is the world’s most extreme wide-angle lens to cover the 24 x 36mm image area (at the time) with a massive glass dome which dwarfs the camera attached. The 6mm is for scientific and industrial applications and special effects when shooting portraits, architecture and interiors, etc.
Lens production began in March 1972 and it was only made available to special order. This lens’s technical specifications are:
- 6mm f/2.8 Fisheye-Nikkor lens
- Serial no: 628024
- Lens construction: 12 elements in 9 groups
- Picture angle: 220º
- Diaphragm: Automatic
- Aperture scale: f/2.8-f/22 on both standard and aperture-direct-readout scales
- Weight: 5200g
- Dimensions: 236mm dia. x 171mm long (overall); 160mm extension from lens flange
- Distance scale: graduated in metres and feet from 0.25m (0.9ft) to infinity (∞)
- Filters: built-in skylight (L1BC), medium yellow (Y48), deep yellow (Y52), orange (O56), and red (R60)
- Front lens cap: Slip-on, delivered in a rugged metal case.
- Condition: MINT
- Price: £100,000
Founder Gray Levett said, "The background of this immense lens is that our vintage camera buyer Toni Kowal spent six months tracking it down from overseas, and we were fortunate to be able to find this example in such pristine condition. The lens was photographed by master photographer Tony Hurst. It is a stunning example of the optical expertise of the engineers and designers at Nikon."
FACTFILE:
The legendary and award-winning Grays of Westminster is a charming period shop, specialising exclusively in Nikon. Grays of Westminster offers knowledgeable advice and information on Nikon equipment, whether new, second-hand or vintage. They can provide a fast and reliable mail-order service on any Nikon item which is available to all world-wide destinations.
From their very beginning over a quarter of a century ago, they aimed at offering their customers the very best service and the finest in Nikon equipment. This tradition continues today.
Grays of Westminster also provides a vast range of photographic training sessions for its customers including subjects such as Mike Maloney’s Photographic Workshop at the House of Lords; Heather Angel’s Wildlife & Natural History Workshops; Simon Stafford’s Definitive Flash, Portraiture, Landscape and Macro Training Sessions; Michael Eleftheriades’ panoramic and colour-calibration seminars.
Grays of Westminster is situated in a quiet location in central London yet within walking distance of Westminster Abbey, the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace.
+44 (0)20 7828 4925
info@graysofwestminster.co.uk
http://www.graysofwestminster.co.uk
Where there's a Will...
‘People must be able to write a Will with confidence, not fear,’ according to a report from the Legal
Services Board which calls for Will Writers to be regulated to improve
standards. A Will is a document in which a person declares their
intention as to what should happen to their estate after their death.
The Chairman of the Legal Services Board, David Edmonds, said “Making a Will is something everyone should do. It is one of the most important actions that individuals can undertake.”
Under current legislation Will writing services can be offered by anyone, even if they have no experience. Research has shown that there are significant numbers of people who receive poor service and poor outcomes from their advisors. Sadly for many, by the time a mistake is realised it may be too late to do anything about it. Under plans unveiled by the Legal Services Board Will Writing will become a ‘reserved activity’, meaning that those who provide Will Writing and estate administration must be regulated by one of eight approved regulatory bodies.
Ashley Marshall, Associate Solicitor at Marsden Rawsthorn and a specialist in Probate and Wills, commented: “Making a Will is immensely important and something which, unfortunately, many people put off. It is vital that clients have confidence in their advisor to ensure that their wishes are adhered to and accurately reflected in their Will. We provide our clients with Will Writing and also Estate Planning services to keep inheritance tax bills to a minimum. I welcome the changes proposed by the Legal Services Board and the additional protection it will provide to consumers.”
A Will is the only legal way to ensure that a spouse, partner or relative will inherit what you intend. As a legal document a Will MUST be prepared correctly for it to comply with the necessary legal requirements and, therefore, be valid and effective, which is why it is dangerous to prepare your own Will, or use untrained and unqualified professionals for a quick fix solution. Indeed, in the long run, this approach could cause your estate extra expense after your death and your beneficiaries unnecessary stress and hardship.
Here are our top six reasons why having a professionally produced Will drawn up by a qualified solicitor is essential:
1. If you are married and die without making a Will, your Estate will not necessarily go to your spouse. Intestacy laws will decide how your estate will be distributed amongst your relatives. For example, a surviving spouse with children is only entitled to take the first £250,000 of the deceased’s sole assets and personal possessions absolutely.
2. If you die without making a Will and have no family, everything goes to the State.
3. A Will is essential to provide properly for young children in the event of both parents dying.
4. If you have married, entered into a civil partnership, or remarried since you made your Will, it is essential to make a new one, as any pre-existing Will is normally rendered void by the later marriage/civil partnership.
5. Home-made Wills may be incorrectly drawn up and executed. If so such a Will may not be valid and so may not deal with your estate in accordance with your wishes. This could cause your spouse, partner or other beneficiaries’ unnecessary hardship
6. You can reduce the tax your estate will incur by using a qualified solicitor to carefully draft the terms of your Will and look at other ways of mitigating the impact of tax on your death.
Under current legislation Will writing services can be offered by anyone, even if they have no experience. Research has shown that there are significant numbers of people who receive poor service and poor outcomes from their advisors. Sadly for many, by the time a mistake is realised it may be too late to do anything about it. Under plans unveiled by the Legal Services Board Will Writing will become a ‘reserved activity’, meaning that those who provide Will Writing and estate administration must be regulated by one of eight approved regulatory bodies.
Ashley Marshall, Associate Solicitor at Marsden Rawsthorn and a specialist in Probate and Wills, commented: “Making a Will is immensely important and something which, unfortunately, many people put off. It is vital that clients have confidence in their advisor to ensure that their wishes are adhered to and accurately reflected in their Will. We provide our clients with Will Writing and also Estate Planning services to keep inheritance tax bills to a minimum. I welcome the changes proposed by the Legal Services Board and the additional protection it will provide to consumers.”
A Will is the only legal way to ensure that a spouse, partner or relative will inherit what you intend. As a legal document a Will MUST be prepared correctly for it to comply with the necessary legal requirements and, therefore, be valid and effective, which is why it is dangerous to prepare your own Will, or use untrained and unqualified professionals for a quick fix solution. Indeed, in the long run, this approach could cause your estate extra expense after your death and your beneficiaries unnecessary stress and hardship.
Here are our top six reasons why having a professionally produced Will drawn up by a qualified solicitor is essential:
1. If you are married and die without making a Will, your Estate will not necessarily go to your spouse. Intestacy laws will decide how your estate will be distributed amongst your relatives. For example, a surviving spouse with children is only entitled to take the first £250,000 of the deceased’s sole assets and personal possessions absolutely.
2. If you die without making a Will and have no family, everything goes to the State.
3. A Will is essential to provide properly for young children in the event of both parents dying.
4. If you have married, entered into a civil partnership, or remarried since you made your Will, it is essential to make a new one, as any pre-existing Will is normally rendered void by the later marriage/civil partnership.
5. Home-made Wills may be incorrectly drawn up and executed. If so such a Will may not be valid and so may not deal with your estate in accordance with your wishes. This could cause your spouse, partner or other beneficiaries’ unnecessary hardship
6. You can reduce the tax your estate will incur by using a qualified solicitor to carefully draft the terms of your Will and look at other ways of mitigating the impact of tax on your death.
The No.1 Traveller airport lounge at London Gatwick Airport’s
North Terminal is today celebrating an award for offering the Best
Business Facilities of any airport lounge in the world. The lounge has
been honoured in the Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards, decided by
the members of Priority Pass, the world’s largest independent airport
lounge access programme.
Jonathan French, head of brand, Priority Pass, says: “To be voted as having the best business facilities in the world is a great reflection of how hard No.1 Traveller airport lounges work to support their customers. With international business travel now a significant part of our lives, it is imperative that we offer Priority Pass members the best options to balance work and travel. We therefore commend No.1 Traveller for its achievement.”
Michael Robey, head of experience for No.1 Traveller, said: “Business passengers represent a significant proportion of the guests we look after in our lounges, and, as such, we are committed to ensuring our facilities meet their needs and allow them to keep working on the move. We provide a range of services that help make travellers’ time at the airport as productive and stress-free as possible. We are delighted this hard work and focus has been recognised with the award for Best Business Facilities at our Gatwick North lounge. The fact the award is voted for by Priority Pass members is a great endorsement and encourages us to continue developing market-leading facilities for all our guests.”
The Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards, established in 2005, are designed to recognise service excellence amongst the lounges in the Priority Pass programme. No.1 Traveller at Gatwick North was singled out for honour amongst more than 600 other airport lounges. With the award based on over 40,000 ratings made by Priority Pass members - frequent travellers primarily travelling on business who know a thing or two about travel - this accolade has come from an impeccable source.
The No.1 Gatwick airport lounge, North Terminal features an independent travel spa and Business Centre. The fully equipped, modern business facility includes private meeting rooms, available for hire. The space includes printing, scanning and faxing facilities, alongside free Wi-Fi and internet terminals.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Priority Pass has millions of members worldwide. The programme provides frequent travellers with airport lounge access, irrespective of their class of travel, airline flown or existing membership in an airline loyalty programme. Founded in 1992 with 55 lounges in 49 countries, Priority Pass today offers access to more than 600 airport lounges in over 300 cities in more than 100 countries.
There were a total of nine winners in the Priority Pass 2012 Lounge of the Year Awards:
Global Award: Swiss-Lounge, Basel-Mulhouse
Regional Awards:
Europe: Swiss Lounge, Basel-Mulhouse (global winner)
North America: Alaska Airlines Board Room, Seattle
Latin America and Caribbean (LAC): American Admirals Club, Rio
Africa/Middle East: Menzies Aviation Shongololo Lounge, Johannesburg
Asia Pacific: Travelers’ Lounge, Hong Kong – East Hall
Best Staff: The Yorkshire Premier Lounge, Leeds Bradford
Best Refreshments: Dilmun Lounge, Bahrain
Best Business Facilities: No.1 Gatwick, North Terminal, London Gatwick
Jonathan French, head of brand, Priority Pass, says: “To be voted as having the best business facilities in the world is a great reflection of how hard No.1 Traveller airport lounges work to support their customers. With international business travel now a significant part of our lives, it is imperative that we offer Priority Pass members the best options to balance work and travel. We therefore commend No.1 Traveller for its achievement.”
Michael Robey, head of experience for No.1 Traveller, said: “Business passengers represent a significant proportion of the guests we look after in our lounges, and, as such, we are committed to ensuring our facilities meet their needs and allow them to keep working on the move. We provide a range of services that help make travellers’ time at the airport as productive and stress-free as possible. We are delighted this hard work and focus has been recognised with the award for Best Business Facilities at our Gatwick North lounge. The fact the award is voted for by Priority Pass members is a great endorsement and encourages us to continue developing market-leading facilities for all our guests.”
The Priority Pass Lounge of the Year Awards, established in 2005, are designed to recognise service excellence amongst the lounges in the Priority Pass programme. No.1 Traveller at Gatwick North was singled out for honour amongst more than 600 other airport lounges. With the award based on over 40,000 ratings made by Priority Pass members - frequent travellers primarily travelling on business who know a thing or two about travel - this accolade has come from an impeccable source.
The No.1 Gatwick airport lounge, North Terminal features an independent travel spa and Business Centre. The fully equipped, modern business facility includes private meeting rooms, available for hire. The space includes printing, scanning and faxing facilities, alongside free Wi-Fi and internet terminals.
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Priority Pass has millions of members worldwide. The programme provides frequent travellers with airport lounge access, irrespective of their class of travel, airline flown or existing membership in an airline loyalty programme. Founded in 1992 with 55 lounges in 49 countries, Priority Pass today offers access to more than 600 airport lounges in over 300 cities in more than 100 countries.
There were a total of nine winners in the Priority Pass 2012 Lounge of the Year Awards:
Global Award: Swiss-Lounge, Basel-Mulhouse
Regional Awards:
Europe: Swiss Lounge, Basel-Mulhouse (global winner)
North America: Alaska Airlines Board Room, Seattle
Latin America and Caribbean (LAC): American Admirals Club, Rio
Africa/Middle East: Menzies Aviation Shongololo Lounge, Johannesburg
Asia Pacific: Travelers’ Lounge, Hong Kong – East Hall
Best Staff: The Yorkshire Premier Lounge, Leeds Bradford
Best Refreshments: Dilmun Lounge, Bahrain
Best Business Facilities: No.1 Gatwick, North Terminal, London Gatwick
Insight UK and Webroot to Simplify Security Checks for Businesses Across Europe
Cloud Service Provider to
deliver Webroot® SecureAnywhere™ Business – Endpoint Protection to its
customers across the European market
Security checks are to become faster, more efficient and more effective in the months running up to London 2012. As a result, a new streamlined checking process has been created by a partnership between cloud computing service provider Insight UK and security vendor Webroot.
The agreement will enable Insight to deliver Webroot® SecureAnywhere™ Business – Endpoint Protection to its customers across the European market.
The move is of significance because it simplifies the process of security checks for all businesses, something which makes them less prone to human error and more likely to succeed, according to Mark Green, EMEA e-commerce and cloud director at Insight.
"Insight is thrilled to begin offering Webroot SecureAnywhere Business - Endpoint Protection to our cloud customers across EMEA," said Green. "We've been looking for the right cloud-based endpoint protection to add to the solution set we extend to our small and mid-sized business customers and we believe we've found a great fit with Webroot. The product's size and speed offers significant resource and productivity benefits to our customers, and its behaviour-based detection performed in the cloud will keep threats from reaching their systems. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Webroot throughout 2012 and beyond."
Richard Daly, EMEA Channel Manager at Webroot, said, "Webroot is excited to join forces with Insight to help transform the way security is delivered to organisations. With this new partnership, we have extended our platform for delivering increased productivity and cost-savings to small-to-medium-sized enterprises across Europe."
Webroot SecureAnywhere – Endpoint Protection was launched as the flagship product in Webroot's business portfolio in early 2012. The solution leverages cloud-based anti-malware technologies to identify new threats more effectively and with fewer resource requirements than traditional endpoint protection offerings.
Key benefits include:
More effective protection: Rather than relying on signatures that can consume network bandwidth and leave users exposed to new threats, Webroot leverages a cloud-based intelligence network to analyse every file that tries to run on a computer. When a new threat is identified, every Webroot customer is protected within seconds.
Superior performance: Webroot SecureAnywhere – Endpoint Protection installs in less than 6 seconds – 42 times faster than the average competitor. It uses 12MB of memory during its initial scan, less than 10% of the memory needed by the average traditional security tool. Its system scan, which searches the system for rootkits and complex threats, takes less than 2 minutes on average.
Easier manageability: IT managers no longer need to spend time and resources performing intrusive scans and continuous signature updating, patching, and re-imaging. They can also manage every aspect of their endpoint protection through a single web-based console that is accessible from anywhere.
FACTFILE:
Insight EMEA is a division of Insight Enterprises, Inc., a leading provider of brand-name information technology ("IT") hardware, software and services to large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and public sector institutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The company has approximately 5,500 teammates worldwide and generated sales of $5.3 billion for its most recent fiscal year, which ended December 31, 2011. Insight is ranked number 471 on Fortune Magazine's 2011 'Fortune 500' list. For more information, please visit:
http://uk.insight.com
http://twitter.com/Insight_UK
http://blog.insight.com/
Security checks are to become faster, more efficient and more effective in the months running up to London 2012. As a result, a new streamlined checking process has been created by a partnership between cloud computing service provider Insight UK and security vendor Webroot.
The agreement will enable Insight to deliver Webroot® SecureAnywhere™ Business – Endpoint Protection to its customers across the European market.
The move is of significance because it simplifies the process of security checks for all businesses, something which makes them less prone to human error and more likely to succeed, according to Mark Green, EMEA e-commerce and cloud director at Insight.
"Insight is thrilled to begin offering Webroot SecureAnywhere Business - Endpoint Protection to our cloud customers across EMEA," said Green. "We've been looking for the right cloud-based endpoint protection to add to the solution set we extend to our small and mid-sized business customers and we believe we've found a great fit with Webroot. The product's size and speed offers significant resource and productivity benefits to our customers, and its behaviour-based detection performed in the cloud will keep threats from reaching their systems. We look forward to expanding our relationship with Webroot throughout 2012 and beyond."
Richard Daly, EMEA Channel Manager at Webroot, said, "Webroot is excited to join forces with Insight to help transform the way security is delivered to organisations. With this new partnership, we have extended our platform for delivering increased productivity and cost-savings to small-to-medium-sized enterprises across Europe."
Webroot SecureAnywhere – Endpoint Protection was launched as the flagship product in Webroot's business portfolio in early 2012. The solution leverages cloud-based anti-malware technologies to identify new threats more effectively and with fewer resource requirements than traditional endpoint protection offerings.
Key benefits include:
More effective protection: Rather than relying on signatures that can consume network bandwidth and leave users exposed to new threats, Webroot leverages a cloud-based intelligence network to analyse every file that tries to run on a computer. When a new threat is identified, every Webroot customer is protected within seconds.
Superior performance: Webroot SecureAnywhere – Endpoint Protection installs in less than 6 seconds – 42 times faster than the average competitor. It uses 12MB of memory during its initial scan, less than 10% of the memory needed by the average traditional security tool. Its system scan, which searches the system for rootkits and complex threats, takes less than 2 minutes on average.
Easier manageability: IT managers no longer need to spend time and resources performing intrusive scans and continuous signature updating, patching, and re-imaging. They can also manage every aspect of their endpoint protection through a single web-based console that is accessible from anywhere.
FACTFILE:
Insight EMEA is a division of Insight Enterprises, Inc., a leading provider of brand-name information technology ("IT") hardware, software and services to large enterprises, small to medium-sized businesses and public sector institutions in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. The company has approximately 5,500 teammates worldwide and generated sales of $5.3 billion for its most recent fiscal year, which ended December 31, 2011. Insight is ranked number 471 on Fortune Magazine's 2011 'Fortune 500' list. For more information, please visit:
http://uk.insight.com
http://twitter.com/Insight_UK
http://blog.insight.com/
FreeAgent launches iPhone app for financial record-keeping
FreeAgent, a leading online accounting software provider, has developed the app - called Earnest - after being tasked by HM Revenue & Customs to create a free resource allowing self-employed workers and very small businesses across the country to keep track of their income and expenses and estimate the amount of tax that they owe.
Under HMRC guidelines, many micro-business owners and self-employed people only have to file three-line accounts: recording income, expenditure and profit for the year. However, many of these people still find it difficult to manage their accounts - which prompted HMRC to request software companies to develop an app that would provide assistance.
FreeAgent has designed Earnest to be an easy-to-use, intuitive app that provides very small business owners with simple information and record-keeping functions that they require. Currently available to download in the iTunes App Store, Earnest enables users to easily track their income and expenses on their iPhone, and it is the only free app currently available under the HMRC initiative that also forecasts their tax commitments.
Ed Molyneux, CEO and co-founder of FreeAgent, said: "HMRC challenged the software industry to create an easy-to-use-app that would help self-employed people and very small businesses keep track of their finances, and we've designed Earnest to do exactly that. It's a simple, intuitive app that lets them monitor their cash flow, input expenses and see how much tax is owed - and we think it's going to be an invaluable tool for small business record-keeping.
"Our hope is that very small businesses will receive the support they require from Earnest - and as they grow and start to require more in-depth features for their finances, their experience with the app will encourage them to 'trade up' to use FreeAgent. We're essentially trying to create a hassle-free journey that small and early-stage businesses can follow when it comes to managing their finances and bookkeeping."
The Earnest app enables users to:
- Record income and expenses
- See their bottom line profit or loss
- Get estimates on how much tax they owe
- See upcoming tax deadlines and dates with a "Tax To-do" list
- Capture and store image receipts using their iPhone camera
- Create alerts to remind them of important tax dates and as they near the VAT Threshold
- Categorise transactions by payment method
- Record cash and non-cash transactions
- Add notes to entries
- Record CIS deductions made on income
- Back up their data by email
More information about Earnest can be found on the website www.earnestapp.com or by visiting the iTunes App Store.
73 per cent of UK organisations do not have document management integrated into CRM
Version One survey reveals demand for CRM-integrated document management
A worrying survey by document management software company, Version One, reveals that 73 per cent of UK organisations do not have document management functionality integrated into their customer relationship management (CRM) system. Version One surveyed 126 managers from a cross-section of UK private, public and third sector organisations.
Of the remaining respondents, 17 per cent state that they do have document management integrated into their CRM system with 10 per cent uncertain about whether they do or not.
As almost 60 per cent of survey respondents without CRM-integrated document management state that their organisation would benefit from having such functionality, this suggests that there is significant demand for this integrated technology.
Greg Ford, Managing Director of Version One, says, “The survey results highlight that there is a definite need for CRM systems with integrated document management functionality. Using this software, imaged documents can be linked to the corresponding records in CRM, providing a comprehensive history of all dealings with customers, whether you’re in sales, operations or customer support. This holistic view enables improved customer service and provides the foundation for smarter cross-selling and up-selling.”
With document management integrated into CRM, staff have instant access to all customer records instead of having to trawl through filing cabinets of documents. Correspondence is no longer mislaid or lost and with all customer information and documentation in one place and instantly accessible, this provides invaluable customer intelligence.
Ford adds, “The economic climate is so challenging that organisations need to find ways of improving customer retention, adding value to existing customers and attracting new customers. Having comprehensive customer intelligence at an organisation’s fingertips enables smarter working and paves the way for a first-class customer experience.”
A worrying survey by document management software company, Version One, reveals that 73 per cent of UK organisations do not have document management functionality integrated into their customer relationship management (CRM) system. Version One surveyed 126 managers from a cross-section of UK private, public and third sector organisations.
Of the remaining respondents, 17 per cent state that they do have document management integrated into their CRM system with 10 per cent uncertain about whether they do or not.
As almost 60 per cent of survey respondents without CRM-integrated document management state that their organisation would benefit from having such functionality, this suggests that there is significant demand for this integrated technology.
Greg Ford, Managing Director of Version One, says, “The survey results highlight that there is a definite need for CRM systems with integrated document management functionality. Using this software, imaged documents can be linked to the corresponding records in CRM, providing a comprehensive history of all dealings with customers, whether you’re in sales, operations or customer support. This holistic view enables improved customer service and provides the foundation for smarter cross-selling and up-selling.”
With document management integrated into CRM, staff have instant access to all customer records instead of having to trawl through filing cabinets of documents. Correspondence is no longer mislaid or lost and with all customer information and documentation in one place and instantly accessible, this provides invaluable customer intelligence.
Ford adds, “The economic climate is so challenging that organisations need to find ways of improving customer retention, adding value to existing customers and attracting new customers. Having comprehensive customer intelligence at an organisation’s fingertips enables smarter working and paves the way for a first-class customer experience.”
Marketo Announces Finalists for 2012 Revenue Performance Management (RPM) Excellence Awards
Marketo, the fastest-growing provider of Revenue Performance Management (RPM) solutions, today announced the finalists for its second annual Revenue Performance Excellence Awards. The “Revvies” recognise and celebrate customers and partners that are using Marketo’s marketing automation and sales effectiveness solutions to push outside the boundaries and away from their competition.
Adding six new awards this year, Marketo will honor 11 organisations and individuals that are true thought leaders and innovators in their respective industries.
The finalists for the 2012 Revenue Performance Excellence Awards include:
Most Successful Global RPM Execution
• Aconex, BrightTALK, Citrix
Most Dramatic Business Impact
• Algonquin College, Bizo, Brinker Capital, Christiana Care Health Systems, TheLadders
Most Innovative Revenue Engine
• McGrawHill Higher Education, Rackspace, RedPrairie
Most Dramatic Improvement from Switching to Marketo
• CPP, High Street Partners, Lancope
Most Innovative Integration with Marketo
• American Public University Systems, Podio, Totango
Most Impactful Use of Marketing Metrics
• MobileIron, OraMetrix, TITUS
Social Media Marketing Maven
• ELT, InsideView, VMware
Best Use of Marketo to Impact Your Community
• Algonquin College, Connect for Education
Most Dramatic Career Growth From Using Marketo
• Michele Aymold, Bersin & Associates; Meaghan Fitzgerald, Bullseyehub; Courtney McAra, Egencia
Best Business Growth Through Spark by Marketo
• CentraStage, Post.Bid.Ship
Partner Excellence
• Elixiter, LeadMD, Spear Marketing, The Pedowitz Group
“We are thrilled by the tremendous volume of submissions for our second annual Revvie Awards,” said Paul Albright, Marketo’s chief revenue officer. “The finalists are truly game-changing companies with leaders delivering amazing results across marketing and sales. It’s an honor to help provide the dramatic business impact evidenced by the stories submitted. Congratulations to each of the finalists for their achievements in driving revenue growth.”
Finalists were selected based on the following criteria: Innovation, leadership, success metrics and business impact and winners will be celebrated on May 24th, 2012 at the 2012 Marketo User Summit.
Marketo is the fastest growing provider in Revenue Performance Management. Marketo’s powerful yet easy-to-use marketing automation and sales effectiveness solutions transform how marketing and sales teams of all sizes work — and work together — to drive dramatically increased revenue performance and fuel business growth.
The company’s proven technology, comprehensive services and expert guidance are helping more than 1,800 enterprise and mid-market companies around the world to turn marketing from a cost center to a business-building revenue driver. Marketo also offers Spark by Marketo™, a new brand of marketing automation tailored specifically for small businesses – the fastest-growing and largest segment of today’s economy. Marketo acquired Crowd Factory on April 17, 2012 to deliver the world’s first integrated solution for social marketing automation.
Marketo was recently named one of “America’s Most Promising Companies” by Forbes Magazine, the fastest-growing private company of 2011 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal, and the “2011 CRM Market Leaders Awards Winner for Marketing Solutions” by CRM Magazine. For more information, visit www.marketo.com, or subscribe to Marketo’s award-winning blogs at blog.marketo.com.
Tuesday, 24 April 2012
That's Green: Opus Energy says smart meters are the big industry...
That's Green: Opus Energy says smart meters are the big industry...: Opus Energy | smart meters New research from independent UK business-to-business energy supplier, Opus Energy, suggests that...
Centrix Software and Juriba join forces to help enterprises design and deploy Windows 7 projects, faster
Centrix Software, a leading provider of workspace computing solutions, today announced a technology alliance with Juriba, a global developer of business intelligence solutions for enterprise desktop transformation.
The alliance brings together the most comprehensive workspace analytics solution from Centrix Software with the leading desktop project management solution from Juriba, to enable large enterprises to significantly reduce the costs and time involved in architecting, planning and deploying desktop migration projects.
Working together, Centrix Software and Juriba will enable large enterprises to reduce manual processes involved in migrations and desktop change by up to 60 per cent. Their solutions provide IT decision-makers with advanced reporting and analysis capabilities, enabling them to discover software and hardware rationalization opportunities, identify areas for compatibility testing and improve IT efficiency in faster time.
“With support for Microsoft’s Windows XP platform ending on 8th April 2014, many organizations are looking at how to orchestrate their migration strategies to Windows 7 in the most efficient way,” said Paul Burke, director of products at Centrix Software. “By joining forces with Juriba, we are helping enterprises streamline project planning and deployment and adopt a smarter, leaner approach to desktop change.”
“Working with enterprises, we recognize the pain points involved in large-scale transformation projects,” said Barry Angell, CTO at Juriba. “Our solution combined with Centrix Software’s analytics offering gives organizations the vital data that enables them to make more informed decisions quickly and reduce the complexity of their IT environments going forward. As a result they have a more competitive technology capability and the business benefits from new technologies in faster time.”
Centrix Software and Juriba will provide integrated support for their desktop transformation solutions Centrix WorkSpace and Dashworks respectively. The solutions enable organizations to understand and rationalize IT assets and project manage desktop environments at a user level. The partnership provides companies with a complete solution to get from their current desktop and application estate to a new, standardized and efficient platform in the fastest time, at lowest risk and cost.
SugarCRM Expands its Channel Partner Programme,
SugarCRM,
the world’s fastest-growing customer relationship management (CRM)
company, today announced that the company has further expanded its
award-winning SugarCRM Open+ Partner Program,
strengthening its commitment to the channel and further positioning
partners for success. The program changes include new business planning
and support to help partners drive more revenue, the formation of a
partner advisory board, and a partner certification program.
These program enhancements come as SugarCRM is experiencing significant growth and accelerating momentum in its channel-focused business model, with 39 new partners signing on in the first quarter of 2012. In support of this strong channel growth SugarCRM is also announcing the signing of a new channel distribution agreement with Ingram Micro, the world’s largest IT distributor.
“The changes we’ve made to our partner program recognize the value our partners bring to the Sugar ecosystem,” said Jeff Campbell, vice president of worldwide sales and customer advocacy for SugarCRM. “We’re giving them the support they need to exceed their goals, and we’re also providing greater access for partners to SugarCRM executives at the highest levels.”
Support for Business Success
To help partners grow their businesses and generate more revenue, SugarCRM is creating new marketing and business planning programs to help partners increase their sales effectiveness. As partners meet their goals, SugarCRM will provide additional incentives to enable partners to increase the profitability of their SugarCRM business.
Partner Advisory Board
SugarCRM has also formed a 12-member partner advisory board, which will provide guidance and feedback from the partner community to SugarCRM. The first advisory board meeting will take place during SugarCon, SugarCRM’s annual customer, user, and partner conference.
“The advisory board is evidence of SugarCRM’s continued commitment to its partners,” said Jim Ward, president and CEO of BrainSell Technologies and president of the advisory board. “It will play a big part in encouraging our open dialogue with partners and Sugar executives about product development and new ideas for improving our performance.”
Certification Programme
SugarCRM is also launching a formal certification programme, including a role-based training curriculum. The certification program will assure channel partners that their employees are receiving the training and skills they need to manage their SugarCRM business, and customers that they are working with partners who are knowledgeable and up-to-date on the most current SugarCRM products and programs.
SugarCRM will now offer classes and course plans for the strategic roles that individuals play in partner organisations, including Sales Executive, Pre-Sales Engineer, Support Consultant, Service Consultant, and Developer. All channel partners are now required to certify at least one person for each of the Sales Executive, Pre-Sales Engineer, and Service Consultant roles.
All training and certification programmes will include basic overviews of the SugarCRM solution, process and resource classes that provide insights into online tools, and specific product knowledge classes such as solution training and solutions development.
Partner Momentum
The SugarCRM Open+ Partner Program has more than 400 partners worldwide, and between 2010 and 2011, partner-source deals tripled. SugarCRM saw its partners achieve great success in selling and providing support for SugarCRM solutions in 2011: 15 partners experienced 300%+ subscription revenue growth, 30 partners experienced 200%+ subscription revenue growth, and 70 partners experienced 75%+ subscription revenue growth.
The strong performance of SugarCRM partners have contributed to the company’s overall success: In Q1 2012, SugarCRM’s billings growth increased by 24 percent over the previous quarter and climbed by 118 percent globally over the same quarter in 2011. The company also added nearly 700 new customers in Q1.
In addition, SugarCRM and its executives received recognition in CRN’s 2012 Channel Chiefs List, with Jeff Campbell and Del Ross being rewarded for their success in driving global channel growth. The program itself also received a coveted 5-star ranking.
Please see other SugarCRM announcements from SugarCon about the company’s Q1 2012 momentum, the latest Sugar 6.5 product release and the annual SugarCRM channel partner awards.
These program enhancements come as SugarCRM is experiencing significant growth and accelerating momentum in its channel-focused business model, with 39 new partners signing on in the first quarter of 2012. In support of this strong channel growth SugarCRM is also announcing the signing of a new channel distribution agreement with Ingram Micro, the world’s largest IT distributor.
“The changes we’ve made to our partner program recognize the value our partners bring to the Sugar ecosystem,” said Jeff Campbell, vice president of worldwide sales and customer advocacy for SugarCRM. “We’re giving them the support they need to exceed their goals, and we’re also providing greater access for partners to SugarCRM executives at the highest levels.”
Support for Business Success
To help partners grow their businesses and generate more revenue, SugarCRM is creating new marketing and business planning programs to help partners increase their sales effectiveness. As partners meet their goals, SugarCRM will provide additional incentives to enable partners to increase the profitability of their SugarCRM business.
Partner Advisory Board
SugarCRM has also formed a 12-member partner advisory board, which will provide guidance and feedback from the partner community to SugarCRM. The first advisory board meeting will take place during SugarCon, SugarCRM’s annual customer, user, and partner conference.
“The advisory board is evidence of SugarCRM’s continued commitment to its partners,” said Jim Ward, president and CEO of BrainSell Technologies and president of the advisory board. “It will play a big part in encouraging our open dialogue with partners and Sugar executives about product development and new ideas for improving our performance.”
Certification Programme
SugarCRM is also launching a formal certification programme, including a role-based training curriculum. The certification program will assure channel partners that their employees are receiving the training and skills they need to manage their SugarCRM business, and customers that they are working with partners who are knowledgeable and up-to-date on the most current SugarCRM products and programs.
SugarCRM will now offer classes and course plans for the strategic roles that individuals play in partner organisations, including Sales Executive, Pre-Sales Engineer, Support Consultant, Service Consultant, and Developer. All channel partners are now required to certify at least one person for each of the Sales Executive, Pre-Sales Engineer, and Service Consultant roles.
All training and certification programmes will include basic overviews of the SugarCRM solution, process and resource classes that provide insights into online tools, and specific product knowledge classes such as solution training and solutions development.
Partner Momentum
The SugarCRM Open+ Partner Program has more than 400 partners worldwide, and between 2010 and 2011, partner-source deals tripled. SugarCRM saw its partners achieve great success in selling and providing support for SugarCRM solutions in 2011: 15 partners experienced 300%+ subscription revenue growth, 30 partners experienced 200%+ subscription revenue growth, and 70 partners experienced 75%+ subscription revenue growth.
The strong performance of SugarCRM partners have contributed to the company’s overall success: In Q1 2012, SugarCRM’s billings growth increased by 24 percent over the previous quarter and climbed by 118 percent globally over the same quarter in 2011. The company also added nearly 700 new customers in Q1.
In addition, SugarCRM and its executives received recognition in CRN’s 2012 Channel Chiefs List, with Jeff Campbell and Del Ross being rewarded for their success in driving global channel growth. The program itself also received a coveted 5-star ranking.
Please see other SugarCRM announcements from SugarCon about the company’s Q1 2012 momentum, the latest Sugar 6.5 product release and the annual SugarCRM channel partner awards.
Monday, 23 April 2012
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Revector wins two Queen’s Awards for Enterprise
UK-based specialist in detecting and eliminating mobile network
operator fraud, Revector, has won two prestigious Queen’s Awards for
Enterprise. The company has been rewarded with Queen’s Awards for
Enterprise in Innovation and in International Trade.
With a 315% growth in overseas earning since 2009, the company has entered 37 new markets in the last three years. Revector has worked with mobile operators in more than 75 countries around the globe helping to reduce and eliminate some of the estimated $58 billion* of fraud and mis-billing on mobile networks.
Initially focussing on combating GSM Gateway or “SIM Box” fraud, the company has enabled mobile network operators to significantly reduce or even eliminate fraud on their networks, saving billions in otherwise lost revenues.
During 2012 Revector has launched a series of new initiatives including its “Locate and Eliminate” service that enables mobile network operators to determine the physical location of fraudsters to a single building or office, enabling authorities to make arrests and seize equipment.
Andy Gent, CEO of Revector, said: “The two Queen’s Awards recognise our commitment to create a global business that is at the forefront of anti-fraud technology. As a British company operating across the world, we have built a reputation for delivering the most effective services on the market and we are delighted to have been recognised in this the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.”
FACTFILE: Founded in 2001, Revector creates products and services that enable telecommunications companies to quickly and effectively counter fraud. Working with operators including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Hutchison Three, Zain, Digicel, Etisalat, Telenor, Tele2, Tigo, MTS, NTT DoCoMo, Rogers, T-Mobile and Cable & Wireless, Revector’s products have enabled mobile network operators to remove millions of dollars’ worth of fraudulent activity from their networks. To find out more visit www.revector.com
With a 315% growth in overseas earning since 2009, the company has entered 37 new markets in the last three years. Revector has worked with mobile operators in more than 75 countries around the globe helping to reduce and eliminate some of the estimated $58 billion* of fraud and mis-billing on mobile networks.
Initially focussing on combating GSM Gateway or “SIM Box” fraud, the company has enabled mobile network operators to significantly reduce or even eliminate fraud on their networks, saving billions in otherwise lost revenues.
During 2012 Revector has launched a series of new initiatives including its “Locate and Eliminate” service that enables mobile network operators to determine the physical location of fraudsters to a single building or office, enabling authorities to make arrests and seize equipment.
Andy Gent, CEO of Revector, said: “The two Queen’s Awards recognise our commitment to create a global business that is at the forefront of anti-fraud technology. As a British company operating across the world, we have built a reputation for delivering the most effective services on the market and we are delighted to have been recognised in this the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee year.”
FACTFILE: Founded in 2001, Revector creates products and services that enable telecommunications companies to quickly and effectively counter fraud. Working with operators including Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, Hutchison Three, Zain, Digicel, Etisalat, Telenor, Tele2, Tigo, MTS, NTT DoCoMo, Rogers, T-Mobile and Cable & Wireless, Revector’s products have enabled mobile network operators to remove millions of dollars’ worth of fraudulent activity from their networks. To find out more visit www.revector.com
Figures show online estate agency is outselling traditional estate agents
Capitalising on the fact that an estimated 95% of all property searches now take place on the internet, alongside property owners’ need to retain equity in tough market conditions, emoov.co.uk is enjoying considerable growth, with its budget-friendly low fees from just £295 for the complete estate agency service.
The firm’s convenient seven day a week, 8am – 8pm service and comprehensive marketing through the 25 largest property websites, including Rightmove, Zoopla and Prime Location is also helping to clinch sales and listings from time-poor buyers and sellers who can arrange viewings and access support outside of office hours.
Says eMoov.co.uk founder, Russell Quirk: “The RICS survey gives a good indication of ability, as it demonstrates the number of homes that an agent has sold in comparison to the amount of properties that he has for sale in total. We carried out a performance survey of our own on a single town and found a huge variance between several agents, with some selling a quarter of their overall stock and some just 10%. That’s a gap that you need to know about when deciding who to instruct.”
* RICS survey details for March - http://www.rics.org/housingmarketsurvey
JT and Stream Communications join forces to deliver the first strategic pan-European M2M service
JT, the leading telecommunication provider for the Channel Islands has announced a joint partnership and strategic agreement with Stream Communications, renowned M2M service provider, to provide the first service offering a true pan-European reach at an effective price point. M2M is expected to be one of the most dynamic growth areas for mobile communications, with analysts predicting a 27% compound growth per annum to 2016.
JT has a wide-range of roaming agreements across the UK and Europe, already delivering access to multiple networks in most European countries with highly cost effective data rates for M2M implementations. Organisations looking to roll out complex M2M projects through the partnership will only have to deal with one operator to access multiple European networks.
Stream Communications, Europe’s most technically experienced and evolved M2M service provider has built and implemented a sophisticated and unique private network backbone, which via its APN provides superior resilience and secure connectivity. Stream's powerful proprietary online M2M platform, ‘OaSys’, provides customers with instant access to, and management of, SIM cards and multiple network services. The platform also provides access to real-time billing, analytics and tariff information.
The strategic partnership will deliver one central point to plan; execute, track and report on M2M projects. It will also enable the cost effective and reliable M2M roll out with minimal time delay and technical development client side, even for projects based across multiple countries. Furthermore, network services and tariffs can be tailored according to specific customer requirements.
John Diamond, MD of Global Wholesale Business at JT said: “The joint partnership with Stream Communications enables a faster, more reliable and more cost effective route to market for M2M roll outs. Combining our position as a Tier One network operator with Stream’s proprietary private backbone and network management platforms, offers a compelling proposition to those wishing to use mobile networks for connected devices. JT has always been an innovator in new mobile services and this strategic agreement places us at the forefront of M2M.”
Nigel Chadwick, founding Director of Stream Communications said: “Our expertise in the delivery of technically advanced M2M network services combines ideally with JT’s ability to deliver world leading mobile roaming solutions from an agile and flexible operator. This partnership enables us to quickly deploy M2M services for customer projects that were previously considered either too complex or too costly.”
"At the start of something big": Sir Roger Gale MP applauds the opening of SelectSpecs new shop in Westgate, Kent
-The Worshipful Mayor of Margate, Councillor Iris Johnston, officially opens new shop-
Online spectacles and sunglasses giant SelectSpecs celebrated its move onto the high street with a Grand Opening at its new shop in Westgate-on-Sea in Kent, on Friday 20 April, 2012. To honour the occasion Sir Roger Gale MP attended the event and The Worshipful Mayor of Margate, Councillor Iris Johnston, officially opened the premises, cutting the ribbon and speaking to staff and invited guests, which included numerous local shop and business owners who were able to browse in the shop and also receive free eye scans.
In a speech given at the event, Sir Roger Gale MP was keen to emphasise the significance of the shop opening in the context of the local business community. He said:
“It is up to all of us to try to support any new enterprise locally – the more good, small businesses there are today, the more good, large businesses there will be tomorrow. We are here at the start of something big."
SelectSpecs’ director Jason McMillan thanked Sir Roger Gale, the Worshipful Mayor of Westgate, Iris Johnston, and all the guests for their support and explained the motivation for expanding their online business offline, commenting:
“While the online model has long been a successful internet venture, SelectSpecs is now responding to customers wanting to try before they buy in person. Secondly, we know that we can make a big difference and impact on the high street – great value glasses for as low as £6 with no hidden cost. And, thirdly, as with everything SelectSpecs has done before we hope to go above and beyond others and that includes offering the latest in OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) eye-testing. This is a far more advanced eye test than that offered at most high street opticians as it enables a 3D imaging of the back of the eye that can be used for early diagnosis of any health conditions.
“We are headquartered in Westgate and have had customers turning up at our offices from as far as 60 plus miles away. Rather than having to turn them away from what is solely an administrative centre, we selected these centrally located premises to be our initial site, with Westgate’s beautiful beach and thriving café society on the doorstep, to attract customers to visit. The new shop is opposite the station offering convenience to customers visiting from further afield, including London, approximately an hour away. They can save money on their glasses, and given the attractions on offer nearby, may well be tempted to make a day of it.”
Online spectacles and sunglasses giant SelectSpecs celebrated its move onto the high street with a Grand Opening at its new shop in Westgate-on-Sea in Kent, on Friday 20 April, 2012. To honour the occasion Sir Roger Gale MP attended the event and The Worshipful Mayor of Margate, Councillor Iris Johnston, officially opened the premises, cutting the ribbon and speaking to staff and invited guests, which included numerous local shop and business owners who were able to browse in the shop and also receive free eye scans.
In a speech given at the event, Sir Roger Gale MP was keen to emphasise the significance of the shop opening in the context of the local business community. He said:
“It is up to all of us to try to support any new enterprise locally – the more good, small businesses there are today, the more good, large businesses there will be tomorrow. We are here at the start of something big."
SelectSpecs’ director Jason McMillan thanked Sir Roger Gale, the Worshipful Mayor of Westgate, Iris Johnston, and all the guests for their support and explained the motivation for expanding their online business offline, commenting:
“While the online model has long been a successful internet venture, SelectSpecs is now responding to customers wanting to try before they buy in person. Secondly, we know that we can make a big difference and impact on the high street – great value glasses for as low as £6 with no hidden cost. And, thirdly, as with everything SelectSpecs has done before we hope to go above and beyond others and that includes offering the latest in OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) eye-testing. This is a far more advanced eye test than that offered at most high street opticians as it enables a 3D imaging of the back of the eye that can be used for early diagnosis of any health conditions.
“We are headquartered in Westgate and have had customers turning up at our offices from as far as 60 plus miles away. Rather than having to turn them away from what is solely an administrative centre, we selected these centrally located premises to be our initial site, with Westgate’s beautiful beach and thriving café society on the doorstep, to attract customers to visit. The new shop is opposite the station offering convenience to customers visiting from further afield, including London, approximately an hour away. They can save money on their glasses, and given the attractions on offer nearby, may well be tempted to make a day of it.”
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The constant growth of Anderman Ceramics reinforces its leadership as a worldwide supplier of advanced technical ceramics!
Sharron Wale is the sales person responsible for the success in these two new countries. The Anderman Ceramics international sales team led by Gary Hateley, now manage customers across more than 42 countries.
One of the reasons for Anderman Ceramics’ success is the constant effort to get the best partners and alliances in the advanced technical ceramics world to be able to offer the best solutions to their customers.
Seeking for the BEST is the secret for Anderman Ceramics’ international success!
New partnerships are currently being forged and will be revealed very soon, ensuring the continued effective growth of the business.
Anderman Ceramics has now been in existence for 65 years and during those years its main focus has been to find the ideal solution for the customers, helping them to increase and facilitate their own business.
This is the commitment of Anderman Ceramics as a worldwide supplier of advanced technical ceramics and, once again, proved by the addition of new customers in these two new countries, Hungary and Greece.
Again, Anderman Ceramics is rewarded for its high levels of products and service quality!
FACTFILE:
Established in 1947 and its experience in sourcing, stocking and selling technical ceramics worldwide has positioned Anderman Ceramics at the highest levels of product and service quality. They offer an extensive range of standard technical ceramics products, as well as, custom- design components.
"Be games ready" call for hauliers
Hauliers have been warned
they will need to remain compliant with the London Lorry Control Scheme
despite changes to the Excluded Road Network (ERN) during the Olympic
and Paralympic Games.
London Councils, speaking at the ‘Get Set for 2012’ Freight Planning Conference, stressed the urgent need for hauliers to check if their current approved routes are still valid and if they need updating to cope with the disruption to London’s roads during July and August.
To help deal with the changes, London Councils suggested companies follow a six point plan, including checking existing routes for validity, mapping those against the variations to the scheme and checking the dates when variations will be in place.
“With more than 100 miles of roads affected by the Games, hauliers need to be confident they can carry on as normal without fear of delays and disruption because of roads being unavailable to HGVs,” said Freddie Talberg, Chief Executive of PIE Mapping.
“With the likelihood of lengthy diversions to remain compliant, hauliers will need to allow extra time for regular delivery schedules which could have a knock-on effect on driver hours and all important customer service levels.”
To provide hauliers with routes that will be compliant during the Games and after routes revert back to their previous state, PIE Mapping provides a Games ready route planning and approval tool.
The online tool automatically generates a compliant route specifically suited to the size of the vehicle, avoiding width, weight and height restrictions. Once the route is planned, the online system submits the route to London Councils for instant approval and prints off a route card for drivers.
“With the potential for massive upheaval to the everyday working patterns of HGV operators and London Councils enforcing restricted movements of 18+ tonne vehicles during the Games, it is vital that hauliers know what routes they can and can’t use,” added Freddie.
London Councils, speaking at the ‘Get Set for 2012’ Freight Planning Conference, stressed the urgent need for hauliers to check if their current approved routes are still valid and if they need updating to cope with the disruption to London’s roads during July and August.
To help deal with the changes, London Councils suggested companies follow a six point plan, including checking existing routes for validity, mapping those against the variations to the scheme and checking the dates when variations will be in place.
“With more than 100 miles of roads affected by the Games, hauliers need to be confident they can carry on as normal without fear of delays and disruption because of roads being unavailable to HGVs,” said Freddie Talberg, Chief Executive of PIE Mapping.
“With the likelihood of lengthy diversions to remain compliant, hauliers will need to allow extra time for regular delivery schedules which could have a knock-on effect on driver hours and all important customer service levels.”
To provide hauliers with routes that will be compliant during the Games and after routes revert back to their previous state, PIE Mapping provides a Games ready route planning and approval tool.
The online tool automatically generates a compliant route specifically suited to the size of the vehicle, avoiding width, weight and height restrictions. Once the route is planned, the online system submits the route to London Councils for instant approval and prints off a route card for drivers.
“With the potential for massive upheaval to the everyday working patterns of HGV operators and London Councils enforcing restricted movements of 18+ tonne vehicles during the Games, it is vital that hauliers know what routes they can and can’t use,” added Freddie.
Sunday, 22 April 2012
Cherwell Software Ltd (stand 800) ushers
in a new era in ITSM with the newest release of its award winning
Cherwell Service ManagementTM solution. This game changing solution for
internal IT and external support offers a ground-breaking web portal
experience that revolutionises the end-user experience.
ISL Online (stand 324) will
be exhibiting its new mobile applications
(http://v6.islonline.com/remote-support/mobile), which allow users to
access and control remote computers from iPhone, iPad, and Android phone
and tablet. Offering fast, reliable and secure service, applications
are designed for business use.
New to the show this year, panintelligence (stand 103) will
be showcasing its real time management information dashboard.. The
dashboard can help prevent SLA breaches by providing alerts in real time
from multiple sources, allowing users to act promptly.
Alemba (stand
706) will unveil the next generation of ITSM software. Using
innovative technology, that takes cues from the world of touch devices
and visuals associated with modern gaming applications, Alemba's vFire
application is a first for the IT Service Management market.
LogMeIn
(stand 920) will be demonstrating not only its core support product
LogMeIn Rescue, but also its newly acquired solution for live chat -
BoldChat. With BoldChat LogMeIn is expanding its portfolio of web-based
services aimed at customer care organisations - call centres, external
help desks, and customer service teams.
Vivantio Ltd (stand
520) will showcase its flagship product Vivantio Service Desk, which
was recently voted Service Management Product of the Year 2012 by
readers of Network Computing magazine. Greg Rich, co-founder of
Vivantio, thanked everyone who voted and said that the win "reflected
the loyalty created by high levels of customer service".
LANDesk Software's
Service Desk 7.5 focuses on making life easier for support staff
through touch optimised access via smart phones or tablet devices to the
service desk (stand 500). Support staff can maintain the same level of
availability and support end users expect while away from their desks
and management can see service reports or provide authorisations on the
go.
ICCM Solutions (stand 610) is set to
launch its Deploy & Improve methodology at this year's Service Desk
& IT Support Show, to maximise the business value realised by
customers when replacing legacy service management systems.
Certero
(stand 710) will be launching its all new AssetStudio® Suite, which
provides comprehensive functionality as and when needed. With 10
plug-in modules users still get a single holistic view to manage their
assets. Unique powerful reporting transforms endless asset information
into actionable business intelligence.
License Dashboard
(stand 338) will be demonstrating License Manager 5, its latest
licensing and audit reconciliation tool, which gives organisations a
dashboard view of the software installed across their network, helping
them stay compliant and ensuring they only pay for the licenses they
actually need.
Biomni (stand 314) will unveil
new API additions that enable integration between their Independent IT
Service Catalog and other leading ITSM ServiceDesk solutions, empowering
IT to consumerise any IT service - physical, virtual, or cloud.
House-on-the-Hill Software Ltd (stand 316) has
recently launched the latest version of SupportDesk - SupportDesk
2012. New functionality including Touch UI, Graphical Workflow
Designer, Automated Change Authorisation, Case Based Reasoning and
Availability Management will be demonstrated at this year's Service Desk
& IT Support Show.
SimpliSys will be launching Citrus Service Desk
at the show (stand 540). Citrus is built using the latest technology
with input from real end users. A combination of intelligent design and
rich functionality delivers an intoxicating user experience.
ServiceNow
(stand 410) will highlight the intuitive capabilities of its ITSM
tools, making it easier to deliver service automation through Social IT,
project portfolio management, ITGRC and managed documents, along with
runbook automation. This follows the recent news that international car
rental group Enterprise Holdings is migrating to ServiceNow to help run
its business.
Marval will be holding
live, one-to-one demonstrations on stand 842 for the newly-released
build of MSM, its 100% web-based service management software that more
and more is being adopted 'beyond IT' into other organisational areas,
including HR.
Service Desk Institute (SDI)
will be handing out carefully curated 'hugs in a box' at The SDI
Knowledge Centre this year. With two hundred boxes to give away to
visitors each day and five hidden golden tickets worth up to £1000 it
could turn out to be a very big hug indeed.
STI Ltd
(stand 426) will be distributing its 2012 IT Service Desk Survey
results at the Service Desk & IT Support Show. Over 350
organisations have taken part and the results give a fascinating insight
into the Service Desk world.
TOPdesk UK Ltd's
new Reservations management module will be on show at stand 310. With
ease users can organise available rooms and catering for meetings. They
can also avoid double bookings and overlapping appointments whilst
scheduling irregularly recurring sessions, with this advanced
technology. Explore the possiblities of a cost saving and streamlined
shared service centre.
The Open University in partnership with Global Knowledge (stand
940) will be launching its Postgraduate Certificate in Advanced
Professional Practice. With full tutor support, the Certificate covers
all aspects of IT Service Management and takes into consideration prior
ITIL® expert learning.
Visit BMC Software UK Ltd
on stand 810 to discover how the recent acquisition of Numara Software
creates the industry's most comprehensive set of SaaS and on-premise IT
management solutions for the Global 100 to the smallest businesses.
Bomgar 12.1, the newest version of Bomgar Corporation's
remote support solution, expands technicians' ability to provide
support to and from mobile devices, offers advanced smart card-based
security controls, and enables remote control of Intel vPro powered
devices below the operating system (stand 432).
Following the success at last year's Service Desk & IT Support Show and the considerable interest shown in versaSRS,
VersaDev opened a UK office in January 2012. The company has also
launched a new product version called versaSRS v 5 (stand 738).
This
year's Service Desk & IT Support Show will see the re-launch of the
ITSM, ITIL® & ISO/IEC 20000 Implementation Toolkit from IT Governance Ltd
(stand 936). Now completely up-to-date with ITIL 2011, it has been
awarded official ITIL® licensed product status, approved by APMG, the
official ITIL Accreditor.
Nimsoft (stand
326) will exhibit its simplified ITIL®-based service management and end
to end real-time monitoring of modern IT environments in one single
ITMaaS solution. This will include newly-added energy management and
web experience monitoring capabilities.
OMNINET GmbH's
OMNITRACKER is able to map and automate all business processes
continuously on one integrated software platform. Users can use one of
the standard modules or create new workflows. OMNINET customers
appreciate easy adaptation and customising by simple configuration,
flexible expandability, as well as professional support (stand 438).
ManageEngine
will be exhibiting its ITIL-ready service management software
ManageEngine ServiceDesk Plus (stand 938). It provides incident,
problem and change management with CMDB, Auto asset discovery and
lifecycle management, Knowledge base and self-service portal. The
latest enhancement includes iPhone application, which eases the request
management process.
Global Technology Solutions Ltd
(stand 934) is continuing to take 'the headache out of recruitment' by
opening new, additional offices at Basepoint Business Centre in
Andover. The new location is easily accessible to London, the M4
corridor, and the South.
Celonis (stand
739) will be demonstrating its Celonis Orchestra software, which uses
Process Business Intelligence, a new, cutting-edge technology that
enables users to extract, visualise and understand actual service
workflows in real-time. Celonis Orchestra users achieve an excellent
service quality whilst optimising their costs (up to 30% savings).
ITIL Training Zone Ltd
(stand 718) will be introducing its range of ITIL Online Training
courses, programs and customised ITIL Training portals, which are
currently being used by more than 6,000 organisations worldwide.
LiveTime Software
(stand 720) will be launching Service Manager version 7. Certified for
11 ITILv3 processes, it includes new features such as relationship
impact mapping; enhanced workflow editor; multisource LDAP; report
scheduling; and knowledge import. It will use the existing HTML-5-based
interface and open standards architecture that ensures quick deployment
and unlimited scalability.
Ovum
(stand 650) will demonstrate its Knowledge Center information service,
which helps enterprises with the formulation of their IT strategy,
product and service selection, and IT portfolio management, and also
helps software vendors understand the demands of enterprises.
RealVNC
(stand 730) will showcase its VNC Viewer Plus, a solution aimed at IT
professionals wanting to remotely solve complex IT issues such as OS
failures and boot problems. It enables users to connect directly to the
VNC Server from supported computers with Intel® Core™ vPro™ technology,
with no additional software required for full graphical KVM out-of band
access.
N-able Technologies (stand 336)
will be exhibiting its new IT Automation tools in the latest release of
N-central, a remote monitoring and management (RMM) automation
platform. Available from within the N-central dashboard, the Technical
Runbook is used by technicians to define best practice operating
procedures and configuration standards for delivering remote IT
services.
NetSupport Software Ltd (stand
824) will be showcasing updates to its range of products, including
NetSupport ServiceDesk, a fully web-based incident, change and problem
management solution built on ITIL guidelines; a new mobile console app
for the NetSupport DNA IT asset management suite; NetSupport Notify; and
the latest version of NetSupport Manager.
Sysmosis,
reactive software for proactive support, will have its European launch
at this year's Service Desk & IT Support Show. The product which
enables users to manage, configure, fix and control remote Windows
devices has been developed by VirtuaCon (stand 652) in partnership with SPAR.
FGI Ltd (stand
634) will introduce its new 4-day Agile training programme, which
covers APMG International Agile Foundation and Practitioner
qualifications. Agile is flexible, and can be used either on its own or
in conjunction with more traditional approaches such as ITIL, PRINCE2
and MSP.
Unipress will be introducing updates to Web Help Desk,
its service desk software solution (stand 700). Feature additions
include Dashboards, which track performance in real-time; dynamic Action
Rules allowing virtually unlimited routing and ticket update automation
capabilities; and Look & Feel, which enables custom style sheet
application to the customer facing user interface.
TechExcel
(stand 216) will be unveiling ServiceWise 9.0 and CustomerWise 9.0 at
the show. New features include web-based IT asset management, enhanced
CMDB support, open source options, and a new AssetWise web client, which
features asset link discovery integrations with both commercial and
open-source asset discovery tools.
RMS Services Ltd
(stand 420) will be showcasing RMS Vision - a self-service 'google
like' search tool for dashboarding, KPIs at a glance and data
visualisation. The next generation of Business Intelligence software
from RMS, this tool allows organisations to fully understand, in real
time, exactly what is happening in IT with any ITSM system.
Training provider EXIN
(stand 334) will be using the event to demonstrate its approach to IT
service management. Based on the ISO/IEC 20000 standard, this cost
effective and practical approach captures the essence of ITIL and
role-based elements such as assignments and real life examples as part
of the qualification.
To celebrate the launch of UMRA 2 - the latest version of Tools4ever's
flagship product - User Management Resource Administrator - the company
are hosting a prize draw for a Blackberry PlayBook on stand 320 at the
show. UMRA 2 is designed to help streamline the user management account
process as organisations grow in size.
Once again for 2012, Hornbill Service Management Ltd (stand
300) will be sponsoring the show's multiple Twitter screens. They, and
the show's organiser Diversified Business Communications UK, are
encouraging all visitors, exhibitors, speakers and supporters to get
involved in the conversation via the official hashtag #SDITS12.
Standing
alongside the show's central exhibition is a comprehensive two-day free
education programme, which combines eight Keynotes, 40 seminars,
essential Breakfast Briefings, and in-depth roundtable discussions,
which provide a broad spectrum of perspectives across a host of hot
industry topics.
For more information and to register for free show entry, please visit www.servicedeskshow.com/register
(quoting priority code SD1033). Service Desk & IT Support Show
attendees will also benefit from free access to Infosecurity Europe
2012, Europe's No.1 information security event, co-located at Earls
Court.
Members of relevant trade and consumer media can
reserve press passes to Service Desk & IT Support Show by contacting
Emma-Louise Jones at ejones@divcom.co.uk.
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