Odyssey System’s MD Mike Odysseas, and Accounts Manager Andrew Middlemiss, cycling 185 miles from Darlington to Peterborough.
The event was done in aid of Daisy Chain Charity, with a total of £3682 raised in sponsorship money.
Mike continued: “Good broadband is key to so many things which are critical to businesses in this day and age. For example, architects, web designers and engineers regularly need to send large files from one place to another, while video conferencing helps to ensure that colleagues, clients and contractors are only a click away, wherever they are in the world, opening up new markets.
“Likewise, the growing trend of flexible working means that many companies and individuals benefit from the ability to work remotely, while the increasing tendency to communicate via VoIP systems, rather than traditional copper wire telephone networks, shows how broadband can bring savings in bills.
“As well as company bosses, business parks and even local authorities which wish to attract high quality businesses to their areas need to be acutely aware of the requirements of commerce in the 21st Century and how their communications infrastructures meet these demands.”
> View Map Of Locations Impacted…
“Businesses outside of the areas close to exchanges can, however, benefit from higher speeds, as we are able to bond multiple outputs together to achieve excellent speeds with high reliability.”
“From September, businesses in eight areas of the Tees Valley will also be able to access the new super fast broadband of up to 40 MB when the ‘fibre to the cabinet’ system, which replaces traditional copper wire with glass fibre optics, is rolled out.
Fibre to the cabinet works by overlaying the copper wire from the exchange to the street cabinet with fibre optics. Fibre optics can carry far more information than copper, in a shorter space of time with minimum drop out. In essence it is like moving the exchange much closer to your doorstep.
Communications watchdog OFCOM says that while broadband speeds are improving, average download speeds remain less than half of “up to” speeds advertised by some Internet Service Providers (ISPs).
“The closer a business is to an area exchange, the better the chance of achieving a high speed. Each exchange is capable of giving 24 megabits per second broadband, but the further a business is from the exchange, the more this speed will drop off,” said Mike Odysseas, managing director of Odyssey Systems.
“If you can’t see the exchange, there is a good chance you won’t get close to that optimum speed and while many of these exchanges serve hundreds of business premises, only those closest will receive full benefits.”
Mike continued: “Broadband speed is becoming an increasing consideration for firms when making the decision on where to position their operations. The cost of establishing a new office, or relocating, is huge, so to ignore something as critical as communications infrastructure would be inconceivable. This is equally the case with people choosing where to live.
“However, it is important to acknowledge that the reality of broadband speed is often a long way off the quoted figures which providers supply. Therefore, professional advice from experienced telecommunications experts is vital before making a decision.
ODYSSEY NAME THE
TEES VALLEY’S BUSINESS
BROADBAND HOTSPOTS
Odyssey Systems, the premium business communications specialist, has named the best business zones in the Tees Valley for high quality broadband access.
Focussing on the likelihood of achieving high speeds, as opposed to quoted “up to” figures, the Stockton-based firm has outlined those areas best served by broadband exchanges. The aim is to encourage businesses – and those which wish to attract them – to become more aware of the importance of a strong communications infrastructure.
Odyssey Systems has also highlighted the eight areas that are set to benefit from “super fast broadband”, due to exchange upgrades later this year.
> View Map Of Locations Impacted…
However, Mike Odysseas, managing director of the North East-based firm, says this is a situation which could lead to disappointment for businesses and the general public alike.
He said: “This trend is a false economy, because even while major providers are increasing landline charges to cover the loss in income from those switching to wireless telecoms, it is still more expensive to run a mobile.
“On top of this, landlines, whilst not perfect, are more reliable than mobiles. The interruption of, or inability to make, calls on a wireless connection in parts of the country can grind important business to a halt, or even result in the loss of customers.
“Where is the convenience in having to take calls outside in the pouring rain because there is no reception indoors? Also, what about businesses in areas such as the Lake District, or Scottish Highlands, which might have no reception for mobiles?
“Talk of the death of the landline is dangerous, because if it becomes the aspiration of the many, the cost increases which will be levied upon the few could prove crippling and isolating.”
TALK OF THE DEMISE
OF THE LANDLINE IS
GREATLY EXAGGERATED
Odyssey Systems, the Tees Valley business-to-business telecommunications specialist, believes the “death of the landline” would prove a false economy and leave many disconnected from global communications.
“In most homes, a landline is an absolute necessity because broadband needs to be delivered over this line to make high speed Internet access available. As few providers offer packages that do not require it to be present, so to switch away from using telephones on the same system is nonsense.
In Britain, research has suggested that 15% of homes do not have a landline, but do have a mobile phone. This is following the American trend, where this figure has risen to a quarter.
This was all made possible by the technical infrastructure that Odyssey have in place. High-speed broadband and state of the art video conferencing facilities ensure a smooth and clear video link. Rob said: “When she was leaving, Caroline encouraged me to submit my CV and I got the job in Odyssey’s voice network support team, only to find my own sister training me from her home in Denmark.
“It’s great to have her on the end of the line, helping me to find my feet, because it is a big change from retail to business to business communications and having someone I know help me get up to speed, even if she is thousands of miles away, is brilliant.”
Mum of two Caroline said: “I spend about half of my time training Rob and other members of the team, with the rest of my day spent on client work. With modern communications and working for a company which specialises in the latest technology, whether I’m in Stockton, Denmark or Australia, it’s no different.”
Mike Odysseas, managing director of Odyssey Systems, said: “We live in a world of global communications, so it was relatively easy to ensure that even when she moved to Denmark, Caroline could remain within the team and have full access to all of our systems, and even retain her Teesside telephone number.”
INTERNATIONAL TRAINING
KEEPS IT IN THE FAMILY
Family ties and international communications are helping Odyssey Systems, the Tees Valley-based premium business communications specialist, to expand its team and retain experienced staff.
When family circumstances meant service co-ordinator Caroline New’s future lay in Scandinavia, the company did not want to lose her eight years of experience she had built up in the business, so offered her the opportunity to work remotely.
As well as keeping Caroline, operating from her office at home in Denmark, the change also brought about an addition to the company – Caroline’s brother, Rob New.
Now, Caroline is remotely training Rob and other members of the team, as well as working on projects and assisting with client work.
He said: “The work at Odyssey Systems is very broad. We all work across the company’s 1,300 clients and share our workloads among the team, so that our customers never suffer from a narrow focus or miss out on experience which others in the office can bring to their systems and service.”
Mike Odysseas, managing director and founder of Odyssey Systems, said: “James is a great addition to the team and brings a great deal of experience of working on different types of systems for varying clients, which will help him to play a significant part in our team. We thrive by delivering the right service to all of our clients and James’ background fits that ethos perfectly.”