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25th February 2020

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The latest Women in Business event has been hosted by Odyssey Systems – with the role and ethics of the BBC firmly in the picture.

The discussion group, which meets on a regular basis at our Stockton headquarters, also raised the question of how news is reported as well as the devastating effects of social media.

The forum, which involves several leading Tees Valley businesswomen, acknowledged that while the BBC was an important source of political news there was a perception – especially in its coverage of the Brexit debate – that it had failed to remain neutral, with much of its reporting biased towards the ‘Remain’ campaign.

Christine Gilbert, director of Odyssey Systems, said: “The overall feeling of those around the table was a desire for the BBC to be both measured and impartial in its coverage of news.

“Much of the reporting in the media is sensationalised, which has the effect of obscuring the real facts.”

The group also discussed the negative effects of social media in the wake of the tragic death of Love Island presenter, Caroline Flack, and the online bullying and criticism targeted against her.

Added Christine: “The sad fact is that social media is largely a free-for-all where keyboard warriors feel they have a right to spill their vitriol at anyone they wish, no matter how undeserving.

“There is a disconnect provided by social media that means users feel emboldened to write whatever they want – when they wouldn’t dream of repeating it were they face to face with their ‘victims’.

Those who attended the meeting were: Linda Wearmouth, Christine Gilbert, Danuta Czerwinska, Fiona Charlton, Joanne Dougherty, Angela Ashcroft, Louise Wheatley, Chris Nolan, Barbara Brooks, Jill Tyerman, Cath Devereux, Karen Shields and Marnie Crowther
Odyssey Systems has invested in a cost-effective electric vehicle charging station that has increased its charging capacity fourfold.

The Stockton-based telecommunications company is now able to keep its four electric cars on the road much longer, thanks to the rapid charge technology.

The installation of the charger – part of the company’s ongoing strategy to convert its entire fleet to electric – is also available for Odyssey staff to use, encouraging more to switch to hybrid or pure electric vehicles for their daily commute.

The Rolec 22kW Quantum pedestal charger, installed by Hartlepool-based JDM Earth, can deliver up to a 90-mile range after just one hour’s charge, with a full charge taking between three and five hours.

This is compared with an outdated EV charger already fitted at the Preston Farm premises that requires an entire day to fully charge just one electric vehicle – which previously severely limited the number of electric vehicles the company could operate.

Andrew Middlemiss, finance director of Odyssey Systems said: “This really is a game changer as the business transitions towards creating a greener fleet of vehicles.

“We were restricted by ‘range anxiety’ based on the length of time it took to achieve a full charge and the limited number of vehicles able to be plugged in.

“This new charge point allows our salespeople to hit the road with sufficient range for a round trip to Leeds or Newcastle. It means electric vehicles are no longer at a disadvantage when compared with their petrol or diesel counterparts.

“We’re keen to convert our entire fleet to electric, as it makes sense both for both the environment and our business, which is rapidly evolving in its aim to become carbon neutral.

“Odyssey Systems is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and I hope that by investing in this charging infrastructure we can play a part in the growing trend towards a widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

Jennifer Mullen, operations director of JDM Earth, said: “As an EV charging installation specialist, we are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of businesses installing workplace charge points.

“As the technology continues to evolve, there has been a growing demand for electric cars, this is largely due to the upcoming tax incentives for electric company vehicles, cost efficiencies, the current subsidies available and also businesses looking to increase their green credentials.”
A long-established manufacturer of hair and beauty care products is eyeing up expansion with the upgrade of its telecommunications system.

Newton Aycliffe-based Tricogen Laboratories has invested in the new system to support its staff and connectivity between its site in the town and expansion into Sweden.

Odyssey, a Tees Valley-based telecommunications and technology company, has worked with Tricogen for more than 10 years and installed the hosted telephony system. The upgrade has also supported staff’s flexible working as the sales team are able to access the system remotely using an app-based platform.

The installation will also support Tricogen’s future expansion as it aims to launch further sites and the hosted system will amalgamate and connect all current and new locations’ telecommunications and networks together.

Established in 1946, Tricogen manufactures an extensive range of hair and beauty care products for customers operating internationally, including salon groups, celebrity hairdressers, specialist animal grooming suppliers and wholesalers to the professional hair and beauty trade. The company is headquartered at its 1.5-acre site on Aycliffe Business Park.

Neil Bagnall, Operations Director of Tricogen Laboratories, said: “We are committed to continued investment in our infrastructure and processes, which will support our long-term growth. We have worked with Odyssey for more than a decade, which has advised on and delivered effective solutions as technology has advanced to meet our bespoke requirements.

“There is scope for future expansions with new locations and this latest enhancement to our system provides us with the connectivity and technology to support our ambitious aims.”

Christine Gilbert, Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “We’ve enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Tricogen, supporting its technological needs as it continues to grow and develop as a global brand. The new system supports flexible working and dealing with customers remotely, while future-proofing the business in the event of expansion and strengthening the connectivity between Tricogen’s locations.”

Established in 1987, Odyssey Systems is an award-winning company and leading supplier of hosted telephony, cloud services and high-speed connectivity solutions to more than 2,500 customers in the UK.
Odyssey Systems has supported the expansion of a Tees Valley-based veterinary practice as it extends its offering to pet owners across the region.

Jacqui Paterson’s Veterinary Surgery has doubled the size of its Nunthorpe practice after leasing larger premises on The Avenue, in the village.

It previously operated out of a smaller satellite practice on The Avenue and required a larger one to cope with increased demand as well as to be able to deliver further veterinary services.

Telecommunications firm Odyssey, which has worked with Jacqui Paterson for more than five years, supported the expansion and move with the installation of a future-proofed system to connect each of its sites.

The company has installed new hosted-telephony technology from Mitel, which enables seamless connection between the practice locations for both internal and external calls.

Established in 1996, Jacqui Paterson Veterinary Surgery has grown to become the largest independent veterinary practice in Teesside, employing more than 20 staff. due to its 3 locations Jenny Walker, Practice Manager at Jacqui Paterson Veterinary Surgery, said: “The practice has gone from strength to strength in recent years and this latest expansion demonstrates our commitment to our customers. We are now able to deliver even more services at our larger premises, which is driving growth as we are now able to meet our continued increased demand. “

To be able to deliver for our customer base, we require a robust system in place to be able to manage our team’s schedules and deal with enquiries and bookings, and Odyssey has supported our endeavours for many years. This latest system installation has future-proofed the business further and ensures we are able to look after our clients and their pets in an efficient manner, while contributing to our future success.”

Preston Farm-based Odyssey Systems is an award-winning company and leading supplier of hosted telephony, cloud services and high-speed connectivity solutions to more than 2,500 customers in the UK.

Christine Gilbert, Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “We have worked alongside Jacqui Paterson’s for many years now to support its telecommunications across the practice’s multiple sites. It was great to be involved in this latest expansion and we were able to provide a modern solution that fits the practice perfectly and enhances Jacqui Paterson’s connectivity.”
Today (8^th March 2019) marked International Women’s Day (IWD) and we were delighted to host a special event to commemorate the occasion.

IWD is a United Nations initiative which celebrates the various political, social and economic achievements of women across the globe.

We welcomed a host of local female business leaders, including many of our customers, to our HQ for one of our Ladies’ Breakfast events for a discussion on the initiative and why it is important to celebrate such events and champion women in business. You can learn more about our event by watching a short video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMamExER0BA
Odyssey Systems is progressing with its investment plans as it reaffirms its commitment to clean energy.

The Stockton-based telecommunications specialist is preparing the next phase of its head office development, which will see a large scale extension of its car park to accommodate electric vehicle charge points in preparation for a further investment in its fleet.

Odyssey will also be expanding its fleet of vehicles for its technicians when it purchases new, 2019 Nissan Leaf electrical vehicles, once available, as part of the long-term investment.

The company has embarked on its strategy to help future-proof the business and support its clients operating throughout the North East and beyond with effective transport solutions.

Odyssey has also installed solar reflective film on the windows of its head office building as an energy saving measure, which reduces the reliance on air-conditioning by its workforce.

In 2016, Odyssey invested in its new premises at Preston Farm, with an extensive fit-out and refurbishment, while also creating a further 20,000 sq.ft of space at the site to create fully-fitted offices for business tenants. The business park has several companies operating from it.

Mike Odysseas, Managing Director of Odyssey Systems, said: “Once fully-operational, the results of our long-term strategy will further enhance the delivery of services to clients that will improve productivity. It is a significant investment that builds on our move to a new, fully-functional head office, while demonstrating our ongoing commitment to clean energy and minimising our carbon footprint.

“This marks another exciting period in our company’s history as the site development and further investment in our transport fleet and new technologies will future-proof our operation.”
Odyssey Systems prides itself on network security and keeping our customers safe and secure at all times. We understand how sensitive your information is and we actively scan our network for security vulnerabilities on a daily basis to make sure we are always one step ahead.
In today’s society, we understand you have a lot of sensitive information to protect and we play our part in keeping it safe and secure.
We would like to share with you the following simple rules that could help protect your data:

• Depending on the sensitivity of the information being protected, you should change your passwords periodically, and avoid re- using a password for at least one year.
• Do use at least eight characters containing both lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols in your password.
• Protect your information by creating a secure password that makes sense to you, but no one else.
• Do not give your password to anyone – keep it to yourself.
• Avoid entering passwords on computers you don’t control and always remember to log out of a device when you’re finished.

Most people don’t realize there are a number of common techniques used to crack passwords and a variety of ways that can make your accounts vulnerable to hackers. These include using simple and widely used passwords, so be sure to follow our rules and guidance to keep you and your data safe.
If you require any help or advice on security, please call us on 01642 661888, and we would be happy to discuss with you our managed routers, as well as the other products we offer to our customers.