Early 2016 saw Odyssey Systems move into new offices. After extensive refurbishment our Preston Farm headquarters features a dedicated video conferencing suite, technology demonstration area and a data centre facility.
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Telecommunications specialist, Odyssey Systems has expanded its sales team with the addition of former Teesside University Student Union President, and Business Management undergraduate, Will Ridley.
Twenty-one-year-old Will, originally from Selby, has joined the Stockton-based business following a summer placement, during which he played an integral part in the quality management process involved in securing the company’s ISO 9001 accreditation.
For the next four months Will is going to work two days a week, until going full-time when he graduates university in May.
In his role as a Sales Executive, Will is going to be responsible for liaising with existing and potential clients in order to identify turnkey solutions that accurately meet the customer’s communications infrastructure requirements.
Having taken a year out of his studies to become the Student University President at Teesside, Will has developed high-quality soft skills that will serve him well when representing the company in pitches to prospective clients.
Will’s appointment coincides with Odyssey’s expansion in to new premises located opposite its existing headquarters located at Preston Farm, Stockton. The investment, which follows a prolonged period of growth, will help to create a further six jobs and improve the company’s service provision.
Matthew Park, Sales Manager at Odyssey Systems, said: “Will is a talented young man, but more importantly is full of enthusiasm and is very proactive, which is clear to see when you consider what he has managed to achieve during his time at university.
“It’s important for businesses such as Odyssey to utilise the availability of skilled graduates when developing their workforce, which will in turn help to prevent talented young people leaving the area.”
Will added: “Being able to move straight in to full-time employment is very exciting, and speaks volumes for the quality of teaching at Teesside University and Odyssey’s investment in its next generation of skilled workers.
“The opportunity to stay in the Tees Valley was one I jumped at; although not originally from the area, I would describe myself as an adopted Teessider and I’m looking forward to working with some of the region’s most promising businesses.”
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The Member of Parliament for Stockton South, James Wharton, has officially opened Odyssey Systems’ new Preston Farm-based headquarters, which has helped create a number of new jobs at the telecommunications specialist.Following an extensive refurbishment and fit-out, which includes the creation of a dedicated video conferencing suite, technology demonstration area and data centre facility, the company’s existing workforce transferred from its previous base, which was also in Preston Farm.
Mr Wharton MP, who is also the appointed minister for the Northern Powerhouse, met with the Odyssey team and some of its valued customers and business contacts before taking a tour of the new office.
As part of the redevelopment, the company has installed upgraded connectivity masts, which will increase the reach of its long-range microwave high speed leased line signals that can extend to a range of 30km, as well as hosted telephony and a fully-synchronous, uncontended Ethernet connection.
Odyssey Systems, which provides telecommunications and connectivity for business, has experienced strong growth in the past four years and has increased its workforce from 26 to 30. As a result of the move into larger premises, Odyssey Systems aims to create a further four new jobs in the next three years.
In addition to developing the top floor of the building for its own operations, Odyssey Systems has also refurbished a further 20,000 square feet to create new, fully-fitted offices for business tenants, and already has three SMEs operating from the site.
Mike Odysseas, Managing Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “It’s great to see Mr Wharton engaging with businesses in his constituency and showing genuine interest in our continued success. The move represents a significant milestone in our history, which will build on our successful operating model that allows us to support the growth of other companies.
“We pride ourselves on delivering exceptional customer service, and with the additional technology and space at our disposal, we can maintain and even improve our provision.”
James Wharton MP said: “It’s always nice to visit businesses in Stockton and I would like to thank Mike for welcoming me to such a momentous occasion in Odyssey Systems’ history. This is another example of a thriving enterprise in the region benefiting from continued investment, which is boosting our local economy through the creation of jobs.
“I would like to wish all the Odyssey team the very best for the future.”
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Odyssey Systems has received top marks from The Education Village Academy Trust (EVAT) after revamping the telecommunications infrastructure serving the Multi Academy Trust’s five schools, which span three separate locations.
After experiencing problems with its aging system, which was installed almost 10 years ago, The EVAT decided to upgrade; after considering a number of providers, it gave Teesside-based Odyssey Systems the call.
The installation of the new Mitel network, carried out by Odyssey’s expert engineers, is an IP-based system and much more flexible than its predecessor, which often required inconvenient upgrades and maintenance.
Following the completion of the two-week project, which included more than 150 phone extensions, The EVAT’s five schools are fully-connected, with staff now able to easily make internal calls between its facilities – which will be particularly useful for its centralised administration department.
The EVAT comprises Haughton Academy, Beaumont Hill Academy, Springfield Academy, Gurney Pease Academy, and Marchbank Free School, which together make up an all-age a Multi Academy Trust.
Its Haughton, Beaumont and Springfield academies share a state of the art, £27 million building at The Education Village, which has allowed for a unique and innovative service provision.
Mike Odysseas, managing director at Odyssey Systems, said: “The EVAT is a forward-thinking educational provider and it was great to work with them. The new system is extremely durable and will maintain its reliable performance without the need for regular updates; it will serve them well for many years to come.”
Paul Thompson, IT & Media Manager at The EVAT, said: “After having a few weeks to test out the Mitel system we are very pleased with the final product. The service has also been first-class; our network presented a unique challenge and Odyssey’s engineers have worked tirelessly to identify and deliver a suitable infrastructure package, which would connect each of our five schools.”
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Businesses need to be vigilant against an increase in targeted, sophisticated email fraud. We have experienced a spike in in ‘socially-engineered fraud’ where scammers are using advanced methods to extract money from their victims.
We are now monitoring more than 200 emails per day within the million messages sent to our Internet Service Provider (ISP) business customers where fraudsters appear to adopt people’s email addresses and try to encourage financial transactions with the email account holder’s contacts.
Fraudsters are relentless in their use of email as a way to illegally obtain money.
Common email fraud practices, known as phishing, aim to trick recipients into believing they know the person or company corresponding with them. To prevent being caught by these scams, recipients can check the email address the message comes, which will reveal it has no connection to the supposed real sender. I’ve included some more tips below.
However, this latest method has the ability to not only trick recipients through a genuine looking message, but can also fool monitoring systems and programmes including Microsoft Outlook into thinking it has been generated by the real email address.
Fraudsters are also researching the contacts the accounts they are mirroring and their contacts to make the emails more genuine and dupe unsuspecting victims.
This could have serious financial implications for North East businesses and as a responsible Internet Service Provider we are continually creating new variables to prevent this horrendous practice from affecting our customers.
By identifying and acting on this new practice we are employing new protocols within our automated email monitoring systems, including the ability to identify the fraudsters Internet Protocol (IP) address to capture these email before they reach their recipients
Every day at Odyssey we see 1000s of phishing emails via our MailShield platform. While some are so outlandish or poorly constructed that it is obviously fraudulent, others are far more convincing.
So how can you tell a legitimate email from a phishing email? There is no single trick that will always work, but there are things that you can look out for to help keep yourself safe. We have put together five tips that will help.
- The message contains a non-matching URL
One easy thing to check in a suspicious email is the embedded URLs or clickable links. It may say com, but if you hover your mouse over the top of the link you should see the real link that will be visited (Do not click the link).
Good practice is to not click the link in the email, but instead open your browser and login from there. So, if you receive an email from PayPal with a link to an invoice, go and login to PayPal by typing out the domain www.paypal.co.uk in your web browser and logging in to check an invoice is real or not. This way you can be sure that you are indeed entering your details in to PayPal.
You should always do this when dealing with this kind of ‘Your Money or Your Life’ transactions online, e.g. anything that involves financial transactions or the entering of information that can be used to steal your identity. It’s worth noting that legitimate reputable companies will never request this kind of information via email.
- Misleading domain names
When people launch phishing scams they often depend on the victim not understanding the nature of how domains and DNS works.
An example would be the domain name login.paypal.co.uk this is a child of paypal.co.uk because PayPal is the final part of the domain, so for “login.paypal.co.uk.ca2.com” “ca2.com” is the actual domain not paypal.co.uk, which is now a child of ca2.com.
This is one of the tricks alongside misspelled domains that we see used the most to fool users into parting with login details or personal information.
- Email has poor spelling and grammar
When emails are sent from a large organisation you can be sure they have been checked for legality, bad spelling and poor grammar.
If the email appears of poor quality claiming to be from a large firm it is almost certainly a phishing email.
If you’re really unsure, then the safe thing to do is to call the company that has supposedly emailed you. If you do not know the phone number get it from there website. Do not trust the number in the email. If they are a reputable firm they will be easy to contact and verify any requests made.- Requests for personal information
Even if an email looks official and is professionally presented, it should never be asking for personal information, passwords, credit card details, or answers to security questions.
Again, if your still unsure, open your web browser and login to the company’s official website or call them using the number from there website not the email. Do not use the link in the email.- Keep your computer secure
Some phishing emails or other spam may contain software that can record information on your internet activities (spyware) or open a ‘backdoor’ to allow hackers access to your computer (Trojans). Installing good quality anti-virus software and keeping it up to date will help detect and disable malicious software.
- The message contains a non-matching URL
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Odyssey Systems has welcomed a specialist not-for-profit membership organisation to its thriving business centre.
UK & Ireland SAP User Group has become the second tenant at its Stockton-based business park, which has Odyssey Systems completely refurbished to create a new, fully-fitted complex for business tenants.
The company joins JBC Accountants in relocating to the business park on Preston Farm.
SAP User Group is an independent organisation which facilitates educational and networking opportunities amongst SAP software users in the UK and Ireland, as well as works with the multinational corporation to communicate with its customers.
UK & Ireland SAP User Group’s new office will house its 10 employees, who will benefit from Odyssey Systems’ telecommunications services, including hosted telephony and a fully-synchronous, uncontended Ethernet connection, as well as its boardroom and 40-person seminar facility, which was outsourced at its previous building.
Craig Dale, chief executive of UK & Ireland SAP User Group, said: “We have scope for further growth and the cloud-based infrastructure in place at our new office will go a long way to helping us achieve our long-term ambitions. With the hi-tech nature of our business, it was essential for us to operate from a modern office building and Odyssey was able to deliver all of our requirements.
“It was also a cost effective decision to relocate as the board and meeting room capabilities ensure that we are able to host large seminars, as opposed to renting space, which was the case at our previous offices. Our company now has the space and capability to expand and it is an exciting time for the business, starting with our office move.”
Mike Odysseas, managing director of Odyssey Systems, said: “I am delighted that UK & Ireland SAP User Group has decided to relocate to our business park as its operations gear up for growth. We are now well underway to establishing a thriving business community on Preston Farm and I would like to welcome Craig and his staff to the building.”
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Odyssey Systems has upgraded PROACTIS’ communications system to support the company’s growing UK operations and improving its environmental impact and productivity.
PROACTIS, a global Spend Control and eProcurement solution specialist, has invested in the installation of a leased line and video conferencing capabilities at its London and Wetherby offices to improve its interconnectivity and remove the need to travel to non-essential meetings.
The company now has the option to hold virtual meetings between its UK and North American branches, which will not only save time but, significantly reduces costs incurred travelling to and from meetings.
PROACTIS helps hundreds of organisations around the world to achieve greater bottom-line value by improving their operational and financial performance from how they buy and pay for all types of goods and services.
Mike Odysseas, Managing Director at Odyssey Systems, said: “It’s important for growing businesses to ensure they maintain high quality customer service. By updating its communication system PROACTIS will be able to use its time in a much more effective manner.
“Operating from multiple sites means that regular communication between each branch is vital. The new system will allow management to arrange regular video conference calls and provides a fully integrated internal communication system.”
Nick Lowther, Director of Operations at PROACTIS, said: “With Odyssey Systems’ help we have been able to increase productivity across the board. Now that employees only occasionally attend meetings in person much more time is spent in the office, which allows us to maintain regular contact with clients without compromising on the quality of our service.”
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Odyssey Systems, the Teesside-based telecommunications specialist, has completed one of its biggest projects to date, which included the creation of a 264,000 sq. ft. Wi-Fi zone at a factory in Chester-le-Street.
Odyssey was appointed by Coveris Rigid UK to provide a portfolio of telecommunications solutions for the food packaging manufacturer’s Drum Park facility.
Coveris Rigid, part of the worldwide Coveris group, which is owned by Sun Capital, acquired the Drum Park site last November after it has remained empty for a number of years.
As part of the conversion of the building, Odyssey installed a 100MB lease line with microwave back-up, 100 IP telephony extensions, which are integrated with the company’s other UK and European sites, and 31 Kilometres of category 6 and fibre cabling.
Central to the project was the need to create a whole-site roaming Wi-Fi network throughout the 18-metre tall factory, which would not only provide consistently strong Wi-Fi connections in office, manufacturing and warehouse locations, but enable operatives to move throughout the building using devices without losing connection to the network.
The signal is transmitted through a network of Wi-Fi units, which have been strategically installed by Odyssey to ensure maximum coverage, with the connections handed over to the closest unit as operatives move through the facility.
The system will be of particular benefit to Coveris’ logistics partner, Stiller Warehousing and Logistics, to enable its staff to interact with the company’s IT systems using mobile devices.
The project was delivered to meet customer timescales over a five-day period by a team of 10 of Odyssey’s experienced, directly-employed engineers.
Once the building is completed the company will begin producing its range of food packaging products and distribute in the region of 1.7 billion units per year from the site to locations across the UK.
Mike Odysseas, Managing Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “We are very proud to have completed this significant project for Coveris, which not only demonstrated our ability to deliver jobs of this scale to very tight deadlines, it enabled our engineers to apply innovative solutions to meet our customer’s requirements.
“The connectivity we have brought to the site will support Coveris’ productivity drive and enhance the interaction between the company and its logistics partner.”
Ian Donal, Operations Manager and Drum Project Manager from Coveris Rigid UK, said: “Odyssey has played a key role in establishing the communication infrastructure at Drum Park and will enable our employees to maximise the use of technology to manage and operate our business. The large Wi-Fi network will be of particular benefit to our operations as the consistency of its signal strength throughout the factory will support a wide range of technology-based systems designed to boost productivity.”
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Continued growth at Odyssey Systems has led to the Tees Valley-based telecommunications technology specialist expanding into new premises.
The move has been made possible after Odyssey Systems acquired the former Thirteen Group building opposite its current headquarters at Preston Farm, Stockton.
The company is currently undertaking a significant refurbishment and fit-out of the building and plans to move in before the end of February.
Odyssey Systems, which provides telecommunications and connectivity systems for business, has experienced strong growth in the past four years and has increased its workforce from 26 to 30. As a result of the move into larger premises, Odyssey Systems aims to create a further six new jobs in the next three years.
In addition to developing the top floor of the building for its own operations, Odyssey Systems has also refurbished a further 20,000 square feet to create new, fully-fitted offices for business tenants.
The company is also utilising some the additional space to introduce a dedicated video conferencing suite and a technology demonstration area. Odyssey is also creating a new stock and technology storage facility, which will hold the complete telecoms systems and replacement parts for both current and past models from its long-term technology partners Mitel, and LG.
The new building will also enhance the company’s internet services to its clients. Due to the building’s height and the installation of connectivity masts, Odyssey will increase the reach of its long-range microwave high speed leased line signals, which can extend to a range of 30km.Odyssey System’s new headquarters is the latest in a series of recent investments by the company, which has included the introduction of a new fleet of 12 branded Ford Connect vans. It also recently achieved the ISO: 9001 accreditation, which highlights the company’s ongoing commitment to delivering exceptional levels of customer service.
Mike Odysseas, Managing Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “We have enjoyed continual growth in recent years, which has facilitated the need for the new offices. By building strong relationships with companies across the North East and establishing partnerships with technology partners such as Mitel, which has enabled Odyssey to work with larger business customers, we are in a strong position for the future.
Mike added: “Expanding into these new premises has also enabled us to support the growth of other businesses. The additional space we have created will be attractive to businesses, which will benefit from being located in this thriving part of Tees Valley and the infrastructure we have incorporated, such as hosted telephony and superfast internet speeds.”
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Telecommunications specialist Mike Odysseas is warning North East businesses of an increase in targeted, sophisticated email fraud.
His business, Stockton-based Odyssey Systems has experienced a spike in ‘socially-engineered fraud’ where scammers are using advanced methods to extract money from their victims.
The company is now monitoring more than 200 emails per day within the million messages sent to its Internet Service Provider (ISP) business customers where fraudsters appear to adopt people’s email addresses and try to encourage financial transactions with the email account holder’s contacts.
Common email fraud practices, known as phishing, aim to trick recipients into believing they know the person or company corresponding with them. To prevent being caught by these scams, recipients can check the email address the message comes, which will reveal it has no connection to the supposed real sender.
However, scammers are now utilising a new method, which actually mirrors real email addresses and make messages look genuine and, therefore, can also fool monitoring systems and programmes including Microsoft Outlook.
Fraudsters are also researching the contacts the accounts they are mirroring and their contacts to make the emails more genuine and dupe unsuspecting victims.
Odyssey Systems, which provides ISP services to hundreds of businesses across the North East, has identified this new practice and is employing new protocols within its automated email monitoring systems, including the ability to identify the fraudsters Internet Protocol (IP) address to capture these email before they reach their recipients
Mike Odysseas, Managing Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “This kind of socially-engineered fraud is on the rise and people have to remain vigilant. It means questioning any messages they receive about financial transactions, even if it looks like it’s from someone they know.
“Fraudsters are relentless in their use of email as a way to illegally obtain money. This latest method has the ability to not only trick recipients through a genuine looking message, but also fool computer programmes into thinking it has been generated by the real email address.
“This could have serious financial implications for North East businesses and as a responsible Internet Service Provider we are continually creating new variables to prevent this horrendous practice from affecting our customers.”
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Odyssey Systems has quickly helped a Billingham-based logistics company back to its feet following the theft of copper cables, which disabled its entire communications system, severely interrupting operations.
Devereux Transport, a long-standing customer of Odyssey, discovered it had been targeted by thieves and was unable to answer customer calls, access databases or maintain contact with its 120 Drivers.
The thieves had cut through 2,400 individual cables and stole more than 70m of copper wiring. After getting in touch with Odyssey, engineers had installed a 4G system within two hours, which provided a quick and temporary solution that minimised downtime.
This isn’t the first time Devereux has called upon Odyssey; previously, a tenant on the same industrial estate had accidently cut through a power cable, which brought other businesses in the area to a halt. Odyssey reacted by transferring calls to mobiles and using a portable generator to power Devereux’s internet infrastructure, avoiding any further disturbance.
Borne from a business created by a 14-year-old, Devereux has become one of the UK’s leading transport and distribution businesses. It offers a comprehensive service tailored to meet the needs of a diverse client base.
Mike Odysseas, managing director at Odyssey Systems, said “We were able to react quickly and assist Devereux at a time of crisis by using a temporary measure, which allowed operations to carry on as normal, until a permanent system was installed.
“We pride ourselves on response time and understand how important business communications are – being a regional supplier gives us the ability to react swiftly and sets us apart from competitors”
Chris Pickles, Commercial Manager at Devereux Transport, said: “With a fleet of more than 100 vehicles in operation, any time without communication has the potential to set us back, both in terms of time and money. As with any service sector business, we aim to deliver exceptional customer service, and had Odyssey not responded so effectively we would have potentially disappointed a number of customers.”
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Telecommunications expert and founder of Odyssey Systems, Mike Odysseas has warned that rural areas of the UK would be the biggest losers if the government was to redistribute subsidies supporting the rollout of high-speed broadband.
Mr Odysseas has spoken out in favour of government support for BT’s rural infrastructure expansion, amidst strong criticism from the UK’s second largest broadband provider, Virgin Media.
Under subsidies announced in 2012, BT has received almost all of the scheme’s state aid, which has helped take national coverage of fibre optic broadband in the UK to approximately 90 per cent. However, Virgin Media are calling for the second, £500m phase to be halted as other private sector companies feel they are more than capable to match BT’s provision.
Mr Odysseas has voiced concerns over Virgin Media’s claim and said: “BT is perfectly-placed to deliver high-speed broadband to rural areas and difficult urban zones as a result of decades of investment in communications infrastructure.
“Virgin’s position on the matter is a direct contradiction of its business model, which only serves resident areas and limited commercial locations, which already have access to high-quality coverage. If the government was to press pause on BT’s rollout, a large number of rural businesses would remain without adequate broadband for at least another three years.
“The government’s decision to utilise BT and its existing infrastructure, is a sound business move that will help deliver an accelerated programme, which bolsters the UK’s broadband network. Any plan to alter this subsidy scheme would prove disastrous for technology-reliant companies in hard to reach locations.”
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Odyssey Systems has come to the rescue of County Durham-based EMS (UK) Ltd after being left without an operational telecommunications system for more than two weeks.
EMS (UK) Ltd, the independent ambulance provider, expanded into a new facility toward the end of May, expecting a fully-functioning system to be in place upon arrival, as promised.
However, the contractor, a national telecommunications provider, had failed to deliver – resulting in significant disruptions to the company’s regular business activities.
For more than two weeks EMS (UK) Ltd had no option but to transfer calls to mobiles, which proved to be less than ideal. With no clear solution in place, they then called for help from Odyssey Systems.
The Odyssey team got to work straight away, within two days they had solved the problem and restored full connectivity and installed a VoIP telephone system.
EMS (UK) Ltd is one of the few independent, frontline ambulance providers that offer the services of highly qualified pre-hospital care personnel. Although based in the North East of England, it is a specialist in providing medical cover for all types of events throughout the country.
Christine Gilbert, director at Odyssey Systems, said: “Service sector businesses need to be readily available to their clients, especially companies such as EMS that deal with extremely time sensitive situations.
“The installation of the VoIP system will prevent further complications and ensure a reliable communication system moving forward.
Mark Throw, general manager, at EMS (UK) Ltd, said: “The service delivered by Odyssey Systems was exceptional and without its intervention we may still be experiencing technical difficulties. They made light of a complex situation and provided us with regular updates on the situation.“
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A recent Experian credit check of Odyssey Systems by a potential client, which revealed a score of 100 – the highest score awarded by the credit check company – highlights the importance of engaging a robust telecoms supplier and the serious dangers to business continuity if a provider is not financially secure. Managing Director Mike Odysseas writes…
Communications technology is one of the great business differentiators. Companies that utilise cutting edge developments correctly can improve efficiency and productivity and create a commercial advantage that sets them apart from their competitors.
Most modern companies understand this; however the clamour to secure new technology can blind firms to the most basic business principles that can put their operations at risk – this includes checking the financial stability of potential suppliers.
This is particularly true in the telecoms sector where the traditional analogue telephone system has made way for internet-based, digital communications and become integrated with businesses’ servers and broadband connectivity.
As a result of this technological leap, telecoms providers have found themselves in a very unique and responsible position. They are in control of phone and internet systems, which, without sustained access, would lead to their customers’ businesses imploding.
No other supplier holds this level of business goodwill or intellectual property for a customer, which has the potential to force a company’s operations to grind to a permanent halt.
However, this would be the case if a telecoms provider went out of business. A company’s phone number, its essential point of contact with existing and potential customers, is controlled by the telecoms supplier and would immediately vanish and leave the business quickly cut off from the outside world.
It is a misconception that a company owns a phone number; that is not the case. It is assigned to them by Ofcom and managed by a telecoms company, which assumes control of the number on behalf of their customer. It is possible to recover the number, but it is a difficult, lengthy and by no means guaranteed process to resurrect it.
The collapse of a telecoms business will also have a devastating effect on their customers’ ability to use any internet-based system and could lead to a company being without internet or email access for up to three months while a new supplier attempts to secure a reconnection.
These risks are not considered as highly as the capabilities and cost of the technology when procuring a telecoms provider. However, telecommunications is an incredibly capital-intensive sector, which requires businesses to continually invest in the latest developments as they try to keep up-to-date and maintain relevancy in a competitive market place.
This can lead to many firms consistently teetering on the brink of closure as they continually trade in the red putting their employees and their customers at risk. In the case of Odyssey Systems we have continually reinvested profits and put money aside to develop the business without putting the very financial fabric of the organisation at risk.
Therefore, it’s absolutely vital to establish the financial stability of a potential supplier as it is to have confidence in the technology they offer.
While this sounds like common sense, I have seen it happen to a number of companies who have approached Odyssey Systems to help them try and recover from the situation.
However, of course, this does not apply to all businesses. I would encourage others to follow the lead of companies that do the necessary groundwork when embarking on the procurement process.
I recently met with a potential client who had run a credit check through Experian on Odyssey Systems, which I can proudly say awarded our business Experian’s highest possible credit rating of 100 and gave the customer the immediate confidence that he could procure our service.
He was impressed with the services we offer and the advances in technology we employ, but needed to be sure they were underpinned by a robust and secure business, which, as a result of the Experian report, he was. His approach to telecoms procurement will protect his company, as will the principles of business we have worked to for nearly 30 years.
Applying the right technology can be a game-changer, but delivered by a financially insecure provider will not only put a business on the side lines, it could put them out of the game altogether.
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We are all talking about it, more than likely you will have used it, but do you really know what it is? Creative marketing speak makes us think of some heavenly space where slightly mystical powers work. However, it isn’t some intangible technical nirvana; it’s just another computer managed by someone else, somewhere else. It really is as simple as that.
The cloud is marketed as an enabler, allowing you to use services anywhere, anytime with newfound levels of ease. However, not everyone appreciates that in buying cloud products you’re giving 100% responsibly to your supplier to make sure their service works, and make sure they keep your data safe. Because of this, understanding their capability is absolutely essential.
Back in the 90’s if you wanted to use an application you would go off to a shop, purchase a CD and install and run it on your PC. It was very much in the physical world. You would take the time to visit a store and make your purchase; you would invest in the equipment to run the programme as well as the security in your office to keep all your hardware safe, such as burglar and smoke alarms. Let’s not forget about having to make sure you have enough disk space to hold all of your files, and making sure everything was backed up just in case of a failure. Oh and some anti-virus software too. A fairly sizable investment in both your time and cash.
Things have changed a huge amount in the past twenty years. First of all we’re no longer tied to a single bulky PC stuck in one location. Laptops, tablets, smart phones and even wearable tech like watches all offer the ability to run applications from anywhere at any time. Our devices are much easier to use and manage, with most additional features and applications available with a single tap or click. Secondly, connectivity in the UK has drastically improved via both fixed and mobile connections. It’s the combination of many devices and the ability to transfer huge files in seconds that has paved the way for cloud services.
Your device just becomes an input/output terminal with the cloud (remember it’s just a remote computer) performing some or all of the processing and data storage. Most of the things you had to take care of yourself back in the 90’s are all managed by your supplier behind the scenes.
It all sounds good, but before you buy make sure you ask the following questions to your supplier: Where is my data physically stored? Who owns and manages the infrastructure that my service will be provided on? How is my data backed up? If they struggle to answer – walk away.
Odyssey Systems supply cloud telephone systems based on our own enterprise grade infrastructure. We own and manage all of our equipment to guarantee the best levels of service for our customers. Trust has to be the biggest part of cloud relationships. You need to implicitly trust your Cloud provider to deliver what they promise.
If you would like to know more about Odyssey Systems cloud telephony services call us on 01642 661800 and we will be happy to de-mystify and simply talk through what is best for your business.
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Odyssey Systems has overcome a notorious internet blackspot to help Wear Referrals treat injured animals at its new Sedgefield-based veterinary hospital.
Wear Referrals’ facility is equipped with a range of advanced medical equipment to treat pets of all sizes, including an MRI scanner and digital x-ray, which consume large amounts of data whilst in operation.
Under normal circumstances the Odyssey team would have prescribed the installation of a leased line, however, in this case it would have not been a cost-effective solution.
After assessing a range of options, the Odyssey technicians installed stand-alone microwave mast dedicated to Wear Referrals, which provides internet speeds of up to 20mb – more than enough to simultaneously cope with the demands of the company’s medical equipment, and at a fraction of the cost of a leased line.
Wear Referrals is a veterinary referral service for the North of England, conveniently located near the A1 in County Durham. It accepts referrals in orthopaedics, spinal surgery, soft tissue surgery and magnetic resonance imaging.
Christine Gilbert, director at Odyssey Systems, said: “Wear Referrals’ high quality service provision is reliant upon technology that regularly uploads and downloads large files. The microwave link has provided a cost-effective solution that will effectively address the company’s need for a reliable internet connection.
“At Odyssey we appreciate the fact that there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ approach. This is why we often deliver bespoke systems in line with client requirements.”
Stacy Burleigh, practice manager, said: “Opening a new hospital is very complex and time consuming, so it was important that we chose a company able to work around our schedule. Its engineers gave us regular updates throughout and completed the job at hand without causing any interruption.”
