As part of the accreditation process, EMIS Web has now been deployed at seven GP sites in England and 141 orders have already been received from practices wanting to move to the transformational new system.  An additional 980 practices have requested a ‘familiarisation service’ allowing them to run the EMIS Web alongside their current EMIS system before upgrading.  

EMIS Web electronically connects GPs with other NHS professionals by enabling secure, shared, centrally hosted access to patients’ cradle-to-grave electronic health records held at the Group’s data centres. The system has the capability to interconnect with other NHS patient data systems to:

• save time and money by eliminating paperwork and the re-inputting of data;
• significantly reduce patient waiting times; and
• reduce the risk of prescribing and treatment errors.

Sean Riddell, CEO of EMIS Group, said:

“EMIS Web represents the next generation of clinical software systems so we are delighted to have received full roll-out approval which enables us to begin a controlled roll-out of the product in this initial phase.  As we stated at the time of our IPO earlier this year, securing full roll-out approval is a key milestone for the Group.”

This competition is only open to micro, small and medium-sized companies to stimulate their development of new ideas that could provide solutions to major challenges presented in these areas.

Through a rapid competition process The Technology Strategy Board are seeking proposals for three- month projects, worth up to £25k. They also want to find out what you would do if you received up to £100k for a project lasting up to six months.

In each of the four areas three proposals will be funded. The best proposal in each area will receive up to £100k. The other two will receive up to £25k in project funding.

Disruptive solutions

By disruptive solution they mean a solution to a challenge that creates a new or unexpected market opportunity by applying a different set of values.

For further information download the information pack here

The roll-out of super-fast fibre broadband is prospering across West Yorkshire as BT announces today that 200 new street cabinets have been connected with more than 50km of fibre during June and July alone.

Whilst the residents in West Yorkshire have been enjoying their summer holidays, a team of more than 40 engineers has been working on the roll-out in places including Armley, Guiseley, Pontefract and Headingley. To minimise the disruption that an engineering project of this scale can cause, a large amount of the work has been carried out at night.

The summer roll-out has provided a further 60,000 West Yorkshire homes and businesses with access to super-fast broadband, bringing the total number to date to over 131,000, and the roll-out continues. BT’s local network business Openreach is laying the new fibre-based broadband to support speeds many times faster than those now experienced by most households.

The fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) broadband technology installed across West Yorkshire will deliver download speeds of up to 40Mbps - with the prospect of 60Mbps in the future. Upstream speeds will also be faster, giving customers greater flexibility in how they use the internet and offering businesses major advantages, including new services and more sophisticated communications, such as high-quality videoconferencing.

Malcolm Hodgson lives in Low Moor and is one of Openreach’s engineering supervisors working on the project. He said: “I am really excited to be playing a part in bringing super-fast broadband to my friends and family in my home town. I have just had my own service installed and the difference in broadband speed is amazing.”

BT has announced plans to invest up to £2.5 billion in super-fast broadband, which could become available to around two-thirds of UK premises by 2015 if investment conditions are favourable. This investment is one of the largest in the world that doesn’t rely on public sector funding and where the network is open to all service providers on an equal basis.

Super-fast speeds allow users to run multiple bandwidth-hungry applications at the same time. For example, some members of a family could be watching different high definition (HD) movies or 3D TV, while others play online games or work on complex graphics or video projects.

The new network will be able to carry many new services and applications for businesses. Computer processing and storage of files will become more sophisticated and secure using ‘cloud computing’ technology. There will be faster back-up of computer systems and wider use of high quality videoconferencing within firms and between them and their customers.

BT's fibre roll-out is only one of its activities to bring high-speed broadband to West Yorkshire. By upgrading copper based services, broadband speeds of up to 20Mbps can be accessed by 525,000 West Yorkshire homes and businesses. By Spring 2011 more than 680,000 lines serving West Yorkshire homes and businesses will be able to access this faster copper-based broadband service.

The technology is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband services. Householders and businesses can contact their broadband service provider to place an order or register their interest.

Full list of exchanges where work has taken place over summer months:
ARMLEY
CALDER VALLEY
CASTLEFORD
GUISELEY
HALIFAX
HEADINGLEY
LOFTHOUSE GATE
LOW MOOR
PONTEFRACT
PUDSEY
SHIPLEY
GARFORTH
ROTHWELL

George Taylor, CEO comments. "We have an extremely powerful capability, available exclusively to South Yorkshire, now we need to take advantage of it! Imagine sitting in a dentists surgery, streaming three-dimensional medical imaging over the web, and discussing your condition with a specialist dental consultant in London. Or downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than ten minutes. Or collaborating with students around the world whilst watching live interactive video of a university lecture. Ubiquitous, super-fast Internet access will make all this, and more possible. What we now need to do, is bring together cutting edge ideas to foster a culture of innovation which will maximise the value of the technology and deliver real benefits to society. Our Rotherham datacentre is ideally placed at the hub of the Digital Region to allow this collaborative action to occur."

Whilst the Digital Britain initiative no longer seems to be committed to supporting next generation broadband rollout for all, DRBSY is deploying super-fast broadband services in South Yorkshire, and if effective, we will move to other areas of the country. We are delivering Internet speeds up to 100 times faster than most of the UKs residential users have access to today. We are now looking to work with interested parties to pave the way for next generation services.

In the first instance, were putting out a Request for Information (RFI) to help identify interested parties. We will welcome responses from the public sector, as well as members of the private sector or even residential users. Our objective is to experiment with innovative ways to help make Internet access better, and faster for everyone. Here are some specific things that we have in mind:

Next generation apps: We want to see what developers and end-users can do with super-fast speeds, whether its creating new bandwidth-intensive "killer apps" and services, or other uses we cant yet predict.

New roll-out techniques: Well test new ways to build data networks; to help inform, and support deployments elsewhere, well share key lessons learned with all. E.g. working with new developers such as the British Coal site at Waverley where there are over 4,000 homes planned over the next 25 years.

Openness and choice: Well operate an "open access" network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. Our datacentre is service provider neutral and we are keen to foster an environment of "co-opetition" to drive maximum benefits to end users.

The testing environment will allow direct access to our multi-gigabit fibre optic network and hosting facilities. DRBSY is in the process of enabling access for up to 500,000 consumers with 40Mbps internet connections. This is an effort to accelerate the pace of innovation by placing next-generation technology in the hands of individuals and entrepreneurs, and allowing them to discover the best uses for it. Super-fast networks may lead to unanticipated discoveries that will change how people connect, work, learn, play and contribute online. Digital Britain must continue to do its part to foster the development of research networks through a clear R&D funding agenda that is focused on broadband networks, equipment, services and applications. DRBSY asks for your support to drive this.

For more information, visit: www.digitalregionbroadband.co.uk or email innovate@drbsy.co.uk or call 01142 997260.

A new study commissioned by Kcom, part of the KCOM Group, reveals that network management is often overlooked in IT planning, reducing the benefits and true value that innovative IT can deliver. According to the research, despite their importance to business applications and productivity tools, only 42% of corporate networks are running at optimal performance.

Network experiences within the 235 organisations* surveyed has shown that many business-enhancing applications risk failure because of network negligence. Network utilisation reviews, which provide essential data about the availability of mission-critical applications, are conducted infrequently in many organisations. 55% of companies reviewed their network usage every quarter or less frequently, and more worryingly over one fifth (21%) only reviewed their network usage once a year or longer.

In IT strategy, the network is ignored too often. 40% of organisations do not have a clear process for considering the network when introducing applications. Furthermore, less than half (48%) of company Boards consider the impact on the network when planning new business strategies. Despite the importance of the network to the organisation, less than half (43%) of companies prioritised network traffic, meaning that key applications may be at risk.

Employee productivity can also be affected. Just over half (53%) of companies surveyed thought that remote access by employees is creating additional strain on the network. Everyday activities such as web browsing and video streaming, new mobile and flexible working practices also bring their own network challenges.

Requirements for network availability are growing; the vast majority (92%) of companies expect to face an increase in the use of bandwidth by applications over the next five years. Nearly half (43%) predict they will need to address a substantial increase. Currently, IT decision makers are planning to respond to this issue by simply increasing bandwidth (46%). Fewer are considering alternatives which could provide a significant improvement on network performance. For instance, just 27% are taking measures to control individual use of bandwidth.

“This research has been a real eye-opener as to the way the network is viewed in some organisations,” commented Paul Renucci, Group Executive Director, Kcom. “While IT has an unprecedented opportunity to deliver true value to the business in this period of economy recovery, best-laid plans for new processes and applications ultimately rely on a sound network foundation. We hope to see businesses flourishing thanks to the innovations that IT can deliver, but this can only happen if the network is properly managed. Kcom has a proven track record in managing and improving the networks of businesses and public sector organisations across the UK including British Airways, VISA and Phones4U.”

The White Paper ‘Don’t Forget the Network’ is available to download (http://www.kcom.com/resource-centre/research/dont-forget-the-network).

*Research conducted in April 2010 by Redshift Research across 235 companies, comprising 86 sized at 250-500 employees and 149 at 500+ employees.
 

• Programming experience in Java, C++ or JavaScript
• Strong interpersonal skills and excellent communication skills: written, verbal and presentation.
• Web technologies, e.g. HTML, Javascript, Jquery, ajax
• Experience using XML, Databases and SQL

• Apache server configuration
• Web application frameworks
• Python, PHP and Ruby
• Microsoft Silverlight
• Experience using and programming on OS X
• Linux use and configuration

• Video and/or DVD creation
• Graphic Design software such as Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and Fireworks
• Multimedia tools such as video and graphics editing applications, e.g. Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects.

Please send a CV and a short e-mail to explain why you feel this role would suit your skills

This process will enable the joint venture to rapidly engage new device partners and develop a broad base of manufacturers supporting Canvas - with the ambition to extend its current programme.

Project Canvas director, Richard Halton said, “Canvas is stepping up its engagement with industry as we get closer to releasing the final set of technical documents to the DTG this month, and launching a consumer product next year.

Bringing on board further consumer equipment manufacturers will ensure people have the widest possible choice of devices and we remain focused on supporting the industry to stimulate a competitive market. We continue to work closely with the DTG to develop common standards for Connected TV”.

Interested parties should express their interest by applying to the Project Canvas programme team by email at contact@projectcanvas.info, by 5.00pm on 25 August, 2010.

Just as a century ago companies stopped generating their own power through steam engines and plugged into the electricity grid, businesses today can dispense with their servers and access all of their information by placing it within secure data centres connected to the internet’s global computing network.

This is called ‘cloud computing’ and virtualDCS utilises the technology to provide hosting and disaster recovery services which provide businesses with significant cost savings and improved IT availability. Cloud computing is growing quickly and is being adopted by the UK Government to help it save 20 per cent of its IT budget whilst Microsoft has recently launched a cloud version of its Office software.

Richard May, director of virtualDCS, commented: “We appointed Brand8 PR after a three-way pitch because they demonstrated a clear understanding of our offer and proposed integrated activity focused on raising our profile and creating the environment for sales. With cloud computing rapidly shifting the way in which businesses manage their IT, we’re looking forward to working with the Brand8 PR team to help create commercial opportunities.”

Using cloud computing immediately cuts capital expenditure as the expensive hardware traditionally required is not needed and it also provides unprecedented availability and scalability. Additionally, cloud computing has been proven to be 80 per cent more energy efficient than using physical servers.

Brand8 PR managing director, Rob Smith, said: “Organisations which embrace cloud computing will make themselves more cost effective, responsive and flexible which are all attributes that help underpin growth. What virtualDCS does delivers tangible business benefits and seriously questions the validity and cost of physical servers. The cloud isn’t going to go away, its applications are only going to become more varied and larger in scale and virtualDCS is perfectly positioned to capitalise on this opportunity.”

virtualDCS was established in 2008 by Richard May, John Murray and Dan Nichols who were previously architects of the hosting services business for a FTSE-listed IT services provider. They formed virtualDCS to give clarity to cloud computing by confidently delivering robust services underpinned by outstanding levels of client care.

Digital Media Projects who have prestigious clients from top investment banks, premier league football clubs, electrical retail chains and the United States Air Force, have moved from an office in Garforth, Leeds, to Harrogate’s Cardale Park business park with nine staff, four of them newly recruited.

And with 3,000 sq ft, there is room in the future for yet more expansion and recruitment.

Source: The Press (York) - Read more

Nearly 220.000 more homes and businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber will have access to faster broadband by the Spring of next year, BT announced today.

A further 31 communities in the region are included in the latest roll-out plans for BT’s pioneering 21st Century Network (21CN). They include Goole, Wombwell, Chapeltown and Stocksbridge.

Within less than a year lines serving up to 76 per cent of premises in the region – more than 1.4 million households and businesses – will have been upgraded.

The BT investment makes broadband speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) available – more than double the maximum speeds previously available to the majority of UK homes and businesses. The faster speeds are delivered over copper lines.

Nearly 200 UK exchanges are included in the phase of the programme announced today. By the Spring of next year about 18 million UK homes and businesses will have been upgraded. The new services are available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband.

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This latest major investment in next generation broadband represents a huge BT vote of confidence in the future of Yorkshire and the Humber. It will help ensure that businesses and households in the region are in a strong position to thrive. Faster broadband can help businesses become more competitive and greatly improve the on-line services available to households.”

Additionally, BT is rolling-out super-fast fibre-based broadband in the UK, initially offering download speeds of up to 40 Mbps - with even faster speeds being possible if the fibre goes direct to the home or business.

And today BT called for more partnership-working to deliver fibre-based broadband in locations where it is not economically viable to include them in current roll-out plans.

John Anderson said: “We would like to work with partners to find ways of providing fibre-based broadband for those areas where the economics are more challenging.

“There are already a number of examples of this in the UK. Some are major multi million pounds projects, such as the partnership in Northern Ireland where BT has pledged to invest about £30 million, whilst others are much more local, such as the village project in Kent where £13,000 of public sector funding helped unlock BT investment of £62,000.”

The full list of exchanges included in this latest phase of the 21CN roll-out programme are:

SCARTHO

ARMTHORPE

ATTERCLIFFE

BALBY

CHAPELTOWN

CLEETHORPES

CONISBROUGH

DUDLEY HILL

GOLDTHORPE

GOOLE

HAWORTH

HAXBY

HONLEY

HUMBERSTON

IDLE

ILKLEY

ILLINGWORTH

KIRKBURTON

ROSSINGTON

ROYSTON

SKELMANTHORPE

SLAITHWAITE

SOWERBY BRIDGE

STARBECK

STEETON

STOCKSBRIDGE

THORNE

UNDERCLIFFE

WETHERBY

WOMBWELL

WOODSEATS
 

The same research also predicts that the rise of on-demand models will contribute to a $7bn (£4.5bn) decline in global software licensing revenue in 2010. The analyst claims worldwide SaaS revenue stood at $13.1bn last year.

Liquid Accounts is one of the UK market leaders of the online accounting software industry, creating jargon-free, user-friendly accounting systems designed to save the user time and money and make running a business easier.

As Chair of the BASDA (Business Application Software Developers Association) Special Interests Group for Cloud Computing, Liquid’s MD Matt Holmes is an industry expert in the field of SaaS. Speaking about the future of SaaS for business,

Matt said:“This article highlights just how rapid the growth of SaaS will be over the coming years. With more businesses choosing to switch their business activity online, Liquid is definitely in the right place at the right time to be leading the way in cloud computing. Microsoft has just announced that it’s putting the majority of it’s development into the cloud and big names like Coca Cola are moving their internal systems online.”

“As a market-leader in the UK online accounting software industry we offer many benefits, advantages and cost-savings for our clients:  we have the most functionality and flexibility, which makes us extremely cost-effective, the most secure login procedure and as far as we know, we’re the only company to be entirely based, developed, stored and supported in the UK.”
 

Since the launch of the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC), on the 1st of April, publicly very little has proactively happened with the initiative. As the next stage of the CRC is set to begin in September, it is time to reflect on the last three months and what may happen for the rest of the year.

In light of the economics gurus predictions of a possible double dip recession, the imposition of a tax, which will levy an average £38,000 on as many as 4,000 organisations, will put even more unwanted pressure on both the private and public sectors.

According to James Kirkup, political editor at The Daily Telegraph and yesterdays front page story - the CRC, created and implemented by the former Labour government is: “Complex and bureaucratic”.

Daniel Lowe, owner and managing director of leading independent data centre specialist UKSolutions has been critical of the initiative since January and its first airing at the House of Commons: “Essentially the initiative to make UK businesses more sustainable is a good and necessary move, the use of technology to drive this change is unlikely to be a Panacea, but it is reasonable to think it can play a serious role. Only by embracing the idea that technology will use power can this be realised, and therein lies the contradiction of the CRC.”

Daniel has been joined by businessmen from across a variety of sectors who are criticising and calling into question the legitimacy of the whole initiative. Hugh Conway, the chairman of the electricity group of the Major Energy Users Council commented: “It is very bureaucratic, and I’m not sure it is going to work.” And one anonymous businessman went so far as to say that: “The whole process has become a gravy train for consultants.”

“It seems that many companies not just in the in the IT industry have still yet to commit to registration and we may well find that with the sustained criticism from business leaders across the country, especially in the current climate of huge budget cuts, the CRC may simply disappear into the pantheon of unfulfilled Labour initiatives.” Concluded Daniel Lowe.

Around 16,500 local householders and firms are poised to join the high-speed revolution as engineers complete the local upgrades over the next few weeks.

People living and working in the area are among the first in the UK to benefit from BT’s roll-out of fibre-based broadband.

BT has announced plans to invest up to £2.5 billion in the technology, which could become available to around two-thirds of UK premises by 2015 subject to an acceptable environment for investment.

Fibre to street cabinets offers download speeds of up to 40Mb/s, potentially rising to 60Mb/s in the future, and upload capability of up to 10Mb/s. Even faster speeds are possible if the fibre goes direct to the home or premises. The super-fast speeds will power new business applications and more sophisticated home and entertainment services.

In the coming months, Armley exchange will also be upgraded – providing super-fast, fibre-based broadband access to another 12,000 local homes and businesses by late summer. BT’s planned investment is one of the largest in the world that doesn’t rely on public sector funding and where the network is open to all service providers on an equal basis.

While BT estimates that the great majority of premises in upgraded areas will be able to access fibre-based broadband, it is likely a minority will not initially be able to receive services for a variety of technical and commercial reasons. BT’s local network business Openreach, which is deploying the technology, is actively looking at alternative solutions for these locations.

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “This is an exciting development in the region’s fast-moving broadband story. Households and businesses switching to super-fast broadband will soon be experiencing the internet as they have never experienced it before.

“The advent of BT fibre-based broadband in Headingley will support local jobs and the local economy and is a vital part of BT’s broadband plans for Yorkshire and the Humber. As our roll-out of super-fast, fibre-based broadband gathers pace, many more customers in other parts of the region can look forward to faster speeds in the pipeline.

"We are very open to holding discussions with public sector organisations, such as regional development agencies and local councils, to explore ways of bringing super-fast, fibre-based broadband to locations where the economics are more challenging.

“BT is the only company consistently investing in a range of broadband technologies across Yorkshire and the Humber,” he added.

BT's fibre plans build on existing initiatives such as its 21st Century Network programme, which has already placed faster speeds of up to 20Mb/s within reach of around half of the region’s homes and businesses using the existing copper network. The rollout is continuing, with plans in place to achieve UK coverage of about 75 per cent per cent by Spring 2011.

Super-fast speeds allow users to run multiple bandwidth-hungry applications at the same time. For example, some members of a family could be watching different high definition (HD) movies or 3D TV, while others play online games or work on complex graphics or video projects.

For businesses, the new network will underpin the introduction of many new services and applications. Computer processing and storage of files will become more sophisticated and secure using ‘cloud computing’ technology. There will be faster back-up of computer systems and wider use of high quality videoconferencing within firms and between them and their customers.

Further roll-out plans are due to be announced later this year. Householders and businesses can contact their broadband service provider to place an order or register their interest.

The show covers seven sectors of the leisure industry which are specifically tailored to your needs. Last year the LIW was home to over 350 exhibitors and attracted nearly 14,000 visitors over the 3 days, and this year it is expected to be even busier.

If you operate any sort of play or attraction business (play centres, museums, historic sites, theme parks, bowling alleys, farm parks, laser tag, paintball sites, holiday parks, etc.) then you will find everything you need to help improve your business – all under one roof.

Merlin® Software will be attending the show in the Play & Attractions section and will be teaming up with two other companies to offer one total ticketing solution, from online tickets to walking through the automatic gates and everything in-between. This new product is to be launched at the show and will go under the brand name of Expert Ticket.

The leisure industry has been affected by the recession, although for once, in a good way. In 2009 the UK theme parks market grew by 2.4% with admissions growing by more than 3% to 14 million. This was due to the fact that more people enjoyed “staycations”, a term coined from people preferring to have vacations in the UK as opposed to leaving the country. So this is the reason a slight ‘boom’ has been seen in this sector.

If you want to see how you can maximize your attraction and take advantage of this increase in visitor numbers you can’t afford to miss this show and see what Expert Ticket has to offer. We can show you how to increase turnover and also how to reduce expenditure. In addition, we can also show you ways in which your visitors can be encouraged to spend more during their visit to you.

As mentioned before, Merlin® Software is teaming up with two other companies to create a whole new ticketing and access control solution. We will be on stand A92 along with our partners and would welcome your visit to us.

Expert Ticket provides a ticketing solution from booking tickets on-line for an attraction or individual event, (your ticket vouchers are actually printed for you at home), to arriving at the chosen venue and presenting your e-ticket. The Merlin® system scans the voucher, checks its validity, prints out the correct tickets and allows entry. In addition, there is also an integrated access control system which is not only linked to the Merlin® system, but also allows you to present your ticket directly at the ‘gate’ and gain immediate entry. This is for ‘Fast Track’ entry requirements at larger venues or for automatic pass-outs and re-entry.

The solution is hosted on KC servers. KC’s business services team designed the technical infrastructure that the e-commerce programme sits on and provides continuous support as the number of transactions steadily increases. The servers currently host 11 of Strawberry’s e-commerce websites including local and national brands such as www.tigerleisure.com, www.motorwayshop.co.uk and Bristol City FC’s online store,www.bcfcmegastore.co.uk.

The move is a significant part of the company’s expansion strategy and is expected to dramatically improve customer service levels using its tier-4 infrastructure for resilience and rapid network connectivity.
 
FastVision Ltd has been serving the Internet community since 2001 providing web hosting, e-mail and domain name services to both private and business clients. Having instant access to digital information is becoming ever more paramount to everyday business and utilisation of an efficient network along with a robust data centre should be at the forefront of every successful online business.
 
Andrew Bence, managing director at Fastvision Ltd commented: “Fastvision has experienced tremendous growth over the last year and as a result, has outgrown its London data centre facility. We needed a UK data centre that could not only cope with an extremely high volume of servers but could also improve customer service levels, by maintaining near 100% facility and connectivity uptimes.”
 
“Network speed, reliability and support are important to FastVision and we believe that our partnership with UKSolutions will provide us with a real competitive advantage. Based in Studley, UKSolutions benefits from being able to assign additional floor space to Fastvision, which will dramatically improve our product offering while maintaining security levels and reducing costs,” added Andrew.
 
All of the FastVision services can be managed through the company’s award winning web-based control panel, FastAdmin, which provides customers with complete live online control, enabling them to effectively manage their web services.
 
Daniel Lowe, founder and managing director at UKSolutions said: “Fastvision operates in a highly competitive industry, where customer services level agreements are at just under 100% of uptime. Hosting data centrally is no longer sufficient and we are seeing a clear demand for reduced network connectivity times and increased security levels, in order to deal with the explosion of data held digitally and on social media. Through our high-performance, cost effective and scalable data centre services, Fastvision can raise the bar in the industry by providing a flexible and competitive service.”

Previous MCT Summits in Switzerland, Germany and the Czech Republic were very successful and boosted MCTs’ early readiness on new courses and new technology. The MCT summits also include training on Soft Skills, thereby helping MCTs deliver courses with more impact.

Consider, for a moment, what would happen if you could enhance your training:

• Able to deliver new courses, on new technology, earlier and with more background information than others
• Your students will have a better experience in the classroom and are likely to have better exam results
• Investing in your trainer quality strengthens your competitive advantage and to drive your revenue

LINE has worked with Syngenta to not only create its first customised e-learning content but also to lay down the standards for technology-based training in the future. 

SCY are currently recruiting a Data and Web Content Administrator to join their York-based team.

Data & Web Content Administrator

• Up to 25K pa
• 1 year contract initially, with possibility of extension
• Location: York 

For more information about Liquid’s latest awards news, visit the awards section of our blog via the Liquid website.

The French market’s rapidly growing appetite for engineering offshoring in embedded systems segment is a clear case in point. This is the outcome of a study done by Pierre Audoin Consultants (PAC), a leading market research and strategic consulting firm in the domain of software and IT services industry in Europe.

PAC released the study in Paris on the 11th of July and added that its market survey has clearly established that very same French companies, which had so far been suspicious about the capacity of the Indian companies to lead and deliver projects in this key segment, are beginning to change their opinions. Earlier the benefits of any offshoring in this sector went exclusively to companies from North Africa and Eastern Europe, which were the favoured offshoring or near-shoring destinations for the French, largely due to the geographical and cultural proximities as well as the absence of a language barrier since French is widely spoken and understood in these countries.

However, as the salaries and other costs have been rising in these near-shore destinations, now the French companies are being forced to look for cheaper and better options and this trend has been strengthened due to the economic downturn. Another factor forcing the European companies to look for other options is the lack of specialized engineers for embedded services in Europe.

In its survey that reached out to the CIOs of 50 big, medium and small companies manufacturing embedded systems, two-thirds admitted that they use offshore services. Also, most of the French companies prefer to go through an expert or develop it internally.  But very few projects are entirely handed over to offshore. In most cases, it is the conception, the development, the test or the maintenance that is offshored.

The survey also established that while the French companies did indeed take a lot of time in deciding about using India as an offshore option, the Indian IT companies too have not had any strategies for the French market.

 “The Indian companies are seen as low cost companies, they need a better image, a better front office in France and a strong and strategic push in the French Market especially because of its cultural differences linked to language barrier and working styles. It is now that Indian companies needs to move and adopt a new strategy in Europe,’’ explains Eric Isabey, CEO of PAC.

PAC believes that the Indian IT companies need to seriously review their strategies as none of them is proving to be really effective in the French or European marketplace. Isabey says that some of the Indian companies have recently started to change their strategies and they have begun to move towards better visibility and understanding of the market through targeted marketing activities. One such example is HCL Technologies, which has launched a strong marketing campaign in the French Market for the embedded systems.

“The French market for engineering services for embedded systems is estimated to be nearly 1 billion Euros this year. Among the French companies willing to move in a significant manner towards the offshore model, most of them prefer to do it directly through specialists of offshore rather than passing through non-specialist companies,’’ says Chris Connors, head of HCL in France and Benelux countries. HCL recently organized an event in Paris with major French companies to showcase the entire range of its services and also some interesting client case studies.

“I was always a bit careful about offshore. Particularly because I thought, I could not control it and will not be able to communicate properly because of the Indian accent and the cultural differences… But our collaboration with HCL on the hardware side for the electricity distribution system of the future A350 was a total success. We particularly appreciated the transparency, the access, the permanent contact with the teams, the reporting and the quality of the French office which was present in all the stages of the project,’’ explains Jérôme Quemener, in charge of quality control at Zodiac Aerospace.

Continental Europe represents 33 percent of the HCL Group activities. Present mainly in the aeronautic sector (in France with the contract with Airbus), HCL has not really invested the market but 2 years spent in Paris have led the company to new edge, shaping a new strategy in Europe.

‘Right Here, Right Now: Taking co-production into the mainstream’ says that co-production is developing strongly on the periphery of public services, especially in social care and supported housing. However, it should become the default model for a range of other services including healthcare, criminal justice, education and welfare to work.
 
The underlying principle of co-production is that people’s needs are better met when they are involved in equal and reciprocal relationships with professionals and others, working together to get things done.   

The report sets out recommendations to make co-production the norm to transforming public services so that they are effective, affordable and sustainable in the long term. These include:
 

• Changing the way services are managed and delivered by retraining professionals to be facilitators working in partnership with users
• Changing the way services are commissioned so that they focus on outcomes rather than mandating how services are delivered
• Opening up new opportunities for co-production through a ‘Co-production Guarantee’ which would free up services to use co-production and embed it in their own operations.

 
Philip Colligan, Executive Director of NESTA’s Public Services Lab says: ‘Co-production is about organising services with people rather than doing services to them.  It is a simple idea whose time has come. NESTA’s work with nef and front line practitioners, has given us valuable insights into how co-production can tackle the root causes of people’s problems and make a genuine difference over the long term’.
 
Public services face huge challenges ahead – a perfect storm – the need to reduce a £155 billion deficit, growing demands from an ageing population, the consequences of lifestyle choices such as obesity, changing expectations and persistent challenges like drug and alcohol abuse. NESTA and nef’s work in this area has shown that co-production has the potential to transform public services so that they are better positioned to meet these challenges.
 
Co-production requires a fundamental change in the way services are currently offered because it is based on relationships rather than departmental structures. It offers an effective way of combining the public resources allocated to services with the assets of those who are intended to benefit from them promising better outcomes and a reduction of unnecessary waste.
 
Anna Coote, Head of Social Policy at nef says: ‘The conventional model of public services delivery does not address the underlying reasons why many rely on public services in the first place. This method of service delivery has disempowered those people who are most in need of care. If we don’t re-align the relationship between the state and citizens, we will be left with both in disarray: an unsustainable system and citizens who will have to fend for themselves.’

Using an advanced portable tracking unity attached to one of the bicycles, the Masternaut web-based system will monitor the team on-road activity and performance, providing instant live progress reports.
 
The ride begins on 25th July and is in aid of the Jane Tomlinson Appeal. Supporters will be able to track the riders progress in real-time on the events website www.istanbultoleeds.co.uk which will also contain daily blogs and latest pictures taken on the journey.
 
“We are pleased to support the Jane Tomlinson Appeal and the bike riders in their efforts. Jane was a remarkable local person and the appeal is a tremendous legacy and memorial to her,” said Martin Port, Masternaut Three X MD.
 
Supporters will be able to log on to the team website for the up-to-the minute progress reports. They will see the cycle team movement on a live map, which will bring an added dimension to the event.
 
Mike Tomlinson said: “We thank Masternaut for providing the technology for people to be able to follow what we hope will be an epic ride. It will also provide some assurance to the riders that their exact road position can be provided in case of emergencies.”
 
The Jane Tomlinson Appeal was set up by a very determined Yorkshire woman to help children’s and cancer charities across Yorkshire, the UK and the globe. Before her death in 2007 Jane Tomlinson CBE raised £1.85m through a series of incredible physical challenges.
 
The unique Masternaut web-based system tracks more than 120,000 vehicles across Europe, with more than 60,000 tracking units fitted to vehicles in the UK. The company provides end-to-end solutions for businesses on the move, including vehicle tracking, mobile workforce applications and Microsoft Dynamics business management software. The company’s unique GreenerFleet solution enables fleet operators to drive down their environmental impact, reducing emissions and slashing fuel costs. In addition, Masternaut Three X provides innovative solutions to support Duty of Care initiatives.

Sitting on the ground - Chloe Hinde, Steven Tomlinson, Laurie Miller, Jack Miller, Holly Hinde, Rebecca Tomlinson and behind the bike, John Miller (Mike’s brother-in-law), Stuart Hinde and Mike Tomlinson.

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