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News
Keep up to date with what’s going on in the world of Opus and
Siemens Enterprise Communications.
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July 2010
Newsflash
Impending Strike by BT staff.
As you may have read in the press, BT staff are currently going through a ballot process to decide whether to take strike action. The ballot is due to close on 5th July and we should know shortly after if a strike will be imminent. The earliest date a strike can legally commence is 12th July.
If strike action does happen, we do expect service to be effected, but we do not know at what level at the moment. BT have been keeping us fully updated and have several contingency plans in place in the event of strike action.
Fault repair will take preference over order provisioning.
Existing customers will take preference over new customers.
Overall priority will be given to “Life and Limb” customers (Hospitals, Fire Stations, etc) and “Emergency Welfare Cases” (disabled customers, etc).
We are in constant liaison with BT and will of course update you with information at the earliest eventuality.
BT Newsflash
Good news. the impending strike action from BT has been cancelled and talks between the staff are in progress, so it is business as usual. If any further update become available we shall of course keep everyine updated.
May 2010
Introducing Leased lines into the Opus port folio.
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leased lines |
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Leased Lines provide business-class connectivity from network to point of delivery at speeds between 2Mb and 10Gb. A leased line is the ideal solution for organisations looking for unrivalled service levels in comparison to that of ADSL and SDSL whilst offering fully un-contended, synchronous throughput at a variety of speeds. internet leased lines
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Opus Continue To Support The Good Cause
Opus Telecom has been awarded the contract to connect the telephony at two sites by IP links for Winchester based Naomi House, which is owned by Wessex Childrens Hospice Trust. Opus Telecom have been the preferred supplier of telecommunications for Wessex Childrens Hospice Trust for over 5 years and with the recent completion of their new unit, Jacks Place on the Naomi House site, they have now been asked to establish voice links to the remote fund raising site in Winchester. Roland Hopkins, Joint MD of Opus Telecom states “It feels good to be able to cut costs for Wessex Childrens Hospice, Trust knowing that every penny we save them is used to make a families time there more rewarding”.
Wessex Childrens Hospice Trust is a local charity, which Opus Telecom enjoy supporting Wessex Childrens Hospice in a multitude of ways such as donating some of the telephony equipment, through to undertaking sponsored parachute jumps and 8hr endure rides.
Opus Telecom fully supports this charity and hope that you will as well.
December 2009
Two new business marketing executives join Opus
Joanne Staley and Sarah Evans have joined Opus to drive new business forward by supporting the sales team with appointments. Sarah comes from a successful sales background and its Joannes first venture into the world of sales.
November 2009
Nokia 3720 classic rugged phone montage
See the Nokia 3720 classic put through some tough and unscientific tests, including being shot at with a paintball gun, drowned in green jelly, whacked with a golf club, kicked, dropped from a ladder and dunked in a pint of beer.
September 2009
Opus welcomes two new sales people into the telephony fold
Ryan Cathcart and Adam Robinson have joined the good ship Opus and have both got off to a flying start with deals in their first weeks. Ryan comes from fasion sales and Adam learnt the art of selling in the world of IT.
The new recruits bring a wealth of experience to Opus and will concentrate their efforts on building the network side to the business.
June 2009
Opus is seeking two sales consultants
Despite the downturn, Opus is experiencing good sales growth and needs two consultants to join their expanding network sales team.
A basic of £20k (OTE £35-£40k) and a company car is being offered. To be considered for these roles, email your cv and a covering letter to lucy.green@opustelecom.co.uk
NEC becomes part of the phone system product portfolio
The NEC SV8100 phone system is a unique communication solution for up to 500 users. Its expandability means it can work at any level, from a technically superb phone system, to a truly advanced Unified Communications platform.
April 2009
New messaging on hold service launched
Opus has launched a messaging on hold service that is proving to be a big hit with their customers. Realising how quick and easy it is to fill the dead space when callers are on hold with promotions, music or even important information is a simple, but good marketing tool.
You can now listen to example types of voice-overs and the scripts people are using at the Opus - Messaging on Hold website.
Wipe the Swine away
Opus Telecom is offering its customer's free specialist antibacterial wipes for their mobile phones, headsets and telephones to help defend against Swine Flu.
The UK Government's official information leaflet encourages not only good hygiene standards, but stresses that particular care and attention should be applied to everyday items such as computer keyboards, door handles, mobile and ordinary phones which are all common surfaces where flu can thrive.
Download your Swine Flu information pack
Cost-cutting to death
According to recent studies undertaken by the sales scientists at CSO Insights and The New Yorker, investing in improved sales effectiveness should be top priority in 2009. The surveys conclude that companies that invest more during a recession do better than those that arbitrarily cut costs.
With this in mind, a proper audit of your telecom spend and consultation over ways to improve communication efficiency is a good starting point to reducing overheads. Opus' approach begins from the ground up, looking at all areas to business communications and providing a complete analysis to where telecom savings can be made.
Read the full article
Successful Unified Communications solution deployed at Westminster based software company
A Unified Communications solution has been adopted by a leading software company that provides cutting edge economic and planning solutions to the international energy and financial sectors.
Palantir first approached Opus Telecom in late 2008 to look at ways to remove disparate communication devices and improve work flow. Opus tabled the Siemens OpenOffice ME system as a solution to their requirement. The install has been a success and Plantir now look forward to seeing a return on their investment as overall efficiency has dramatically improved.
Another HiQ Dunlop becomes an Opus customer
HiQ, the retail arm of Goodyear Dunlop, is continuing a successful programme of building a tyre service franchise network across the UK. In partnership with Goodyear Dunlop, Opus is offering exclusive telecom deals to all HiQ outlets. So far, Opus services in excess of 25 HiQ franchises and is keen to offer the other outlets amazing deals on lines, calls, Broadband and telephone systems.
Learn more about the Opus HiQ Dunlop offer
Siemens Enterprise Communications are bidding for Nortel's enterprise unit according to the Wall Street Journal
Nokia Siemens made an unsolicited offer for large parts of Nortel's carrier network group. Nortel, once the largest North American maker of telecommunications gear, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in US federal court in January.
An auction of Nortel's enterprise unit last week attracted bids from Avaya and Siemens Enterprise Communications. No one from either company have been available to comment.
The bids being offered for Nortel's various units are believed to be low.
March 2009
Tenacious mast climb
Come May this year, Matt Boyce, Sales Manager to Opus Telecom will cast his fear of heights aside and look to raise almost as many pounds for the number of feet up a mast he will climb.
The Jubilee Sailing Trust is seeking volunteers to take on the challenge to climb the 130 foot Tenacious mast in Southampton.
Opus launch amazing customer referral scheme
Customers of Opus Telecom can soon be equipped with the latest in home entertainment by keeping their ear to the ground and referring on the details of companies looking for a new telephone system or a better deal on lines and calls.
February 2009
Accountant by day crime fighter by night
Following Opus Telecom's resident bean counter, Sonia Brown and her Street Watch gang receiving Good Citizen awards, Meridian TV has spent a night following the team patrolling the streets of Hampshire village Four Marks.
Sonia and her 22-strong team are attributed with a 27% reduction in village crime. So successful has Street Watch become, that a number of other East Hampshire towns and villages have incorporated their own patrols.
Meridian TV are now looking to shadow the Four Marks angels over a three-month period to create a mini-series.
Small business aims to beat recession with smarter communications, claims Siemens research
Over 80 per cent of UK small businesses see smarter use of communications technology as the lifeline to help beat the recession, according to a study of small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners participating in the Business Growth and Development Programme (BGP) at Cranfield School of Management.
Companies with 100 employees could be losing more than €3,900 per employee per year by not addressing inefficient communication issues
On average, 70% of employee respondents of small and medium businesses with up to 400 employees said they spend 17.5 hours each week addressing the pain points caused by communications barriers and latencies, according to a global study sponsored by Siemens Enterprise Communications and conducted by SIS International Research.
The research also showed that while SMB awareness of Unified Communications as a solution is rising, nearly 60% of SMBs do not currently employ one based on the sampling.
Away from the bright lights of Alton and hello to the rolling green hills of Bentley
After six years on Alton's Mill Lane industrial estate, Opus Telecom has moved four miles down the road to the village of Bentley. Famous for the long-running television series The Village, which chronicled the life and times of Bentley natives between 1993 and 2001, Opus' new home is in a converted barn that was once used to process hops.
There's certainly no beer around, but plenty of weddings. Bury Court, where the company is now situated, plays host to wedding receptions and other grand occasions where the picturesque countryside is a show-stopper for alll who attend.
Not even a metal rod will deter the Opus cable guy from finishing in the top 10 this Motocross season
Adrenalin junkies Stuart Dickson and Roland Hopkins are about to start a new Motocross season and look to raise £20,000 for the charity Leukaemia Busters.
Both race at a professional level, but on entirely different machines. Stuart is a MX1 cross rider and Roland races a quad. Injury put Stuart out of the 2008 season and is hoping the metal rod in his leg will hold fast to secure a top 10 finish in the 2009 club championships.
Metal laden Stuart isn't the only one benefiting from modern medicine. Back in the summer of 2008, Roland had a knee operation that now leaves him totally fixed, but still a trigger for a metal detector.
January 2009
FSA call recording deadline looming
From March 2009, firms will have to record all telephone conversations and electronic communications relating to client orders and the conclusion of transactions in the equity, bond and derivatives markets.
The new rules will help deter and detect market abuse in the UK. Opus is helping a number businesses, regulated by the FSA, to meet the necessary call recording requirements and has a range of amazing deals to ensure firms will be compliant.
Help for Heroes expands its business telephone system
Continuing its support for the business communications of Help for Heroes, Opus has donated a number of telephones and upgraded the charitie's phone switch to ensure they are further able to communicate their good cause as it continues to rapidly grow.
Three marathons and a bike ride for Mark Elliott
Help for Heroes Operations Director, Mark Elliott is in training for another year of madcap fundraising ventures. He kicks off in March with a half marathon in Bath, followed by the London marathon in April and a 370-mile bike ride in May.
If that's not enough, he plans on a third marathon with the location to be comfirmed. With a target of £3,000, Mark hopes that you can contribute what you can, even if it's to see him in more pain! The Just Giving site is www.justgiving.com/markelliott2009
Opus Telecom employee receives Good Citizen award
Opus Telecom's Sonia Brown and her Four Marks Street Watch team have received a Good Citizen award in recognition for their commitment and dedication to keeping their community safe.
North and East Hampshire Chief Superintendent, Mark Chatterton was present at the award ceremony to congratulate Sonia and her team.
HiPath OpenOffice entry edition - coming soon
HiPath OpenOffice entry edition for up to 30 users offers integration of dual-mode cellular/WiFi mobile devices and desktop telephony functionality: Innovative widgets bring communications to the desktop.
November 2008
Business solutions from Microsoft
Opus has enrolled in Microsoft's solution finder programme and is already discovering new opportunities to provide business telephone systems to local industry.
The programme is helping a number of companies match their business requirements to relevant suppliers.
An end to a successful year on FreeIndex.co.uk
FreeIndex is a completely free business directory, job site and business advice centre that attracts over 850,000 visitors a month. Since joining nearly a year ago, Opus Telecom has seen a dramatic increase in genuine enquiries from across the country.
Many businesses are calling this directory a real local marketing asset and signing up couldn't be easier.
Siemens and Gores Group venture
Siemens has decided on a partner for its enterprise communications business. The Gores Group, an American investor, will acquire a 51 per cent stake in Siemens Enterprise Communications (also known as SEN). “We have been looking for an opportunity to expand our presence in the enterprise networking and communications space, and this partnership with Siemens provides the perfect fit,” noted Alec Gores, founder and chairman of Gores.
Siemens will retain a stake of 49 per cent. “We are continuing to intensify the focus of our portfolio on the three Sectors, which are Energy, Industry and Healthcare. In Gores, we have found an extremely experienced technology and telecommunications partner, who strengthens the business with the contribution of the two assets Enterasys and SER Solutions. We are confident that this will benefit the employees and customers in the long term. As announced already in February, the transferred business will be solidly financed,” stated Joe Kaeser, Siemens CFO.
Both firms plan to invest approximately 350 million Euros in the joint venture. The new business will combine two companies in Gores’ portfolio, Enterasys, network equipment and security solutions provider, and SER Solutions, a call centre software company. The joint press release details the exciting future for this new venture.
Opus launches new website
It’s time for a facelift and Opus is pleased to announce the launch of its new website. Existing customers will notice an important change to accessing their online bill. It will now be necessary to sign-up to the customer area, from where you will be able to view your bill and keep up to date with all our latest offers and important information. There is also a feedback form that can be used to tell Opus what you think about its services and make suggestions for improvement.