CCOOMMMMSS N NEEWWSS
A Fast Moving Target
By Ian Hunter
THE STOCK EXCHANGE has not
been a pretty sight these last
few weeks as the impact of the
Coronavirus Global Pandemic
batters the markets. All the
shares and exchange rates we
cover have suffered badly –
even Gamma lost ground.
It prompted me to add
another column to the table
below showing when each
measurement was at the same
low point. I had to go back
to 1997 to fi nd a time when
Vodafone was at such a low
value.
Today will be the fi rst day
that the government’s new
strategy of holding a daily press
conference about the situation
we face will take place. I wish
them well.
If you have not done so
already, now is the time of
course that business continuity
and home working strategies
need stress testing to see
if they are fi t for purpose. I
suspect that many fi rms will not
even have a plan.
Buckle up and stay as safe
as you can as there is likely to
be a lot more misery heading
our way.
Pre & Post EU Referendum Vote
KEY CHANNEL INDICATORS
Indicator 23 Jun 16 16-Mar-20 Change Change %
FTSE 100 6,338 4988.00 1350.00 -21.30%
FTSE 250 17,333 13596.00 3737.00 -21.56%
BT 439.70 107.85 331.85 -75.47%
Vodafone 217.90 96.63 121.27 -55.65%
TalkTalk 226.60 76.84 149.76 -66.09%
Gamma 440.50 1035.00 594.50 134.96%
£/$ 1.487 1.23 0.26 -17.22%
£/€ 1.307 1.10 0.21 -15.76%
PRAGMA LAUNCHES 1000I RANGE
PRAGMA HAS UNVEILED the
highly anticipated 1000i
handset range to its channel
partners. Initially available with
the iPECS Cloud platform, the
1000i range of IP phones deliver
an intuitive user interface,
self-labelling capabilities,
superior audio and a cuttingedge
design as well as
automatic provisioning for
cloud customers. The 1000i
range is geared to offer
enriched experiences for
partners and end-users alike.
Of the 4 models introduced,
the entry level 1010i comes with
a 4-line black and white
display, HD audio and a full
duplex speakerphone. The
1030i, 1040i and 1050i models
come with colour displays,
programmable keys, dual
Gigabit Ethernet ports, full
duplex speakerphones and
wideband voice.
Andy Herring, Product
Marketing Manager at Pragma,
said: “We’re really excited to
introduce the 1000i range to the
UK market. The past months
saw us trialling the handsets
with our partners and their
customers, and the feedback
has been really positive. That’s
why we’re confi dent that these
handsets will be a great
addition to our portfolio.”
NFON
NFON AG has reported a signifi cant growth rate in fi nancial year 2019 based
on preliminary fi gures. Revenues rose by 32.7% to EUR 57.1 million (previous
year: EUR 43.0 million). Recurring revenues increased by 38.9% to EUR 48.1
million from EUR 34.5 million the previous year.
snom expands learning academy
SNOM HAS SIGNIFICANTLY
expanded the “Snom Academy”
learning platform for its
partners. In addition to
classroom training, the
platform now offers a variety of
modular online courses, with
content covering the VoIP and
DECT markets and technologies.
Digital transformation is
making slow progress in many
areas – not least because there
is a universal lack of expertise.
Specialist dealers and
technicians in the IT industry
are constantly challenged by
evolving technologies and
forced to adapt. What’s the
solution to this? Stay on the
ball and keep learning.
IP telephony specialist Snom
has signifi cantly expanded the
Snom Academy, its online
learning platform for partners,
now under the aegis of Simon
Eckmiller, Knowledge Manager
at Snom Technology GmbH.
Eckmiller explains: “The
Snom Academy is intended to
give our partners the
opportunity to gain knowledge
according to their requirements
and help them keep up to date
with the latest developments
without any great expenditure
of time. We want them to
become even more competent
in the market, so they can gain
a signifi cant competitive
advantage.”
12 | Comms Business Magazine | April 2020 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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