Tag Archives: telecommunications

Acquisitions & Partnerships, Business, Tech

ADECS-Maple enters into a strategic partnership with Bulb Tech

Two communications companies have entered into strategic partnership as they eye UK-wide growth.

ADECS-Maple, an IT support specialist based in Coventry, has formed a strategic partnership with Bulb Tech Group, a voice communications specialist based in South Wales, aimed at accelerating growth and delivering more comprehensive, integrated solutions that better serve the evolving needs of their customers.

The partnership gives Bulb Tech access to expertise in IT support and cloud computing. ADECS-Maple gains access to specialist voice communications services and Bulb Tech’s wider infrastructure and global client reach.

Garath Williams, chief executive of Bulb Tech, will join the board of ADECS-Maple to help foster a close working relationship between both businesses in addition to helping specifically drive ADECS’s sales strategy. He will work closely with Amrik Bhabra, the chief executive and founder of ADECS-Maple, who will remain closely involved in the business whilst taking on an additional objective to build new strategic alliances with distributors and customers.

ADECS-Maple was founded in 1992 in the University of Warwick Science Park initially specialised in selling IBM hardware and Microsoft and Sage software to clients in the Midlands. The company later acquired Maple, which gave it a foothold in web-design. Amrik’s leadership positioned ADECS-Maple into the comprehensive IT Managed Services specialist it is today.

Bulb Tech has enjoyed rapid growth in the past 12 months, since CEO Williams joined as a co-founder, bringing his 30+ years plus of industry expertise to establish close product partnerships to serve Bulb’s customers.

The strategic partnership will focus on delivering five pillars of product and customer excellence: cloud computing, cyber security, connectivity (phones and internet), collaboration (virtual meeting spaces and solutions) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions.

Williams said: “This really is a fantastic opportunity for both businesses. We have complementary offerings, and the nature of the partnership will foster a truly close working relationship that will benefit both sets of customers. We already had an excellent working relationship with Amrik, and this builds on what we believe will be very exciting journey.”

Amrik Bhabra added: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a company over more than 30 years. We have some incredibly loyal clients and an amazing set of employees. But it is the right time to consider the future. For our customers, this is business as usual, enhanced. The partnership with Bulb Tech will allow us to move to another level in terms of our customer offerings and services level, benefiting all our stakeholders long term.”

Appointments, News, Technology

VertiGIS Welcomes Robyn George as Senior Telecommunications Consultant

Expanding Leadership and Innovation in the Global Telecommunications Sector

 

Victoria, BC. 4th December 2024 – VertiGIS is proud to announce the appointment of Robyn George as Senior Telecommunications Consultant. Robyn joins VertiGIS with an exceptional track record, bringing 24 years of experience from Ericsson, where she played a pivotal role in advancing telecommunications technology and implementation strategies.

 

At Ericsson, Robyn distinguished herself as the leader of the Ericsson Network Engineer (ENE) software platform services and integration team. As the foremost Technical Subject Matter Expert for the ENE platform, she orchestrated complex global deployments, collaborated closely with sales and product management teams, and drove strategic initiatives that established Ericsson as an industry leader. Her collaboration with Tier 1 and Tier 2 global Telecom Operators, ESRI, and other telecom industry partners highlights her remarkable influence and technical expertise.

 

Robyn expressed her excitement about joining VertiGIS, stating, “I wanted to join a company with a strong vision and software platform with a well-defined and funded roadmap that I was comfortable recommending to my many global customers with whom I have partnered with for decades. I felt a sense of responsibility for them and was looking for a solution that could replace Ericsson Network Engineer as it entered its twilight years. When I was introduced to VertiGIS and its ConnectMaster platform, I immediately saw how the company and product would be a great fit, how the data models align, and how the product would bring both existing and new capabilities to customers. As Network Engineer moves towards its end-of-life stage, everyone needs a sense of confidence that they will be able to transition to a new platform successfully, with as little friction as possible, and without losing critical capabilities. I believe that ConnectMaster will be the right path forward for them.”

 

At VertiGIS, Robyn will be instrumental in driving growth and innovation through targeted initiatives. She will support global sales teams to secure new telecommunications and utilities clients, while also working closely with the R&D team to refine and advance the VertiGIS ConnectMaster platform. Her leadership will enhance migration strategies, ensuring clients transition seamlessly from legacy solutions.

 

“We are confident that Robyn’s extensive experience, technical expertise and deeply rooted customer relationships forged over so many years will deliver significant value,” said Buddie Ceronie, who leads the Telecoms Business Unit within the VertiGIS group. “Her leadership will strengthen our capabilities, foster innovation, and drive new business opportunities as we continue to expand our global footprint.”

 

Based in New Jersey, Robyn’s appointment marks a key milestone in VertiGIS’s growth strategy as the company continues to position itself as a leader in the evolving telecommunications and utilities sectors. With her expertise and vision, Robyn will play a vital role in shaping a more innovative and connected future for VertiGIS and its clients worldwide whilst offering the customers she has served so diligently over the last two decades the best migration strategy from their current platforms.

 

About VertiGIS

VertiGIS is a leading asset management and geographic information systems (GIS) solution provider and software developer. Their focus is on the development of software solutions and services that enable professionals in the utilities, government, telecommunications, and infrastructure market segments to connect their business processes with spatial management technology. Used by more than 5,000 customers and millions of end users around the world, VertiGIS’ product portfolio is designed to enhance the capabilities of leading GIS software, especially Esri’s ArcGIS®. For more information visit www.vertigis.com.

 

Charity & CSR, News

Rubix VT supports charity Together Co with telecoms and volunteers

Lonely and socially isolated people will now be better connected, thanks to Rubix VT, a leading independent telecoms provider based in Brighton. The business stepped up to help beat social isolation by extending a helping hand to Brighton and Hove loneliness charity Together Co with telecoms and volunteers.

With a passion for helping others, Rubix VT has allocated free telecoms services to 20 users at Together Co, a contribution valued at £10,500. This initiative will significantly bolster the charity’s befriending and social prescribing services, which offer crucial advice and support to people facing loneliness and social isolation.

Team members from Rubix VT have also volunteered to become Telephone Befriending Volunteers for people supported by Together Co. After undergoing comprehensive training, five employees are now poised to provide regular companionship and support through weekly phone calls to those in need.

Nick Poyner, managing director of Rubix VT, said: “Rubix VT’s telecoms services align perfectly with Together Co’s mission to ‘create connections’ and combat loneliness, so we’re especially proud to play a part. “It means a lot to our team to have an opportunity to volunteer and collaborate with Together Co and help people who are struggling. “Helping people and giving back is a core part of Rubix VT and it’s wonderful to know that thanks to our team, we will be brightening up someone’s day.”

Emily Daniel, head of insight and involvement at Together Co, said: “The smooth changeover allowed us to continue connecting with people using Together Co’s services, which was particularly important as many of the people we support do not have access to the internet or email. “Rubix VT are genuinely passionate about our mission as a charity, and their dedication is reflected in their proactive efforts to ensure our telecommunications solutions are perfectly aligned with our needs. “What’s also been lovely is that many of their staff have signed up to be involved with Together Co as volunteers. We can’t thank them enough for their support.”

Together Co received a new telecoms system tailored to its specific needs and integrated with existing systems, which have already helped to speed up internal processes and made the charity operate more efficiently. Rubix VT also provided the charity with training and ongoing support to ensure staff could use the new system easily, minimising disruption during the transition period.

For more information please visit: https://www.rubixvt.com/

News

Dufrain secures investment from Phoenix Equity Partners

Dufrain, the market-leading data management services and data analytics consultancy, today announces that it has secured investment from Phoenix Equity Partners (“Phoenix”), a UK growth-focused private equity firm, to fuel the next stage of its growth as part of a management buyout.

Founded in 2010, Dufrain helps its financial services and banking clients discover, manage and optimise their data to gain valuable insights and make better informed business decisions. The business employs more than 170 data experts, providing a comprehensive set of data management solutions from its offices in Edinburgh, Manchester and London. Dufrain’s strategic approach and reputation for service excellence has seen it become a trusted partner to clients of all sizes across the banking and insurance sectors, among others.

Dufrain has delivered year-on-year revenue growth of 40% over the past two years. Phoenix’s investment will allow the business to continue this growth trajectory by expanding its footprint across multiple geographies and sectors as well as investing in its inhouse technology solutions.

 

Joseph George, CEO of Dufrain, commented:

“Every organisation faces challenges in terms of extracting value from the data they have or could have available. This management buyout will enable the leadership team to continue to build and invest in the business as we pursue our ambitious growth plans. We look forward to drawing on Phoenix’s expertise to help us achieve our plans over the coming months and years.”

 

Chris Neale, Partner at Phoenix, said:

“The data services market is large, global and growing quickly. Dufrain is perfectly placed to capitalise on this as the leading independent data solutions provider in the UK. Over the years that we have been following Dufrain we have been impressed by its fantastic culture, strong client relationships and first-class quality of work. We are very excited to have the opportunity to partner with Joseph and the team to help achieve our shared vision.”

News

SMS Marketing in 2022: Over Half of Consumers Read All Text Messages on Their Phone

SMS marketing is set to become a major necessity for businesses as more than half of Brits have no unread messages on their phone at any given time, according to new research from telecommunications provider, TextAnywhere.

The survey questioned 1,000 consumers about their messaging habits to give an insight into their mobile phone activity. The findings reveal that over half (60%) of respondents have to open a message once it’s been received, and just over a quarter (28%) have a mere 1-5 messages marked as unread.

It’s predicted that users send more than 6 million texts over the course of their lifetime, and so SMS will be a key marketing tool for ecommerce businesses in the future. With this in mind, Laura Brown, Marketing Manager at TextAnywhere has outlined five tips for introducing SMS marketing to your business this year.

 

Five tips for introducing SMS marketing to your business this year

 

  • Customise your sender ID

Although over 75% of recipients reported they open all text messages, this figure does increase when individuals are aware of who the sender is. This makes it clear just how important the sender ID is when businesses are contacting their customer base.

For SMS communications to be as effective as possible, it’s vital for businesses to appropriately tailor the sender ID of their messages, to something their audience will recognise, ensuring the message is opened once delivered. 

 

  • Try a shift to SMS across multiple customer demographics

Given that many businesses often opt to communicate with older customers via channels such as voice and direct mail, both of which are often associated with higher costs and time delays, we’d recommend businesses reevaluate the channel preferences of their audiences – there may be some surprising changes. 

Evidence shows that the older demographic in the UK are becoming increasingly tech savvy. 80% of individuals aged 55-64 reported they personally use a smartphone and during the first national lockdown, over-65s were shopping online twice as much when compared to 2019. 

 

  • Attracting the savvy shoppers

Consumers may be tightening their purse strings after Christmas, but everyone loves a bargain! January is the perfect excuse to offer some tempting discounts. Help spur up demand for your business by sending a quick text message with an exclusive promotion and a link through to your website. Gain the advantage of a 36% click-through rate on links sent via SMS and encourage online purchases.

 

  • Choose a good time

Make sure you are sending your messages at an appropriate time. Receiving your message at 4 o’clock in the morning isn’t going to impress customers if you disturb them from their sleep and is unlikely to have as much impact if they read it when they’ve just woken up. Aim to coincide with the time that most shops are open for business so that your message is then fresh in the mind of your customers. And if your brand is multinational, remember to schedule your message at different times to coincide appropriately with different time zones.

 

  • Finally, check before you send

Before you schedule your messages, double check that you have included all the necessary information. There’s no point prompting clients to make the most of your offer if you haven’t included a voucher code, for instance. It’s also vital to check spelling and grammar as the smallest mistakes can instantly be unappealing to the recipient.

 

Laura Brown, Marketing Manager at TextAnywhere, comments: 

“People are finding it increasingly difficult to put their phones down, and as a result, our screen time is only going up! The pandemic has played a key part in this too, as we are even more dependent on our phones to stay connected with friends and family. Texting has given us the means to maintain our relationships when covid-19 has physically kept us apart.”

“For businesses, this rapid user engagement has opened up a whole world of opportunities. Tapping into SMS enables brands to speak directly to their customers in a space that they heavily occupy. Not only is texting fast, efficient and cost-effective for businesses, but it’s also an extremely personal way for companies to engage with their audience and open up a two-way conversation. SMS will continue to evolve but it’s important that companies start to catch on to its success, and find ways to implement it into their marketing activities.”

For a look at the full research, see here.