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3-14 Comms Dealer Industry News Make your life easy with Catch up with VanillaIP events in comms Open up new markets January 2020 and transition current customers to 'true 20 cloud communcations' Sector Review All delivered and Infrastructure deals managed by our continue at pace Click to open Uboss platform www.vanillaip.com | [email protected] | 0800 970 0971 24 Faster fibre roll Profile Piper plays his strategic hand Sky ethernet reaching over 2,800 exchanges Visit: 30 out now critical ethernet.business.sky.com Interview LABOUR’S threat to nationalise full fibre has subsided in the wake of the Identifying drivers election but calls for the comms sector to ‘Get fibre done’ are intensifying. of UCaaS adoption Director of Fibre For Everyone pipeline of opportunities, so I’m 2019 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. Fast and Furious - Hobbs & Shaw SPECIAL REPORT All Rights Reserved. at TalkTalk. “Acceleration is confident that the sector is ris- 34 In drawing nationwide attention critical now, both for the fibre ing to the challenge,” he stated. to FTTP Labour has succeed- builders and the communication “In many respects Labour’s Wireless Insights ed in driving forward the fibre providers who sell the services. policy did a great job of high- Big innovations in agenda and the onus is on the “There was a lot of talk from lighting that FTTC is not full Wi-Fi development UK comms sector to deliver. our industry during the election fibre, and that full fibre is what “Full fibre featuring as one that we could achieve success you need if you want a great of the top issues in political through a competitive market. digital experience.” 42 discourse can only have positive We need to prove this is true.” Glide MD James Warner effects on our industry, wheth- Marcus Allchurch, Partner added: “The threat of Labour’s Comms People er through increasing customer at Acuity Advisors, is upbeat plans should spur the fibre This month’s awareness of FTTP or by guar- about prospects following the builders and Openreach to get movers and shakers anteeing public money for diffi- election. “I’ve advised a num- the job done and stop any pos- cult to reach areas,” commented ber of companies to raise fund- sibility of similarly outrageous Guy Miller (pictured above), ing so far and have a strong future announcements.” >p21
ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS WITH 9 www.comms-dealer.com CD Strip_01.18.indd 1 A BPL BUSINESS MEDIA PUBLICATION18/12/2017 11:23 How 4net chief Ways to inspire plans to hit £100m greater diversity in revenue target p22 your business p26
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3-14 Industry News Make your life easy with Catch up with VanillaIP events in comms Open up new markets Empowering and transition current customers to 'true 20 cloud communcations' businessesSector Review with All delivered and Infrastructure deals managed by our continue at pace Uboss platform a network built www.vanillaip.com | [email protected] | 0800 970 0971 for24 the futureFaster fibre roll Profile Piper plays his strategic hand Sky ethernet reaching over 2,800 exchanges Visit: 30 out now critical ethernet.business.sky.com Interview LABOUR’S threat to nationalise full fibre has subsided in the wake of the Identifying drivers election but calls for the comms sector to ‘Get fibre done’ are intensifying. of UCaaS adoption Director of Fibre For Everyone pipeline of opportunities, so I’m 2019 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. Fast and Furious - Hobbs & Shaw SPECIAL REPORT All Rights Reserved. at TalkTalk. “Acceleration is confident that the sector is ris- 34 In drawing nationwide attention critical now, both for the fibre ing to the challenge,” he stated. to FTTP Labour has succeed- builders and the communication “In many respects Labour’s Wireless Insights ed in driving forward the fibre providers who sell the services. policy did a great job of high- Big innovations in agenda and the onus is on the “There was a lot of talk from lighting that FTTC is not full Wi-Fi development UK comms sector to deliver. our industry during the election fibre, and that full fibre is what “Full fibre featuring as one that we could achieve success you need if you want a great of the top issues in political through a competitive market. digital experience.” 42 discourse can only have positive We need to prove this is true.” Glide MD James Warner effects on our industry, wheth- Marcus Allchurch, Partner added: “The threat of Labour’s Comms People er through increasing customer at Acuity Advisors, is upbeat plans should spur the fibre This month’s awareness of FTTP or by guar- about prospects following the builders and Openreach to get movers and shakers anteeing public money for diffi- election. “I’ve advised a num- the job done and stop any pos- cult to reach areas,” commented ber of companies to raise fund- sibility of similarly outrageous Guy Miller (pictured above), ing so far and have a strong future announcements.” >p21
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VOL 24 ISSUE 8 JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com
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3-14 Industry News Make your life easy with Catch up with VanillaIP events in comms Open up new markets and transition current customers to 'true 20 cloud communcations' Sector Review All delivered and Infrastructure deals managed by our continue at pace Uboss platform www.vanillaip.com | [email protected] | 0800 970 0971 24 Faster fibre roll Profile Piper plays his strategic hand Sky ethernet reaching over 2,800 exchanges Visit: 30 out now critical ethernet.business.sky.com Interview LABOUR’S threat to nationalise full fibre has subsided in the wake of the Identifying drivers election but calls for the comms sector to ‘Get fibre done’ are intensifying. of UCaaS adoption Director of Fibre For Everyone pipeline of opportunities, so I’m 2019 Universal City Studios Productions LLLP. Fast and Furious - Hobbs & Shaw SPECIAL REPORT All Rights Reserved. at TalkTalk. “Acceleration is confident that the sector is ris- 34 In drawing nationwide attention critical now, both for the fibre ing to the challenge,” he stated. to FTTP Labour has succeed- builders and the communication “In many respects Labour’s Wireless Insights ed in driving forward the fibre providers who sell the services. policy did a great job of high- Big innovations in agenda and the onus is on the “There was a lot of talk from lighting that FTTC is not full Wi-Fi development UK comms sector to deliver. our industry during the election fibre, and that full fibre is what “Full fibre featuring as one that we could achieve success you need if you want a great of the top issues in political through a competitive market. digital experience.” 42 discourse can only have positive We need to prove this is true.” Glide MD James Warner effects on our industry, wheth- Marcus Allchurch, Partner added: “The threat of Labour’s Comms People er through increasing customer at Acuity Advisors, is upbeat plans should spur the fibre This month’s awareness of FTTP or by guar- about prospects following the builders and Openreach to get movers and shakers anteeing public money for diffi- election. “I’ve advised a num- the job done and stop any pos- cult to reach areas,” commented ber of companies to raise fund- sibility of similarly outrageous Guy Miller (pictured above), ing so far and have a strong future announcements.” >p21
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INDUSTRY NEWS
EDITOR’S COMMENT Gale drafted NEWS ROUNDUP READING the market to SCC’s run of record revenue predict future developments years continues with is the traditional pastime of 2019 figures coming in at industry pundits especially £2.2bn including services pre-Xmas and post-New as Sabio CEO and solutions growth of Year. That their outcomes 15%, some of which is always tend to be exercises being reinvested in SCC’s Birmingham based HQ Stuart Gilroy in stating the obvious is nothing new. But there are which is undergoing a £7m two sides to the Predictions coin. On the one side there do-up. 2020 will see SCC is the worn out tradition to deliver the obvious, sprinkled mark 45 years in business. with Christmas glitter to elevate the appeal of ‘big themes’, The firm was founded which are of course the mere continuum of existing trends. as Specialist Computer On the other side is the total unpredictability of the Recruitment (SCR) in 1975. time to come. We are after all living in uncertain times and the real forces at play that may come out of the blue RESPONDING to the growing and massively impact our industry are not yet so obvious. popularity of Microsoft Teams Who could have predicted Labour’s intent to nationalise and an expected surge in fibre deployment? Nobody saw that one coming. What cloud comms uptake, Wavenet else lies in store? To this question the industry must remain has launched the TeamsLink ever vigilant as out there, beyond our immediate world, Jonathan Gale package, available through its there are developments and forces that could over the wholesale arm and designed short-to-mid-term – and almost certainly will over the long THE former CEO of NewVoi- Services which he joined via the to ease the adoption of term – impact the channel’s traditional working model. ceMedia Jonathan Gale has acquisition from MessageLabs. Teams Calling features. The In truth, all business models are up for grabs for stormed into Sabio as Chief Horizon Capital backed bundled service includes anyone with an alternative idea that makes sense Exec with a remit to advance Sabio has completed six acqui- Microsoft’s Direct Routing to ICT consumers, including businesses, and with the business into a new phase of sitions in three years and has and Calling Plan services pockets deep enough to overturn existing sectors. expansion including the com- more in the pipeline. with unlimited talk time. A consumer might ask: Why not a one-off sub-£100 pletion of a string of acquisi- Gale said: “Our focus is on charge for superfast connectivity? Another may see tions. He takes over from Andy enabling our clients to embrace WITH three years experience greater merit in sourcing their broadband from a satellite Roberts who moves to a new and maximise the value from in hosted communications provider with unfathomable cloud compute resources and role as Vice Chairman with a the latest technologies such as provision under its belt everything else to offer in voice and data, like Amazon, focus on inorganic growth. AI-powered self-service, truly and following a boost to a true giant we are all more than happy to use. Gale brings over 30 years channel agnostic customer its product feature set At this time of year, and all other months, experience in the SaaS industry engagement tools and scalable CircleLoop is on the hunt it pays to read events outside our immediate including two decades focused and elastic cloud platforms.” for channel partners. The marketplace, and identify narratives that could one on contact centres and the cus- Sabio Group Chairman Lee firm is targeting its cloud day become our big and super disruptive story. tomer experience. Shorten commented: “We’re comms system at SMEs Before NewVoiceMedia Gale taking this step to strengthen and integrates with over Stuart Gilroy, Editor was SVP for Product at Mime- our leadership with a new set of 15 other software products cast, and previously ran Product skills and experience that will including Hubspot, PipeDrive, Management & Business Dev- take the company on the next Capsule, Zoho, Office365, • HOW technology innovation will drive UCaaS adoption (p30). elopment at Symantec Cloud stage of its journey.” Freshdesk and Intercom.
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NEWS ROUNDUP Stone sees 4site bolstered by REDCENTRIC posted a mixed bag of H1 results reporting Harbridge sales down, profits and debts up. Revenue was down by 9% to £43.2m but with led MBO Indigo acquisition £38.8m recurring revenue representing 90% of the EXECUTIVES at ICT services LIMERICK HQ’d 4site is eye- total. Gross margins improved provider Stone Group have ing international markets fol- to 64.5% from 59.8%. Ian completed a MBO led by CEO lowing its acquisition by Indigo Johnson, Non-Exec’ Chairman, Simon Harbridge and backed by Telecom Group. said: “New customers were Souter Investments. The deal creates a £50m pow- added in the period which, The deal sees RJD Partners’ erhouse with 300-plus employ- together with effective cross second fund, which backed the ees located across 10 offices selling, led to quarter-on- previous buyout in 2008, real- in the UK, Ireland, France, quarter revenue growth.” ise its investment and David Germany and Singapore. MacLellan, Chairman and 4site was established in 2002 MOST adopters of IoT tech founder of RJD, has taken the and specialises in mobile wire- across the pond are also role of Non-Executive Chair- less and fibre services, with a taking blockchain and man at Stone. strong emphasis on supporting Ian Duggan and Kevin Taylor combining it with their IoT Existing debt facilities have demand for 5G and FTTx net- networks, says a Gartner been refinanced with Shaw- works. The transaction boosts “With its financial backing vision for the future, and the report. “The integration of brook Bank. Indigo Telecom’s capabilities in and scale of operation, Indigo development and expansion of IoT and blockchain networks Harbridge commented: “We designing, installing and main- Telecom Group is positioned to our telecoms services in Ireland in the US is a sweet spot for continue to grow strongly, add- taining international telecom support 4site’s growth plans and and the international market.” digital transformation and ing net new customers in each and data networks. innovation,” said Avivah Litan, of our vertical markets while Indigo Chairman Kevin A BPL Business VP at the industry researcher. continuing to develop infra- Taylor said: “The acquisition Publication
structure solutions and services complements Indigo Telecom BPL Limited A PRICE competitive FTTC alongside our traditional hard- Group’s core expertise in the Highbridge House, 93-96 Oxford Road, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UB8 1LU, United Kingdom Ethernet service from Spitfire ware offerings, growing the supply of multi-vendor telecom T: 01895 454542 F: 01895 454413 Network Services with QoS value of each customer.” support services. Editor: Stuart Gilroy Subscriptions [email protected] 07712 781 102 Subscription rates for 12 issues: SLAs for VoIP is intended to “The synergies present UK, £65; Overseas:£80 (incl p&p) Publisher: Nigel Sergent Back issues can be obtained: shake up the SME connectivity opportunities for continued [email protected] 07712 781 106 UK £6 (incl p&p), Overseas £10 each (incl p&p) market. Sales chief Dominic For subscriptions please call 01635 588 869 growth and we see benefits for Managing Director: Michael O’Brien Norton said: “The SLAs mean Views expressed in this magazine are not our customers from our expand- [email protected] 01895 454 444 necessarily those of the publishers. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the customers can use it for both ed portfolio. Both organisations Sales Director: Simon Turton express written permission of the publishers. voice and data applications. have strong reputations for [email protected] 01895 454 603 All trademarks acknowledged. Photographs and With the growth of VoIP and delivering consulting, projects, Production: Frank Voeten artwork submitted for publication accepted only cloud-based data services, [email protected] on the understanding that the Editor is not liable delivery and service.” for their safekeeping. customers have a critical need 4site CEO Ian Duggan Circulation 01635 588 869 © 2018 BPL Business Media Limited. for assured connectivity which said: “The deal accelerates our ISSN 1366-5243 Printed by Pensord Limited is not available on standard growth ambitions by becoming Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations ABC total average circulation 15,487 (Jan-Dec 2018, 12,480 print, 3007 digital) broadband products.” Simon Harbridge part of a global business.
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WHP pockets NEWS ROUNDUP A SERIES of roadshows hosted by Beyond Connectivity (formerly Nimans Network Services) put a spotlight Sitec business on the three big forces it says are revolutionising the industry – full fibre, 5G and the cloud. “We are facing the biggest industry changes since the advent of broadband,” said Beyond’s Head of Sales Graham Wilkinson. “It’s important to prepare for the connectivity journey of tomorrow.”
SOMERSET-based full fibre infrastructure provider and ISP Truespeed has set out plans to extend its Rob Potter ultrafast full fibre network into Wells city centre EQUISTONE backed WHP acquisition will also provide a and surrounding areas. Telecoms’ capabilities and platform for WHP Telecoms to Truespeed’s targeted area influence in the fixed and enter the fibre market. covers approximately 6,000 mobile markets have been “This is the first acquisi- residential properties and boosted by the acquisition of tion WHP has made since com- 1,000 registered businesses. Sitec Infrastructure Services. pleting a management buyout The deal creates a circa £100m backed by Equistone Partners ACRONIS’ acquisition of organisation with 500 staff. Europe in 2018 and represents 5nine, a global provider of Sitec provides network an important step in the group’s Microsoft Hyper-V and Azure design, roll out, upgrade and strategic growth plan,” com- cloud management and management services to the mented WHP CEO Rob Potter. security solutions, enables mobile comms industry. “The acquisition is consis- the security firm to integrate It also has expertise in tent with our appetite to lead 5nine’s technology into its wayleaves, design, planning consolidation in the sector and Cyber Platform and provide and the installation of fixed continue to strengthen our ser- new services through the line fibre optic networks. The vices and breadth of offering.” Cyber Cloud Solutions portal. Empowering businesses with Newing increases stake in a network built mobile app firm DriverNet for the future ELITE Group founder Matt Newing has upped his stake in Get in touch to see how our tech firm DriverNet, which was award-winning network and set up in 2017 by Ant Chisnall range of services can benefit who has a 17 year career under your customers and help his belt working in logistics for your business grow. small fleet operators and large multinational hauliers. The DriverNet app provides real-time dispatch, route status, Matt Newing map views, arrival and duration times and automatically updates to help with the next phase of help improve their logistics and routes of mobile workforces. investment to ensure DriverNet transport capabilities.” “I’m keen to support new continues its growth.” DriverNet has won key tech tech that will make a difference Chisnall said: “We are work- awards including a European to other organisations,” said ing with some of the biggest Space Agency gong and Mer- Newing. “It’s tough for start- UK councils, the NHS and pri- seyside Innovation and Future ups and it’s good to be able vate health care providers to of Mobility awards in 2019. For more information head over to www.virtual1.com or call us on 0344 884 0800. For more info on how we can work together To advertise in give us a call on 0344 884 0800. contact The Sales Team on 01895 454411 www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 5
Comms Dealer Jan 2020.indd 1 17/12/2019 17:01 INDUSTRY NEWS Mesch rallies IoT MVNO Jola rolls extra forces out eSIMs to channel
JOLA’S CTO Adrian Sunder- land claims the launch of eSIMs will unlock the IoT market opportunity for the channel as the firm positions itself as a global IoT MVNO. The multi-network eSIM is based on eUICC (Embedded Universal Integrated Circuit Adrian Sunderland Card) technology which enables users to switch service provider Jola said it has deployed a ity to over 450 networks, and over-the-air, removing the need UK-based MVNO mobile core local connectivity with all four to change the SIM card itself. network with global connectiv- UK mobile networks. Jola worked with Simfony Greg Mesch to provide the MVNO network ARMY veterans and reservists disadvantaged and that it recog- while the eUICC element is could play a key role in advanc- nises the transferable skills that delivered by Massachusetts- ing the UK’s charge towards reservists and veterans bring to based iBASIS. Digital Britain, according to the workplace.” eSIMs can be embedded into CityFibre which aims to recruit CityFibre CEO Greg Mesch devices or delivered as a tradi- a wave of fibre infrastructure added: “Infrastructure projects tional removable SIM. builders from a pool of army of this scale require a wide “eSIMs offer an alterna- trained personnel. range of skills but many of tive to MNO contract lock-ins In ramping up this recruit- those can be found in the men and save customers the pain ment strategy CityFibre has and women who have trained and expense of swapping out signed up to the Armed Forces and served in the Armed Forces. SIMs,” said Sunderland. Covenant, enabling it to offer “By signing the Armed “Operator profiles on the THE power and generosity of the telecoms industry was brought work or apprenticeship oppor- Forces Covenant, CityFibre will eUICC can be remotely updated into focus last month at the TalkTalk sponsored Night of Ambition tunities to this section of the be able to tap into a commu- over-the-air. Instead of swap- staged at London’s Natural History Museum, which raised a Armed Forces. nity of people who are highly ping plastic SIM cards, profiles staggering £420k for Ambitious about Autism. £30k of the money Drew Jeacock, who is the skilled, disciplined and have all are downloaded and managed raised will be pledged directly to the charity’s Employ Autism Head of Engagement for the the qualities we are looking for on a device as needed. In the programme. Hosted by comedian Ruby Wax the extravaganza put the spotlight on how difficult it is for autistic people to secure Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ to help deliver Britain’s full eSIM model, a device is ready and keep jobs, even though they have a lot to offer businesses, Association for Greater London, fibre future.” to deploy anywhere network especially those in the technology sector. Pictured: Auctioneer commented: “CityFibre has coverage exists. If a device Got a news story? email: Edward Rising, CEO of TalkTalk Group Tristia Harrison, event host pledged specific steps to ensure moves and crosses networks its [email protected] Ruby Wax and CEO of Ambitious about Autism Jolanta Lasota. the Defence community is not profile can be quickly updated.
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NEWS ROUNDUP PE firm LDC Evolve IP’s NEWS ROUNDUP THE Henry Howard Finance FOLLOWING a year long spell brand name has been retired new voice of testing and developing following the introduction its CRM and billing system of the ‘Propel’ moniker. The with resellers and dealers rebrand is the first in a series backs Nicol for Teams Ebb Solutions has rolled of strategic moves that out Amaya, the brainchild include the opening of new EVOLVE IP’s launch of voice of CEO and lead developer offices in Manchester and enablement for Microsoft Teams Sean Marsh. “Every aspect of the launch of tech upgrades brings a hybrid deployment Amaya is designed to work such as the acceleration of model and two license options independently and with any online acceptances. CEO Mark under the brand Voice2Teams external programme or API,” Catton said: “Propel means and Voice2Teams Plus. said Marsh. “Ebb Solutions’ to drive forward. Our aim is The service is based on the bespoke channel CRM adapts to push the boundaries of Cisco BroadSoft hosted UC to any product or service what’s possible in finance.” platform which has over 70 mil- with integrated provisioning, lion users worldwide. customisable functionality NTA has revealed details of a “We are bringing our many and reporting fetches for four day partner conference years of delivering carrier every department.” to be held this year at a five Ricky Nicol grade hosted telephony to the star resort in Cyprus. “The Microsoft world,” said MD Paul WILDIX is set to hold its conference is open to current MID-MARKET PE firm LDC Bennett join the Commsworld Harrison. “By leveraging our second UCC Summit in and prospective resellers has completed an investment board alongside CEO Ricky portfolio of products alongside Barcelona (February 3rd-5th) and will be educational in Commsworld that puts the Nicol, CFO Graeme St John the Cisco BroadSoft platform, and according to CEO Steve with breakout sessions Edinburgh-based comms pro- and Non-Executive Director Evolve IP can deliver services Osler 2020 will be a pivotal together with an element of vider on track for UK expansion Steve Langmead. Telecoms and solutions on top of the year in the UCaaS market. The fun,” stated NTA’s Channel and another year of double digit guru John Trower is also join- Microsoft Platform. company launched its UK&I Manager Justin Blaine. growth. The financials of the ing Commsworld as Chairman. “Customers can use voice channel campaign in 2017 deal remain undisclosed. Kerr commented: “Ricky enabled Teams mixed with other and has since signed up over ALLIOT Technologies is now Commsworld began its com- and the team have transformed IP endpoints with just the Teams 60 partners in the region. the main distribution arm mercial life in 1994 and has 110 Commsworld in recent years users requiring a Microsoft for Abeeway products in staff based across its offices from a telco reseller into a license. The solution also brings PANASONIC’S range of SIP the UK following a new in Edinburgh, Glasgow, London national network operator. Our call routing and a UC feature communications devices deal. By leveraging multiple and Aberdeen. investment will help them to set with Disaster Recovery and have been certified for geolocation technologies For the financial year to build on this hard work and suc- real-time fraud management.” use with Exponential-e’s with LoRaWAN connectivity December 2018 it recorded rev- cess and deliver further on their The launch comes as Cisco UC platform. Bob Mercer, Abeeway trackers are used enues of £20m, a 41% increase ambitions for Commsworld.” reaffirmed its commitment to UK Group Manager for to track and monitor assets on the previous 12 months. The Nicol added: “LDC’s invest- BroadWorks as a ‘critical stra- Panasonic Communication such as trucks, containers, company has developed its own ment is a real signal of our tegic asset’, quashing opposite System Solutions, stated: parcels and people. Nicolas carrier grade network with UK intent to further invest in our industry rumours. “The partnership will Jordan, CEO of Abeeway, and international reach. offering and capacity so we can Cisco also confirmed that strengthen the offerings said: “Tracking and logistics Head of LDC in Scotland continue to disrupt the market. BroadWorks is the call control of both Exponential-e and is becoming one of the key Mark Kerr and Investment We’ll be targeting another year application for its new Webex Panasonic in the cloud verticals for IoT adoption.” Director for Scotland Colin of double digit growth.” Calling solution. communications market.”
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eve ad_01.20.indd 1 13/12/2019 16:23 INDUSTRY NEWS SoConnect’s UCaaS alarm Pragma files Web Netopa deal as rivals arrive Listings SOCONNECT’S bolt on acqui- experience including a stint as PRAGMA resellers are click- sition of Edinburgh-based MSP CTO of Noble Group and a ing up greater monthly billing Netopa creates a combined £4m spell as VP at Merrill Lynch. revenues following the launch revenue business. Following the SoConnect deal of Web Listings, a value add Newtown Saint Boswells Bazley takes the role of COO. service developed by the dis- located SoConnect’s merger Fraser commented: “Bring- tributor alongside tech partner with Netopa’s 10-strong team ing Bob and the Netopa team on SO Connect. takes the headcount to 30 and board strengthens our offering The service, which is set up adds an established IT managed and provides us with a footprint and managed by Pragma and service offering. in Edinburgh. So Connect, enables resellers’ SoConnect was founded by “For the SMEs we work Paul Taylor customers to update informa- CEO Campbell Fraser in 2011 alongside, simplifying and tion ranging from store opening and supports the SME mar- improving the efficiency of AN UPCOMING ‘big explo- tion to move completely over to times and preferred payment ket in Scotland and across the IT and comms infrastructure sion’ in the UC&C space will SIP and hosted. methods to contact information UK through a nationwide net- through the use of cloud tech- be a major threat for the comms “There’s a massive untapped on over 50 platforms through work of over 200 engineers. nology is at the core of every- industry, warned Voiceflex market for UC&C and the chan- one user interface. Fraser continues as CEO of the thing we do. Sales & Marketing Director nel is well placed to take advan- “With a 900% increase of enlarged business. “Increasingly, we are also Paul Taylor, citing the growth tage, building on its already local searches for businesses Netopa began its commercial becoming a strategic virtual in usage of MS Teams and colossal voice experience.” online over the past two years, life in 2011, set up by CEO Bob CTO for many SMEs that lack Workplace by Facebook as In this, says Taylor, educa- it has become crucial to ensure Bazley, a British Army veteran the resources to have a dedicat- prime drivers of change. tion is key. “There are many the accuracy of information on who brings over 25 years IT ed CTO in place.” Taylor raised a red flag to UC&C applications we use in web directories, sat nav sys- alert resellers not yet consid- our personal lives which are tems and social media platforms ering UC&C as part of their transferable into the business to remain visible to prospec- future strategy to take imme- arena,” he added. tive customers,” commented diate action. “The threats are “APIs and AI is far easier Pragma’s Sales and Marketing coming from a different direc- to programme and deploy, so Director Will Morey. tion, leading with UC&C with pick a platform which offers the Lily Comms MD Chris voice as an option,” he stated. most, not only in hosted voice Morrisey said: “Web Listings “If you’re not looking at but with UC&C and APIs build- has helped us drive the bene- UC&C now it needs to be on ing from the ground up. fits of digital transformation to your agenda for 2020. The “The sooner the leap is customers while increasing our market is fast moving, and the made, the quicker resellers will monthly billing revenue. Web opportunity could pass you by, reap the rewards.” Listings has helped customers so don’t get left behind. to increase their visibility on Got a news story? email: “When ISDN stops being directories and search platforms [email protected] Campbell Fraser and Bob Bazley sold we will see a real motiva- and attract more business.”
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NEWS ROUNDUP Fibre deal to Goldman Uni hails VERSION 12 of Swyx’s comms platform comes with a new Sachs aids Avoira’s look Windows client, updates to the VisualGroups queue management tool, a fresh boost Devon CallMiner chieftain redundancy concept for automatic failover and a PROVIDER of AI driven AN ERSTWHILE radio techie monitoring service. The range speech and customer interac- has picked up an Honorary of management information tion analytics CallMiner has Doctor of Science degree from in Analytics 12 includes key closed a $75m investment round the University of Salford for figures on service quality, from Goldman Sachs. The deal his long-term involvement with performance of groups underscores the vital role that the institution, along with his and agents, average and AI and analytics will play in the help in shaping programmes maximum waiting times contact centre environment. around science and innovation and measuring results and “Customer intelligence is and holding masterclasses. trends of specific periods. critical for organisations to Avoira’s MD Andrew Rob- compete effectively in today’s erts has accrued 40 years COMMS services including environment of rapid change comms industry experience and hosted telephony, handsets, and digital advancement,” said has a 20 year relationship with Jurassic Fibre’s CTO Sanjoy Bose, Michael connectivity and calls and Maltby, Brian Lodge and South West Paul Bernard, President and the university. a cash donation to the Comms Commercial Director Jon Whiley CEO of CallMiner. He said: “It is a great hon- combined tune of £10k have “Success requires under- our for my life’s work, first been given to Leeds Mencap BUSINESSES located in towns South West Communications standing what your customers in radio comms, then telecoms by The Technology Group. and rural communities across MD Brian Lodge. and contact centre agents say, and most recently in the field Leeds Mencap supports over the south west could soon be “They will now benefit from mean and how they feel – and of Unified Communications, to 400 people with learning staring ultrafast fibre broadband speeds of up to 10Gbps, which leveraging that insight to fun- be recognised with this award.” disabilities and their families in the face following a link up means they can reliably use damentally change the way Roberts started his career as each year, as well as over between ISP Jurassic Fibre and cloud-based services. This rep- you operate and perform. It all an apprentice at Avoira, then 3,000 people via its facilities South West Communications. resents a huge opportunity for starts with AI-driven customer known as Pennine Telecom, at The Vinery Centre. Jonathan Jurassic Fibre is rolling out this business community.” insights and intelligence.” and went on to work his way Marsden, CEO of The a gigabit capable network in Michael Maltby, CEO of CallMiner analyses over two through the ranks. Technology Group, said: “This the region as part of a five year Jurassic Fibre, added: “Our trillion words annually across is an opportunity for us to infrastructure project initially joint offering to the region’s all forms of customer inter- give something back as part targeting towns and villages in business community is a step actions including calls, chats, of our social responsibility.” east Devon. change in terms of broadband emails, surveys and texts. Below: Jonathan Marsden and Jurassic Fibre’s key tech- speeds and reliability, helping Holger Staude, Investor at Leeds Mencap CEO Cath Lee. nical facility is co-located in them to reach their full poten- Goldman Sachs Growth, added: South West Communications’ tial in an increasingly digital “The convergence of interaction data centre in Sowton, Exeter. dependent regional, national analytics and customer experi- “Jurassic Fibre’s network and global economy.” ence creates a significant mar- will be a welcome and long ket opportunity. CallMiner is Got a news story? email: awaited connectivity option for well positioned to transform the Professor Nigel Linge [email protected] and Andrew Roberts businesses in these areas,” said way organisations operate.”
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Digital Wholesale Solutions Comms Dealer Jan19.indd 1 16/12/2019 14:48:19 INDUSTRY NEWS
Advances made in Fontevo in NEWS ROUNDUP IN A BUSINESS update Tollring fresh push CEO Tony Martino divulged big growth ambitions for 2020 following a company next gen Wi-Fi trial on UK soil restructure including new leadership roles and a 20% A TRIAL of next generation Broadcom, Cisco, iBwave, can operate well in the pres- GERMAN telephone system boost to staff numbers. To Wi-Fi delivering mixed reality Intel, Concurrent Engineering ence of interference and noise manufacturer Fontevo has set its drive the business to the next and 4K video streaming across a and Keysight. in a complex and challenging sights on UK resellers address- level Martino said Tollring factory network has been hailed The tests included applica- factory environment, as well ing SME business customers has increased investment as an industry ‘milestone’. tions of 4K video streaming, as deliver high quality services seeking a plug-and-play phone in people through internal The Wireless Broadband large scale file transfers, mes- for monitoring and maximising upgrade in advance of the ISDN and externally led training Alliance (WBA), which is the saging and voice/video commu- machinery performance, mini- switch off. programmes, restructured body leading development of nications in addition to the first mising downtime and improv- Fontevo is the marketing departments and cross next generation Wi-Fi services, stage of IoT sensor and mixed ing communications on the fac- brand for vendor Auerswald functional teams and invested said the completion of its phase reality testing. tory floor. which boasts 16,000 reseller in process management one trial of Wi-Fi 6 infrastruc- During the trial, speeds of “The completion of this ini- partners in Europe. tools. He also said the launch ture and services at the Mettis 700 Mbps using 80 MHz chan- tial phase marks a significant The company launched in of iCall Suite version 4 will Aerospace factory is an import- nels were achieved and low milestone for the adoption of the UK last year and says it is enable Tollring to expand ant part of its test and develop- latency applications, like video Wi-Fi 6. planning a new drive in the UK into new global territories, ment programme. calling and video streaming, “The Mettis facility is an ICT channel with a range of SIP mainly due to investments The trial took place at the 27 performed well with results especially challenging environ- and cloud telephony solutions. in product localisation and acre Mettis Aerospace facility below 6ms. ment for wireless communica- “The D-400 is aimed at SME partner management. in the West Midlands in col- WBA CEO Tiago Rodrigues tions with furnaces, presses and resellers who can offer custom- laboration with various WBA commented: “These results pro- heat, moving heavy machinery ers looking to migrate from DATA and deep analytics member companies including ved that Wi-Fi 6 infrastructure and the presence of dust and ISDN to SIP a telephone for have emerged as key trends in-air particulates. the small office or home work- in the evolution of digital “Nevertheless, the field tests er,” said COO Axel Klossner. signage, providing the SPEAKING at a dinner that were carried out in this “The D-400 has the same open insights that businesses need event hosted by Aura highly charged atmosphere have sourced infrastructure across all to measure the performance Technology at the Harbour proven that Wi-Fi 6 technology systems, reducing the need for of their solutions. But more Hotel in Southampton former England rugby works well and can play a vital extensive training sessions.” must be done, reckons a coach Sir Clive Woodward role within the industrial enter- Other features include a study by Sharp, which says inspired an audience of 150 prise and IoT ecosystem. touch screen interface, integrat- the industry is not properly business leaders with insights into his innovative use of technology “If Wi-Fi 6 can deliver high- ed range of DECT phones and measuring digital signage nor in sport. Woodward is a Non Exec Director at Aura Technology and ly reliable, high quality and the headset facility for wired deploying enough analytics. is best known for leading the England rugby team to victory in high bandwidth communica- and Bluetooth connections. Birgit Jackson, Commercial the 2003 World Cup, on which he partly attributes the success to tions in this type of factory The D-400 can also be sup- Director, Visual Solutions, said: being the first rugby coach to use tracking technology to monitor environment, then it can deliver plemented with up to three “It is key to work together the performance of players. Aura Technology MD Tim Walker said: it almost anywhere.” COMfortel D-XT20 key exten- as an industry to make sure “This was an opportunity to welcome some new and familiar faces sions, adding a maximum of 60 we are creating solutions and to thank our staff, partners and customers for their roles in our Got a news story? email: additional function keys each that remain useful and success. Sir Clive delivered an entertaining and candid presentation.” [email protected] with three levels. relevant to our customers.”
14 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com
MARKET FOCUS Networks poised Sabio secures for emerging age strong lead in of autonomousity CX revolution abio has set its It would take a cool nerve to deny that the future of sights on becoming a dominant player connectivity does not lie in autonomous networking, in the CX market, Sbuilding on three years of says Masergy’s EMEA Channel Director Emily Nerland. expansion, achieving a 25 to 30 per cent organic growth n the evolution By 2025, it is expected that rate year-on-year, spreading of networking, the new trinity of IoT, 5G and geographically and also we stand at a edge computing will have a through the addition of Michael Andrews pivotal moment, significant impact on network adjacent technologies with Oand according to Nerland traffic and processing, and a string of six acquisitions their engagement with there is no mystery about turning the buzz around since 2016. “We’re leading organisations. However, how connectivity will 5G into widespread real customers through an truly successful virtual shape up over the coming world solutions will be unprecedented period assistant solutions need five years. “Autonomous of primary importance. of customer experience to focus as much on the networking is the future of “The establishment of evolution,” stated Michael ‘Art of CX’ as the different connectivity,” she stated. Emily Nerland this triumvirate will also Andrews, Sabio Group’s technologies involved. “Businesses are pushed allow businesses to adopt Vice-President of Commercial The second opportunity to make savings and find optimised performance much more reactive Strategy. “Our platform is effective end-to-end efficiencies, and networking that is constantly running IT agility strategies,” of contact centre, digital customer journey analytics. is the area with the most at its potential due to the commented Nerland. and insight offerings This can be complex but the room for development.” hundreds of micro-alterations are focused on enabling benefits are significant. it could make across a global “When operations have the clients to embrace and While AI is taking network network each second in data and insights that IoT, maximise the value from “Thirdly, as the industry innovation in a new the name of efficiency.” edge and 5G can provide the latest technologies, moves beyond Peak Voice direction, automating a at such speed, actionable including AI-powered self- we’re finding that for most specific task such as fault Bringing forward UC strategies will be faster to service solutions that take organisations the actual detection, segmentation or As businesses design and discover and implement. automation to the next complexity of calls coming provisioning is in itself not implement their digital Furthermore, this will level; channel agnostic into their organisations is radically transformative, but transformation strategies accelerate the convergence customer engagement tools increasing. As agents are left that is about to change. through the early 2020s, between development and that take CX beyond the with interactions that can’t “As single-task automation many UK organisations will operations to ensure decision omnichannel model; and be resolved through self- develops alongside neural be reluctant to take out makers are better informed endlessly scalable and elastic service alone, we’ll see more nets and general AI, it will new contracts on legacy about the wider operation cloud CX platforms.” emphasis on the application become easier to combine infrastructure like the PSTN of the business and can of augmented voice services multiple, separate Machine network. “This brings UC strategise accordingly.” Greater emphasis on smarter that effectively add digital Learning algorithms to work to the forefront of the customer journeys is expected channels in parallel with as one,” added Nerland. connectivity frontier,” added However, all of these this year, ones that will the voice connection.” Nerland. “When considering developments and evolutions help direct people towards We all know that computers which telephony strategy will be delayed if the current the channels and resources It should always be have a superhuman ability to implement businesses skills gap, not only in cyber that are most appropriate remembered that each client to process data, but a shot must also consider their security but programming for what they’re trying to has a unique start point. of AI changes the game and entire connectivity estate and technology in general, is achieve, believes Andrews. “Often it is necessary to promises a new dawn, so and ensure their connectivity not addressed. “This is not “Being able to deliver this implement foundational steps long as certain conditions allows for peak utilisation just a US or UK problem,” level of engagement at such as migrating to a cloud are met. “If AI technologies of all services and systems stated Nerland. “That scale is always going to be platform to obtain agility and become standardised or – cloud storage, SaaS, said, there are pockets of challenging,” he added. scalability,” said Andrews. even open source, and backup, collaboration etc innovation and enterprise “But we see three specific “For others the focus is on algorithms are given the right – as well as extra growing needs to find a way to invest opportunities: Conversational conversational automation to training and development, room to ensure the entire in education and build the User Interfaces are drive efficiency, accessibility AI-driven networks will organisation’s requirements skills into the workforce of becoming the dominant and great CSAT from the ensure a consistent are provisioned for.” the next generation.” n way for customers to begin outset of the project." n
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16 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com
BUSINESS PROFILE Fanvil breezes into UK
The fruition of Fanvil UK’s channel building strategy would see it become the number one provider of VoIP endpoints, according to UK Managing Director Craig Graham who has already made expansive inroads across swathes of home territory.
here is no doubt UC features for less cost. Just a minute with that Fanvil UK is “This often results in the stealing a march in provision of new phones, Craig Graham... the market for VoIP similar to what we have seen Role model: Paul Scholes, Tphones, its speed of growth in the mobile phone market he quietly gets on with testament to the man at the over recent years,” added doing a great job centre of an ambitious UK Graham. “UC will become What talent do you wish channel building campaign. increasingly important, you had? To have a According to Graham, and there will be future photographic memory product quality is indivisible developments with further Best advice you have from channel success, and integration between the taken: Always end a with the right support is GSM and SIP worlds, CCTV negotiation with ‘Yes, if…’ enough to make big strides and security with greater in short time across target dependency on Microsoft How do you relax? Mountain biking territory. In just two years he products. Meanwhile, FTTP, Craig Graham and building stuff has rallied 1,000 resellers to G.Fast and 5G will prompt in the garden the Fanvil flag and signed a host of reinventions The biggest risk you agreements with four of existing solutions.” We are looking to further have taken? Starting distributors – Yellowgrid, my own business in Corptel, Nuvola and Provu – disrupt the market and You would be doing 2007, and asking my with other significant channel yourself a big favour by wife to marry me partnership agreements in the noting Graham’s words, continue to gain share Who do you admire most making. “Many of the well which are delivered with in the channel? 3CX CEO known ITSPs and carriers are strategy,” explained Graham. demands for dividends, the weight of many years Nick Galea, an inspiring at various stages of interop “VoIP resellers and installers means it is well placed industry experience and entrepreneur who has testing which promises to look for products that are to reach price points that sector insight. He began created great companies make 2020 a big year for technically stable and robust catch the eye of resellers. his IT career 21 years ago and surrounded himself Fanvil,” stated Graham. and hold customer appeal, working for the R&D division with talented people with good pre and post sales Disruptive times of Echostar, a large American who stay loyal The Chinese VoIP desktop support, offering strong “We are looking to further satellite broadcasting Your biggest achievement? phone developer and margins. So we set about disrupt the market and company based in the UK, Leaving a secure job, manufacturer is now one a strategy of education. continue to gain share,” supporting electronic and starting my own business and keeping my family of the primary VoIP phone We put a Fanvil phone in stated Graham. “The UK software engineers who fed and housed brands in the world. It the hands of resellers and VoIP market is maturing, were developing digital set produces devices for supported them through alive and well, attracting top boxes for the digital Tell us something about small and medium sized initial set up and testing. many PBX vendors, and TV market. He gained yourself we don’t know: I can ride a unicycle businesses, as well as large We expect to continue Fanvil works closely with skills managing Windows mission critical enterprise doubling the number of UK all the well known and and Linux environments Top tip for resellers: Drive environments, and is set resellers year-on-year.” emerging PBX vendors and acquired MCSE and sales through education to become a global IP to ensure compatibility, CCNA certifications. voice and video terminal The continuing industry ease of deployment sharply focused on supplying manufacturer. The company transition from a traditional and management.” “I then spent a number and supporting Fanvil also produces door access capex model to an opex one of years in outsourced IT products to the channel. and intercom devices. has increased pressure to Previous demand for VoIP providing consultancy services That’s why we added new source hardware that offers a solutions derived from primarily to SMEs,” added distributors that allow us Although Fanvil has been an short-term RoI when building companies migrating from Graham. “This led me to to better cater for growing established brand in China a monthly subscription based ISDN to SIP, noted Graham, starting my own company demand, and Fanvil continues for almost two decades it model, observed Graham, who is now witnessing a specialising in VoIP. During to make significant UK was relatively unknown in who claims that Fanvil’s rise in churn from early this time we developed a market gains with a 100 the UK until 2017. “Fanvil status as a privately owned adopters of VoIP seeking relationship with Fanvil and per cent rise in year-on-year UK was founded on a simple company, free from investor solutions that offer greater created Fanvil UK which is sales volumes.” n
18 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com
SECTOR REVIEW Infrastructure deals continue at pace
Philip Carse, Analyst at Megabuyte.com, reports on the trading performance of leading companies in the comms space during the last quarter.
hile telecoms of UK telecoms industry infrastructure profitability, remove the remains the cashflows that fund around focus of £8bn of annual capex, and Wcorporate activity, the most imperil an industry that notable event in the last employs 200,000 people. quarter was the deal that It would almost certainly didn’t happen, with the delay the roll out of FTTP sale of TalkTalk’s FibreNation compared with the current, FTTP business stymied by the accelerating, combination Labour Party’s unexpected of private sector and public proposal to offer free subsidy-funded builds. broadband. At the time of writing, even after the Network focused players General Election, TalkTalk generated the more has yet to announce a sale. interesting results this quarter, Philip Carse including Commsworld, Infrastructure deals actually Glide, Wifinity, FluidOne, announced included Cellnex’s euNetworks, WIG and SAS Network focused players generated the more proposed £2bn acquisition Group. Meanwhile, several of Arqiva’s UK mobile towers of the larger private comms interesting results this quarter and KKR’s investment in and IT sellers reported, with Hyperoptic. Other deals strong numbers/outlook from Telecoms Services peer group for Commsworld, 4net the +1.8% FTSE All-Share. of note include Enreach’s Southern, Focus, Onecom, has a Scorecard rating of 47, and WCCTV, reasonably The main gainers were BT UK entry through Network issues at Timico and GCI, versus 50 for the Megabuyte strong improvements for (+17%) and Gamma (+12%), Telecom, Timico’s acquisition while Daisy revealed details universe. Its medians are: euNetworks, Southern, while Adept fell 5% on a of ATOS IT, a £12m fund raise of its new, more independent 5.7% for one year organic Onecom and Focus and slight forecast downgrade. by CloudCall, an investment constituent operations. growth (2nd quartile), falls from WIG and CSL. There is a similar pattern in Vaioni by private equity 13.8% for three year The peer group top ten for 12 months: Telecoms investor Panoramic Growth AIM-listed Adept revenue growth (highlighting includes a strong showing Services +17% lags ICT Equity, and a £10m fund Technology and Redcentric considerable M&A), 11.6% by M2M and Messaging and Software’s +30-34% raise from Albion Investments both highlighted macro for EBITDA margins, 0.3pp companies (Wireless Logic but exceeds the FTSE All- for Grain Connect, a London- headwinds. We also for annual EBITDA margin and CSL) and Networks Share’s +5.6%. Gamma based provider of fibre spoke to three companies expansion (all 3rd quartile), and Connectivity (M247, leads with +66%, while broadband to new builds. that are benefitting from and 91% for OCF and Commsworld, Exponential-e under-offer Inmarsat is up transformational M&A: 55% for FCF conversion of and euNetworks), with 32% and CloudCall 27%, The threat to the UK Vodat, Peach and Babble EBITDA (both 2nd quartile). three comms and IT with TalkTalk, Maintel and BT telecoms sector from the Cloud. The more interesting resellers (Bistech, 4net and down 16-26%. The average Labour Party free broadband other results included Scorecard Charterhouse) and one valuation is 9.1x EBITDA. n proposal and BT Openreach from Truphone, Commify, Note that the Scorecard is telecoms network support IS Research publishes www. nationalisation has obviously Natterbox, CSL and WCCTV. based on companies with service provider (Indigo). megabuyte.com, a company now receded. But for the £10m+ revenue and <£100m analysis and intelligence record, we estimated that Megabuyte has developed EBITDA, so excludes the Telecoms services shares service covering over 1,300 giving away a product that a company ranking major network players. rose 7.9% over the quarter, public and private UK ICT, generates an estimated methodology called the Interesting Scorecard under-performing the software, media and business circa £10bn of revenues Scorecard based on growth, moves this quarter included 14-16% for Megabuyte ICT services companies. would wipe out two thirds margins and cash flow. The strong inaugural rankings and Software but ahead of [email protected]
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20 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com Infrastructure deals continue at pace
COMPANY NEWS ROUND UP
Excalibur gets mobile Gamma adds to dev to have stopped reporting growing again capabilities with Telsis by geography, but UK James Warner Swindon-based business AIM-listed business comms revenues were 12% of the comms and IT provider provider Gamma acquired total at the half year stage. Continued from page 1 new gaining provider lead Excalibur has reported Fareham, Hampshire-based The nine month numbers Labour’s announcement switching, and how we as EBITDA up 10% to £1.7m on Telsis, which provides a show EBITDA losses of 4.2m and the shock wave it an industry will move from a revenues up 13% to £9.2m range of communication euros versus breakeven sent through the industry single infrastructure supply for the year to June 2019. services and UCaaS software on revenues up 33% at highlights the importance to multiple, and manage the Estimated organic growth of development capabilities. 41.5m euros, operating cash of a supportive regulatory complexity of switching that 10% represents a pick up on The fact that this hasn’t outflows of 6.3m euros and environment for alternative must take place seamlessly the prior year’s 3.3%, due been announced through capex of 3.2m euros. The network operators, noted for the end user.” both to stabilisation of mobile a London Stock Exchange company has also delayed Allchurch. “While full fibre ARPUs and contributions announcement suggests that its product roadmap due to is the most appropriate Simplistic approach from fixed line and IT it is not material for Gamma. a shortage of R&D staff. solution in most places there County Broadband CEO services. CEO Peter Boucher Indeed, Telsis’ average are parts of the country Lloyd Felton says Labour’s promised more of the same headcount of 30 in calendar NVM’s Gale blows where other solutions can manifesto pledge was a for the current year, with year 2018 compares with into Sabio as CEO be more practical, at least in ‘simplistic approach’ to a very much an organic focus. Gamma’s 976 for the same Horizon Capital-backed the short term,” he stated. complex roll out. “What Meanwhile, Excalibur founder period, and probably over contact centre specialist “So Ofcom and others must is needed is the backing James Phipps, who handed 1,000 now given market Sabio announced the ensure a joined up strategy.” of Government to stop over the reins to Boucher in forecasts of 15% revenue appointment of Jonathan allowing FTTC solutions the May 2018 MBO, will step growth in 2019. We suspect Gale as CEO, replacing Andy Warner also noted that to be marketed as fibre down as Chairman next April. that the deal is primarily Roberts who becomes Vice some aspects of the full broadband,” he said. about obtaining both product Chairman (under Chairman fibre infrastructure sector “What has also been Avaya looks to revenue and software development Lee Shorten) with a remit will need to be reassessed highlighted is a significant stability in fiscal 2020 capabilities rather than to lead M&A. Gale was if progress has any chance need for providers to Avaya reported weak fourth customers or revenues, previously CEO of cloud- of accelerating. “Wayleaves, educate the public and wider quarter to September 2019 with Gamma continuing to based contact centre provider wayleaves, wayleaves,” stakeholders on what is, and results, with EBITDA up build out and strengthen NewVoiceMedia from he reiterated. “We have what isn’t, FTTP broadband, 3.4% at $184m on revenues its Unified Communications 2011-18, leading its sale the knowledge and the and the limitations that down 5.7% at $726m (25% platform to serve its to US-listed UCaaS player capability, the funding and FTTC and copper cable has margin), both undershooting indirect channel partners. Vonage for $350m/5x 2018 interest from private and on broadband speeds when concensus by 2-3% and revenues. See page 3 public sources, but the it reaches the property. We triggering a 5% after hours NFON hit by macro challenge is the time it takes need to ensure momentum share price decline. Most of weakness and Telecom Plus’ high to help a freeholder improve is not lost and appeal to the revenue decline was in staff shortages energy interims the infrastructure of their the public’s greater interest EMEA, down 9% to $183m German-listed but pan- AIM-listed multi-utility reseller building. The only winners by raising awareness of (partly forex related) versus European UCaaS player Telecom Plus, which trades as are the lawyers. Another how FTTP will be the a 6% decline for the US (to NFON detailed its weak Utility Warehouse, reported challenge will be in the future-ready choice for $392m), though the under- third quarter to September in-line interims to September EECC (European Electronic homes and businesses performance was attributed 2019 results that triggered a 2019 with adjusted pre tax Communication Code) and in the near future.” to a delayed US social security reduced full year outlook on profits up 5.9% to £27.5m contract. The firm believes postponed orders, with the on revenues up 14% at Allchurch confirmed that that 2020 will see revenues company cutting prior 2019 £353m, with the latter there is growing momentum start to stabilise after years revenue and seat growth boosted by higher energy in the full fibre sector with of decline, aided by the targets of 40-45% and consumption and prices an ever increasing number RingCentral partnership ‘at least 45%’ to 30-33% and 8% growth in services of alternative network and other new products, and 39-41%. Third quarter taken to 2.6m. The company operators rolling out network including CCaaS, with EBITDA losses of 1.5m euros reiterated full year guidance architectures and customer guidance of $2.82-2.90bn compared with breakeven of £60-65m adjusted pre propositions appropriate for revenue (stable to -2%) at last year on revenues up 42% tax profits (up 12% at the a particular region and type a 23-24% EBITDA margin at 15.1m euros (boosted by mid-point) while pointing to of town, or type of building. (versus 17% for 2019). the DTS acquisition), on seats an up-tick in new partners “There are also a large First quarter guidance is up 41% at 431k and monthly and salespeople recently and number of funds with billions $700-720m revenues (3-6% ARPU down 2.5% at 9.71 the introduction of positive of pounds which are keen to Lloyd Felton decline) at a 24% margin. euros. The company seems regulatory changes. n invest,” he added. n
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www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 21 BUSINESS INTERVIEW 4net chief outlines £100m revenue plan
The unwavering conviction of 4net Technologies Managing Director Richard Pennington is that he can achieve his ambitious business goals only by continuing to re-engineer the company in line with market and customer requirements. This is his big £100 million strategy.
here is no denying that the future success of 4net’s bid to become a £100 Tmillion business within five years is inseparable from Pennington’s pragmatism in meeting both the great strategic challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. “There is rapid change all around us,” he stated. “Not just in the development of communications and technology but also in the way buyers are procuring our solutions and services. Customer expectations go far beyond the technical solution in itself. Therefore we need to make sure we’re able to deliver more.”
A new focus on business outcomes is the one constant in this fast changing market, hence there is greater measurable value in holistic approaches to Richard Pennington familiar scenarios. “There is a clear move by customers to measure our projects on Our business model is changing from designing, selling, business outcomes rather building and supporting technology infrastructure to than simple, or complex, technology deliverables,” consulting, integrating, customising and managing public and explained Pennington. private cloud services “Sophisticated customers now expect a fully managed “Once we have ensured skill set of our workforce, directly and then work designing, selling, building project delivery measured it is working we don’t say employing business analysts with partners to consult and supporting technology against their own business farewell. The customer as well as the technical on, embed, customise and infrastructure to consulting, goals and user experience, wants to see the benefits team for example.” manage the service,” said integrating, customising rather than a clean technical in a measurable way. That Pennington. “There was and managing public and implementation. Previously, means we need to prove that Shift to cloud a time when we would private cloud services.” we would build, install and the ‘dream’ of the solution Another key to unlocking have sold the service, built, train on the software, and being transformational is future growth prospects lies supported and managed it. For the three times 2019 our customers would try real. This has an impact not in traditional comms That ‘sell, build, maintain’ Comms National Award to make it work. Now, our on how we plan for and but in a big shift towards infrastructure piece is winner (Enterprise Reseller projects need to be aligned execute the delivery of our public cloud services. “Take starting to disappear for of the Year, Best Enterprise to what the customer wants major projects. It means Microsoft Teams, which us. As a result our business Cloud Solution and Best to achieve from the software. we’ve had to broaden the customers now procure model is changing from Reseller Innovation), growth
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22 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com BUSINESS INTERVIEW
4net chief outlines £100m revenue plan BUILD YOUR SD-WAN ON
is also about capitalising of technology coming application development and on the inability of large along and meeting growing customisation services is also legacy providers to change customer expectations,” a major trend. This includes and adapt quickly to meet explained Pennington. everything from application customer needs. “We are “Secondly, ensuring that we integration to chatbots and seeing a shift in customer fulfil all of our recruitment Artificial Intelligence which buying patterns and we requirements, that means not growing numbers of our are winning eight figure only managing to recruit the customers are demanding.” Number one for deals which, ten years ago, growing numbers we need, didn’t happen to businesses but also the correct skill Adaptability multi-site of our size,” commented sets across the business.” The way to realise targets Pennington. “Bigger like Pennington’s £100 organisations are getting left As we have seen the million objective can only behind because they can’t genesis of 4net’s upcoming be to remain alert to the adapt fast enough, whereas expansion period in large demands of the market and we can and do. We also part lies in a refashioned develop the agility to adapt, listen to and stay close to plan for the age of the because an ICT provider’s our customers and ensure cloud and its project delivery relevance to the changing 30 carriers and suppliers making us we have the appropriate credentials. “Our biggest customer and technology open channels for customer opportunities sit within a landscape is neither inevitable the UK’s number one aggregator feedback and input.” cloud first strategy,” added nor guaranteed. Prepared Pennington. “Customers are on all fronts, Pennington’s Future success also lies deep turning away from legacy three year £60 million Number one for within the 4net business, in revenue target is a prelude its ethos and morale as well to something much bigger. service as staffing. “Maintaining We are “We are preparing to culture during an expansion winning eight double our revenues,” said phase is often a major Pennington. “Becoming a * obstacle for businesses like figure deals £100 million business will ours and I’m determined as require transformation. Managing Director, and one which, ten We will continue to grow NPS of the founding partners and focus on our core of 4net, that we don’t years ago, markets. For example, in lose our culture, which is didn’t happen the public sector and all the We have the highest NPS one of Customer First,” different verticals – central in UK telecoms stated Pennington. “A big Government, housing, differentiator for 4net is to businesses blue light, health etc. that we do work as a team our size – cross functionally. Part “But we will also need to of our culture is that we environments to the cloud. grow more in other sectors empower staff to try new And we are recognised – not such as large enterprise and things, to be agile, flexible least through our recent expand our international and innovative, and to fix industry awards from Avaya, business, with the possibility issues quickly as they arise. including Enterprise Cloud of small bolt on acquisitions We also ensure transparency Partner of the Year 2019 – that add capability to our SCAN HERE TO FIND OUT MORE across our objectives as a leading cloud player, cloud and managed services. and empower people to so we have experience and Our portfolio of services is help us reach them.” credibility to capitalise on. also broadening, particularly with enhancements to the *NPS SCORE CORRECT AS OF NOVEMBER 2019 In the short to medium term, “More complex and customer experience and and as new developments sophisticated customer making sure we provide come along in technology requirements enable us to secure services. 4net’s and customer requirements, add to our solutions and ambition is to be around CALL 0330 404 7304 as well as nurturing culture services, so we not only longer than any of our there are other challenges meet the customer’s business competitors. We will do faced by 4net. “The outcome specifications that by providing the best biggest challenges we see but enhance the overall solutions and service within ahead are staying at the service we offer. The our power, and keeping up forefront of the new wave increasing reliance on with the times.” n comms1@fluidone.com To advertise in www.fluidone.com/data/secure-sd-wan/ contact The Sales Team on 01895 454411 www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 23 NEWS INTERVIEW Piper plays his strategic growth hand
On Aidan Piper’s career menu… food, wine and comms for afters: Here’s how the Welcomm Communications Chief Executive kept the best course ‘till last.
rom catering on oil rigs to scoring the winning goal in a European cup final for the over 40s, Fthe CEO of O2’s two-time Direct Partner of the Year continues to play a blinder on the business growth playing field, which he ran onto straight from school when he kicked off a career in catering and trained as a chef. But following 10 years in hospitality and catering which included working in hotels, top restaurants and providing catering services on oil rigs, a change was clearly needed and he turned his interest in wine tasting and drinking into day to day work, joining Diageo, the largest drinks company in the world. “They trained me to sell, and with my catering background I focused on high end quality hotels and restaurants,” said Piper.
Then the economic slump shifted the wine industry’s plates, which was the prelude to Piper’s entrance into the comms sector. The move proved a golden opportunity Aidan Piper and gave him every incentive to succeed fuelled by ambition, using his sales I had a target to take Welcomm past £10 million turnover. prowess to force through the best chance of success. After joining as the Managing Director I knew we could do it “After the wine business liquidated in the early nineties then a mobile specialist acquisition of Leversedge now sown up Piper plans radio. Push-to-talk over during the recession a friend with skills we lacked in our Telecom Services.” to deliver push-to-talk over cellular technology currently introduced me to a comms comms business. By the late cellular, having already seen works when it’s run over company with exciting nineties I spent more time Growth area a number of applications 3G, but we look forward to products and great people with Welcomm and joined Fellow Leicestershire where he’ll be looking to the wider and significant roll who were struggling to sell,” the company, becoming communications provider install this technology over out of 5G to deliver latency said Piper. “I used my sales Managing Director in Leversedge’s traditional the next two months. “We sub-500 milliseconds.” skills to develop a team and 2009. From that moment business is in commercial see this as a massive growth we grew a large business. Welcomm aimed to always two-way radios, fleet vehicle area,” commented Piper. “If In retrospect, a turning point be at the forefront of solutions, IoT and ‘cash and you’ve got a critical need, for Welcomm was the move “I also partnered with technology, and we still are valuables in transit’ products push-to-talk is the only way. from analogue to digital Welcomm Communications, as evidenced by our recent and services. With the deal Critical voice will stay with in mobile. “My skill sets
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24 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com NEWS INTERVIEW Piper plays his strategic growth hand
WHOLES ALE were very much in data and its managed services offer to PBX,” added Piper. “Adding provide additional value to Just a minute with these services to Welcomm’s customers through proactive Aidan Piper... [more than connectivity] portfolio in the early 2000s insights into their accounts. created much more customer From an IT perspective Name three ideal dinner loyalty as clients were able Welcomm is working guests: Billy Conolly, he’s to receive a broader range closely with a number of highly intelligent and very of services from the same vendors around security. funny; Muhammed Ali, an supplier. This makes it easier incredibly talented bloke and had a lot to say from to identify and resolve Two pronged approach himself – he also made me technical issues. It was also “Our business continues to laugh; Serena Williams, around this time that we grow through acquisitions, she has revolutionised made a strategic decision to but our strategy is now the relationship between move from retail outlets to twofold: To sell more sport and business, Clear clearvoice solely business to business. products into our existing had a baby and came Voice, a 3,500-plus customer back to compete at brand new “Milestones for Welcomm base, and through the the highest level also came in the form of development of Welcomm’s Best advice you have ever UC platform acquisitions we made with sales academy,” commented been given: My father built on our other O2 partners between Piper. “We are also driving always told me that hard award winning 2009 and 2013. We grew new business using work never kills you, and you don’t need as through acquisitions and traditional methods including network to deliver much sleep as you think door knocking, telesales, the features that your customers networking, a new website In hindsight: I wouldn’t Experience have acquired shares want, at a price point you’ll love. coming soon, marketing in a wine wholesale and social media.” tells me that company. While they had great products and customers will Deploying a range of sales I had a lot of fun, it was embrace new and marketing tactics to an expensive mistake attract customers does not Name one example Everything accessed via on its own deliver sales. The technologies of something you’ve a single pane of glass golden opportunity is to overcome: Divorce take command of a client’s as long as What’s the greatest communications destiny risk you have taken? they trust you and understand in detail the Moving from a safe large workings of their business multinational company in Call and SMS recording, have 73 people working with through consultation. “I take wine to comms which I with ‘stored for life’ us now. When I first joined each customer on a journey knew little about. I took option Welcomm the turnover that sometimes they don’t the risk because I knew was just over £1 million.” want to go on,” commented they had a good product, Piper. “Change can be the market was changing and I knew I could sell Every tactical consideration difficult for any business, but propelled Piper towards his we have better comms and How do you relax when Disruptive pricing to aim to create a £10 million tech solutions to offer them. not working? I enjoy enable higher channel walking and all sports, business and a springboard spending time with my margins for more rapid growth, which “Experience tells me that partner and two boys he has achieved through the customers will embrace new acquisition of Leversedge. technologies as long as they What possession could you not live without? Wine Now Piper hopes to grow trust you. We must first seek True PBX functionality revenues by 20 per cent this to understand, then take Biggest achievement? I year and increase EBITDA by our customers on a journey still can’t believe how I from any mobile produced two amazingly 40 per cent, driven by the of education about new good looking sons synergies between the two solutions. We have always companies and additional been influenced and driven Tell us something about sales. To that end, over the by the demands of our yourself that we don’t know: I played for an over past two to three years customers. To this day, we 40s football team and For a free demo, call us now: Welcomm has introduced remain customer focused, scored the winning goal in new products and services, keeping them at the heart of the European Cup final! 0161 672 9900 and in particular developed everything we do.” n
To advertise in #thebackbonetoyoursuccess contact The Sales Team on 01895 454411 www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 25 PRACTICAL DIVERSITY Inspiring diversity with positive actions
Industry research and discussion alone will not solve the channel’s diversity and inclusion (D&I) deficit, it needs a cultural stimulus from shining examples of D&I champions such as 9 Group. This month, Louise Abbey, Head of Customer Marketing, discusses how the company has been leading the charge towards a more diverse workplace.
very business leader should know by now that future growth is far more assured Eby having greater levels of diversity and inclusion within their workforce. And according to Abbey, business organisations in the channel with a big emphasis on D&I will be stronger in many respects, bolstered by (among the many boons) a boost to the bottom line and improved staff, customer and partner engagement. “There is overwhelming evidence that diversity leads to greater profits,” she stated. “In the ICT sector, those who are embracing diversity at all levels are winning by welcoming new voices and fresh ideas to the table. Their inclusive approach leads to innovation, which is fundamental for future Louise Abbey success in the ICT space.”
That business leaders and There is no doubt that the industry’s sorry state of diversity managers could also steer a course that leads to is rooted in history. But it is equally clear that the lack of a broader benefits for the local community is a given, says proper diversity strategy will only reinforce past tendencies Abbey, who is staunch in her conviction that active D&I diversity can deliver, it’s a debate was inspired by 9 in the industry,” explained while undergoing business proponents have the power no brainer. Businesses with Group CEO James Palmer, Abbey. “He inspires genuine expansion. Likewise, our in their hands to help bring staff from a wide range of a D&I champion, who change within our channel, inclusive culture has always to fruition a more prosperous backgrounds are proven showed that it is crucial for so we take a determined helped us to retain staff, so and equal world. “Leaders to outperform firms with a such initiatives to infiltrate approach to creating a much so that the average in our channel can positively less diverse workforce.” the whole organisation. sustainable corporate culture length of service in our contribute to a more inclusive that respects diversity in all support team is over five society by recruiting and 9 Group’s pledge to boost Leadership matters forms. This approach can years. We simply encourage empowering marginalised diversity and inclusion “James was insistent that be felt throughout every everyone to be themselves.” groups,” she added. “The became public knowledge we raised awareness of interaction across our entire ethical argument is strong when it hosted a round table the importance of diversity organisation. There are over 9 Group’s approach to enough on its own, but when discussion on the matter in businesses and made 220 people in our team D&I is composed of many coupled with the proven in association with Comms positive moves to stamp and we have maintained aspects and has evolved into positive financial impact that Dealer in May 2018. The out gender stereotyping a close-knit environment a scrutinised professional
26 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com ENERGY UPDATE in association with
swcomms partners Inspiring diversity with positive actions with Fidelity Energy
SOUTH West Communications massive change in attitudes practice, with elements of of legacy maleness. But the issue and regularly share Group (swcomms) has signed surrounding our understanding corporate self-examination, change is underway, observed our thoughts and concerns a partnership agreement of the importance of looking a diversity audit and Abbey, which suggests that as a team. This allows us to with Fidelity Energy to offer after our world. Our reliance, inclusive culture that delivers the age of male domination appeal to an untapped and a brand-new energy service as humans, on fossil fuels is to customers, resulting in the becoming a more prominent remarkable results. “Valuing is ending, and a big part of diverse pool of candidates. launch of its new business, issue and many are now diversity in the workplace this evolution boils down to By recruiting across a range swcomms-energy ltd. looking at other sustainable isn’t just the right thing to recruitment strategies and of ages, backgrounds, options. do, it’s the smart thing to approaches. The answer, she nationalities and levels of swcomms has offices in Exeter do,” noted Abbey. “Our says, is to take a leaf from seniority we have benefited and Portchester and has been “swcomms-energy is proud to providing telephone systems have the ability to offer green recruitment process, how we the activities of 9 Group. To from a variety of expertise, to businesses since 1983. The energy options. Each green communicate with staff and recap, the company has put experience and perspectives. company now provides the energy deal we sign takes work together as a senior in train a formal process for This has enabled us to latest in voice, connectivity, one step further to reducing management team is defined the assessment of diversity identify new opportunities cloud, security and data centre harmful emissions,” added by our diverse and inclusive issues and it is the job and explore fresh ideas solutions and has been winning Whiley. a range of business and culture, which we see of leaders to test certain that otherwise would not industry awards along the way. John Haw, Managing Director filtering out through all teams scenarios and recruiting have been discovered.” at Fidelity Energy said: “We are and in the way we engage actions against key criteria. The new partnership will enable delighted to have partnered with our partners every day.” There is no doubt that the swcomms-energy to offer with swcomms-energy and new and existing customers look forward to working with “Last year we broadened comms industry’s sorry state a wide range of utility and them to take the energy service Collaboration our recruitment channels of diversity is rooted in procurement services that offerings to their customer Initiatives that promote D&I by employing an in-house history. But it is equally clear Fidelity Energy can provide, base. We are confident that pass seamlessly from one recruitment expert who that the lack of a proper including the most recent we will be able to offer a part of the business to the supports us in attracting the diversity strategy will only addition to its portfolio; the significant price savings on their installation of electric vehicle business energy bills. other in a system of cross- reinforce past tendencies. 9 (EV) charging points that can company responsibility aided There is Group’s message is not just be personally customised to “We are passionate about by technology that creates that it is within the scope of each customer’s branding or providing the best experience a community spirit and staff overwhelming all organisations to push D&I preference. possible to our customers and loyalty. “We’re currently up the agenda, it is that the swcomms-energy share similar Jon Whiley, Commercial core values. This has resulted in developing a new web-based evidence that sector can take a collective Director at swcomms-energy us both holding long-standing collaboration tool that will initiative that ensures the said: “The board were not only relationships with many of our enable us to ‘broadcast’ a diversity leads age of male domination impressed with the savings customers, which speaks for clear and consistent voice is at long last passing. Fidelity Energy were able to itself. across all offices,” said to greater secure for our offices but with their professionalism and “The potential of this Abbey. “Staff will have profits To that end 9 Group efficiency. It was apparent that opportunity is phenomenal and access to news, policies and disseminates its diversity Fidelity Energy were aligned the team at swcomms-energy resources which link with perfect candidates for our message throughout its with our company’s values have fully immersed themselves our diversity strategy and roles,” commented Abbey. partner base, and in leading and we therefore decided to with the integration of energy help to support our culture. “Part of their process is to by example it helps partners become one of their partners. to their portfolio. There is much to look forward to with hold a consultation with to overcome staffing hurdles. “My team has been able to their upcoming pipeline so, “Mentoring is also important. the hiring manager ahead “I hold regular consultations assist existing customers of we are excited for where this Senior managers with an of promoting the job to with our partners around swcomms to better understand partnership can go.” interest in diversity are understand more about the support and advice we their own energy bills, where sometimes busy workers can approached to mentor staff the personality and make can offer,” explained Abbey. allow the contract to roll, who are keen to learn more. up of the team. So our “The topic of recruitment resulting in much higher costs. The social element is also job adverts are carefully comes up repeatedly as many My team can now take on key. Our social committee written to encourage partners struggle to recruit that role of reminding our works hard to organise applications from candidates and they seek help with their customers they are close to renewal and searching the inclusive events throughout from all backgrounds. advertising for candidates. market to find the best deal for the year, which are aimed During these conversations their company. to suit a diverse mix of “If we have a large pool we share insights into our personalities. We also carry of applicants for a role we approach to diversity, the Sustainable methods of energy out a lot of charity initiatives, view the CV blind to remove success factors and our consumption is a huge topical issue and swcomms-energy which is an important all references to personal positive experiences, and can now capitalise on this by part of our culture.” details. This is because our show how making small offering 100% renewable management team is aware changes can help attract a energy contracts to customers Unlike 9 Group, the comms of the potential impact that broader and richer group of concerned with the impact they sector’s record on diversity unconscious bias can have on candidates. It’s rewarding to are having on the environment. In some cases, the cost to has not won feathers for its the process. By discussing the be introducing change like switch to a green contract cap, such is the ingraination subject we are conscious of this on a wider scale.” n is cheaper, with many green suppliers being able to offer rates that are competitive with To advertise in the non-renewable suppliers. contact The Sales Team on 01895 454411 “In recent years I have seen a Jon Whiley www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 27 cloud.pbxact.co.uk +44 1344 269220 Cheney House, Oaklands Business Park Wokingham Berkshire RG41 2FD
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We sat down with our Director of Sales in Europe, Mr. Last question, Sangoma is offering one Simon Horton, to see what he had to say about the UK FREE! market and how hosted business phone systems are full year of PBXact Cloud service for revolutionizing the industry. free when you sign a 3yr contract. Has Sangoma ever attempted like this Elevate your communications to the In your years of experience in the before? Cloud and enjoy your first year of telecom industry, have you ever seen a PBXact Cloud service for free when you Simon: "This is unprecedented, we have never done sign up for a 3 year PBXact Cloud plan! sudden shift in needs and expectations anything like this before. Sangoma is confident PBXact from customers? Cloud is a perfect phone system for businesses of all sizes. We wanted to make sure that if you have thought Simon: "Yes, customer needs and phone system about moving from your current provider to a hosted requirements change all the time, but the shift of phone system or trying PBXact Cloud, this is an offer you business moving to the cloud is proving to be more than cannot refuse." just a trend. Customers are looking for an easy to use phone system that is reliable and scalable with their future needs and growth. PBXact Cloud can easily meet those needs while providing the popular UC features that PBXact Cloud Can Improve Your Company’s Communication by: customers are requiring in this technology age. Providing an affordable, hosted UC solution is certainly the most common request we hear from our partners and customers. The other big change we see is that customers want to spread the cost rather than pay upfront. With PBXact cloud and Sangoma phone rental that is completely possible.” Eliminating Hardware Best-in Class Support Enhanced Scalability Multi-Dwelling
Eliminating hardware Gain access to our Ability to add and drop Effortlessly manage and What are some of the biggest concerns management allows you to best-in-class support users with ease connect multiple offices customers have about moving to the focus on other projects "Cloud"? About Sangoma
Simon: “We hear all the time: “Can I trust something that Founded in 1984, Sangoma is a leading voice and is not in my direct control?” “Does the hosting vendor Unified Communications (UC) solution provider and the properly maintain their data centre?” “Being dependent primary sponsor and developer of Asterisk, the world’s At Sangoma, we strive to provide our customers Our dedicated and knowledgeable Sales Team is on an ISP, should I be worried?” The list goes on and on. most widely used open-source communications with the best communication features and service to standing by to share additional details of this limited It is a fact that moving to a hosted business phone solutions. The company has cultivated over 1.5 million ensure their business runs better than ever before. time promotion with you. system is now safer than ever. Data centres are taking deployments in support of 35 million endpoints globally. We are so confident that PBXact Cloud will enhance extra precautions to have multiple underlying carriers Sangoma believes organizations can achieve greater your communication and we are happy to offer one and redundancy procedures in place to ensure uptime for levels of success by having access to powerful, full year at no cost when you sign a 3 year contract. Call to Learn More their customers. Rest assured knowing that with proper affordable communications solutions from a reliable network readiness, moving your phone system to the partner and that building tomorrow’s solutions will help cloud is perfectly safe and reliable.” the world to connect and collaborate in new ways. +44 1344 269220 www.sangoma.com cloud.pbxact.co.uk +44 1344 269220 Cheney House, Oaklands Business Park Wokingham Berkshire RG41 2FD
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Eliminating Hardware Best-in Class Support Enhanced Scalability Multi-Dwelling
Eliminating hardware Gain access to our Ability to add and drop Effortlessly manage and management allows you to best-in-class support users with ease connect multiple offices focus on other projects
At Sangoma, we strive to provide our customers Our dedicated and knowledgeable Sales Team is with the best communication features and service to standing by to share additional details of this limited ensure their business runs better than ever before. time promotion with you. We are so confident that PBXact Cloud will enhance your communication and we are happy to offer one full year at no cost when you sign a 3 year contract. Call to Learn More +44 1344 269220
www.sangoma.com BUSINESS INTERVIEW Tech innovation to drive UCaaS adoption
Evidence suggests that the channel will be well equipped to take the gaping UCaaS market by storm, so long as resellers do not neglect the great strategic advantages offered by Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and 5G, argues Keith Jackson, 8x8’s Director of Channel Sales EMEA.
he fast developing UCaaS market is saturated by technological Tinnovation. Chief among the sweeping developments are AI and Machine Learning which are already changing how the UCaaS space operates, with the promise to continue improving processes and productivity. “These technologies ensure businesses have a true understanding of which channels a worker prefers and automate tasks such as setting up conference calls,” said Jackson. “AI also helps manage the huge amount of data customers have access to, making sure that insights are delivered to help improve the business. Data analytics creates so many opportunities for organisations, helping Keith Jackson them to solve problems more effectively.” Long gone are large warehouses full of boxes, instead we Today’s workers expect to operate from any location at have the intelligent digital delivery of new applications and any time which sets a high bar for IT teams to deliver associated services from the cloud against. “We will see more vendors that can deliver a Jackson has pledged to for cross-organisation performance, usage analytics, mud organisations, which location and device-agnostic, take 8x8’s partner business collaboration. The quality management and would lead to a new outlook integrated suite of video, programme ‘to the next company also consolidates network visibility can be on their communications chat and voice products that level’. He joined from management, reporting, realised. Small wonder open estate, as we shall see empower the workforce of RingCentral in November data and user policies, minded customers are opting later in this article. tomorrow,” added Jackson. 2019 and previously spent provisioning, recordings, for modern alternatives in “We are also interested in over 10 years working with transcriptions and other tools communications. But the task “Most of our growth comes how video conferencing vendors including Unify, across voice, video, chat of successfully influencing from replacing legacy will evolve over the next Gigaset and Ingram Micro. and contact centre in one the choices made by ICT outdated on-premises phone year. The use of video is Key to success, he says, is administration tool for IT. buyers, who may be in systems that are inefficient a key tool for effective 8x8’s approach to developing thrall to legacy kit, should and do not support new, business collaboration, this purpose built packages for Key advantages not be an underestimated more modern, decentralised is why we have recently the different types of users Thus the advantages of challenge. The art is in and flexible work styles launched 8x8 Video Meetings in an organisation, all on the real-time system visibility nurturing a journey of self- that combine multiple for our customers.” same platform and directory through voice and video discovery among stick in the communication modes,”
30 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com BUSINESS INTERVIEW
Acquisition... Tech innovation to drive UCaaS adoption Consolidation... Service provider migration...
noted Jackson. “We also ready to give the green light full of boxes, instead we see a fair amount of growth and roll out the system.” have the intelligent digital from customers that expand delivery of new applications What is their footprint to different Thus, the role of the reseller and associated services from areas of their organisation. will move increasingly into the cloud,” added Jackson. stopping you? We start with one team the services driven market “Adjusting the delivery or office and then move space. With the device, will in the longer term add to convert the rest of the the speed, capacity and a positive impact to the Skilled resource organisation over time.” performance increasing reseller’s bottom line.” Our specialist project teams are skilled across significantly, the market multiple platforms and have the ability to manage Jackson’s priority is to opens up a rich new area Transformational 5G various migration types. accelerate the transition for applications and services, Just as data and analytics from legacy communications and new recurring revenue is transforming the UCaaS Impact on customer disruption infrastructure to a modern streams not appreciated space, the advent of 5G Our team’s reduce customer disruption by cloud-based service. He before. “No longer will could also redefine the says the opportunity is to the box shifting channel market. “Improvements to providing a safe pair of hands to guide and help make IT more efficient, companies be able to last mile network access the customer pre and post migration. empower business leaders compete on price and technologies have resulted with the right data insights flexibility,” warned Jackson. in a massive increase in Impact on business as usual teams they need to achieve their UCaaS and collaboration White labelled dedicated teams project managing business objectives and unify functionality and quality, all aspects of the migration. the dispersed workforce on The key is a but 5G will bring access and one platform where they designated connectivity speeds that are can collaborate in real-time, only common in the data We can help you regardless of location. But project centre to the mobile device in all the way despite the business case, our pocket,” stated Jackson. converting customers is not manager who as easy as you’d imagine. “This will enable incredible coordinates applications that we are “The challenges are just now beginning to see usually around the ‘cost of all the – augmented reality, real- doing nothing’ scenario,” different time access to mapping and commented Jackson. “In navigational data and more. other words, there is a strong aspects of The business applications emphasis on thoughts around of 5G will make the ‘if it ain’t broken, don’t touch deployment increasing use and blending it’, which makes for long of data in communications technology refresh cycles. “Resellers not yet into applications commonplace. Partners play a huge role in cloud and the associated helping us to address the recurring revenues will have “For the channel, 5G brings refresh cycle and overcome to reimagine their revenue significant new opportunities. the cost of doing nothing. streams. This takes time and For example, with 5G being training as the large capex key to the delivery of IoT – its “Our services methodology expenditure purchases drop high connectivity speed, high helps to mitigate any away in favour of lower, capacity and significantly perceived risks customers albeit new, recurring revenue reduced latency means that We cover all types of may have from changing streams. This can impact enterprises can scale to migrations including : technology and vendors cash flow in the early stages their customer requirements at the same time, by if not managed correctly. in both applications and • IP to IP ensuring a smooth, fast However, once in place the services. Furthermore, UCaaS red carpet experience. The new revenue streams can and collaboration can now • PSTN replacement key is a designated project and often do outpace the scale to increasingly larger • Broadband manager who coordinates contract value versus the customer bases with real-time all the different aspects traditional purchase model.” connectivity, and provide of implementation and bandwidth to accelerate the
deployment, including As well as the financials and adoption of services such [email protected] R porting numbers and training cash flows, areas like delivery as video, multi-point video 0333 006 9999 users and admins on the new can also be developed. “Long or rich media sharing, all www.supporttowin.tv system before customers are gone are large warehouses happening in the moment.”n
To advertise in Migration expertise your business can count on. contact The Sales Team on 01895 454411 www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 31
STW_86x296 vertical CD_11.19.indd 1 23/10/2019 14:21 NORTHAMPTON MARRIOTT HOTEL, 26TH MARCH 2020 Northampton Marriott Hotel, 26th March 2020 Where’s the big money in mobile? According to technology analysts, around 3.5 billion people are now connected to the mobile internet and there are no signs of this figure decreasing. Mobile data consumption continues to rise as more and more businesses deploy mobile based solutions.
The arrival of 5G super- opportunities in the Subjects to be debated and discussed at Margin Margin in Mobile will help you understand: fast connectivity will fast expanding mobile Mobile will include: • What’s new in technology? fuel more exponential solutions landscape. • What solutions are customers looking for? • Where are we now? A state of the mobile market growth and create • How your team can sell mobile and IoT more review (analysis, trends etc - scene setter and provide huge opportunities Part of the hugely effectively? context for what follows) for resellers to provide successful ‘Margin • 5G and mobile network innovation: What next for an increased range in’ series of events business mobility? of mobile, IoT and organized since 1999 • Managing mobile: Harnessing the power of portals UC solutions to by Comms Dealer, • Mobile UC/Mobile Office/Mobile Conferencing: Staying their customers. Margin in Mobile 2020 connected anywhere, anytime. will provide the most • Realising the potential of mobile Apps and APIs Now is the time to effective platform for • Intelligent mobile: The rise of wireless and Wi-Fi ensure your mobile vendors and resellers to analytics communications meet and explore these • Mobile Security: The cyber threats and how to protect and IoT offerings new opportunities. against them are fit for purpose • Mobile planning: How to develop an end-to-end and your business is During an inspiring employee mobility strategy for customers poised for growth. day of education and • Working with suppliers to identify the most profitable networking, you will mobile solution opportunities. Following it’s successful meet a range of mobile • How will the supply of M2M/IoT solutions fit into new debut last year, Margin and IoT operators, Qualified voice, mobile and data reseller ‘as a service’ business models? delegates will be able to take advantage of: in Mobile will once service providers, • How will resellers get sales teams up to pace with • An educational seminar programme again provide resellers vendors and distributors • A 1-2-1 managed ‘meet the suppliers’ process Digital Britain and the new mobile solution with the knowledge all expert at helping • A fun networking evening dinner opportunities. and understanding you launch into or grow • Overnight accommodation • SIM device management. Never • ALL FREE OF CHARGE! of the new margin existing mobile revenues.
BUILD YOUR MOBILE AND IOT PORTFOLIO IN 2020
Northampton Marriott Hotel, 26th March 2020
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Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning have ushered in a new age of intelligent Wi-Fi networks, and the integration of Bluetooth and emergence of Wi-Fi as a Service are game changers for the industry, according to Mist co-founder and CTO Bob Friday.
ntelligent Wi-Fi is shaping anomaly detection, service their own safety controlled the next chapter in level monitoring and control. via simple BLE wrist bands connectivity, providing a linked to the Wi-Fi and new level of automation “Harnessing the power of Bluetooth access points. Ito improve performance and AI and big data also helps “This functionality, flexibility efficiency, along with far to facilitate another exciting and control that was not greater insights and granular innovation for Wi-Fi – the previously available with visibility of the network and use of AI controlled virtual Wi-Fi networks allows user experience. “But we are network assistants which help resellers to tap into new still using manual processes to manage and automate markets and applications, based on dashboards, network optimisation and transforming what was once devices and logs to manage remediation,” commented an infrastructure expense most Wi-Fi networks, from Friday. “These assistants into a powerful productivity, configuration and capacity allow system administrators services and marketing planning to real-time incident to ask the network questions tool to generate additional response and dealing with verbally using natural revenue,” said Friday. user experience issues,” language processing. This Bob Friday commented Friday. “With means that many wireless It is a well known fact that the increasing number of network problems can be Wi-Fi has rapidly become phones, tablets and other resolved by an automated We need a new level of another necessary utility mobile and IoT devices and help desk without the along with water, electricity apps now in service, these need for human Tier One automation to improve and mobile cellular services manual processes are not or Tier Two intervention, performance and efficiency, that we rely on. “So it makes good enough. That’s why to reduce downtime and sense for Wi-Fi to follow the Wi-Fi industry is starting provide an unprecedented along with far greater insight the trend and migrate to an to address these challenges insight into the behaviour of as-a-service model for those by harnessing new AI and customers and networks.” and granular visibility of the organisations that prefer to ML technologies, along with pay on a subscription model, cloud systems and big data Connectivity expectations network and user experience outsourcing the provision and analytics to deliver a new continue to soar, so reliability management of the network breed of Wi-Fi systems.” and the level of bandwidth Bluetooth technology is route guidance, information and services,” stated Friday. provided are crucial. “Using not new but the cost and delivery and environmental Intelligent Wi-Fi is about ML and AI technologies on complexity of deploying management such as “Reducing upfront the quantity and quality of such a massive data set will multiple beacons has held temperature and lighting investment also removes data. For example, Mist (a enable network providers back widespread adoption. control,” he said. “It the barrier to entry for Juniper company) has access to be proactive, gain better However, by integrating a can also be used for smaller organisations, while points that collect over insights into customer Bluetooth antenna array asset management open APIs allow channel 150 user states from each participation and allow them inside the access point and the location of partners to develop their connected device every two to troubleshoot and optimise it is possible to create valuable equipment.” own applications. Also, seconds to show exactly their networks to generate virtual software controlled with unprecedented levels what is happening in the a new level of end user beacons that define Key markets for this of data, network insight Wi-Fi network in real-time experience,” added Friday. zones with up to a meter technology include retail and and automated control, it is and understand individual accuracy, explained Friday. healthcare. For example, by possible to set SLAs for Wi-Fi. user experiences. Processing “Network providers can make facilitating a physical IoT port, What’s more, virtual BLE lets and computing this level of more informed decisions and Personalisation Bluetooth and Wi-Fi open resellers add new services big data requires a cloud- prioritise zones with higher “This Virtual Bluetooth up new opportunities for IoT and personalise the wireless based architecture capable density to guarantee enough LE (Low Energy) makes applications. In healthcare, experience for greater or analysing the information range and bandwidth. The it possible to deliver dementia patients can be network value. In the future and running complex end game is to stay one location-based wireless given the freedom to roam, we can all enjoy a great user algorithms to do things such step ahead and identify any and personalised services but with monitoring and experience with more reliable as dynamic event correlation, issues before they occur.” including access control, access management for and seamless connectivity.” n
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www.provu.co.uk/reseller PREDICTIONS KALEIDOSCOPE Plenty of optimism and big ideas for roaring twenties
ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? Really confident. The accelerating growth in FOLLOWING the landslide migrations to SIP and hosted IP telephony presents a fabulous opportunity for our partners. Having seen election victory for Boris thirteen consecutive quarters of growth in this area, Johnson the ICT industry will we have good reason to be bullish. have breathed a collective WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? We are seeing real opportunities for partners in sigh of relief that free mobile add on sales. Whether this be hardware broadband and Openreach as a service, mobile device management or M2M solutions. nationalisation is no longer WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? on the political agenda. We can work side by side with our partners to explain how to sell new technology solutions, tap in to new revenue streams and underpin this with Inevitably, post all the our award-winning marketing support so they can euphoria the doom-mongers uncover new opportunities. WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? are predicting a world We see a real advantage in being able to offer recession and Brexit may structured business planning support to help indeed lead to a UK ADAM CATHCART partners plot how they can maximise their chances 9 GROUP of success. slowdown, but whatever happens in the year ahead the flow of investment into ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? the digitisation of technology I do believe that the innovative and converging We are very optimistic as there are many will continue unabated. landscape of IT, telecoms and cloud is a huge opportunities for customers to grasp especially opportunity for us all. through our new security division, a market which is WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? set to double in value over the next five years. We are at the forefront of The emergence of Microsoft Teams as the new WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? the Fourth Industrial desktop operating platform for business, plus the CCTV, including facial recognition and redaction opening up of voice on that platform with the is set to flourish in 2020. It’s not just about Revolution and technology is emergence of Direct Routing. surveillance. There’s body worn cameras too. evolving faster than ever. WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? This is going to be a huge across many different Our continued investment in sales and service. environments. Companies that don’t keep We are also using new strategies to become a WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? up with some of the major data driven business and we’re proactive in giving Our 40-year trading pedigree, trusted advisor status, tech trends run the risk of partners information that helps them grow and exceptional logistics, unrivalled expertise and huge create value. breadth of products will continue to give us an being left behind. WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? advantage this year. Understanding these will Our big idea remains simple and very consistent. We WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? will continue to broaden our portfolio throughout The continual Microsoft Teams journey. As more and allow channel businesses to this year and I’m very excited about our new more resellers and their customers become familiar prepare and grasp the webstore service this year. It could be very disruptive with the UC platform, any device that is certified for opportunities. TERRY O’BRIEN and brilliant for our partners. STEVE MCINTYRE Teams is flying out the door. DWS NIMANS So, what disruptive technologies should you be ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? looking at as we kick off a Extremely confident. Backed by a £2.5bn Absolutely. We are going to see a lot more countries new decade? We have investment, we’re fibre-ing up the UK. In July we transitioning from ISDN to SIP and this creates a identified five we feel will reached the first 1% of our target to reach five fantastic opportunity for the industry, our resellers million properties by 2025 in 18 months, the second and their customers. make a big impact in 2020 1% was achieved just four months later. WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? and our Kaleidoscope WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? The advancement in behavioural technology, smarter Smart technologies are driving better housing, working environments and advanced AI applications. contributors generally concur healthcare and business innovation. This requires a These will change the way we communicate thus with these thoughts. future proof network that can meet the increasing opening up greater collaboration opportunities and need to share more data at faster speeds. ‘real life’ unified solutions. WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? Microsoft Teams the cloud- Our approach of building a network that serves The ISDN to SIP switch has already taken place in based team collaboration whole cities, from street lights and classrooms to Germany. The knowledge gained will help our UK offices and homes is designed and built for the resellers capitalise from this migration. software that is part of the channel to profit from. WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? Office 365 suite of WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? To provide our resellers with an outstanding applications. The core In 2020 our focus is on supporting our partners to portfolio of communication solutions from on-prem become our City Champions. This involves partners PBX through to Hosted Telephony and our unique capabilities in Microsoft actively promoting the take up of full fibre services. Private Cloud Hosted solution that will enable them Teams include business ANDREW WILSON AXEL KLOESSNER to do valuable business with their customers and CITYFIBRE FONTEVO increase their company value. messaging, calling, video meetings and file sharing.
Don’t forfeit your potential to maximize margin. Join the voice revolution The future of calling is Microsoft Teams. Engage your customers before they do. Wavenet simplifies the transition to Microsoft Teams with the Call 0333 234 9911 introduction of TeamsLink. One application, one team, one solution. wavenetwholesale.com
38 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com PREDICTIONS KALEIDOSCOPE Plenty of optimism and big ideas for roaring twenties
ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? Businesses of all sizes can Absolutely. Firstly, with around two thirds of the UK Confident and excited! There are always market yet to adopt cloud telephony, the market is uncertainties, but we’re going into the new year use Teams. buoyant. Secondly, our current channel recruitment off the back of our strongest ever year in terms of campaign continues to bring new reseller partners sales growth and major new enhancements to our It is predicted that during to work with us; exciting times! offering. WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? 2020, there will be wider Our continued adoption of collaboration Digital Britain is still in its infancy; the concept of adoption of AI and a technologies. We are exploring some exciting new super-fast, low-cost data connectivity anywhere will cloud collaboration services, including integrating be revolutionary - making the digital world even growing pool of providers with the MS Teams platform. These services will be more accessible. that are likely to start pre-launched to our channels at our Partner Day in WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? March 2020. 2020 will be a major year for Inform billing, as offering more tailored WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? we reach our 10th anniversary in February. The applications and services for Our plans to launch new cloud services over and extensive experience and expertise that we have specific or specialised tasks. above our traditional Hosted Voice. Watch this built up over the past decade, alongside key channel space! relationships will see some exciting collaborations to This will mean no company WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? benefit mutual customers. will have any excuses left We’ll continue to provide new and existing channels WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? with market-leading, ultra-resilient cloud services, not to use AI and AI-as-a- Inform Billing will be focused on further improving ENZO VISCOTI and a choice of technology stuffed bundles which DARREN SALISBURY our software’s workflow and efficiencies, offering service will be added to INCLARITY come with winning commercials backed up by our INFORM BILLING greater integration capabilities. many partner portfolios. superior customer support.
2020 is likely to be the year ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? when 5G really starts to fly, Jola almost doubled in size last year and this growth We certainly are! 2019 has been another record- will continue. The channel is buoyant and valuation breaking year for ProVu and we don’t see it slowing with more affordable data multiples are high for companies that solve real down. plans as well as greatly problems and improve productivity. WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? improved coverage. WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? IoT has been spoken about for a while, but it’s really eSIM will disrupt the mobile data market, especially gaining momentum now. Our sister company, Alliot in IoT/M2M – where resellers have customers and has done incredibly well in its first year of business. Blockchain is essentially a opportunities but have lacked a channel product to WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? digital ledger used to record compete with the networks. Microsoft’s Business ProVu has lots of advantages, but I believe our Voice will create both a threat and an opportunity main edge will continue to be the quality of service transactions but secured due for resellers. we deliver to our channel partners. As we further to its encrypted and WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? expand, it is vital we do not lose this edge. decentralized nature. Product and software development keep us ahead WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? of our competitors. Jola launches, on average, two I have too many big ideas! ProVu was built on the Continued investment is products every month, capable of being ordered principle of easing the deployment of VoIP hardware, likely to start to show real- by 600+ partners simultaneously, and aligned with and we’re dedicated to making our customers’ lives sales, marketing and support. Also, culture - the easy. The main theme for 2020 will be to further world results and could hardest thing to copy. expand these services. quickly lead to an increase in WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? ANDREW DICKINSON Don’t tell your competitors all your Big Ideas! DARREN GARLAND adoption by smaller players. JOLA PROVU
Super-fast data networks will provide stable internet ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? ARE YOU CONFIDENT ABOUT THE YEAR AHEAD? access anywhere. The Very confident. During 2019 our market share has Absolutely. Our industry is buoyant, adaptive and increased bandwidth will continued to grow, our CP customers are prospering, very resilient. I am sure they will be some turbulence and the channel is presented with enormous because of the political situation however we are enable machines, robots, and opportunities thanks to infrastructure upgrades, confident of another solid growth year. autonomous vehicles to changing consumer habits and the transition to IP WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? telephony. I really am intrigued by AI and when this becomes collect and transfer more WHAT NEW TECHNOLOGIES REALLY EXCITE YOU? more capable and affordable, this really will be data than ever, leading to Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have potential to everywhere in our homes, work, car, public transport advances in the area of change the world. For 2020, the arrival of 5G is a performing a number of tasks currently unthinkable. game changer. WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? the Internet of Things (IoT) WHAT WILL GIVE YOUR BUSINESS AN EDGE IN 2020? The continued development of our platform and and smart machinery. CPs need a billing provider with knowledge and commercial offering, our staff’s dedication to help expertise they can depend on for this vital service. our partners and how we engage with prospective Providing feature-rich software that’s backed with ones, will continue to give us the edge. Whatever happens with the robust service and support is what’s given us our WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? economy, we are now edge. A conference in Cyprus in April where new features WHAT’S YOUR ‘BIG IDEA’ FOR THE YEAR AHEAD? on our platform will be released particularly around entering the ‘era of the Our latest product, NxTier, will give CPs collaboration plus a HaaS model for our range of possible’ and forward- unprecedented control over WLR3 conversion and handsets which is unique. VINCENT DISNEUR VoIP services. We’ll also be rolling out an amazing JUSTIN BLAINE thinking channel players are UNION STREET new feature for our aBILLity software which offers NTA poised to benefit. all the features our customers know and love.
Don’t forfeit your potential to maximize margin. Join the voice revolution The future of calling is Microsoft Teams. Engage your customers before they do. Wavenet simplifies the transition to Microsoft Teams with the Call 0333 234 9911 introduction of TeamsLink. One application, one team, one solution. wavenetwholesale.com
www.comms-dealer.com COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 39 BUSINESS INSIGHTS Making the Summit
Jonathan Sharp, Sales and Marketing Director at Britannic Technologies, is a past master at putting on customer events and the company’s latest Convergence Summit again showcased the advantages of rallying clients to the Britannic flag.
n a fast-moving just minutes after his event technological world, wrap up, Sharp explained maintaining high the genesis of the Britannic touchpoints is becoming Convergence Summit and Icrucial for ICT providers how it has stayed successful who must continually and relevant for 16 years. keep customers educated, motivated and fully aware “I joined Britannic just over of all the new products 22 years ago from a business and services they can offer. which ran a big event for Newsletters, e-bulletins, BT,” he said. “What that webinars and the like are taught me was the benefit all well and good, but do of coming to market with a they offer that face-to-face differentiated offering and engagement that can be going wider than telecoms. so valuable? And can any So, I started running seminars sales leader justify to their and workshops designed financial manager hundreds around helping people of miles on the road and to communicate. Rather hotel overnighters spent by than talking about the sales teams in a bid to keep technology we focused on Jonathan Sharp ‘in touch’ with customers? business change and how enablement can be achieved Since 2003, Sharp has through new technology. You can’t underestimate the effort that goes solved this conundrum by reversing the paradigm and “We invited a lot of into the event and that it’s an investment running an annual event customers, then their for customers which brings salespeople and, over time, I said welcome to our Instead of pushing water their own customer event? them to him and his sales we created an audience. In annual Convergence Summit uphill with acronyms from “You can’t underestimate teams and hits the motivation 2004 I was at a meeting with and the rest is history.” our industry, we said let’s the effort that goes into and education buttons at our account manager at BT listen to the customers and it and the fact that it’s an the same time. It’s a good who said, ‘this is working Finger on the pulse give them what they’re after. investment,” he explained. branding and PR exercise well, but maybe we should After 16 events how does There’s a lot of tech out there “But if you get it right, you’ll too, and with suppliers look at scaling it up a bit?’ Sharp and his team keep the and our role is about how see the dividends. It’s one of funding a large element He got on the phone and summit fresh and potent? we blend that technology those projects you have got of the cost it represents a after a minute or so he “We’re never short of ideas,” together to underpin four to commit to. You’ve got to sure-fire win-win strategy. said, ‘right, six weeks from he added. “We’re close to things – solving problems, plan it out, build it and link today, could you put on an the market and do a lot of enabling improvement, it in with other activities. This year, Britannic’s 16th event at BT Tower? If you research to get a feel for supporting the change Convergence Summit was can do it and you want to what’s going to be the next forced upon people and “We also run a series of staged at Mercedes Benz do it, we’ll pay for the lot’. trend to keep customers one outlining the opportunities other seminars throughout World in Weybridge and step ahead, and ultimately for transformation and the year. And, working Sharp’s ability to field a high “Of course, I said yes. He the event determines our growth. With a £15 million with partners, we do quality line up of diverse walked out of the room direction for the coming 12 turnover we’re a strong approximately six to eight speakers combined with and then I thought, what months. It now marks the business, but we have to additional events a year. some high octane race have I done? But we got start of the next step in our be different by continually We’ve built up a following track experiences once some great presenters lined journey. This year’s theme adding value to customers.” and have developed long again gave customers the up and closed the deal. So, around workplace integration standing and strong customer best of both worlds and there I was opening our is as much about the Would Sharp encourage partnerships, so we tend ‘something different’. event at the top of the BT modernisation programmes other providers to take to see people coming back Speaking to Comms Dealer Tower and for some reason customers are undertaking. the plunge into running year after year.” n
40 COMMS DEALER JANUARY 2020 www.comms-dealer.com Telecoms and IP Engineering Solutions for Business since 1988
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FORMER BT Chief Exec’ and Salesforce Executive Chairman as sales mogul Gavin Patterson has rocked up at Purple WiFi as a Non- IT SOLUTION provider Exec Director, joining the Datto has appointed board alongside Sir Terry Justine Harris as Leahy and Bob Willett. The UK&I Sales Director. developer of Wi-Fi platforms She moves from and analytics is seeking Vodafone Business strategic advice to grow its where she was guest Wi-Fi platform, which Interim Head of enables businesses to monitor Global Sales, Cloud, guests’ movements and habits and Security. Her to provide more targeted prior experience also messaging. Patterson’s includes Regional Gavin Patterson previous roles include Vice President President of the Advertising EMEA at Akamai Association and Non-Exec Director at British Airways. Purple founder Gavin Wheeldon Technologies, and commented: “Given that Purple’s go-to-market is channel-based and a large component senior sales positions of that is through telecoms, Gavin’s expertise will be invaluable in helping us to at CA Technologies. scale up our existing relationships and attract new partners around the world.” Mark Simon, Justine Harris Managing Director for EMEA, said: “Justine’s experience in the areas of software, Also on the move... SaaS and cloud computing are a perfect fit for us.” Harris added: “The world of IT is moving fast. Small and medium- CHRIS Brown will MICHELLE Roberts is getting sized enterprises are increasingly looking for an expert leverage his 20 to grips with key functions partner to help them navigate the complex challenges of data years experience across the Exertis business protection, cyber attacks and critical business processes.” in contact centres, following her appointment CX and business as UK Head of Health BITTITAN has pulled in James Clifford as EMEA Sales Director. transformation across & Safety and Facilities He has 20 years industry experience in driving sales strategies the telecoms and Management, reporting to for tech brands including Microsoft, Salesforce and Ingram utilities industries as Operations Director Sion Micro, and his new remit is to help BitTitan build its presence Head of Technical Wineyard. “Effective facilities and meet the rising demand for cloud adoption. Chris Brown Operations at management is key to our Pragma. Tim Brooks, Managing Director, said: “Chris productivity, sustainability will bring fresh perspectives and approaches to help us and the well being of our continue our trajectory of growth.” Sales and Marketing employees,” said Wineyard. RingCentral signs up Director Will Morey added: “Chris’s experience and “Safety first is our company support will enable the successful launch of one of our philosophy and Michelle will Massey to EMEA role most exciting product roadmaps this year.” The roadmap play an instrumental role in includes a cloud update, the launch of cloud contact driving our strategy in this FORMER Fujitsu Head centre and the introduction of a new handset range. area.” of Strategy for UC and Roberts CC in EMEA Richard FORMER MLL Telecom Regional Director for Scotland Craig brings Massey has joined Scott has rocked up at Edinburgh HQ’d Commsworld as almost RingCentral as Regional Public Sector Business Development Director. He brings over 20 years VP of EMEA Channel 20 years industry experience experience tasked with growing including almost ten years working partner business. working primarily in public in senior His experience also sector sales for Updata facilities management with includes a spell as Sales Infrastructure and Boston a variety of companies in Director at BroadSoft, Networks. Commsworld different markets, most and he spent ten years founder and CEO Ricky recently at MKS Instruments. working for Mitel Richard Massey Nicol said: “Bringing Previously she worked at in engineering and someone with Craig’s ALD Automotive, Broadcom sales roles, and as an engineer for Orange. EMEA Managing insight and expertise into and STMicroelectronics. Director Sahil Rekhi said: “Richard brings the blend of the business is going to be Roberts added: “Facilities engineering and sales expertise that’s needed to understand Craig Scott valuable as we continue on management is an important both the technical and business value of our products. He the path of development in the public sector. Our area for all organisations, also has channel experience.” Zane Long, SVP of Global involvement in these contracts in recent years has particularly one that has Channel Sales, noted: “The UCaaS market opportunity is huge significantly boosted the growth of Commsworld.” grown at the pace of Exertis.” and it is still early days in terms of market penetration.”
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