Group News
Ipitomi awarded highly commended in itspa 2009 awards |
Uk, 17th December 2009 |
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Accreditation endorses ipitomi’s hosted telephony SERVICES FOR THE ENTERPRISE
Ipitomi, ICT service provider, and sister company to Evolution Voice & Data, today announced it has been awarded highly commended in the Best Business Internet Technology Services Providers’ (Large Enterprise) category, in the UK’s industry body for Internet Telephony Services Providers’ Association (ITSPA) 2009 Awards. This is the first time Ipitomi has received this accreditation, which recognises the company’s expertise in designing, delivering and maintaining managed VoIP services for the large enterprise business user. Ipitomi was chosen by ITSPA for its flexible and on-demand hosted telephony solutions and IT infrastructure. The Ipitomi solution provides its customers with excellent and consistent service delivery, as well as feature-rich functionality which includes previous call lists; company directories; integrated and converged voicemail; unified messaging; extension mobility, and call recording. Philip Gunstone, Product Manager at Ipitomi says; “Receiving this accreditation from a well-known industry body is a true endorsement of our success within the enterprise market. It highlights our experience in continually delivering enterprise-class hosted IT and telecoms services and solutions that reduce total cost of ownership and increase productivity at our customer’s organisations. “Looking ahead to 2010, we will continue to invest in best-of-breed telephony technologies in order to provide our customers with increased business agility, and reliable, scalable IT infrastructures to cope with today’s changing business demands.” About Ipitomi, www.ipitomi.com Ipitomi provides technology and telecoms services and solutions to businesses ranging from SMEs to large multinationals, as well as specialist solutions for business centres and business parks including the companies based within them. Ipitomi is part of a group of companies that include sister companies Pasporte, EVD and Telinet. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK, SME marketplace. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, has more than 40 years' experience in servicing 2500 customers across all industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. |
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Pasporte awarded orange business services partner of the year for fifth consecutive year |
Uk, 15th December 2009 |
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Award endorses sucessful collaboration and highlights mid-market opportunity
Pasporte, the UK’s leading provider of managed ICT outsourcing to the mid-market, and sister company to Evolution Voice & Data, today announced it has been named Orange Business Services UK Partner of the Year 2009. This is the fifth consecutive year Pasporte has been awarded the coveted title, which recognises Pasporte’s expertise in the design and deployment of managed communications services to the mid-market, in collaboration with Orange Business Services. Chosen for its outstanding contribution as a UK partner throughout 2009, Pasporte has helped facilitate Orange Business Services’ growth into the mid-market, successfully securing a wealth of new customers and delivering outstanding revenue streams. In particular Pasporte has supported Orange Business Services’ ongoing expansion into vertical sectors such as hospitality and leisure. Andrew McFadzen, UK & Ireland Country Manager at Orange Business Services, comments, “Pasporte’s dependability in the mid-market continues to help us grow. Their skills and technical expertise within the mid-market ensures our customers receive the highest levels of service.” Pasporte and Orange Business Service have been partners for over 10 years and this accreditation highlights how collaboration between both organisations can deliver bespoke, best-of-breed service excellence to the mid-market, enabling customers to achieve business agility and to increase profit margins through intelligent IT solutions. Gary Woodward, Managing Director of Pasporte, concludes; “Winning this award for the fifth consecutive year is a true endorsement of our successful collaboration with Orange Business Services, and the quality of service the partnership brings to our customers. Looking ahead to 2010, we will continue to invest and deliver the assets and IT infrastructure required to support our customers’ business requirements.” About Pasporte, www.pasporte.com Pasporte is the UK’s leading provider of ICT outsourcing, bringing on-demand IT expertise, experience and economies of scale to mid-market organisations. Delivering on its promises, Pasporte forges strong and personal client relationships based on honesty and trust to guarantee tailored solutions that will meet business goals. Its services and solutions offer a blend of Managed Applications, Managed Hosting and Managed Networks. Pasporte is part of a group of companies that include sister companies EVD, Telinet and Ipitomi. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK, SME marketplace. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, has more than 40 years' experience in servicing 2500 customers across all industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. About Orange, www.orange-business.com Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 126 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates. At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (38.1 billion euros for the first nine months of 2009) and at Sept. 30, 2009, the Group had a customer base of 190 million customers in 32 countries. These include 128.8 million mobile customers and 13.4 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers worldwide. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number two provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunications services to multinational companies. The Group's strategy, which is characterised by a strong focus on innovation, convergence and effective cost management, aims to establish Orange as an integrated operator and benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. Today the Group remains focused on its core activities as a network operator, while working to develop its position in new growth activities. To meet customer expectations, the Group strives to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly, while maintaining a sustainable and responsible business model that can be adapted to the requirements of a fast-paced and changing eco-system. France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom. |
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Pasporte launches 4th data centre to fulfil 50% increase in demand for hosted services |
Uk, 9th December 2009 |
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Growth reflects change in attitudes; Awards £1m infrastructure contract to orange business services
Pasporte, the UK’s leading provider of managed ICT outsourcing to the mid-market, and sister company to Evolution Voice & Data, today launches its fourth UK data centre following a 50% increase in hosted network and application services contracts this year. Pasporte, which also provides services to IBM and Orange Business Services’ mid-market customers, says this increase comes in response to its continued business success and a growing demand for outsourced ICT services. Steve Bedford, CTO of Pasporte, explains; “2009 has seen a shift in attitudes toward hosted and cloud-based services. The recession has encouraged organisations to adopt OPEX-based ICT strategies, and those that would have normally dismissed hosted services have discovered that the reality and experience is far superior. “With longer-term issues such as space, power and regulatory pressures on the horizon, these same businesses now regard hosted services as a more flexible method of procuring and using ICT to overcome these challenges. “The ability to offset the complexity and capital cost of managing and upgrading network or operational IT services via a trusted third-party, for example, and tick the compliance box in doing so, is extremely compelling for many businesses.” Located outside of the M25, Pasporte’s latest data centre will also be the company’s primary facility and is built to the highest specification featuring N+1 resilience and multi-operator connectivity. Additionally, the site will be used to bolster existing services such as disaster recovery, replication and 24/7/365 monitoring and management. Andrew McFadzen, UK and Ireland Country Manager at Orange Business Services, said: “The ubiquity of high-speed networks and advances in optimisation technologies means dedicated hosted services are often the better option for assured connectivity at a manageable cost. This is especially important for businesses that are converging fixed and mobile applications, and want a consistently high quality of service.” McFadzen adds; “Pasporte has spent over ten years fine-tuning its portfolio, and offers the most mature and innovative fixed and mobile services and applications in the UK market. As our longest serving partner, we have confidence that they can successfully deliver our customer’s business critical infrastructure.” About Pasporte, www.pasporte.com Pasporte is the UK’s leading provider of ICT outsourcing, bringing on-demand IT expertise, experience and economies of scale to mid-market organisations. Delivering on its promises, Pasporte forges strong and personal client relationships based on honesty and trust to guarantee tailored solutions that will meet business goals. Its services and solutions offer a blend of Managed Applications, Managed Hosting and Managed Networks. Pasporte is part of a group of companies that include sister companies Telinet, EVD and Ipitomi. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK.. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, is servicing 7000 customers across all marketplaces and industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. About Orange, www.orange-business.comwww.orange-business.com Orange is the key brand of France Telecom, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators. With 126 million customers, the Orange brand now covers Internet, television and mobile services in the majority of countries where the Group operates. At the end of 2008, France Telecom had consolidated sales of 53.5 billion euros (38.1 billion euros for the first nine months of 2009) and at Sept. 30, 2009, the Group had a customer base of 190 million customers in 32 countries. These include 128.8 million mobile customers and 13.4 million broadband Internet (ADSL) customers worldwide. Orange is the number three mobile operator and the number two provider of broadband Internet services in Europe and, under the brand Orange Business Services, is one of the world leaders in providing telecommunications services to multinational companies. The Group's strategy, which is characterised by a strong focus on innovation, convergence and effective cost management, aims to establish Orange as an integrated operator and benchmark for new telecommunications services in Europe. Today the Group remains focused on its core activities as a network operator, while working to develop its position in new growth activities. To meet customer expectations, the Group strives to provide products and services that are simple and user-friendly, while maintaining a sustainable and responsible business model that can be adapted to the requirements of a fast-paced and changing eco-system. France Telecom (NYSE:FTE) is listed on Euronext Paris (compartment A) and on the New York Stock Exchange. For more information: www.orange.com, www.francetelecom.com, www.orange-business.com Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trade marks of Orange Personal Communications Services Limited, Orange France or France Telecom. |
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Keystone achieves efficiencies from innovative desktop virtualisation strategy |
London, 23 October 2009 |
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Pasporte’s hosted vdi helps transform keystone’s supply chain practices
Pasporte, the UK’s leading provider of managed ICT outsourcing to the mid-market, and sister company to Evolution Voice & Data, today announced it has successfully completed the design and installation of a Hosted Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (HVDI) service for Keystone Distribution, the principal supplier of logistics services to McDonald’s. This innovative service has been implemented to safeguard Keystone’s supply chain against downtime, and improve business efficiency and performance. As the exclusive supplier of food, packaging, and cleaning materials to McDonald’s, Keystone makes over 500 deliveries per day to the food outlet’s 1200 restaurants across the UK. The entire operation, including warehouse management, traffic monitoring and delivery updates, is coordinated using Paragon Software Systems. Mark Ridgewell, Head of Information Systems at Keystone Distribution, explains; "Paragon is an integral part of our business, but the system was previously only accessible from designated desktop PCs. To safeguard the continuity of our business we needed to extend authorised users to the system and ensure it could be securely accessed from any device, at anytime and any location, including home workers. As a long-term ICT partner, we trusted Pasporte to resolve these issues, and to do so in a cost-effective manner.” Designed specifically to overcome these challenges, Pasporte’s ground-breaking HVDI service has enabled Keystone to triple its authorised Paragon users, and ensure the system is accessible from any permitted client. Whilst this helps to mitigate risk to the business, Keystone is realising other significant benefits as a result. Ridgewell adds; “HVDI is transforming how Keystone operates. From improved process integration to centralised maintenance of Paragon and reduced hardware; we’re shaving costs, increasing efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint right across the business. Already we’re assessing other areas of the business that will benefit from migrating onto a virtual desktop infrastructure.” Gary Woodward, Managing Director of Pasporte, concludes; “Though VDI is still in its infancy, it is also now a proven technology which, as Keystone demonstrates, delivers real business benefits. Furthermore, the flexibility and ease in which VDI integrates into the over-riding ICT architecture enables organisations to migrate to a virtual platform, at a pace to suit the business and IT department, and with minimal adjustment for the end-user. “Whether it’s a cost, carbon or performance challenge, desktop virtualisation is suitable for any organisation and, as a hosted service, delivers even greater cost management and resilience.” Keystone Distribution UK, www.keystone-distribution.co.uk Keystone Distribution UK exclusively manages the complete supply chain and distribution to 1,200 McDonald's restaurants in the UK. Keystone delivers McDonald's total product requirement, which includes fresh, frozen and ambient food, promotional items, point of sale material and cleaning products. About Pasporte, www.pasporte.com Pasporte is the UK's leading provider of ICT outsourcing, bringing on-demand IT expertise, experience and economies of scale to mid-market organisations. Delivering on its promises, Pasporte forges strong and personal client relationships based on honesty and trust to guarantee tailored solutions that will meet business goals. Its services and solutions offer a blend of Managed Applications, Managed Hosting and Managed Networks. Pasporte is part of a group of companies that include sister companies Telinet, EVD and Ipitomi. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK, SME marketplace. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, has more than 40 years' experience in servicing 2500 customers across all industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. Related Article |
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Liverpool science park invests in hosted hi-tech |
IP Expo, London, 7-8 October 2009 |
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Ipitomi delivers fully managed voice and data services for superior business communications
Liverpool Science Park, a provider of high specification lab-compatible office space for science and knowledge based companies, announced today it has completed the initial roll-out of a managed voice and data service contract with specialist provider, Ipitomi, sister company to Evolution Voice & Data. The service, which has been deployed across both of Liverpool Science Park’s buildings, provides an enhanced range of products and a greater degree of resilience for occupying companies. Ipitomi reduces the complexity of delivering a range of solutions to a number of different tenants in the Park. Ipitomi will manage the voice and data services for up to 800 users; this affords Liverpool Science Park the flexibility and agility to quickly bring new tenants onto the network, provide 24/7 ICT maintenance, and ensure maximum network resilience. Furthermore, tenants can specify additional products and services, including high speed dedicated bandwidth, on-demand. Chloe Harding, Business Development Director for Liverpool Science Park, comments; "The Science Park has grown rapidly and to have the breadth of ICT services available on-demand, along with a scalable broadband solution, is extremely compelling to prospective tenants. The nature of these businesses means a high dependence on high speed broadband and continuous connectivity to support the high-tech applications they utilise on a day-to-day basis. It is crucial, therefore, that we can provide a robust IT infrastructure to facilitate our tenant’s requirements." The support and services provided by Ipitomi are also alleviating the complexity and risk of managing ICT in-house, enabling Liverpool Science Park to focus on providing consistent, high-value business services to its tenants. Harding adds; "Ipitomi provides a number of professional services, ranging from back-up and disaster recovery, to the maintenance of infrastructure and hardware. Not only does this remove the headache of supporting multiple tenants, we have only one supplier to manage and one number to ring in any eventuality. This removes any supply chain excuses, and ensures a rapid response to ICT issues or helpdesk queries. "Furthermore, the managed services model consolidates the billing process, allowing us to accurately and easily account for new tenants in our revenue and budget forecasts." Paul Cosgrave, managing director at Ipitomi, concludes; "Liverpool Science Park is a fast growing business for which competitive advantage lies in its agility and the value-add service packages it delivers. Our service will ensure that they can continuously deliver the latest technology offerings, expertise and remain ahead of the competition, without being cost prohibitive." About Liverpool Science Park, www.liverpoolsciencepark.co.uk About Ipitomi, www.ipitomi.com Ipitomi provides technology and telecoms services and solutions to businesses ranging from SMEs to large multinationals, as well as specialist solutions for business centres and business parks including the companies based within them. Ipitomi is part of a group of companies that include sister companies Pasporte, EVD and Telinet. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK, SME marketplace. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, has more than 40 years' experience in servicing 2500 customers across all industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. |
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Our sister company, Ipitomi is at IP'09 |
03rd September 2009 |
Why not pop along and see them on stand 218 in the IP networks section of the show? The IP Expo is the UK's leading IP infrastructure, virtualisation and cloud computing event and will offer visitors an exciting look at the latest in IP infrastructure solutions. IP Expo comprises of four focused events: IP Networks, delivering high bandwidth infrastructure, IP Wireless - high bandwidth wireless infrastructure and management, VM Expo the UK's first dedicated event for server and desktop virtualisation and Cloud '09, the UK's First Independent Cloud Computing event. Ipitomi will be exhibiting in the IP Networks section, but registering for any of the events will give you FREE access to all other event areas! |
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Sister company Ipitomi, achieves Cisco powered designation for managed business communications |
06th July 2009 |
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ACCREDITATION IS QUALITY ASSURANCE STAMP FOR TELECOMS SERVICES
ICT solutions provider, Ipitomi, and sister company to Telinet, announced today that it has achieved a Cisco Powered designation for Managed Business Communications by establishing the resources and procedures to deploy, manage and support Cisco Powered Managed Business Communication services. Steve Bedford, Technical Director at Ipitomi, said; “We are delighted to have achieved this accreditation for our managed telecoms portfolio. It’s a quality assurance stamp that demonstrates to customers, and employees, our technical expertise and service excellence. Coupled with Cisco’s stringent auditing processes, and associated commercial benefits, businesses can take advantage of extremely competitive services and solutions that are quality guaranteed.” A Cisco powered designation recognises a solution provider’s investment in the tools and processes necessary to provide high-quality network-based managed services. It not only acknowledges that the managed service provider has invested in industry-leading Cisco solutions, but also entitles the solutions provider to take advantage of Cisco resources to envision, build, market and sell its managed services, contributing to market acceptance and adoption. “Managed services allow companies to align IT and business goals, enabling them to focus scarce internal resources on their core competencies while servicing day-to-day IT infrastructure and operational needs through technology delivered as a service,” said Jeff Spagnola, vice president of worldwide managed services for Cisco. “By achieving a Cisco Powered designation, Ipitomi has made an investment in obtaining the training, skills and knowledge necessary to play a pivotal role in meeting this increasing demand.” In addition, Ipitomi’s participation in the Cisco Managed Services Channel Program indicates that its Cisco Powered Managed Business Communication services have undergone a rigorous third-party assessment and have met requirements based on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library® (ITIL) framework of best practices and market and industry requirements. Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document or Website are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. About Ipitomi, www.ipitomi.com Ipitomi provides technology and telecoms services and solutions to businesses ranging from SMEs to large multinationals, as well as specialist solutions for business centres and business parks including the companies based within them. Ipitomi is part of a group of companies that include sister companies Pasporte, EVD and Telinet. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK, SME marketplace. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, has more than 40 years' experience in servicing 2500 customers across all industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. |
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Sourcing the host with the most |
May/June 2009 |
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The commercial landscape is a fast paced and dynamic environment in which technology is pivotal to the execution of successful business strategies. As the stranglehold of the economic climate tightens, businesses face a huge challenge scaling commercial output in line with the market, and balancing investment and innovation with maintaining key operational processes. Today, IT is apportioned a significant chunk of that operational budget. Its behind-the-scenes evolution has seen IT quickly grow from ad hoc ‘nice-to-have’ applications, into the core infrastructure on which 99% of businesses rely on 24/7. IT has enabled the rapid transformation of business – from keeping the lights on, to facilitating the critical innovation that helps organisations remain competitive – however, its rapid rise to become an intrinsic component of business life means the IT budget has grown exponentially and often without the due diligence other organisational departments are scrutinised by. One of the positive outcomes of this economic downturn, then, will be to provide businesses with a window of opportunity in which to reassess their existing operational expenditure and identify new ways of working more efficiently and cost effectively. To retrospectively apply due-diligence to IT spend, but still enable that crucial investment in innovative new technologies. Taking fiscal control For any organisation, be it SOHO, SMB or established enterprise, designing, building and managing your own IT infrastructure from scratch is often cost-prohibitive. The budget alone to support an internal IT team, with every skill-set under-the-sun, would be astronomical. Increasingly, however, businesses are choosing to outsource core operational IT systems to help re-gain stability and control over the IT budget, and instead invest in and nurture skilled in-house teams that will support and implement innovative new processes and ideas. These ‘managed services’ strategies are increasingly being used to reduce costs and increase value. Moreover, they are helping businesses to achieve enterprise-class IT systems and achieve long-term business goals. The agility and flexibility of a managed service enables businesses to shift to a utility pricing strategy (fixed monthly OPEX) and utilise internal resources on building the business. With so many new managed services on offer – such as desktop applications, core networking infrastructure, storage, security and helpdesk facilities – businesses are afforded (cost effectively) a future-proof and flexible IT infrastructure, complete with virtual IT resources on-demand 24/7. Managed services, however, are not without their risks. Organisations need to invest in the right services provider and apply considerable thinking to which IT processes can be delivered as a managed service. There are numerous service options, and even more service providers and resellers hawking their wares. It can be hard to distinguish between the cowboys and those with genuine expertise and experience that will bring valued consultancy to enhance a business. Choosing the right partner, then, is essential. Get it wrong and the consequences can be far-reaching; get it right, and the potential is unlimited. Careful planning is critical, and businesses should consider the following key areas before signing on the dotted line: Compatibility As with any relationship, trust is essential. However, it also has to be earned. Organisations should choose a provider that understands the business from the outset, and is able to communicate effectively – starting with small projects or piloting trial services is one way in which providers can demonstrate their credentials. Be wary, though, opting for a managed service should not be confused with absolving responsibility – it takes two to make a relationship work. A managed service can provide organisations with a virtual IT team, and greater stability to an IT infrastructure, but both the service provider and client need to work together to identify where, when and how a managed service can best support a business’ objectives. Big brother Loss of control is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome with managed services – IT supports the majority of commercial processes, and giving somebody else the lion’s share of responsibility to ensure business continuity can, naturally, be quite galling. Organisations should therefore insist on appropriate levels of reporting within the contract, and that adequate visibility of the service is provided on-demand – most service providers will have real-time e-portals with reporting functionalities that can be as granular as required. This will not only help to reduce the risk of sub-standard service delivery, but also provide peace-of-mind. Promises, promises Choosing a managed service strategy can be daunting, and, more often than not, is accompanied with high expectations. It’s easy to make unrealistic assumptions on a service provider, and even easier to be dazzled by service providers that will promise the world to win new business. As with any investment, due diligence is the key; ask for live customer references, and if necessary, do a ‘reccy’; go beyond the sales person and schedule a meeting with the service providers engineering team, etc. Lastly, go through the contract with a fine-tooth comb – the service level agreements (SLAs) should be a realistic representation of expectations, for both service provider and according to business need. Fiscally fit? Few businesses are recession-proof and organisations should research prospective service providers accordingly. Look for providers that are financially secure, but also consider the stability of their service and product portfolio. It’s worth working with providers that have strong partnerships, accreditations and are backed by market leaders, such as IBM, Orange Business Services (OBS) and Microsoft. Service providers associated with larger vendors tend to be a safer bet – in terms of product and service longevity – and are also able to exploit a broad base of specialist services and combine them with the hands-on personal touch that the majority of businesses desire. One step at a time Remember, managed services are all about choice. Historically, smaller businesses have been forced to choose between a DIY or belt-and-braces outsourcing approach, and as a result, have been unable to truly achieve their objectives or meet their expectations. Today, a managed services strategy does not have to be such a leap of commitment; instead organisations can start small and take a selective approach as per the business needs. Businesses should choose a provider that allows them to pick the aspects of the IT infrastructure that they feel comfortable handing over and in turn the provider will tailor that service appropriately. Fundamentally, a managed services approach can provide commercial and operational security. By thoroughly identifying, planning and choosing a service provider, organisations can benefit from having experts on-hand to guide them through the minefield of technologies, as well as help streamline operational processes and improve business efficiency. Managed services will not necessarily reduce your outgoing costs nor will it relinquish responsibility of an organisation’s IT infrastructure, nor should it. It will however, ensure costs are both foreseeable and manageable - a sensible and strategic option in the current climate. Vital Magazine - May/June 2009 - Sourcing the host with the most - Pages 44 - 47 See link here |
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Pasporte Receives a Plethora of Awards and Accreditations from Global Vendors |
News release, 20/04/2009 |
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* IBM Global Services Business Partner Leadership Award * * Orange Business Services UK Partner of the Year Award * * VMWare Service Provider Enterprise Partner Accreditation * * Microsoft Gold Partner Accreditation * UK, 20th April 2009 - Pasporte, the UK's leading provider of managed ICT outsourcing to the mid-market and sister company to Evolution Voice & Data, today announces a plethora of new awards and accreditations from global vendors. The company continues to go from strength to strength and has again been awarded the IBM Global Services Business Partner Leadership Award. The award recognises Pasporte as one of the top business partners across the world and provides global recognition of Pasporte's contribution to IBM Global Services' success story in 2008. There are many tens of thousands of IBM business partners throughout the world and less than 40 will receive this award. Making the achievement even more remarkable is the fact that Pasporte have now been a recipient for four consecutive and consistent years. Also for the fourth consecutive year, Pasporte has received Orange Business Services' UK Partner of the Year Award in recognition of their expertise in the design and deployment of managed services to the mid-market customer in collaboration with Orange Business Services. Forging new relationships with leading technology vendors, Pasporte has just received the VMWare Service Provider Enterprise Partner Accreditation and is now an official Enterprise Level VMWare Service Provider adding VMware products, services and licences to the Pasporte portfolio of services. Finally, Pasporte has also achieved Microsoft Gold Partner Accreditation with specific competencies in Advanced Infrastructure Solutions and Network Infrastructure Solutions. Enrolment as a Gold Partner comes in recognition of points earned through a combination of competencies, Microsoft qualifications, sales and customer references. "I am delighted that we have continued to receive the IBM and Orange Business Services awards and of course thrilled to be recognised in new partnerships with both Microsoft and VMWare," says Gary Woodward, Chief Executive of Pasporte. "All four accreditations and awards are a reflection of the commitment of our staff to provide consistently high standards of high client care and service excellence. Investing in new vendors is essential in ensuring our customers benefit from the latest technologies and all these accreditations demonstrate and underline our capabilities as a trusted ICT partner." About Pasporte, www.pasporte.com Pasporte is the UK's leading provider of ICT outsourcing, bringing on-demand IT expertise, experience and economies of scale to mid-market organizations. Delivering on its promises, Pasporte forges strong and personal client relationships based on honesty and trust to guarantee tailored solutions that will meet business goals. Its services and solutions offer a blend of Managed Applications, Managed Hosting and Managed Networks. Pasporte is part of a group of companies that include sister companies Telinet, EVD and Ipitomi. Backed by banking group Investec, the group is emerging as one of the fastest growing and leading providers of integrated ICT for the UK, SME marketplace. The group forecasts a turnover in excess of £50 million and collectively, has more than 40 years' experience in servicing 2500 customers across all industry sectors. With further acquisitions planned and continued natural growth, the group has plans to hit the £100m turnover barrier as soon as possible. Together, group companies provide end-to-end solutions that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and services from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, VMWare, Mitel and Avaya. Group companies operate from principal offices in London and throughout the South East. |
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