Press Releases
SHARIAH-COMPLIANT IT FOR INVESTMENT BANK |
Press release, 21/01/2009 |
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EVOLUTION DESIGNS AND BUILDS IT INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GATEHOUSE BANK
Evolution, the ICT specialist, today announces it has completed the design and build of a resilient IP network infrastructure for Shariah-based investment firm, Gatehouse Bank. As a newly launched bank, the project necessitated the application of best-practice design principles to ensure Gatehouse Bank secured both FSA and Shariah compliance. Central to Gatehouse' ICT infrastructure is a hosted twin-datacentre, enabling the bank to benefit from a robust disaster recovery program and efficient data management environment, in order to provide absolute transparency and accountability for all financial transactions. James Bagshawe, Chief Financial Officer of Gatehouse Bank, comments, "Demonstrating our credentials in data management and accessibility is critical to securing FSA approval, and fundamental to the values of Shariah banking and investment law. From the outset, we had the opportunity to deploy an ICT infrastructure that would ensure data integrity and visibility for our clients and partners from around the globe." Working in collaboration with specialist financial IT provider, Path Solutions, the network infrastructure was specifically designed and configured to support iMAL - the only banking software certified by AAOIFI - and Sybase. Ensuring the iMAL/Sybase software is fully integrated across Gatehouse' entire data networking infrastructure, processes and devices, and remote working strategy, was critical to the success of the project. James Bagshawe explains; "Accessing, tracking and reporting time-critical financial data is essential to ensuring our investments remain profitable. For our traders and client-facing teams, this means 24/7 access to large volumes of data, generated by the global markets, irrespective of location or device. Resilience, continuity and security of our ICT processes are therefore an essential feature of our business. "Evolution's experience of the financial industry, and in particular, Islamic banking laws, meant we were confident that Gatehouse' values would be accounted for at every stage of the process. They demonstrated a thorough understanding of Shariah practices and how these translate into a trusted partnership and effective IT strategy." Simon Osman, Managing Director at Evolution, concludes, "Shariah banking is one of the few areas of growth in the finance sector, both UK and Islamic institutions are acutely aware of growing wealth and investment opportunities in the Middle East. However, with profits made from sharing risk, rather than interest, buying and selling decisions are based wholly on the accuracy and speed with which financial data is accessible. Network speeds and feeds, and availability of IT processes are therefore the lynchpin of these organisations." About Gatehouse Bank, www.gatehousebank.com Gatehouse Bank plc (Gatehouse) was established in May 2007 and received authorisation from the Financial Services Authority (FSA) to act as a Shariah-compliant wholesale investment bank in the United Kingdom in April 2008. Gatehouse will undertake all of its activities in accordance with Shariah principles and will focus on business opportunities throughout the Gulf region, Europe and North America, as well as targeted countries in the emerging markets and South-East Asia. It has four key areas of business:
To find out more about The Securities House KSCC, visit: www.sh.com.kw About Evolution, www.evd-uk.co.uk Evolution are ICT specialists with specific expertise in Banking and Capital Markets sectors. End-to-end solutions include the design, definition, management and build of data centres for both end-user organisations and IT service providers. Combining knowledge of IT infrastructure systems and utilising close relationships in the M & E, construction and building services industry, Evolution delivers high density data centre environments that are efficient, robust, secure and built to the highest specification. Evolution has invested time understanding the environmental impact of data centres and works with clients to minimise carbon footprints and energy bills. Evolution is part of a group of companies that include Ipitomi, Telinet and Pasporte. About the Group The Group is emerging as a leading provider of integrated IT and Telecommunications (ICT) solutions to UK businesses, designing, delivering and managing ICT applications and infrastructure and offering customers a choice of traditional on-site or outsourced managed service solutions. Customers enjoy a range of services that include telephony systems, local and wide area network management, data centre management, device (CCTV, Mobiles, AV, etc) management, desktop management, managed hosting and database and applications management. |
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IPITOMI JOINS EVOLUTION, TELINET AND PASPORTE |
Press release, 09/01/2009 |
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Acquisition Boosts ICT Group
ICT solutions provider Ipitomi - an award-winning Sunday Times Tech Track 100 company - has today joined Evolution Voice and Data, Telinet and Pasporte in a move that further enhances the Group's ability to champion end-to-end ICT solutions in the UK midmarket. London-based Ipitomi specialises in hosted telecommunications and IP solutions - a growing market sector strongly favoured by small to mid-sized organisations. Group membership will provide Ipitomi with a strategic platform for further growth in 2009. The combined companies, with revenues in excess of £50m and over 200 employees, already have a strong claim to be a leading supplier of end-to-end ICT solutions to UK businesses. The acquisition was funded by Investec Growth and Acquisition Finance. Paul Cosgrave, Group CEO, comments: "The continued support of Investec comes as a result of the Group's steady growth and the successful integration of other recent acquisitions, including Pasporte. "Ipitomi has a strong track record within the information technology and telecommunications industry, and a comprehensive portfolio of services that go beyond the typical services offered by other providers. This is demonstrated by the success of its hosted ICT service packages available to organisations across sectors ranging from business centres to retail outlet operators. This welltargeted solutions portfolio is proof of a strong management team and professional, expert staff. Ipitomi also brings an excellent client list and a history of solid growth," continues Cosgrave. Adrian Coppin, founder and CEO of Ipitomi, adds: "We are delighted to be joining such a fast growing and respected group of businesses. Our combined expertise and knowledge creates an enlarged group which will enable us to deliver even better service excellence, choice and customer care. Ipitomi's strong solution offerings will ensure that we can make a significant contribution to the future growth of the combined businesses." About Evolution Voice and Data, www.evd-uk.com Evolution is an ICT business that specialises in the design, build and ongoing management of IT infrastructure and data centre environments. It has specific expertise in mobile, IP and integrated IT solutions. About Telinet, www.telinet.co.uk Telinet has over 40 years of communications infrastructure management expertise, with headquarters in central London and operating throughout the UK. During this time it has built a reputation founded on customer service and unparalleled product knowledge. Telinet understands business needs and creates complete communication solutions that are effective and reliable, improving communications between customers, staff and suppliers. 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 a tailored solution that will meet business goals. Its services and solutions offer a tailored blend of Managed Applications, Managed Hosting and Managed Networks. About Ipitomi, www.ipitomi.com Ipitomi provides technology and telecoms 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. |
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EVOLUTION COMPLETES £6M DATA CENTRE FOR NETSTORE |
Press release, 19/08/2008 |
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DEMAND FOR CAPACITY AND POWER FROM BEYOND M25 DRIVES EXPANSION
Evolution, the ICT data centre specialist, today announces it has completed the design, project management and installation of a £6m data centre for IT services provider, Netstore. The 550m2 data centre will double Netstore's data storage capacity and support the projected growth of its managed services division and co-location facilities. Ian Cross, CIO for Netstore, comments; "The deployment of our second data centre and colocation facility reflects a significant increase in business from within London, where demand for capacity and power is outstripping availability. "In light of rising energy prices, our clients are seeking robust and cost-effective managed services and storage solutions. With this in mind, operational sustainability was at the forefront during the design and build of our data centre. "Without doubt," says Cross, "this was also a crucial factor in the selection of Evolution as our ICT partner, who demonstrated how ICT can complement the physical structure of a building, and vice versa, in order to increase the energy efficiency of the data centre. They were also able to manage external contractors such as M&E, which made a considerable difference to the smooth lifecycle of the project." Designed for maximum environmental and commercial efficiency, the data centre utilises inrack cooling using chilled water, which is best applied in high density environments, and the facility's temperature maintained at approximately 23°. According to Simon Osman, Managing Director at Evolution, the latter is a little known practice that will significantly reduce Netstore's energy bill; "Most data centres are kept a lot cooler, as recommended by storage and UPS vendors. However, a data centre will perform equally well at a higher temperature, and in doing so, data centre owners will see a significant reduction in their energy bill. It is the simplest steps that make the biggest difference." Cross adds, "The desire to minimise our energy bill meant we have made a number of choices that will enable us to offer compelling fixed rate services to our clients, or use the additional funds to reinvest in our facilities. A subsequent advantage of this strategy is that, as part of our client's supply chain, we can demonstrate our commitment to supporting environmental sustainability." The data centre will host in the region of 250 racks and features a central Building Management System which monitors and reports in real-time the power, cooling, security and fire protection systems. For more information about the data centre, including design, technical specification, features and functionality, please click here About Evolution Evolution is an ICT business that specialises in the design, define, manage and build of data centres for end-user organisations and IT service providers. Combining its knowledge of IT infrastructure systems and utilising close relationships in the M&E, construction, and building services industry, Evolution delivers high density data centre environments that are efficient, robust, secure, and built to the highest specification. Evolution has invested time understanding the environmental impact of data centres and works with clients to minimise and manage their carbon footprint and energy bill. Evolution is part of a group of companies that includes Telinet, RGT, Pasporte and Newburn. Together, the group provides integrated ICT solutions for the UK SME marketplace, that incorporate IT, voice, data and telecoms, using best of breed products and service from IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, Orange Business Services, Mitel, and Avaya About Netstore Netstore Plc is the IT security and outsourcing company for mid-market organisations. Our expertise has helped clients ensure that their information is assured through effective security solutions. Our outsourcing capabilities enable clients to stay fully in control while outsourcing as much, or as little, as needed to realise benefit; from back office ERP services through collaboration and managed security services. Netstore is a publicly owned organisation with 220 employees and 4 offices around the UK, including secure Northern and Southern technology centers. Netstore has 1400 customers across a wide range of industries, including public sector where Netstore is a Catalist accredited supplier. For further information, please visit www.netstore.co.uk For further information please contact: Simon Osman, Managing Director, Evolution DDI 020 7771 7705 Mob 07887 558847 simon.osman@evd-uk.com Reviewed by: |
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