Month: July 2016

Penlon transforms its communications systems with Claranet's Hosted Voice

Posted on by Jay Fearn

Executive summary

Challenge: Penlon needed a strong communications solution but their PBX infrastructure lacked mobility and functionality, especially across multiple sites.

Solution: Claranet suggested Hosted Voice, their cost-effective, flexible and feature-rich unified communications platform, which integrates directly into Claranet’s private MPLS network that Penlon were already using to connect their sites.

Result: With Claranet hosting its communications services, Penlon has seen significant time and cost savings, improved connectivity and has been able to roll out more collaborative ways of working.

About Penlon

Established in the UK over 70 years ago, Penlon is a world-renowned medical device manufacturer that designs and builds high quality products and systems for anaesthesia, intubation, oxygen therapy and suction control for the healthcare industry.

Although the company is based in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, Penlon maintains an office in the US and, through its network of distributors and partners, has a presence in 90 countries worldwide. The company therefore depends heavily on its communications systems to ensure that their disparately located and increasingly mobile workforce can collaborate and work together effectively.

The challenge

Penlon had previously used a long-standing PBX infrastructure to support its in-office phone systems. However, the business faced a number of communications challenges as it looked to increase collaboration between its disparate locations.

Tony Serratore, IT Manager for Penlon, explained:

“One of our biggest technological challenges is ensuring that all of our locations can communicate with one another efficiently. We operate from a number of locations nationwide and internationally, so it is imperative that our staff in these locations can still communicate and work together efficiently, despite the distances.

Our PBX system was reliable enough for phone calls, but severely lacked in mobility or functionality options; it could make or receive calls, but that was essentially it. With employees often working offsite on specific projects, this presented a problem when trying to keep in contact. Additionally, it created a significant business risk in the case of disaster. The hardware was very outdated and if it went down at any point, we would have no alternatives for communicating effectively with our employees and customers – something that would cost us dearly in lost productivity hours.

This was something we could not ignore. We needed a strong communications solution to support an increasingly mobile workforce.”

The solution

Penlon was already using Claranet’s MPLS network infrastructure, and turned to them again for a solution. After a consultation period Claranet recommended its cloud-based communications platform, Hosted Voice. Powered by BT and Broadsoft, the service provides a complete telephone system without the need to install dedicated hardware. Hosted Voice is a cost-effective, flexible and feature-rich unified communications platform, which provides instant messaging and video conferencing capabilities alongside traditional voice calls.

The application plugs directly into Claranet’s private network and can be accessed from a range of internet-enabled devices. As the service avoids the public internet, it is not subject to fluctuations in bandwidth, meaning that service quality and reliability are maintained.

“Hosted Voice was attractive to us because of the way it integrated with our network,” Tony explained. “Given the MPLS platform’s reliability, we knew that our plugged-in communications platform would work just as well. Additionally, Hosted Voice can be accessed from any device connected to the internet, including laptops and mobile tablets, with all of its functionality available on each device. Mobility is a top priority for us so these features were key drivers for us adopting the platform.”

The results

With Claranet hosting its communications services, Penlon has seen significant time and cost savings, improved connectivity and has been able to roll out more collaborative ways of working.

“We examined the market, but no other system could match the price-per-user or expansive functionality of Claranet’s Hosted Voice service. Claranet has also removed the need for us to deal with multiple third parties to get up and running, which has been a real bonus.

“In many ways, the MPLS network has completely transformed our business. Our staff are more able than ever to work remotely with more effective communication channels available from any location. Employees have full visibility on the status of their co-workers (available, busy, offline etc.), and can quickly chat to them through individual dialling codes or instant messages. Additionally, all of Claranet’s services provide consumer-level user experiences on enterprise-grade technology, cutting steep learning curves.

“Our relationship with Claranet is very strong, they act more as consultative partners than service providers,” Tony said. “The Claranet team are always examining the way in which their MPLS network supports our business, ready to share their expertise on how we can best use the platform to our advantage.”

Penlon is looking to expand the services currently managed by Claranet, integrating the MPLS network into their managed Amazon Web Services offering. “We’re delighted with the service we’ve received from Claranet so far and are keen to grow this relationship well into the future.”

Download full case study in PDF

Claranet helps Penlon transform its communications systems with Hosted Voice

Posted on by Jay Fearn

Executive summary

Challenge: Penlon needed a strong communications solution but their PBX infrastructure lacked mobility and functionality, especially across multiple sites.

Solution: Claranet suggested Hosted Voice, their cost-effective, flexible and feature-rich unified communications platform, which integrates directly into Claranet’s private MPLS network that Penlon were already using to connect their sites.

Result: With Claranet hosting its communications services, Penlon has seen significant time and cost savings, improved connectivity and has been able to roll out more collaborative ways of working.

About Penlon

Established in the UK over 70 years ago, Penlon is a world-renowned medical device manufacturer that designs and builds high quality products and systems for anaesthesia, intubation, oxygen therapy and suction control for the healthcare industry.

Although the company is based in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, Penlon maintains an office in the US and, through its network of distributors and partners, has a presence in 90 countries worldwide. The company therefore depends heavily on its communications systems to ensure that their disparately located and increasingly mobile workforce can collaborate and work together effectively.

The challenge

Penlon had previously used a long-standing PBX infrastructure to support its in-office phone systems. However, the business faced a number of communications challenges as it looked to increase collaboration between its disparate locations.

Tony Serratore, IT Manager for Penlon, explained:

“One of our biggest technological challenges is ensuring that all of our locations can communicate with one another efficiently. We operate from a number of locations nationwide and internationally, so it is imperative that our staff in these locations can still communicate and work together efficiently, despite the distances.

Our PBX system was reliable enough for phone calls, but severely lacked in mobility or functionality options; it could make or receive calls, but that was essentially it. With employees often working offsite on specific projects, this presented a problem when trying to keep in contact. Additionally, it created a significant business risk in the case of disaster. The hardware was very outdated and if it went down at any point, we would have no alternatives for communicating effectively with our employees and customers – something that would cost us dearly in lost productivity hours.

This was something we could not ignore. We needed a strong communications solution to support an increasingly mobile workforce.”

The solution

Penlon was already using Claranet’s MPLS network infrastructure, and turned to them again for a solution. After a consultation period Claranet recommended its cloud-based communications platform, Hosted Voice. Powered by BT and Broadsoft, the service provides a complete telephone system without the need to install dedicated hardware. Hosted Voice is a cost-effective, flexible and feature-rich unified communications platform, which provides instant messaging and video conferencing capabilities alongside traditional voice calls.

The application plugs directly into Claranet’s private network and can be accessed from a range of internet-enabled devices. As the service avoids the public internet, it is not subject to fluctuations in bandwidth, meaning that service quality and reliability are maintained.

“Hosted Voice was attractive to us because of the way it integrated with our network,” Tony explained. “Given the MPLS platform’s reliability, we knew that our plugged-in communications platform would work just as well. Additionally, Hosted Voice can be accessed from any device connected to the internet, including laptops and mobile tablets, with all of its functionality available on each device. Mobility is a top priority for us so these features were key drivers for us adopting the platform.”

The results

With Claranet hosting its communications services, Penlon has seen significant time and cost savings, improved connectivity and has been able to roll out more collaborative ways of working.

“We examined the market, but no other system could match the price-per-user or expansive functionality of Claranet’s Hosted Voice service. Claranet has also removed the need for us to deal with multiple third parties to get up and running, which has been a real bonus.

“In many ways, the MPLS network has completely transformed our business. Our staff are more able than ever to work remotely with more effective communication channels available from any location. Employees have full visibility on the status of their co-workers (available, busy, offline etc.), and can quickly chat to them through individual dialling codes or instant messages. Additionally, all of Claranet’s services provide consumer-level user experiences on enterprise-grade technology, cutting steep learning curves.

“Our relationship with Claranet is very strong, they act more as consultative partners than service providers,” Tony said. “The Claranet team are always examining the way in which their MPLS network supports our business, ready to share their expertise on how we can best use the platform to our advantage.”

Penlon is looking to expand the services currently managed by Claranet, integrating the MPLS network into their managed Amazon Web Services offering. “We’re delighted with the service we’ve received from Claranet so far and are keen to grow this relationship well into the future.”

Download full case study in PDF

Claranet strengthens its market offer with acquisition of French MSP Diademys

Posted on by Jay Fearn
  • Claranet expands its size and position as leader of hosting and outsourcing of business-critical applications
  • With the new acquisition, Claranet continues its growth strategy and now has more than 390 employees and 1,100 customers in France

Leading pan-European managed services provider (MSP) Claranet has acquired Diademys, in a move that has significantly expanded the company’s size and reach in France. The acquisition positions Claranet as one of the most ambitious and dynamic players in the French hosting market.

Diademys was founded in 2006 and quickly became a visible and respected player in the managed services and cloud market, and is particularly known for its expertise in the hosting and management of critical business applications for mid-market organisations. Based in Suresnes and Caen in France, the company has an annual turnover of €26 million, employs 120 staff and works with 200 clients from a wide range of sectors.

With an ambitious growth strategy, the Claranet Group has grown steadily in Europe, both organically and by acquisition. Diademys represents the latest in a wave of acquisitions made by the company across Europe over the past 18 months. The Group’s annual revenues now stand at £192 million, employing more than 1,100 staff and working with 5,500 customers in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Commenting on the acquisition, Diademys’ CEO, Fabrice Tetu, said:

We are backing Claranet for a number of reasons. The company has an aggressive and innovative strategy and wide presence across Europe, but, critically, it has retained its independence and is able to be agile in the face of changing market conditions. Claranet’s ethos matches that of our own and becoming part of the Claranet Group will bring significant opportunities for both our employees and customers. We have a great story to write together.”

Olivier Beaudet, CEO of Claranet France, added:

The acquisition of Diademys is a real opportunity for Claranet to strengthen its leading position in the French hosting market. We now have nearly 400 employees in France, a turnover of €76 million, and one of the broadest hosting portfolios in the country, and we are now in a great position to further accelerate our growth. This is great news for all of our customers, who will benefit from our expanded service offering, and is a great opportunity for our employees who will be able to benefit from new career opportunities.”

7 Commandments of a bullet-proof Business Continuity Plan

Posted on by Jay Fearn

You want your business to run tediously smoothly. To be boringly uneventful. ‘Business as Usual’ (BAU) is your goal.

There are three fundamental elements that make up your business and that should all be available and working together in depressingly cadent synchronicity: people, offices and systems.
The ability to keep running as a business after any event that disables or inhibits any of these fundamental elements – that stops BAU – is Business Continuity (BC).

Chief Digital Officers gaining ground in European businesses

Posted on by Jay Fearn

95 per cent of European businesses now have a digital strategy, finds Claranet research

New research has found a surge in the number of Chief Digital Officers (CDO) across Europe over the past 12 months. The new figures show the growing significance of the digital transformation agenda and the need for many to prioritise it with a distinct role at the board level, according to Claranet.

Vanson Bourne surveyed 900 end user IT leaders from mid-market businesses in the six markets in which Claranet operates – Germany, Benelux, France, Spain, Portugal, and the UK. It found that 95 per cent of European businesses now have a digital strategy. 15 per cent of these digital strategies are now led by a CDO, up from just 6 per cent in 2015. This trend is particularly pronounced in France and Portugal, where CDOs head up 22 per cent and 20 per cent of digital strategies. These findings show how seriously European businesses are taking their digital transformations.

The Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and the Chief Information Officer (CIO) are still most likely to drive digital strategies, at 34 per cent and 29 per cent. However, the rise of the CDO is indicative of wider trends across IT departments.

Commenting on the research, Andy Wilton, CIO of Claranet, said:

The fact that we are seeing a broad split in leadership between CTOs, CIOs and now the growth in CDOs, demonstrates the different approaches organisations are taking toward digital transformation. It is also indicative of a changing IT department where traditional roles are becoming more hybridised.”

IT is progressing from a support function to a value-creating role of strategic significance. Harvey Nash and KPMG recently found that even where there is no CDO, the CIO’s role is becoming ever more dynamic and strategic. Traditionally, a CIO’s priorities have been increasing operational efficiencies and delivering stable IT performance. These are becoming less important in the face of these changes.

Wilton concluded:

“The IT department of 2016 is undergoing a period of accelerating change. Where IT used to play a supporting role to business strategy, it now has the opportunity to drive it. Businesses can lead change by empowering their IT departments – be that by appointing a Chief Digital Officer or by increasing the remit of the CIO to generate profit rather than to provide cost-savings.”

Claranet announced as Platinum Sponsor of the AWS Summit in London

Posted on by Jay Fearn

Leading managed services provider Claranet, alongside its recent acquisition, managed AWS specialist Bashton, is to be the Platinum Sponsor of the 2016 Amazon Web Service (AWS) Summit in London. Claranet’s sponsorship of the event, due to be held at the ExCel Centre on 6-7 July, demonstrates its development into a key European-wide provider of managed services on AWS.

The AWS Summit in London is designed to educate customers about the significant benefits cloud can have for their businesses. Claranet views the event sponsorship as an ideal opportunity to showcase its range of managed services on AWS infrastructure, and to explain how they open up the benefits of AWS to businesses. Managed AWS pioneer and Bashton founder, Sam Bashton will also be talking at the event, while his team will offer on-stand workshop sessions.

Michel Robert, Managing Director of Claranet UK, commented:

We take pride in being the sole Platinum Sponsor of the 2016 AWS Summit in London, a move that is indicative of our commitment, ambition and expertise within the field of managed AWS services. Having experienced high customer demand for these services, we have built a European-wide cloud practice that is bringing the transformational benefits of managed AWS services to businesses across Europe. We are now able to provide the best application availability, performance and security on an individual case basis, whether the application is hosted on customer premises, Claranet’s infrastructure or on AWS.”

Claranet’s growing cloud practice works together to share insights and expertise from different European markets. Claranet acquired UK business Bashton in 2016 to bolster its DevOps and AWS expertise, and acquired AWS specialists Morea in France and Celingest in Spain the year previously. Its customers today include ITV, BBC Worldwide, Orange, Superdry, Dassault, Bandai Namco, Liverpool Football Club, and Virgin Holidays.

Robert concluded:

We’re in a strong position to help our customers take advantage of AWS because of our heritage in both hosting and network services, allowing us to draw different services together into a single offering that drives our customers forward. Claranet has been a future-facing company throughout its 20 year history. We see the way in which cloud platforms like AWS are transforming the way many businesses are operating, and are delighted to be sponsoring this event.”

Brexit and IT: can you predict the future?

Posted on by Jay Fearn

Last week, the United Kingdom voted to leave the EU, throwing up huge questions over the future of the country. Among the biggest are those surrounding competitiveness of the pound and the economy as a whole, and, in the IT industry, the questions are flying as thick and fast as anywhere else.

What is going to happen?