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21st September 2016

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A Stockton call handling company has benefited from a fresh new look as it prepares to expand its workforce after moving to a growing business park.

Lemon Business Solutions, which provides 24/7 call centre solutions to clients in the UK and internationally, has relocated its 45-strong workforce to Odyssey Systems’ newly-established business park.

As a result of the move, Lemon is hoping to increase its workforce by 20% to meet the demand of its growing clientele.

Lesley Wratten, managing director of Lemon Business Solutions, said: “The new office space exemplifies exactly what our business is all about and has created a fresh, zesty work environment for our staff. We have experienced significant growth in recent years and these larger premises will allow us to gear up for further expansion.”

“The IT infrastructure and connectivity in place was essential in forming our decision to relocate as we had simply maximised the space at our previous office and handle thousands of customer service calls every day. Our new, state-of-the-art call management centre will allow us to continue to deliver an excellent level of customer service to our clients and I am looking forward to what the future holds for Lemon.”

Lemon Business Solutions’ relocation completes a hat-trick of new tenants for the business park following JBC Accountants and UK & Ireland SAP User Group.

Odyssey Systems has invested in the complete refurbishment of the 20,000 sq. ft. business park for its tenants. The site offers a comprehensive telecommunications service, which includes hosted telephony and a fully-synchronous, uncontended Ethernet connection, as well as fingerprint recognition software and increased security for tenants.

Christine Gilbert, director of Odyssey Systems, said: “I am delighted to welcome Lemon to the business park and start a new chapter in our long-standing relationship. Lemon is a longstanding Odyssey Systems customer and is well-aware of the excellent service we provide, which they will now also experience as a tenant of our business park.

“Lesley and I have worked closely together on the creation of their new offices, which reflects their brand and personality as well as providing the high quality of telecoms technology they have become used to over the years from Odyssey Systems.”

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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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
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.”
Running a successful department or business has many contributing factors, one of which is the well being of employees and the massive impact they have on the customer experience and ultimately the profitability of the business.

There has been a changing trend for companies to recognise that getting the work – life balance right for its employees, can have a positive impact on individual’s attitude and ultimately the overall productivity in the workforce.

It is a legal right for employees to request flexible working, and giving employees the option to work from home is one of the ways in which telecommunications, in particular unified communications can produce a happy workforce.

Being flexible to employees gives them a sense of well being and creates loyalty to the employer. From allowing the lone parent to work remotely when their child is ill, to the senior executive who travels the length of the country Monday to Friday time to return home Thursday night and to work on Friday catching up on emails and administration.

Having a trusted telecommunication partner to deliver your unified communications or UC, as it is also known, is crucial to making flexible working work well, as unified communications is more than just having broadband, landline and mobile. It incorporates real time connectivity, such as extension mobility, instant messaging and telepresence, such as audio and video conferencing.

UC makes it possible to make and receive calls from a business telephone number, which in practical terms takes away the difficulty of locating a contact number for that employee by the caller. By having single number reach, you have one phone number to contact that employee wherever they may be; in the office, working remotely or in transit between the two.

If unified communications is something that you are considering here is our guide for the essentials:

Getting the infrastructure right is essential for seamless flexible working. Here are our top recommendations:

Business specification broadband with minimum 3mbps download and 1 mbps uploads.
- - Separate to data broadband
  - FTTC or Leased line is the best option for main office usage
- IP desk phones for the office and off site location.
- Windows or mac, PC or laptop with internet enabled WIFI or 3g.
- Android or IOS – 3G, 4G, or WIFI needed on Smartphone for internet connectivity.
If you would like to find out more about unified communications, call us on 01642 661800 or email post@odssey-systems.co.uk
Cheap broadband may seem like a very tempting proposition when looking for internet connectivity for your business, but does it offer a false economy?

As business owners, you probably understand the constant strive to keep costs to a minimum, whether it be for office equipment or essential services such as a telephone system and broadband. Cheap broadband from the telecoms giants such as BT, Sky and Virgin may seem like the easiest and most trouble-free option, however, it really isn’t. If like any typical business that has a high workload and that trusts they will have a fast and reliable service, selecting a cheap consumer broadband, or even a bargain business broadband deal can be a huge mistake that will cost you considerably more in the long run.

Even in this day and age, businesses are still investing in broadband packages which are primarily designed for home usage only. This is only in the belief that it will be so much more cheaper, meaning that small business startups tend to go for this option over a suitable broadband package for the needs of their company. This is a seriously bad move as they are potentially damaging your business from the offset.

Businesses who cut corners and take up the option of a lower cost, consumer or business broadband package are more than likely going to cause severe hold ups, such as poor connection speeds or severe lack of bandwidth. As you are most probably aware, bandwidth is very crucial, especially for businesses.

Here are 5 problems of purchasing a cheap broadband package:

1. Slow speeds

Of course, fast speeds are entirely important for businesses, and a decent broadband package will give you this over any cheap broadband package. If you’re looking to achieve high broadband speeds and an unhindered performance, then a broadband package like ours is designed to minimise contention ratio of your connection to the internet. Reducing the amount of users you have utilising your connection at any one time, your business will benefit from increased speeds when compared to those of any household broadband deal. Contention ratios are actually where cheap broadband lacks, as it will be typically high to reduce the price of the whole package. Can you imagine having to share your connection with more than one business? It would be a total nightmare!

2. Low data limits

High data limits are a must-have. If you’re looking to have the ability to stream video, share files and upload large files for clients, as well as VoIP; then you will need a large amount of data. A small allowance would be used up in no time if your business is sharing a lot of data on a daily basis.

Cheaper broadband packages usually include low data allowances, again, purely just to make them lower in price. What they tend to do is match up fast speeds with ridiculous and impractical data limits, which obviously lessens the benefits for paying for increased speeds in the first place. Plus, in the inevitable instance that you were to use all of your data allowance, your broadband speed could potentially be slowed down so that it is extremely difficult to use. You may even find that they could slap extra charges onto your monthly bill!

3. Bad customer service

Broadband issues must be resolved quickly, especially when you have clients waiting for their work to be completed, for example. If you were to have technical difficulties with your broadband, then this is where these cheap packages become a false economy, as you will be forced to spend a lot of time on the telephone to you provider – usually on hold.

In fact, these cheap broadband providers are pretty well-known for their disappointing customer service, which is the ultimate reason for spending that little bit more to ensure that you can have that reassurance of knowing that you can pick up the phone and receive excellent customer service with a trustworthy business broadband provider like us.

4. Increased overage charges

Sometimes broadband packages can result in significant outgoings, especially for a small business. We know that SMEs have to juggle a very tight budget at times and charges that spin out of control for a service such as this can be a real setback. Although you may think that automatically going for the cheaper broadband will save you money from your companies bank balance, it is more than likely that you will be faced with hidden costs further down the line.

An example of these hidden costs can be overage charges, meaning that you will be charged a ridiculous amount of money for going over your data limits. Selecting the right data allowance package can prevent this from happening, so you need to ensure that when choosing provider, you go for the one that is going to take the needs of your business into account and create a bespoke package for you – just like we do.

5. Downtime

As mentioned, very high contention ratios, paired with terrible customer service, can in fact be detrimental to your service downtime, making your business much less efficient. Of course, as you may well know, any business relies on their broadband connection to keep their business ticking over. Sales, online work, customer service and companies that need to access work drives, their cloud, or even their Google Drive will all be affected if their broadband service fails to perform.

Checking out your Service Level Agreement will keep you safe in the mind that your broadband will be repaired quickly if it were to fail at all. Ensure that you read all of the small print to see what is included, as well as the terms and conditions to prevent the risk of being left without access to the internet for a prolonged period of time.

For more information on our superb deal that is bespoke to your business set-up and that performs exactly how it should, call us on 01642 661800, or drop us a line on post@odyssey-systems.co.uk.