Tag Archives: business

News

iKVA shortlisted for ‘Startup Tech Company of the Year’ by the National Technology Awards

iKVA, the Cambridge-based AI-enabled knowledge management software solutions company, has been shortlisted for this year’s National Technology Awards ‘Startup Tech Company of the Year’, in recognition of its pioneering data discovery technology which helps businesses to operate more efficiently.

Now in its sixth year, the National Technology Awards is the one of the most comprehensive celebrations of technology across a range of industries, and previous winners include globally recognised companies such as Blackberry, Vodafone and Virgin Atlantic. The Startup Tech Company of the Year category celebrates early-stage companies that are creating innovative new technology products or services.

iKVA was founded in 2017 out of the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory and The Alan Turing Institute, and its core intellectual property is concentrated on AI knowledge management using multi-dimensional vector mapping techniques, applicable at enterprise scale. iKVA’s technology is designed for knowledge intensive, multinational firms and is already being successfully used by Mott MacDonald and The University of Cambridge. iKVA is backed by CEL, BGF and Crowdcube.

Jon Horden, CEO of iKVA, said: “It has been a tremendously exciting year for iKVA as we continue to expand our technical team and look to launch a new round of funding, so I am thrilled that iKVA has been shortlisted for Startup Tech Company of the Year. The unique way that iKVA collates and presents knowledge means it is scalable and adaptable to bolt-on to existing infrastructure and other software platforms, and being a chosen as a finalist in the National Technology Awards clearly demonstrates the potential of iKVA’s solutions for businesses.”

The award winners will be announced at a ceremony in May.

News

Taking.Care becomes the first national technology enabled care provider to complete testing on its personal alarms ahead of major digital switchover

The UK’s largest private personal alarm brand Taking.Care has become the country’s first telecare provider to complete full testing of its product range before the planned switchover from analogue to digital telephone networks by 2025.

Taking.Care has worked with Openreach to carry out rigorous stress tests of its personal care alarm range, which provide life-saving services for elderly and vulnerable people, to ensure they are compatible with the new all-digital telephone network.

The digital switch brings about major changes to the telecare industry. Traditionally reliant on analogue telephone landlines, the switchover means all new houses are set to be built with a digital-only connection from 2023. And, with change coming, many households have already upgraded, for faster networks and connectivity.

Delivered in a controlled laboratory environment, the alarm testing has been carried out on the UK’s leading telephone providers to ensure maximum longevity of Taking.Care’s telecare equipment following the switchover.

In preparation for the switch, families and older people are being urged to check the compatibility of their personal alarm with their current telecare provider and phone network once they are informed of a digital upgrade to their home phone. The worry is they could be left at risk if their personal alarm is not able to connect digitally to get help in an emergency, according to Steve Gates, Managing Director at Taking.Care.

He said: “As a company, we’ve been preparing for the transition to the digital network for some time now and Taking.Care is the first service provider to have completed this for a range of personal alarms well ahead of the switchover.

“The process has been a massive collaborative effort. And, it’s involved working closely with Openreach, telecoms providers, Ofcom, alarm manufacturers, and the Technology Services Association (the industry body for technology enabled care), to understand the impact of the digital telephone network on this life-saving service.

“It’s been really important to us to proactively respond to the potential impact the digital switchover will have on our customers. We want to provide our customers with the peace of mind that we can supply a range of products that will mitigate the impact of the digital switchover and safeguard them by instantly connecting them to professional help in an emergency.”

John Livermore, ALL IP Industry Engagement Manager at Openreach commented:

“Openreach were very pleased to host the Taking.Care team in the Digital Services Test Lab, located at our head office in London. We urge all Telecare Vendors to follow a similar path in testing their existing and planned portfolio in an All IP environment, to ensure that their customers are guided through a smooth transition to IP and that no one loses their connectivity through the migration process.”

Vulnerable customers will need to register with their telephone provider to request battery backup for their telecare equipment to ensure consistent connectivity in the event of a power outage.

In light of the digital switchover, Taking.Care has released a series of guides for consumers on how this may impact them.

Visit the Taking.Care advice hub for more information on how the digital telephone switchover affects personal alarms.

IT Services, News

A third of employers did not implement technology when adjusting to ‘new normal’, says TDM Group

New research from Managed Business IT Services provider (M-BiTS) TDM Group shows that 29% of businesses with a turnover of more than £500 million felt their employees had the right tools to navigate the pandemic, while only 20% of businesses with a turnover of between £10 million – £49.99 million felt the same.

The study was conducted across 152 C-level executives and 155 employees from UK-based companies with 250-500 employees in late 2021.

Tarek Meliti, CEO of TDM Group commented: “The startling aspect of these findings is the number of businesses within these brackets that don’t believe their employees had the right tools to navigate the pandemic. Unsurprisingly, it appears that businesses with a higher turnover were better placed to provide the necessary resources.

Business leaders from organisations of all sizes must learn from their experiences during this challenging and unprecedented period. This should be viewed as an opportunity for them to empower employees with new technology that they’re willing to embrace and will help the business achieve its goals. Rather than wasting time and money by implementing new technology for the sake of it.”

Meliti added: “Business leaders must also ensure the organisation’s mindset in adopting new technology through pandemic-fuelled necessity is harnessed to foster a culture that embraces innovation and drives future growth”.

This white paper highlights the barriers businesses have faced – and continue to face – when implementing technology amid change, both from the perspective of business leaders and employees. The research will help you understand everything from current attitudes towards digital transformation to the required staff training – all of which impacts the bottom line.

Data & Analytics, News

Response to Sungard’s News: Keep Your Data Close

Written by Peter Ruffley, CEO, Zizo

Following the news that the UK arm of Sungard Availability Services has gone into administration, this is an unfortunate wake up call for businesses who have an overreliance on data centres or the cloud, to ensure its data is available across multiple platforms. 

Businesses are starting to realise that a 100% reliance on cloud infrastructure is not the best approach to storing data, particularly when dealing with critical data points and critical information to the business. Instead, the industry has started to see movement towards on-premise solutions, specifically for mission critical systems. Instead with tremendous improvements in processing power and capability with on-premise and edge devices, having a balanced portfolio of data storage is key.

Firstly, it is vital that businesses ensure they have good data practice. The fundamental principles of this are both understanding the data and knowing where it is. For data success, organisations need to ensure that they have a grip on this – moving away from ‘shadow IT’ where the location of the data is unknown. 

One of the benefits of the cloud is the low cost storage of masses of data, and the relatively secure environment it offers. But just because you can store masses of data, it doesn’t mean you should. With the advances in edge computing, organisations can aggregate data so that they only store what they need to, precisely where it needs to be. Therefore, reliance on the cloud can be reduced, and control can be given to the business to deliver the data it needs. 

However, it doesn’t have to be a one-size-fits-all-solution. It’s fine to have backups and non-mission critical systems down at the edge or in a data centre, for example. But what happens if there is a comms outage? Or what happens if, similar to Sungard, your data centres become potentially compromised, either through a security breach or commercial issue? Reliance on one out-sourcing model is not the best approach to take – especially when across the globe, businesses have witnessed two years of uncertainty, and are still unsure of what is around the corner. 

Businesses of all sizes need to be more cautious and undertake careful planning to ensure that data doesn’t reside in just one place, but instead across multiple locations. Many may think this will complicate matters, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Instead, it is crucial that businesses, regardless of where its data is located, can access and analyse information without the need to change its location. 

There are opportunities to manage data in a much simpler, better way. For example, data federation, which is a software process that allows multiple databases to function as one. Just because data is stored in different places, doesn’t mean that it can’t be both accessible and queryable. Traditionally, data was categorised as ‘primary’, ‘secondary’ and ‘tertiary;’ at primary level, the data was accessible straight away, at a secondary level, the data was still accessible, but with limitations in place, whereas at a tertiary level, it involved multiple hurdles to gain access to the data. 

This tiering process needs to happen again – quickly. The best approach businesses can take, particularly following the Sungard news, is to keep the data that is important to them, close to them. In turn, the data that is ‘less important’ can be stored in the cloud, at the edge, or rather, utilise a hybrid approach – where the data is still available, but with the ability to query it if necessary.

News

Welsh firms go green with training at ACT

Welsh business leaders can soon complete a tailor-made qualification in environmental management, to help make the nation greener.

The COP26 climate-change summit showed that businesses worldwide have a huge part to play in working together to protect our planet.

With this in mind, South-Wales training-provider ACT has designed a bespoke qualification with a focus on environmental management, to help combat the urgent environmental threats facing the Earth. The Welsh Government has also set ambitious green targets for firms.

The Higher Apprenticeship in Management with a focus on Environmental Management is aimed at business leaders across Wales, who are taking on the growing number of environmental and sustainability positions at firms. It coincides with the Welsh Government’s new pledge to make Wales a Net Zero Nation by 2050.

“This training will provide staff in the Welsh business community with the tools to take action against climate change, like never before,” said Kelly Harry, ACT’s Management & Business Services Route Manager. “We’re trying to combat the environmental threats facing Wales.”

Those who enrol on the course will understand how to monitor and manage the impact of their company on the environment. They will also learn the importance of carrying out environmental audits on firms, before drafting plans for environmental sustainability. Other modules will examine how these changes are introduced.

ACT offers a diverse range of qualifications, across more than 30 industries. It also has seven training centres throughout South Wales, including Cardiff, Caerphilly, Barry Pontypool, Ebbw Vale and more.

For more on the course, visit www.acttraining.org.uk/apprenticeship-employers/environment-management

News

Business space project launched in rural Wales ahead of national roll-out

AN innovative new scheme delivering affordable office space and free business support to home workers and start-up companies in rural areas has been launched.

Led by Antur Cymru Enterprise, the DeskSpace initiative is being piloted at Antur Teifi Business Park in Newcastle Emlyn, providing a platform for post-pandemic recovery and a well-timed boost for the economy in north Carmarthenshire.

The long-term vision is to roll the concept out across small towns and villages in Wales, helping entrepreneurs who launched a venture during the pandemic – or those who want to move from the kitchen table or spare room to a high-quality office space – the chance to do so in a warm, welcoming environment.

Those signing-up will have access to a free parking, IT support, fast and secure internet, photocopier and scanning services, coffee and tea-making facilities, and guidance from Business Wales representatives on site.

Desks are available for as little as £10 per day and ‘Go Workstations’ are also an option.

Bronwen Raine, Managing Director of Antur Cymru, says this is a great opportunity to help grow small and start-up firms with the knowledge that experts and mentors will be on hand to provide pivotal guidance and advice should they need it.

“Importantly, this is more than just a ‘space’ for them to develop, it’s the perfect setting to test their ideas, network, collaborate and grow their business in a safe and sustainable way,” said Bronwen.

“We will be trialling it in Newcastle Emlyn and then other rural areas where the major issues are around broadband provision and slow internet speeds, travel time, fuel costs and administrative services unavailable in more hard-to-reach towns and villages.

“There are so many innovative and exciting new start-ups and entrepreneurs in this region who just need a foundation to build on, so hopefully DeskSpace can provide that and resolve some of these problems.”

A report released by Aberystwyth University last year found the Covid-19 pandemic had further exposed the divide between rural and urban areas of Wales, notably inequalities in broadband speeds, unemployment and healthcare and housing.

“Antur Cymru Enterprise is working hard to remove these barriers and provide solutions that will help to boost the rural economy and turn the green shoots of recovery into sustainable growth,” added Bronwen.

“By targeting small businesses, we can make a positive impact in our communities and hopefully give them the confidence to move forward with our support.

“DeskSpace is just one of the projects we are unveiling in 2022; the growth of industry in rural locations is paramount as we bounce back from the challenges of the Coronavirus, and we are focused on delivering further projects like this in the months and years ahead.”

For further information and to speak to the team at Antur Cymru Enterprise, call 01239 710238 or email info@anturcymru.org.uk.

Alternatively, visit the website: www.anturcymru.org.uk/flexible-space/deskspace

News

Recruitment Firm Release Latest Candidate Survey Results

The Hales Group candidate survey collates valuable insights into both the industrial & commercial employment sectors

Regional recruitment firm Hales Group have recently released the results of their latest candidate survey, where over 300 commercial and industrial candidates have been invited to share their experiences and insights into the recruitment market.

The job market has expanded significantly as the lockdown eased. For example, in one just month in 2021 over 640,000 new jobs ads went live.

However, the survey tells us that candidates are still unsure about moving to new pastures due to fears around COVID, the cost of living, and a multitude of other factors, which means there are now more roles than candidates.

Highlights from the commercial candidate survey include:

  • 96% of candidates said they would research a company on social media before an interview, compared to just 66% in 2021.
  • 44% of candidates were looking for a new job prospect for improved progression opportunities, whereas 30% were looking for increased salaries.
  • 58% said they would be put off applying for a role that didn’t advertise a salary.
  • When asked what their preferred interview method was, 55% said they had no preference either way.

See the Complete Commercial Candidate Results >

Highlights from the industrial candidate survey include:

  • When asked why they were looking for a new role, 15% said they were looking to be closer to home, while 10% said they felt underappreciated in their current role.
  • When asked if they’d consider staying in their current role upon a counteroffer, 69% said they wouldn’t not entertain the idea.
  • When asked what their ideal perks package would contain, 71% said additional annual leave, which remains consistent with 74% in 2021.

See the Complete Industrial Candidate Results >

Kirsty Walpole, the Managing Director of Employment Services at Hales Group, has this to say “One of the biggest challenges in the labour market at the moment is staff retention. The rising cost of living and the tight labour market which has caused significant inflation in starting salaries for both temporary and permanent employees.”

“Surveys like this give us a real insight into the job market as a whole, and how candidates and employers are navigating these evolutions and challenges.”

Visit the Hales Hub to view all our previous candidate and client surveys plus more!

Cleaning & Facilities Management, News

The Big Bamboo Agency Cleans Up With Julius Rutherfoord & Co

Leading London-based commercial cleaning company Julius Rutherfoord & Co has appointed Northern-based, The Big Bamboo Agency, to support with bid & proposal work and email marketing communications campaigns on a retained basis.

The full-service agency will help JR&Co develop the content and design of its bid documents to an industry-leading standard, working within the APMP accredited framework. In an increasingly competitive world, bids need to stand out from the crowd – not just in terms of how they look, but also what they say.

In addition, the agency will provide email marketing communications support, running a series of planned campaigns on a variety of topics, helping JR&Co to stay at the front of their customer’s minds.

Julius Rutherfoord & Co was founded in 1994. It provides commercial cleaning services to a wide range of organisations, including Cushman & Wakefield, MADE.com and City, University of London.

Launched in 2018, The Big Bamboo Agency boasts a team of 18 strategists, bid specialists, content writers, PR experts and designers. From its base in Yorkshire, the agency supports clients across the UK and internationally.

Big Bamboo’s Founding Director, Nicola Stamford said: “With a strong background in the facilities management industry, our team is well positioned to support JR&Co in achieving its future vision. We are delighted to be supporting them on their journey and we look forward to our relationship developing over time.”

JR&Co’s Sales and Marketing Director, Nick Rastelli commented: “The Big Bamboo team has the expertise we were hoping to find in a partner agency. As our business grows, bringing on an agency will help us advance our approach in an ever-changing and increasingly competitive environment.

“They have a great deal of expertise in bidding and winning in our field. We look forward to seeing how they can add value to our business, and from what I have already seen – I am sure that value will be great.”

Further information about The Big Bamboo Agency is available from its website, https://www.thebigbambooagency.co.uk

 

News

NormCyber appoints Sean Tilley as Sales Director

Enterprise sales leader joins UK MSSP to drive next phase of growth

NormCyber, the managed security service provider for mid-sized organisations, has announced the appointment of Sean Tilley as its new Sales Director as it looks to scale business operations in the UK.

Tilley brings decades of experience in managed IT sales, having established a strong track record of helping mid-market and enterprise companies become resilient in the event of operational disruption. He joins norm. at a time of sustained growth and innovation, and will play an instrumental role in driving business for smartbloc., norm.’s fully-managed service, launched this January, which offers customers complete visibility and control over both cyber security and data protection risks.

Prior to joining norm., Tilley was VP of Sales EMEA at Sungard Availability Services, where he began his 22-year tenure as a telemarketing executive and school-leaver, and through exceptional leadership and dedication, rose through the ranks of SME sales manager, enterprise sales director and finally, regional vice president. During this time, he received a number of prestigious Sales Leadership Awards and Honours for his outstanding work.

“Sean has spent his entire career ensuring that mid-market and enterprise companies can continue to function in the face of ever-present threats and risks, through his ability to provide consistently pragmatic and cost-effective solutions for them,” said Pete Bowers, COO at norm. “His passion, talent and determination will be at home with our hard-working teams, and will no doubt further advance our position as a leading provider of customer-friendly cyber security and data protection services.”

“Norm. fills a vital gap in the mid-market, where businesses already have enterprise-grade cyber security needs but lack in-house resources to monitor and manage threats day-to-day,” said Tilley. “I am excited to join norm.’s mission and help businesses, which form the backbone of the UK economy, stay cyber-secure, compliant and profitable.”

Appointments, News

Globalization Partners appoints new Chief Product and Strategy Officer

Visionary Product Leader Joins G-P to Drive Innovation and Product Strategy  to Meet and Exceed Customer Demand 

Globalization Partners, the leading Global Employment Platform™ that simplifies remote team building by making it fast and easy for companies to hire anyone, anywhere, within minutes, today announced the appointment of Nat (Rajesh) Natarajan as its new Chief Product and Strategy Officer.

As a key member of the leadership team, Natarajan will report to Globalization Partners’ President, Bob Cahill, driving G-P’s innovation strategy, product vision, and roadmap and will play an essential role as G-P continues to build innovative world-class products to meet rapidly growing customer demand.

A highly accomplished, operational growth executive, Natarajan has over 27 years of experience leading global technology and engineering organisations. With a strong focus on customer experience, Natarajan most recently served as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Product and Technology at RingCentral, where he led a global team of over 3,500 people, guided innovation for remote work and set the product strategy for the future of the company.

“The appointment of Nat underlines our commitment to innovation and technology that enables the global remote workforce of the future,” said Bob Cahill, President, Globalization Partners. “He is an innovator and strategist and under his leadership, our global employment cloud-based software platform will continue to lead the market, and enable us to meet the ever-evolving needs of customers around the world.”

Prior to RingCentral, Natarajan led the product and engineering organisation at Ancestry as Chief Product and Technology Officer. With a global team of over 1,000 people, he helped transform their product portfolio and business. He previously pioneered mobile-first experiences as Senior Vice President and Chief Product and Technology Officer at TurboTax and Vice President of Platform Engineering and Operations at PayPal. He was also one of the early members on the team that founded Travelocity.com.

“I have followed the success of Globalization Partners in recent years and have been hugely impressed by their transformational impact on business worldwide,” said Nat Natarajan, Chief Product and Strategy Officer, Globalization Partners. “I am delighted to be joining a company that combines a focus on innovation with a strong and supportive culture. There is tremendous potential to build on what’s already been accomplished, and I look forward to leading our growing team.”

Globalization Partners’ Global Employment Platform provides unmatched technology and support that enables customers to hire talent anywhere they find it, quickly, securely, and easily. As the world’s largest and most established fully compliant employment platform, G-P has seen surging demand for its solution, with approximately $1 billion in Annual Recurring Revenue.