Network Communications News (NCN) January 2017 | Page 6

INDUSTRY NEWS

Converged services become increasingly important as IT priorities change

Converged services will play an increasingly important role as IT priorities within UK organisations change , according to research published by Six Degrees Group ( 6DG ). Instead of focusing purely on cost savings , IT leaders are now aiming to minimise cloud complexity and fragmentation of IT systems to deliver greater business value .
The research , carried out on behalf of 6DG by analyst house , Freeform Dynamics , found that 72 per cent of respondents are already making extensive or significant use of hosted or managed services to help them achieve these goals . However , this increased u se of hosting and cloud services is creating a complex challenge for users . Thirty-five per cent report that they have contracts with more than five providers .
The majority of respondents said that providers who aggregate multiple services into a single integrated solution have a key role to play .
The research also revealed that 84 per cent were already using converged services , with this expected to rise within three years , demonstrating that the delivery of converged services is growing in popularity .
Tony Lock , distinguished analyst at Freeform Dynamics , commented , ‘ The use of converged services presents a clear opportunity to IT teams to simplify the operational management burden and allow them to focus more on delivering additional value to the business .’

MediaCityUK buildings named best for connectivity in the North

MediaCityUK buildings have officially been rated as the first Wired Certified Platinum buildings in the North of England for their broadband and telecoms infrastructure .
MediaCityUK ’ s Orange , Blue , White and Tomorrow buildings have been hailed within the top 10 per cent of properties across the UK and United States , by the international digital connectivity rating scheme , WiredScore .
The Wired Certification provides a trusted mark , to help understand what necessary investments are needed to achieve best in class connectivity . This independent benchmark also provides greater transparency for occupiers to help them make an informed decision before choosing a place for their business .
Among the key buildings at MediaCityUK to have achieved the Wired Certified Platinum rating is Orange . The nine storey building , that overlooks the MediaCityUK piazza and waterfront , is home to ITV , Ericsson and the University of Salford . It was awarded a Wired Certified Platinum rating for providing five unique sources of high speed fibre .
MediaCityUK ’ s communications network is managed by dock10 , based at the heart of MediaCityUK .

Females underrepresented in tech sector says new report

The Chartered Institute for IT and the Tech Partnership , show that women ’ s representation in the sector remains largely static despite continuing strong growth in job opportunities .
Per the report , women make up just 17 per cent of IT professionals . Tracing this back through the education system , the roots of this underrepresentation are clear : women account for 56 per cent of all graduates , but only 17 per cent of graduates in IT related subjects .
This shortfall in female recruitment takes place at a time when the sector itself is in strong growth . Latest ONS data shows that gross value added from the digital industries rose by 11.4 per cent between 2014 and 2015 to £ 104bn , more than four times that recorded for the economy as a whole ( 2.6 per cent ).
Gillian Arnold of BCS Women stated , ‘ This is a global issue , not just one for the UK , even the best performing nation – Israel – achieves only 26 per cent female representation . One significant measure we could take , is to correct the pay imbalance . Reaching equality would send a strong signal to women that they are welcomed and valued in our sector .’

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