The networking giant’s chief technology officer Padmasree Warrior told delegates at the Cisco Live Europe 2012 conference at the London Excel Centre that the supplier has consolidated into five key areas of business - collaboration, datacentre, enterprise, security and service provider.

According to Warrior, the move is to “simplify the way customers buy our products.” Previously Cisco organised its portfolio by product line instead of topic area.

Cisco’s consolidation efforts have largely been in reaction to criticism that the company had strayed into many side businesses, losing focus on its core enterprise and carrier networking customers.

Last year, Cisco CEO John Chambers (pictured) vowed to refocus the company, and has since started shutting down non-core operations such as the Flip digital video camera business. In July last year, Cisco also announced 6,500 job cuts, equivalent to 9% of its global workforce.

In a Q&A session during Cisco Live, Warrior dismissed the idea of adding storage to its datacentre model: “There’s danger in trying to do everything,” she said.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

Local IT & Software Specialist Blue Logic Computers based in Thorner, Leeds, has been selected as a Platinum Partner for Sage 50 & ACT! by the leading business software and services provider Sage UK. Launched earlier this month, Sage’s Platinum Partners Scheme recognises and rewards those leading Business Partners that provide outstanding customer service, adopt a fully collaborative approach to joint business planning and achieve strong sales performance. As a Platinum Partner, Blue Logic will benefit from new levels of support from Sage in the form of access to valuable sales and marketing tools and assets, dedicated account management support, as well as marketing advice and guidance, which will empower the company to achieve business growth and deliver an improved experience to its customers.

Emphasising the value that FTSE 100 company Sage puts on its relationship with its business partners Steve Attwell, General Manager for Sage’s Lower Mid Market and Channel Division commented: “Our Business Partners are immensely important to us and companies such as Blue Logic are leading the way in their field. The launch of our Sage Platinum Partners programme is testimony to our continued commitment to delivering value add and we are confident that it will deliver significant mutual benefit for Sage, our Business Partners and ultimately our customers too.”

Mark Ambler, Director at Blue Logic said: “We are delighted to gain this level of recognition from Sage. Not only is our Platinum Partner status testament to the hard work the team has put in, but also demonstrates our commitment to helping our customers get the most from their Sage 50 & ACT! solutions in order to achieve success. 2012 has been a great year for us so far and the benefits we will reap through the Platinum Partner programme will play a key role in building on this success.”

Sage ACT! is the number one selling Contact and Customer Manager with over 3 million users worldwide. It is a business productivity tool that’s more powerful than e-mail systems and spreadsheets, but easier to use, faster to get up and running, and less costly than a CRM solution. To help make the most of this information, Sage ACT! integrates with social media sites, such as LinkedIn®, Facebook, Google Maps™, to build a richer picture of customers and prospects. Sage ACT! helps to develop long-lasting, profitable relationships so existing customers keep coming back and new customer referrals keep coming in.

Sage 50 Accounts empowers small businesses to effectively manage every aspect of their finances, enabling them to accurately keep track of cash flow, invoice customers, pay suppliers, submit VAT returns and prepare year end accounts. It contains a host of inbuilt measures designed to reduce human error and allow businesses to gain an instant view of their accounts information on a minute by minute basis and take greater control of their finances.

Sage 50 Payroll is a scalable payroll solution that is ideal for firms with one to an unlimited number of employees that want manage their payroll in-house. Many small businesses do not have a specific payroll expert meaning that payroll tasks can often be stressful and time consuming. Sage 50 Payroll has been developed in line with customer feedback and ensures common payroll tasks are simple and memorable, enabling significant time to be saved in the completion of these tasks. Sage 50 Payroll also gives small businesses the confidence that what they are paying to the HM Revenue & Customs and their employees is fully accredited and accurate.

Sage’s Platinum Partner programme will continue to evolve following its launch this month, and over time it will develop further to incorporate a range of new and timely benefits for member partners.

For further information please contact:
Blue Logic Computers
Claire Hallinan
Claire.hallinan@bluelogic.co.uk
0113 273 9040

Competition regulators are investigating whether the firm used some of its intellectual property rights to "distort competition in European mobile device markets".

The commission says it wants to know if Samsung has failed to live up to a commitment to license key technologies to rivals. The action comes as the company is involved in patent battles with Apple.

A statement by the South Korean firm said: "Samsung Electronics has not received any formal notice and is unable to discuss the matter at this time." The inquiry centres on Frand commitments - a promise by industry players to license innovations that are essential to an industry standard on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms.

This means that the owner cannot discriminate who gets to use its invention and that its fee cannot be excessive. The commission notes that in 1998 Samsung offered an "irrevocable commitment" to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute to respect Frand terms.

But the regulator says that: "In 2011, Samsung sought injunctive relief in various member states against competing mobile device makers based on alleged infringements of certain of its patent rights which it has declared essential to implement European telephony standards."

Lost lawsuits

Samsung has made more than a dozen patent claims against Apple in Germany, the Netherlands, France and Italy relating to 3G-essential technologies.

So far the courts have ruled against Samsung in the cases - in part because it was felt that the firm had failed to live up to its Frand commitments. However, patent consultant Florian Mueller, who has blogged about the various cases, notes that: "The European Commission can't wait until Samsung finally wins a ruling based on such a patent and enforces it, potentially causing irreparable harm."

A spokesman for the European Commission confirmed that it had instigated the proceedings. He said that the commission had not received an official complaint from Apple or any other company about the matter.

To read the full article in bbc.co.uk/technology please click here.

The survey of 600 executives, from recruitment firm Robert Half, revealed most demand for skills related to big data initiatives as well as mobile technology.

IT professionals with technical skills in database management were in highest demand, according to 46% of CIOs.

Publicly listed businesses, large companies and those in London and the south-east of England are finding it the most difficult to get the right skills, said the survey.

Network administrators/engineers, Windows administrators, desktop support professionals and business intelligence experts are also in high demand.

Neil Hedges, senior manager at Robert Half Technology (UK), said IT departments across all sectors are facing a shortage of skilled professionals.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

Speaking at the Government ICT 2012 conference, Green said: “There’s a ten-fold price difference between the cheapest and most expensive devices between government departments,” he said.

“We can save £100m per year in government [by standardising the cost of devices]. And that’s ignoring the NHS and local government, we could see savings five times that amount if we spread it across local government and the NHS,” he said.

In its ICT strategic implementation plan in October 2011, the government had originally estimated yearly cost savings of £10m resulting from the spending rationalisation of its 600,000 end user devices, which include laptops, desktops and mobile phones, rising to £30m per year in 2013-2014.

Green added that as more organisations begin to implement bring your own device (BYOD) policies, there would be a much wider range of devices which government would have need to support.

Ian Levy, technical director at the government’s security arm CESG told delegates that personal devices would need to retain two separate personalities for bring your own device schemes to work in government.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

Daniel Biddle lost both his legs, spleen and left eye after a bomb exploded on a tube train in July 2005. His Ldn Access app details step-free access, ramps and usable toilet facilities at thousands of venues.

Mr Biddle says he created it after finding that his wheelchair had made many venues become inaccessible. "What happened on 7/7 robbed me of the ability to just go anywhere," he said.

"I can think of numerous instances where I've stopped somewhere to use the toilet or gone to a restaurant only to find it is impossible. There is such a lack of useful information for people in a wheelchair, those with learning difficulties or people with a visual or hearing impairment."

Icon controls

Venues covered by the program include hotels, theatres, restaurants, pubs and attractions. The app was created with the help of Mr Biddle's friend Tobi Collett.

It works by using location-based technology to pinpoint where a user is, providing intuitive icons and simple terminology to make their choices from, breaking down bigger categories such as restaurants into smaller specific ones such as Chinese or Indian.

Daniel Biddle was in the same Tube carriage as one of the 7/7 bombers Tapping the icons brings up the information needed to make an informed choice as to whether a destination will meet the needs of the user's disability.

To read the full article in bbc.co.uk/technology please click here.

"My proposals will help build trust in online services because people will be better informed about their rights and have more control of their information. The reform will accomplish this while making life easier and less costly for businesses,” she says.

Under the new proposals, companies will have to deal with only one set of data protection rules and be answerable to a single data protection authority: the national authority in the EU country where they have their main base.

In theory, then, the aim of the EU’s data protection reform is to modernise, simplify and strengthen the data protection framework to unlock the full potential of the single market and foster economic growth, innovation and job creation. But will it?

Former UK Information Commissioner Richard Thomas praised the European Commission’s shift away from paper-based, bureaucratic requirements towards compliance in practice, genuine harmonisation and individual empowerment, but he said there are real risks that new bureaucratic burdens will be created and that some proposals will be very difficult to implement in practice.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

Alex Wylie, a second year English and Film student at Leeds Trinity University College, now joins the virtualDCS team for six weeks. Alex, an aspiring film maker, is creating a video on virtualDCS, their services and success as Cloud Computing experts.

Commenting on the placement Alex said: “I am really happy to be given the opportunity to work with virtualDCS. From the placement I will be able to put my university theory into practice and gain more practical work experience. It is going to be a fascinating project and I can’t wait to get started.”

Nikki Towler, Marketing Executive and a recent graduate from the Leeds Trinity inspired the new partnership. Nikki said: “As a recent graduate I have first-hand experience of the benefits of taking part in placements, I felt that it was an invaluable experience. virtualDCS are aiming to give Alex the best experience possible, with knowledge and skills that he can use for the rest of his career.” The new partnership with Leeds Trinity comes after a string of new recruits for virtualDCS, as the company continues to aid the Yorkshire economy.

Jess Sewter, Employer Partnership Office Manager commented on the new partnership: “Leeds Trinity is committed to improving student’s employability skills and graduate job prospects through its successful placement programme. Over 1000 placements take place at Leeds Trinity every year across a wide range of sectors and industries. Students work as full time employees for organisations while developing professionally, gaining degree relevant experience and making useful contacts in their chosen job sector.”

The founders of virtualDCS have pioneered the development of the Cloud Computing industry for over a decade. As one of the first companies dedicated to Cloud services in the world, customers only receive the finest solutions. Their approach is to work in partnership with clients to ensure that their infrastructure is ready to exceed the service levels demanded by their business.

For further information contact Nikki Towler at nikki.towler@virtualdcs.co.uk or call 08453 888 327.
 

The Computer Weekly and Tech Target survey, which had responses from more than 200 UK senior IT professionals, showed that IT spending in Europe has been hit harder by the recession than spending in the US and Asia.

In the UK, 50% of IT professionals said their IT spending would either decrease or remain the same in 2012. Nearly 40% of UK IT professionals said their organisations are recovering slowly from the downturn, and 30% said they are still struggling.

IT investment
Despite the tough economic conditions, some 38% of IT professionals expected their IT budgets to increase in 2012, with 21% expecting an increase of 5% or more.

“I think what you are seeing now is the realisation from some IT departments that they can’t delay spending any more,” said Ovum analyst Roy Illsley, commenting on the research findings.

“Some people have really cut back too far, and others realise if they make investments now, that would make them more agile when the upturn comes,” he added.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

The latest figures from Information Services Group’s (ISG) TPI index revealed an appetite for outsourcing in Europe. Total European outsourcing contracts in 2011, including BPO and IT contracts over €20m, were valued at €44bn.

Also in 2011, 8 out of 10 of megadeals worth over €800m were in Europe, which also accounted for 60% of total global outsourcing contract value. The final three months of the year saw €13.4bn in contracts.

Duncan Aitchison, president ISG North Europe, said the growth was largely the result of significant megadeal activity and large contracts in historically less robust outsourcing markets such as France and southern Europe.

In the UK, private sector demand for outsourcing increased. There were 15% more contracts in the final quarter of 2011 than that period of 2010. The total value of these contracts was 40% higher.

Aitchison said the European market will maintain pace in numbers of contracts, but may find it challenging to match its €44bn total contract value in 2011, which was distorted by some very large contracts.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

Caught in the turmoil of today's busy schedules, hectic work-life balances and the stresses of everyday life is a community of creative and talented people who work late at night on exciting projects, bringing their ideas to life.

Connecting on Twitter, two young entrepreneurs worked through the night thinking of potential business ventures. Alex Gash (20), a student at the Peter Jones’ Enterprise Academy in Amersham and Adam Bradford (19), a former student and now Ambassador for Peter Jones' Academies, came up with the idea for the UK’s first ‘Nocturpreneur Network’ – NightLight Network.

The concept - a vibrant venue and network for hard-working entrepreneurs and technologists who either need to or love to work at night to build their dream venture. NightLight Network is launching with its first WorkOut Wednesday on 8 February, 2012.

Providing access to premium office space in the heart of London, it will connect like-minded, ambitious individuals and develop a skills-sharing ethos amongst its members. NightLight Network will also put together special events, including guest speakers, access to mentors, pitch practice and ‘meet the investor’ nights.

Importantly, the network will also organise NightLight Nights Out on Fridays to ensure that its members have the opportunity to enjoy a break from their work and socialise in London’s best clubs.

The co-founders believe that NightLight Network will appeal to people who want to develop their own business ideas outside of their regular day jobs; young entrepreneurs who would value the networking and skills-sharing and entrepreneurs currently working on their own who would appreciate the opportunity to get feedback on ideas or who miss working in a team.

Alex Gash, co-founder, NightLight Network, says: “This is an exciting and creative way of unleashing the potential for new businesses to grow outside of the regular 9-5 working day. The NightsOut are also very important in the mix, ensuring that our members build genuine friendships once the work week is over.”

Adam Bradford, co-founder, NightLight Network, says: “We’re taking a new approach to business and networking – one that puts the entrepreneurs together with venture capitalists, technologists, marketers and other specialist professionals to create what we hope will be a bold and vibrant community.”

The first NightLight Network event – WorkOut Wednesday - will take place on 8 February 2012 in Central London from 7.30pm-11.30pm. NightLight Network will launch in London, with a UK regional roll-out planned for 2012.

For more details visit www.nightlightnetwork.co.uk.

Haxby, Stamford Bridge, Pickering, Goole, Balby Filey, Flockton, Howden, Ripon, Tadcaster, Bedale, Barrow-on-Humber, Cantley, Finningley and Normanton are the latest communities in the county to benefit from the roll-out of BT’s next generation broadband service delivered over copper lines.

The BT investment makes available download speeds of up to 20 megabits per second (Mbps) – more than double the speed previously available from BT.  It is already available in more than 121 locations across the region including York, Harrogate, Rotherham, Keighley, Headingley, Whitby and Doncaster. The new service is available on an open, wholesale basis to all companies providing broadband*.

Gary Williamson chief executive, Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We at the Chamber welcome this latest investment by BT. The expansion of improved communications services is key to the success and livelihood of small businesses and communities right across our region.”

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said:“This is an important step forward for Yorkshire and the Humber. In these challenging economic times, faster broadband can help businesses become more competitive, find new customers and work more flexibly as well as greatly improving the online services available to families, homeworkers and other internet users.

“By the Summer, around 86 per cent of the region’s homes and businesses will be served by an exchange that has been upgraded to deliver these higher speeds.”

This investment in the copper network is in addition to BT’s £2.5 billion roll-out of fibre-based broadband, which will bring even faster speeds to around two-thirds of UK premises by the end of 2014.

John Anderson added: “BT is also keen to work with the public sector to explore ways of bringing faster broadband to other areas which are geographically and commercially more challenging.”

Amy Walker, BT Media Relations Manager, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, Tel: 0191 2169615,  amy.walker@bt.com
 

Onyx acquired the datacentre in 2011 to firmly establish its position as a leading UK datacentre services business in the enterprise space.Following a large investment deal worth £42 million from ISIS Equity Partners (ISIS) in October 2011, the Group will develop its most recent datacentre acquisition, based on the outskirts of Sheffield and in close proximity to Leeds. The facility is one of 10 Onyx sites throughout the UK including London, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Newcastle, and Teesside. This includes five datacentres and six workplace recovery facilities.

The fit out will develop a further 20,000 square feet of high capacity data hosting and workplace recovery seats, which will provide space for 250 racks and 500 business continuity positions. The sheer scale of this datacentre, combined with its business continuity seats, is a unique and attractive offering for businesses in the region, and ensures the Onyx site stands out from local competition.

The expansion highlights the company’s focus on geographical growth in a region that is fast becoming one of the UK’s leading hubs for digital business and innovation. As part of The Digital Region project, South Yorkshire is the first major region to deploy superfast broadband in the UK, bringing improved access to a range of entertainment, business and public sector services and more importantly attracting new investment and jobs into the region.

Onyx is one of several companies to have realised the potential of The Digital Region, covering the towns and cities of Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham. The project has attracted over £90m of funding from the European Union, partners and the private sector. It is the first of its type in the UK, and reinforces South Yorkshire’s position at the heartland of Digital Britain.

The Onyx datacentre provides local businesses with a range of innovative and flexible solutions to their hosting and data availability needs. It also offers a comprehensive business continuity service that companies can use in the event of a disruption that can prevent them from accessing their offices.

Neil Stephenson, CEO, Onyx Group commented on the expansion: “This is great news for the South Yorkshire region as it demonstrates that businesses are keen to invest here, creating more jobs and providing support to a thriving, innovative business hub in what is fast becoming one of the UK’s key regions for growth.”

During 2012, the next phase of KC’s multi-million pound investment means its new KC Lightstream and KC Lightstream Business services – launched today – will be available to 15,000 homes and businesses on its network. Fibre installations will take place in parts of east and west Hull, as well as to the north of Hull, in Beverley and across several East Yorkshire villages. KC customers in the fibre roll-out areas will be able to access broadband at 100Mbps, transforming their online experience and bringing the full power of the internet to their lives.

KC’s technology of choice for delivering fibre broadband is Fibre To The Premises (FTTP), which gives faster download speeds because fibre is connected directly to a customer’s home or business. In contrast, fibre deployments in most other parts of the UK deliver slower speeds of up to 40Mbps. This is because BT’s technology of choice is Fibre To The Cabinet (FTTC), where fibre is laid to street cabinets and existing copper cables used to complete the connection to customers’ premises.

Kevin Walsh, KC’s Chief Executive, said: “We’ve embarked on this ambitious fibre roll-out programme to give our customers the best-connected homes and businesses in the UK. This will give them access to the world of information, communication and entertainment that the internet offers at lightning speeds. “At home and in the workplace, we’re increasingly living our lives online. In the same way that the growth of broadband has led to an explosion in online retailing, entertainment and social media, lightning fast broadband will bring with it new opportunities that will change the way we live and work. “This investment is the start of something very special for our region that we at KC are immensely proud of, and which I hope will make local people proud too. It’s not just great news for the families and businesses that will have access to lightning fast broadband. It’s bigger than that. At its heart our fibre roll-out is an investment in the future of Hull and East Yorkshire, a catalyst for change that has the potential to transform the region’s fortunes and make us an attractive location for further public and private sector investment.”

Fibre for a fiver

KC’s new fibre broadband services include six packages for consumers and five packages for businesses. The packages have been developed using feedback from customers who have been trialling lightning fast broadband since it was introduced last September. Kevin Walsh said: “Our commitment to using the best fibre technology the world can offer means we’re giving our customers a Rolls-Royce service at a price that offers incredible value for money. We’re offering fibre for a fiver – for about £5 more per month than our most popular traditional copper broadband and phone bundle, customers can have lightning fast speeds that will transform their online experience.”

For consumers, there are four KC Lightstream fibre broadband-only packages priced from £25 per month. Customers can choose a download speed to suit their needs, from a superfast 45Mbps to a lightning fast 100Mbps. They can also choose from a range of download allowances up to a massive 600GB, with unlimited overnight downloads.

There are also two bundles which package phone and broadband services together, priced from £35 per month. For businesses, KC has introduced four KC Lightstream Business broadband-only packages that range in price from £25 to £100 per month, depending on the speed, download allowance and level of service and support required. There is also a business bundle available that includes a great-value business call package. Homes and businesses across Hull and East Yorkshire set to benefitMore than 10,000 of the homes and businesses that KC will be passing with fibre this year are within Hull’s postcode boundaries, with a further 5,000 in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

Properties in the Grovehill area of Beverley will be the first to receive KC’s lightning fast broadband service this year, with customer installations starting in two weeks’ time on Monday 6th February. Other installations in Beverley will include the Grange Way, Lockwood Road, Butt Lane, Old Manor Lawns, Lincoln Way, Poplars Way and Norwood areas.

Further fibre installations in 2012 are planned for the following areas (subject to detailed engineering surveys):Priory Park business park in HessleBarnsley Street, Belmont Street and Buckingham Street off Holderness RoadA number of East Yorkshire villages including SkidbyFlats and apartments in areas including Hull city centreKingswood in the north of HullParts of Greatfield estate in east Hull, as well as other areas of east HullVictoria DockParts of Sutton-on-Hull.

Parts of west Hull around Pickering ParkCustomers in the Grovehill area of Beverley can order KC Lightstream and book an installation appointment from today by calling 01482 604911.

Customers in other areas of Hull and East Yorkshire can register their interest in fibre broadband at KC’s website at www.kc.co.uk/lightstream.

The deal will result in the largest free wireless hub in Europe, making free wifi available to millions of residents and visitors.

The deal, which will run at no cost to the councils or the taxpayer, is part of both councils’ plans to ensure that the millions of visitors that come to the city have the best experience possible and can make the most of what London has to offer - particularly given the double celebrations of the Diamond Jubilee and 2012 Olympic Games taking place this year - whilst delivering longer term benefits to businesses.

Free wifi access will be available throughout Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea once the Metro wireless network is installed on the street furniture. It will initially be rolled out in a limited number of areas and then throughout the boroughs over the longer term. O2 will begin installing the network in January 2012. O2 Wifi launched in January 2011 with the ambition to roll out free, fast and open wifi, via strategic partnerships, across the UK.

Cllr Philippa Roe, Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance at Westminster City Council said:

“This is a landmark achievement for Westminster; Westminster welcomes over a million tourists a day, is home to 250,000 residents, employs over half a million people and sees 4,000 business starts-ups each year. Next summer’s Olympic Games mean that London will be putting on the biggest show on earth and as Westminster has a starring role, visitors to London will easily be able to share their pictures and updates of the Olympic events across social networking sites.”

Councillor Nicholas Paget-Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, said: “I am very pleased that we have been able to come to this agreement and we look forward to working with O2. Residents and visitors having free access to the latest mobile technology will help us to continue to offer value for money for residents.”

Derek McManus, Chief Operating Officer for O2 said, “This groundbreaking deal - the first of its kind in the UK - will see us deliver high quality connectivity across London in time for London 2012. Our longer-term aim is to expand our footprint of O2 Wifi, which is open to everyone, and also intelligently enhance our services at street level, where people need the network the most.

“Our £500m annual network investment programme is focussed on integrating new layers of technology into the existing network to enable a seamless and sustained customer experience. We are driven entirely by our customers’ needs and believe that services should be delivered in the best possible way, across multiple networks and supported by different technologies.”

For more information contact:

O2 Press Office, t:01753565656, e: pressoffice@o2.com

The news comes shortly after the latest unemployment figures were released, as the UK experiences the highest level of unemployment in 17 years, with over 2.68 million people now unemployed.

Despite increasingly high levels of unemployment, the Cloud Computing industry is optimistic for 2012, as more businesses realise the benefits that Cloud technology provides. So much so, that as the fastest growing I.T. sector in the world, it is expected that between the years 2010 and 2015 the Cloud Computing marketing will have grown by 45.5%, creating thousands of jobs in the process.

As a Cloud Computing provider, the future also looks positive for virtualDCS, as the new staff requirements are a result of massive company growth over the last two years, with four new members joining the team in 2011, including a new business development manager and an I.T. apprentice.

Richard May, Managing Director of virtualDCS said: “The two new recruits will be vital additions to the company, ensuring that we can continue to offer our high quality service to more companies. At virtualDCS, we take great pride in the quality of our staff and the service that we provide and we are always looking for outstanding individuals that share our vision.”

The new support engineer will perform a variety of exciting tasks for the company, including planning SCOM implementations and providing technical support expertise for virtualDCS’s customers. They will also be tasked with proactively monitoring a company’s information in order to ensure that their data is always available and accessible.

The new technical consultant will be tasked with assisting customers from start to finish in building their own Private Clouds, or migrating to virtualDCS’s public Cloud platform. The role will also involve both pre and post sales aspects, from technical sales presentations assisting the sales team, to architecting the overall solution design, and overseeing the implementation with help from virtualDCS’s existing team of engineers.

For more information on our new vacancies visit www.virtualdcs.co.uk/careers or email jobs@virtualdcs.co.uk

For further information contact Nikki Towler at nikki.towler@virtualdcs.co.uk or call 08453 888 327.

The world's largest software firm made a net profit of $6.624bn (£4.27bn), against $6.634bn for its second quarter last year.

Revenues rose 5% to $20.89bn, slightly down on some analysts' expectations.

Revenue at the Windows operating system division fell, but rose at its server, Xbox 360 and online services arms.

Wall Street welcomed the figures, with Microsoft's shares rising 2.1% in after-hours trading.

Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC, said: "People were afraid it was going to be much, much worse."

Tighter cost control and a continuing reduction of losses at the Bing search engine helped boost the figures, he said.

Analysts were expecting a fall in business at the Windows division due to slower sales of PCs.

The computer industry is facing a worldwide shortage of hard disk drives due to flood devastation in Thailand hitting suppliers.

To read the full story in the bbc.news/technology please click here.

But Windows is also facing competition from the growth of tablet computers such as Apple's iPad and mobile devices using Google's Android system.

However, Microsoft is hitting back with the release of Windows 8, an operating system for PCs and mobile devices.

Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said in a statement: "We delivered solid financial results, even as we prepare for a launch year that will accelerate many of our key products and services."
 

RIM shares rose more than 10% after the Boy Genius Report technology blog linked Samsung to a bid for troubled Blackberry maker Research In Motion (RIM), according to The Telegraph.

The blog cited an unidentified source as saying RIM co-chief executive Jim Balsillie was meeting companies interested in licensing RIM’s software or buying the company, including Samsung.

But Samsung denied the report, issuing a statement saying that it was not interested in buying RIM.

RIM has long been the subject of takeover speculation that has identified Microsoft, Nokia, and Amazon as potential buyers.

Pegged at around $80bn in 2008, RIM has suffered a series of delays, compounded by Android’s rapid rise in mass market popularity. RIM is now valued at around $9bn.

In its third quarter results announcement in December, RIM said it expected sales to drop by up to 18% for its fourth quarter results in March 2012, compared to the same period in 2011. RIM’s third quarter results saw sales fall year-on-year by 6% from $5.2bn (£3.5bn).

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.
 

Two of the bill's co-sponsors, Marco Rubio from Florida and Roy Blunt from Missouri, are among those backing away.

Online encyclopaedia Wikipedia and blog service WordPress are among the highest profile sites to block their content.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) has branded the protests as "irresponsible" and a "stunt".

The MPAA, Hollywood's primary advocate in Washington and a key supporter of the legislation, is led by former Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd.

Both bills focus on responding to online piracy, specifically illegal copies of films and other media.

The bills would also outlaw sites from containing information about how to access blocked sites.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond says that with Mr Rubio and Mr Blunt withdrawing their support, the Senate bill - Protect Intellectual Property Act (Pipa) - that had looked likely to pass, now appears to be in trouble.

Mr Rubio is a rising star in the Republican party, and is often suggested as a viable vice-presidential choice for this year's Republican presidential nominee.

Bi-partisan backlash

Demonstrators against the SOPA and PIPA bills in New York
Republicans and Democrats were among the lawmakers rowing back on Wednesday.

The list of senators no longer backing Pipa includes Mr Rubio and Mr Blunt, and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, all Republicans, as well as Democrat Ben Cardin of Maryland.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans Ben Quayle of Arizona, Lee Terry of Nebraska and Dennis Ross of Florida said they were no longer supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act (Sopa), joining Pennsylvania Democrat Tim Holden.

Mr Ross tweeted that he was no longer supporting Sopa, because as "a true free marketer, I want IP protected correctly".

In a Facebook posting, Mr Rubio said he and fellow Senators "heard legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the internet".

Mr Hatch called Pipa "not ready for prime-time" and said he would remove himself from the bill's list of sponsors.

To read the full story in the bbc.co.uk/news please click here.

The one-year contract will see KC Contact Centres handle calls from MFI customers between 9am and 7pm on weekdays and from 9am until 2pm on Saturdays.

The MFI brand was relaunched as on online-only retailer late last year by the Hull-based Walker Group, and from its website customers can buy bedroom, bathroom, dining room and lounge furniture from a range featuring over 2,500 products.

KC Contact Centres provides outsourced customer service, sales, research and directory enquiries services to a range of public and private sector clients including Hull City Council, for whom it handles more than 15,000 calls per week.

Last year it became one of just 10 call centres in Yorkshire to be awarded the Global Standard for quality service by international industry body the Customer Contact Association (CCA). It is ranked 7th in the list of top UK public sector call centres for customer service and is the highest-ranked outsourced public sector contact centre. It is ranked amongst the top 40 of the UK’s 6,000-plus call centres.

Head of KC Contact Centres Tony Jopling said: "We're delighted to be working with such a successful local company on a brand that’s as well-known as MFI.

“As well as looking forward to delivering a fantastic customer experience on MFI’s behalf, we’re excited at the opportunity to extend our experience in the retail sector.”

Walker Group Retail Director Ged Lees said: “We’ve invested in making our website a great shopping environment for customers, and our performance over the holiday period has shown that’s proved worthwhile. We wanted to make sure the customer service we provide over the phone is of the same high standard, and KC’s commitment to customer service, flexibility and experience make them the perfect contact centre partner for our needs.”

Photograph - Head of KC Contact Centres Tony Jopling

Winning Pitch's High Growth Foundation invite techmesh, Leeds, York and North Yorkshire's IT & Telecoms members, a trip of a lifetime. An opportunity to learn from the leaders in technology with a trip to America.

The 5-6 day 'Learning Journey' includes a visit to San Francisco and Silicon Valley from the 10th to 15th March, to meet and learn from board level leaders of some of the world's most successful and innovative companies.

Previous delegates on the Learning Journey described the visit as:

1. "The most amazing learning experience of my life. It has changed the way I think about my company. It has helped me think bigger and realise that if these guys can do it, perhaps we can too."

2. Giving them a better understanding of how to manage growth, strategic planning, innovation and leadership.

3. Enabling specific commercial business opportunities - I believe one company now has around £500,000 of extra business as a result of the visit.

4. A great networking opportunity.

A  video link shows some feedback from participants from a previous journey with Technium in Wales. This trip was organised by John Meiklejohn, who is also working in partnership with Winning Pitch on this current Learning Journey.

Flying from London Heathrow on Saturday 10th March, the Learning Journey plans to visit 11 host companies in San Francisco and the Silicon Valley, with 3 visits per day from Monday to Wednesday, plus 2 on Thursday 15th March, arriving back in the UK on Friday 16th March. The companies most likely to be visited are:

* Linkedin
* Google
* IDEO
* Whipsaw
* DPR
* Obscura Digital
* Stanford University
* GAP

Plus: 3/4 from:

* Cisco
* Keiretsu Forum
* Bridgebank
* EA
* Ebay

For more information please see:

1. Learning Journey Flyer - giving information about the Learning Journey, plus the application form. Please note that the High Growth Foundation has recently secured a possible maximum £1000 funding per delegate (dependent on application information), so the price per person could potentially reduce from £3,800+VAT to £2,800+VAT.

2. Learning Journey Information Sheets - gives information about several of the host companies.

3. A covering letter for you.

The High Growth Foundation has been established by Winning Pitch, who recently took 1,600 companies in the North West through the largest High Growth programme in Europe. For more details about the High Growth Foundation and how to join, please follow the link.

The High Growth Foundation is curently finalising arrangements for the Learning Journey. If interested, please complete the application form attached to the LJ Flyer and return to nick.kitchin@leadingyourpeopletosuccess.com.

Please contact Nick Kitchin, chief executive, Leading Your People To Success on 01433 631550 or 07870 455995, if you have any questions about the 'Learning Journey'.

'Learning Journey' flyer

Host company information

Learning Journey invitation letter

The families located at the RAF station suffer from nonexistent or extremely poor broadband services. This makes it extremely difficult for the families to keep in touch with loved ones who may be deployed overseas on active service.

Simple technologies such as webcams and emails can be a struggle to use or just not available for those families. The new network provided by ilovebroadband utilises the NYnet fibre connection at the primary school, to feed the wireless network across the married quarters.

Martyn Boswell, Managing Director of ilovebroadband said: “The Leeming project was an interesting challenge. There was a lot of work undertaken with various partners on the base to get permissions to host equipment on buildings to ensure the maximum coverage. We are delighted that this is all in place and we are now rolling out the network across the married quarters, this should be completed by the first quarter of this year.”

Paul Crane, Business Development Director for NYnet said: “NYnet have been working closely with the RAF on this project for over 3 years now, so it is extremely satisfying for us to see the network being delivered. We also need to thank the RAF Leeming School for being the hub for the connection; they could see the benefit to their students of having access to the internet for school work at home.”

Communities such as Bradley’s Both near Skipton, Barlby in Selby, Terrington and Carlton in Cleveland in North Yorkshire, and Bridlington and Driffield in East Riding, have been benefitting from the new networks provided by ilovebroadband. Martyn continues “we have plans for several other projects in the North Yorkshire and East Riding areas where people have no or very poor broadband and where we can get access to connect into fibre.”

For more information on community schemes powered by NYnet and its partners including ilovebroadband, or to see if you can benefit from NYnet's high speed connections, please visit www.nynet.co.uk

For more information, please contact Jen Cooke at Acceleris Marketing Communications on 0845 4567 251 or email jenc@acceleris-mc.com

Wi-Fi users across Yorkshire and the Humber can now take advantage of more than 205,000 Wi-Fi hotspots – almost three times the number of less than two years ago, BT announced today.

The rapidly expanding BT network, the largest in the UK, now has more than three million UK hotspots in homes, independent businesses and city centres.
Access is free to more than five million BT Broadband customers, plus users of iPads, iPhones, iTouch, Android, Samsung and Blackberry devices and smartphones through other BT partnership agreements.

BT’s rapid hotspot growth mirrors the rise in the use of smartphones which are quickly catching up with laptops and PCs around the world as the consumer’s Wi-Fi device of choice *.

John Anderson, BT’s regional director for Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “BT is already leading the charge in broadband services with the roll out of faster speeds across Yorkshire and the Humber and the rapid growth of Wi-Fi hotspots increases the ways consumers and businesses can get online.

“This is fantastic news for the region and another example of major investment by BT in the country’s communications network. This huge growth in the number of hotspots takes flexible working from the home to wherever you need to be and brings the internet right to your fingertips.

“Consumers are using their devices for both work and leisure with hotspots making it possible to shop, game and enjoy a variety of applications when out and about.”

“For small businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber Wi-Fi is a great low or no-cost way of working remotely, staying in touch with customers, suppliers and staff and accessing real time travel information quickly, from any wireless PC, tablet or smartphone.”

Last year BT announced a new free mobile application that helps connect BT home broadband customers with an iPad to its network of hotspots. It gives BT home broadband customers easy mobile access to free and unlimited Wi-Fi and includes a mapping service which is updated weekly so that customers can find their nearest hotspot.

See www.bt.com/wifi/onthego for ways to get online.

Amy Walker, BT Media Relations Manager, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, Tel: 0191 2169615, Mob: 07918900209, Email: amy.walker@bt.com
Web: www.bt.com

Leeds-based EMIS expects trading for its 2011 financial year to be in line with management expectations with recurring revenue continuing at more than 80%.

EMIS supplies software to GPs and is a major software supplier to high street pharmacists.

In a trading update it said a further 207 GP practices went live with its EMIS Web application in the second half of 2011.

At the year end there were 360 GP live practices and 147 extended primary care organisations using EMIS Web, and a further 1,565 orders for EMIS Web and 2,359 practices in the EMIS 'Web Familiarisation Service'.

To read the full article in thebusinessdesk.com please click here.

And the company taking the responsibility to ensure the entire system runs smoothly is Claritas Solutions Ltd, based in Bramham, West Yorkshire. It has carried out the work on behalf of its clients Nottingham Rehab Supplies [NRS], the UK market leaders in the sector which provides and manages equipment and services on behalf of local authorities. Crucial items such as mobility, toileting and bathing equipment are all now available to be delivered and installed within a matter of hours from the new online ordering service.

The site has been cleverly designed to resemble an online shopping site and would be familiar and feel comfortable to those who, for instance order groceries this way. The look of the site evolved from workshops with clinicians, who are the actual users, to ensure all their requirements were met, and which has resulted in this smart and innovative approach making ordering much quicker and easier. Claritas earned the full trust of NRS through its rigorous test standards, applied before anything goes live on the system, its total reliability and its flexibility to adapt and introduce sensible options.

John Makin, Financial Director of NRS says: “Our relationship with Claritas is based on total trust, which is so essential in our business. We provide a vital lifeline to millions and it is crucial that our site works faultlessly 24/7. The team who handle our IT have fundamentally changed our business by getting our new website to be all functioning and instantly reactive. And its introduction happened seamlessly. The project management, enthusiasm and responsiveness of Claritas continue to be the reason we contract the company.”

Kevin Edwards, Sales Director, Claritas Solutions Ltd. says: “This has been an exciting project for us, and we have been rewarded by the total confidence placed in the team who have created such an important site.” The mobile version of the website for use with BlackBerrys, Androids, iPhones and iPads has also been set up and is a fully functional mini version of the website and provides another vital aid to those who need to order through the service for patients. This new and crucial addition to the service allows the clinician to place or authorise an order and track its progress whilst on the move, enabling real-time response for their clients.

Further information contact Jeni Cropper & AssociatesT: 07973 77 99 70 | E: jeni@jenicropper.co.uk

Caption: Nichola Carverhill, Claritas with Andy Shepherd, NRS

Research from IT services firm BT Engage IT, which was carried out by Vanson Bourne, also revealed that 7% of businesses have completely separate IT and business objectives.

Financial services are the most successful at aligning IT and business objectives, according to the findings. Overt half of financial services CIOs (52%) said their IT strategies and business objectives are well or exactly aligned. A similar number of financial services CIOs (56%) said the business views IT as critical to business success.

In retail, distribution and transport companies, 28% believed their board felt IT was critical to the success of the business and only 20% said their IT and business objectives were aligned.

To read the full article in computerweekly.com please click here.

The Managing Director of e-clinic, Mark Lainchbury, decided to deliver the practice management software on the Cloud after he noticed a significant increase in the number of sales enquiries coming from outside the UK. He particularly noticed an increase from the Middle East and South Africa where the copyright law is either non-existent of at best, limited.This is when Mark decided to research into a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution.

Mark said that “we selected virtualDCS to host e-clinic because of the team’s highly professional approach and commitment to data security. This meant that we were confident our IP would be safeguarded while we expanded our international consumer base.” Mark and the e-clinic team took advantage of a virtualDCS promotion that was designed to make the journey into the Cloud as smooth as possible. Since this, Mark has never looked back.

Richard May, Managing Director of virtualDCS said: “The no obligation package we offered Mark consisted of access to a free evaluation server on our VMware based platform, with 99.999% availability. We also offer free advice and marketing material so developers can answer any questions that their customers may have. Our Software as a Service package is designed to give complete peace of mind, so we also offer a pay as you grow hosting package where the developers, such as Mark, only pays for the facilities that they use. We want to make the decision to explore this method of software delivery as easy as possible, this is why we provide the expertise and equipment, all we ask for is a little of your time".

”Mark Lainchbury continued to say that: “Delivering e-clinic in this way plays a key role in our growth strategy and we are confident of seeing a 60 per cent increase in our subscription revenue by the end of 2012. The SaaS solution provided has brought great benefits to both us as a software company and to our clients. I have found virtualDCS to be highly efficient, knowledgeable and friendly and would recommend their service to anyone.”The founders of virtualDCS have pioneered the development of the Cloud Computing industry for over a decade. As one of the first companies dedicated to Cloud services in the world, customers will only receive the finest solutions. Their approach is to work in partnership with clients to ensure that their infrastructure is ready to exceed the service levels demanded by their business.

Photograph Mark Lainchbury Managing Director e-clinic with Richard May Managing Director virtualDCS

The corporate broadcasting company were briefed to facilitate the broadcast and delivery of an All Employee Meeting at the end of a Global Sales Event in Vienna, Austria.

Flying Colors Europe brought employees together for the business meeting, by virtue of communication and assisted in giving the corporate world a state-of-the-art board meeting. With a local audience of over 1,000 people for the AEM, the use of the Flying Colors satellite and web-based expertise enabled two executives located in Bangalore, India to be included in this 'virtual’ panel discussion and interactive Q&A session.

The meeting was enjoyed by remote audiences across the globe, raising the audience number from just over 1,000 locally in Vienna, to potentially over 100,000. With this feat, Flying Colors Europe, brought to life the corporate world across the globe using satellite and web based technology. The company, with over 25 years experience, has also succeeded in creating business solutions for international companies such as Shell, Microsoft and GE, along with non corporate organisations and public sector organisations. The team have worked in 45 countries across the globe, benefiting the corporate and business community the world over and changing the way corporate broadcasting operates.

Karen Airey, director of global services for Flying Colors Europe said. ‘the nature of the event and its content could be as diverse as an internal communication employee address, an external financial results address or even a product launch covered by international media. Using the latest technology available, the event can be catapulted to remote audiences thereby greatly increasing its reach and influence’. Flying Colors refer to the cost effective satellite or web-based solution mode has made it possible to broadcast messages, corporate meetings and events to a larger audiences making it the quickest and most pertinent form of communication. Thus reducing the use of man power and capital needed to run the same event over and over again at multiple locations, saving time and money.

Flying Colors Europe provide niche broadcasting and production services to companies worldwide. Key services include Satellite Solutions, Web Solutions, Business Television, Event Management and Video Production.

For more information about Flying Colors Europe please contact Sumit Kapur, Marketing and Communications Manager, Flying Colors Europe Limited, Brook House, John O’Gaunts Trading Estate, Leeds, LS26 0JBTel 0845 257 2100 sumit@fc-tv.co.uk

Belgravium, a leading manufacturer of mobile computing hardware secures a substantial order for in excess of 600 of its ‘Atlanta 5000’ series Hand Held terminals from Hermes, the UK’s largest courier based home delivery company Handling more than 115 million collections and deliveries per annum.

Hermes works with companies of all sizes, and in recent years has diversified from agency catalogue brands to work with leading high street, direct catalogue and online retailers in the UK including Next Directory, Readers Digest, Lakeland Limited and ASOS.Within the UK, Hermes operates a network of over 7,500 self-employed lifestyle couriers that provides flexible, high-quality doorstep delivery, combined with a friendly and local approach.

Hermes provides an innovative range of delivery solutions that include next day delivery, parcel returns, SMS messaging and real time management information.Making Delivery Easy!!Hermes success is based on a solution designed and built around tackling the key challenges in a growing and increasingly complex market. Hermes’ customers are increasingly demanding instant visibility and information on their purchases. As such, Hermes formulated plans for the upgrade of barcode technologies utilised throughout its fixed depot and hub locations and its ‘radial’ van drivers.

The fundamental requirement was to provide state of the art visibility of shipment information between Hermes and their end user.After an exhaustive evaluation of several major mobile computer solutions, Hermes made the decision to upgrade their solutions with their existing incumbent supplier Belgravium. Belgravium have now been key suppliers of mobile computing solutions to Hermes, and in its previous incarnation, Parcelnet, since the late 1980s. In this time, they have acquired a solid reputation for excellent product, technical service and general support.

The upgrade, for in excess of 600 terminals, placed in June 2011 was successfully rolled out across 23 depots in 6 weeks.Upgraded Solution The solution, based around Belgravium’s new to market Atlanta 5000 mobile computing hardware ensures fast, reliable and accurate capture of data at key tracking points for all items handled across Hermes’ operations. The ultra rugged Atlanta 5000 Series facilitates superior data capture within any scanning scenario and was selected for its well balanced, lightweight design that was capable of surviving the rigours of the Hermes operation. The upgrade will allow shipments to be scanned and tracked throughout the parcels receipt, dispatch and returns processes within the Hermes’ hubs, Depots and Delivery Vans.

This will provide Hermes and its clients with key data on all parcel movements. Hermes continues to be excited by the potential of the solution upgrade in relation to further process improvements. This potential has already been fully realised in key areas of the business and continues to help them deliver unsurpassable customer service levels and secure tangible operational improvements across their facility.

AVM announced that it has joined the Cisco Developer Network as a Preferred Solution Developer within the AV Integration technology category. In addition, AVM’s AV Integration portfolio has successfully completed interoperability testing with Cisco’s Immersive TelePresence products.

The Cisco Developer Network unites Cisco with third-party developers of hardware and software to deliver tested interoperable solutions to joint customers. As a Preferred Solution Developer, AVM has worked closely with Cisco to deliver enhanced solutions that bring greater interoperability with Cisco networking solutions. AVM also shares Cisco’s strong commitment to customer service and satisfaction, has completed interoperability verification testing based on criteria set forth by Cisco, and can provide their customers 24 hour, 7 days a week customer support.

With offerings such as audio visual integration, customers can more quickly deploy a broad range of Cisco compatible business applications, devices, or services that can enhance the capabilities, performance, and management of their Cisco network. For more information on AVM’s AV integration portfolio interoperability with Cisco’s Immersive TelePresence products go to: http://developer.cisco.com/web/tpavi/overview