This week in the ICT Channel...

Comms Dealer magazine rounds up the top channel news that broke during the week.....

Giacom renews Big Goal sponsorship

Giacom has renewed headline sponsorship of The Big Goal for the upcoming year, reaffirming its commitment to tackling youth homelessness and fostering community integration through football. This follows sponsorship renewals by Comms Dealer and Sky Business Wholesale.

Launched at St. George’s Park in October 2023, The Big Goal is a Channel initiative aiming to empower 1,600 young people facing homelessness by providing them with access to the Street Soccer Academy programme, run by the Street Soccer Foundation, alongside professional football clubs across the country.

These Academies offer valuable training, mentorship, and pathways into education or employment, equipping participants with the skills they need to successfully reintegrate into society.

In its first year, The Big Goal funded the delivery of 44 Street Soccer Academies, directly benefiting over 400 young individuals.

Giacom itself has sponsored five Academies near its offices, deepening its ties with local communities while supporting its broader ESG goals.

Channel companies that sponsor Academies also have the chance to enter teams into The Big Goal national football tournament.

Following the completion of the Regional Finals tournaments, on 1st November, 12 teams will compete in the inaugural National Finals at St. George's Park, where The Big Goal National Champions will be crowned.

Keith Mabbutt , Founder and CEO of the Street Soccer Foundation dation, said: “Giacom’s involvement has been instrumental in helping us deliver on our mission to combat youth homelessness and create lasting opportunities for young people across the country.”

Giacom CEO, Terry O'Brien , added: “As the headline sponsor, we are immensely proud of how the Channel has united in support of this cause, bringing positive changes to communities and young lives nationwide.

“I urge other Channel companies to follow suit, as Comms Dealer and Sky have recently done, and join us in this vital initiative. Together, we can make an even greater impact.”

With Giacom’s assistance, The Big Goal plans to expand its reach, with additional Academies scheduled for the autumn and continued efforts to connect Channel professionals with Academy participants.

To join The Big Goal and become a new member of the nationwide campaign please visit: www.thebiggoal.co.uk to register today.

CNA Awards 2024 - One month to go - book your table now!

The Comms National Awards, the channel’s most coveted awards extravaganza and with just one month to go, now is the time to beat the rush and book your table at the most extravagant awards event of the year!

In addition to tables and places, we have a limited number of VIP table packages where you can entertain your team and your customers in style with the best seats in the house! We also have sponsorship packages which deliver a fantastic amount of branding profile before, during and after the awards. Message Heather Miles to book your place or visit Comms National Awards (cnawards.com) for further details.

The event will take place at the Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster, on 26th September 2024, celebrating stand-out MSPs, channel partners, vendors, carriers, service providers and distributors. Don't miss out!

Telent fibre network boosts Coastguard operations

Telent Technology Services Ltd has delivered a ￡175m network connecting 163 remote radio sites across 11,000 miles of UK coastline, enabling the Coastguard to provide effective frontline emergency response.

The network required 1,220km of new infrastructure and stretches from the Shetland Islands to the Isles of Scilly.

The first installations of the new network, combining full-fibre and microwave technology, began in December 2020.

Telent CEO Joanne Gretton said: “The new network provides a firm foundation for the future and new technology services and projects that only the high performance of a full-fibre network can support.”

Lee-on-the-Solent, Crystal Palace, Humber, Bridlington and Brighton Marina were among the first sites switched to the new search and rescue radio network. The remote radio sites cover the whole of the UK coastline, spanning Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England.

Talk Straight acquires Internet4Schools

Talk Straight, trading as Schools Broadband , has?completed the 100% cash acquisition of the share capital of Internet4Schools, increasing its turnover to ￡13.5m.

This bolsters Talk Straight Group ’s strategic growth plans and enables it to offer WAN, ISP, safeguarding, and security services to more schools across the UK.?

The Talk Straight Group supports more than?3,000 schools and?275?Multi Academy Trusts nationwide.

CEO and Founder David Tindall said: “Internet4School’s experience in the Education ISP and safeguarding industry will undoubtedly add substantial value to our services.”?

kathy olsson and Philip Pearce, directors of E2BN Protex (trading as Internet4Schools), added: “This partnership will enhance our ability to provide exceptional services to our schools, ensuring they benefit from the best in connectivity, e-safety, and security solutions.”

Support to Win supports workforce with ITP memberships

Support to Win is funding memberships for all its team members into The Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) .

The move forms part of a package of enhancements to Support to Win’s employee benefits programme.

CEO Julie Mills said: "Our people are everything and ITP membership is just one of the ways we're striving to help them achieve personal and professional fulfilment in their telecoms careers.

“We're aiming to create a truly great place to work by building on our inclusive culture with extra benefits that help us attract and retain top talent as we expand."

Sue Langridge , Head of Membership at the ITP, added: "We will be providing Support to Win’s whole team with access to our network as well as exclusive insights, events and tailored CPD opportunities to enrich their professional journeys."

Green IP scores AFC Bournemouth partnership

Green IP has teamed with its local Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth as an Executive Regional Partner, securing pitch side and ground advertising as well as corporate match day sponsorship.

Business Development Executive, Matthew Brown , said: “This opportunity allows Green IP to reach new heights, connecting our brand with the passionate fan base of AFC Bournemouth.

“We are working with bigger and bigger clients at home and abroad and this sponsorship deal will help pour more fuel on the fire.”

Green IP, which rebranded and re-launched from TXI Communications a couple of years ago has also recently secured the Sustainability Partner of the Year award from Evolve IP.

Brown added: “The future is undoubtedly green, and businesses increasingly seek sustainability as a key criterion for partnership.”

Hill to drive AI agenda as ANS CTO

ANS Group has promoted Kyle Hill to CTO to drive its AI and digitalisation strategies, effective from October 1st.

Hill joined ANS in 2023 as Technical Services Delivery Director, bringing over a decade of experience in technology advisory services across the UK and South Africa.

In this new role he will leverage his Microsoft proficiencies to help companies get AI-ready. Hill is a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional for Business Applications and a Microsoft Regional Director.

This comes shortly after?ANS?was named Microsoft’s UK Services Partner of the Year 2024.?ANS?is strategically aligned with Microsoft in its focus on helping companies get AI-ready, and Kyle will accelerate this ambition in his new role.???

Richard Thompson , CEO of?ANS?said “Kyle’s passion for the value that AI can create for our customers will be instrumental in helping businesses of all sizes realise their ambitions.”?

Hill added: “With AI at the forefront of everyone’s minds, now is the time for all businesses to be getting AI ready and unlock its value. I'll be facilitating the introduction of the innovative work processes that AI brings customers and kickstarting a revolution in business?operations.”?

Thanks for reading and we hope to see you back here next Friday for the latest news update. Be sure to subscribe at the top of this newsletter to get your copy.