CCOOMMMMSS N NEEWWSS
BYTES...
GROWTH
ANS Group has reported a 2.3% gross
profi t increase and 6.2% growth in
gross margin against H1 FY18. EBITDA
performance accounted for 20.1% of
revenue compared to 19% in last year.
69%
of small businesses have adopted new
payment technologies
PORTING
The FCS has produced a whitepaper
which outlines the opportunities
and threats of the porting landscape
in the UK. Long has porting been a
frustration in the market, Ofcom are
reviewing processes for fi xing what
many believe is a “broken” system.
BLACKSPOTS
Reseller RHM Telecommunications
has joined ITS Technology Group’s
(ITS) Partner Programme to allow
it to deliver full fi bre services in
connectivity blackspots with a
particular focus on Bristol and West
London.
SENNHEISER JOINS AWS
PARTNER NETWORK
SENNHEISER WILL BE part of AWS Partner Network through its
product interoperability with Amazon Connect and Amazon Chime.
When customers deploy a Sennheiser USB-enabled headset
with Amazon Connect, they will enjoy an integrated call control
functionality as well as full visibility and easy management
through the optional cloud-based IT-management solution,
Sennheiser HeadSetup Pro Manager, offering management options
such as asset overview, exception handling, fi rmware updates and
device confi guration for Sennheiser headsets and speakerphones.
“With Amazon Connect becoming increasingly popular
for customer service, we are proud to join achieve Standard
Technology Partner status in the AWS Partner Network. By
combining the benefi ts of Amazon Connect with Sennheiser’s
premium headsets and cloud-based IT-management solution
Sennheiser HeadSetup Pro Manager, cloud contact center
customers can now manage their calls and headsets more
effi ciently,” says Theis Moerk, Vice President of Product
Management Enterprise Solutions at Sennheiser. “We are excited
to connect our premium products with Amazon Connect in order to
provide an even better customer experience.”
ISP IN A BOX
ISP IN A box is a virtual ISP
offering that gives customers
the benefi ts of running their
own network with none of
the operation or commercial
challenges involved with
being an ISP. Additionally, it
provides a compelling reason
for resellers of managed
broadband to migrate their
base on to their own realm
and end the ‘lock in’ many of
them feel with their current
suppliers.
Antony Black (pictured),
Director of Wholesale, “Our
partners tell us it is diffi cult
to assess the commercial
advantage of running their
own network as there are so
many price points to wrap
into the overall cost of sale.
As such margin becomes
increasingly diffi cult to manage
and more time is spent on the
development and deployment
of the network than marketing
it to their customers.”
The pace of the market
is such that there remains
little advantage in running
a B2B dedicated network as
the operational headache is
no longer outweighed by the
commercial advantage.
Antony Black, “There is,
however, still a desire for
a level of commercial and
operational autonomy that
managed broadband does not
deliver, this is why Wavenet
has developed a Virtual ISP
offering - ISP in a box.”
Avaya deepens
Google
relationship
AVAYA IS CONTINUING to
integrate with Google
Cloud Contact Centre AI to
provide better experiences
for customers and a more
effi cient workforce, taking
full advantage of the powerful
artifi cial intelligence capabilities
of both companies.
The integrations include
embedding Google’s machine
learning within Avaya
conversation services
powering the contact centre,
enabling easy integration
of AI capabilities regardless
of channel, promoting a
consistent and intelligent
experience for customers and
delivering true omnichannel
experiences with AI.
“We continue to expand
our AI-enabled solutions as
well as our cloud offerings for
customers ranging from smallmedium
business to the largest
global enterprises, and further
collaboration with Google is
providing additional capabilities
to augment the innovation,”
said Chris McGugan (pictured),
Avaya Senior Vice President,
Solutions & Technology. “By
bringing these innovations to
market for Avaya customers
and partners, we enable
them to make every customer
interaction more meaningful and
insightful, and more productive
for their businesses.”
16 | Comms Business Magazine | April 2019 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
/www.commsbusiness.co.uk