Leading real hands on tech review site in Ireland with technology, business news and more. Jim O Brien Tech.
Author: Jim O Brien/CEO
CEO and expert in transport and Mobile tech. A fan 20 years, mobile consultant, Nokia Mobile expert, Former Nokia/Microsoft VIP,Multiple forum tech supporter with worldwide top ranking,Working in the background on mobile technology, Weekly radio show, Featured on the RTE consumer show, Cavan TV and on TRT WORLD. Award winning Technology reviewer and blogger. Security and logisitcs Professional.
It may be unsettling to be away from home for a long time without keeping in touch with loved ones. Would you agree? It can also slow down business operations if you can’t connect with business partners back home, so it’s important to have data on hand. If you’re traveling overseas soon or intend to go abroad in the future, the following information may help you better grasp how international phone calls work and how to get the most out of them.
1. Think About Using Mobile Applications
Even if you have a special international phone plan, you should download a few programs for calling Kenya online or any other country, just in case. Keep in mind that using apps while traveling could use up a lot of data and cost you more money on top of the data fees. Therefore, to avoid racking up a large data bill, just use these apps when connected to Wi-Fi.
Even if you’re on a business trip or vacation, being unable to interact with loved ones back home can be frustrating and even terrifying. With a bit of understanding of how mobile calling apps work, you may have a less stressful journey and safeguard your budget.
2. Think About Getting an Unlimited Plan
There are a surprising number of phone plans that only cover domestic calls. Unlike phones from some other countries, which automatically work overseas, handsets often need extra international packages. Even if you have a plan that allows you to use your phone in foreign countries, you will likely be charged hefty roaming costs if you make international calls or use data.
Given how much it costs to use an international calling service, it might be smart to get an unlimited plan if your current plan doesn’t let you make international calls. This is especially helpful if you want to travel for a long time and need to stay in touch by phone without having to pay a lot every time you call an international number.
3. Employ the Session Initiation Protocol to Improve Communication
With the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), voice and other integrated communication systems can be set up and sent over the Internet. Global SIP can be used with local branch exchanges that are IP-enabled, such as Private Branch Express, which is a business phone system. You may route calls and messages to any of your company’s phone lines using a PBX system.
If you don’t have a VoIP phone system yet, SIP trunking lets you send and receive calls over the internet instead of using a regular phone system. Also, using VoIP, any kind of data can be sent from one system to another. Because of this, more and more businesses are using VoIP office solutions to simplify and manage all of their communication channels.
Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) expands the industry’s top selling server portfolio, with an additional 13 next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers, designed to accelerate performance and reliability for powerful computing across core data centers, large-scale public clouds and edge locations.
Next-generation rack, tower and multi-node PowerEdge servers, with 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors, include Dell software and engineering advancements, such as a new Smart Flow design, to improve energy and cost efficiency. Expanded Dell APEX capabilities will help organizations take an as-a-Service approach, allowing for more effective IT operations that make the most of compute resources while minimizing risk.
“Customers come to Dell for easily managed yet sophisticated and efficient servers with advanced capabilities to power their business-critical workloads,” said Jeff Boudreau, president and general manager, Infrastructure Solutions Group, Dell Technologies. “Our next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers offer unmatched innovation that raises the bar in power efficiency, performance and reliability while simplifying how customers can implement a Zero Trust approach for greater security throughout their IT environments.”
New Dell PowerEdge servers are designed to meet the needs of a range of demanding workloads from artificial intelligence and analytics to large-scale databases. The expanded portfolio announced in November 2022, including the PowerEdge XE family of servers with NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs and the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software suite for a full stack, production AI platform builds on advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning.
New servers for cloud service providers
The introduction of Dell PowerEdge HS5610 and HS5620 servers delivers optimized solutions tailored for cloud service providers managing large-scale, multi-vendor data centers. Available in both 1U and 2U form factors, these new, two-socket servers include cold aisle serviceable configurations and are available with Dell Open Server Manager, an OpenBMC based systems management solution to simplify multi-vendor fleet management.
Greater performance and simpler management
Next-generation PowerEdge servers provide improved performance, including the Dell PowerEdge R760, which delivers up to 2.9x greater AI inferencing on 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors with Intel Deep Learning Boost and Intel Advanced Matrix Extensions The PowerEdge R760 also offers up to a 20% increase in VDI users and over 50% more SAP Sales & Distribution users on one server, compared to the previous generation.PowerEdge systems may be ordered with NVIDIA Bluefield-2 data processing units to provide additional offload, acceleration and workload isolation capabilities idea for power efficiency for private, hybrid and multicloud deployments.
Dell R760
Enhancements to Dell monitoring software and new services make server management even easier:
Dell CloudIQ— Dell software combines proactive monitoring, machine learning and predictive analytics while offering a comprehensive view of servers wherever they reside. Updates include advancements to server performance forecasting, select maintenance operations and new virtualization visualization.
Dell ProDeploy services — The Dell ProDeploy Factory Configuration service delivers PowerEdge servers ready to install and preconfigured with the customer’s preferred operating system, hypervisor software and settings for RAID, BIOS and iDRAC. The Dell ProDeploy Rack Integration service delivers and installs production-ready racked and networked PowerEdge servers, ideal for companies expanding their data center environments or undergoing an IT modernization.
Dell iDRAC9 — As customers seek increased server automation and intelligence, Dell Remote Access Controller (iDRAC) makes Dell systems easier to deploy and diagnose, equipped with updated features such as Certificate Expiry Notice, Telemetry for Dell Consoles and GPU monitoring.
“With improvements in genomic sequencing technology and new methods in the lab driving data growth, data flows will continue to expand in the future. To ensure our continued innovation, we need to process data quickly and efficiently,” said Dr. Pete Clapham, Informatics Support Group Leader, Wellcome Sanger Institute. “Dell PowerEdge servers are well-designed, have built-in security, and deliver the performance that allows us to accelerate scientific discovery and bring innovation to the world faster.”
Designed for sustainability
Dell PowerEdge servers are designed with sustainability in mind, offering customers a 3x performance improvement, compared to 14th Generation PowerEdge servers with Intel Xeon Scalable processors launched in 2017, resulting in less floor space required and more powerful and efficient technology across all next-generation systems. Key highlights include:
Dell Smart Flow design — A new feature within the Dell Smart Cooling suite increases airflow and reduces fan power by up to 52%compared to previous generation servers.6 The Smart Flow design supports greater server performance with less power required to cool systems for more efficient data centers.
Dell OpenManage Enterprise Power Manager 3.0 software — Customers can better manage efficiency and cooling goals, monitor carbon emissions and set power caps up to 82% faster to limit overall energy usage. With the enhanced sustainability target tool, customers can determine overall server use, virtual machine and facility energy consumption, leak detection for liquid cooling systems, and more.
Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT)— Four next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers will be available with the EPEAT silver designation, and 46 systems will be designated EPEAT bronze. The EPEAT ecolabel is a leading global designation, covering products and services from the technology sector that demonstrate a responsible purchasing decision.
“Today’s modern data center requires continuous performance improvements for complex workloads such as AI, ML and VDI,” said Kuba Stolarski, research vice president, IDC Enterprise Infrastructure Practice. “As data center operators endeavor to keep up with the demand from these resource hungry workloads, they must also prioritize environmental and security goals. With its new Smart Flow design, coupled with enhancements to its power and cooling management tools, Dell offers organizations significant improvements in efficient server operation alongside the raw performance gains in its newest generation of servers.”
Reliability and security at the core
Next-generation PowerEdge servers help accelerate Zero Trust adoption within organizations’ IT environments. The devices constantly verify access, assuming every user and device is a potential threat. At the hardware level, silicon-based hardware root of trust, with elements including the Dell Secured Component Verification (SCV), helps verify supply chain security from design to delivery. Additionally, multifactor authentication and integrated iDRAC verifies users before granting access.
A secure supply chain also enables customers to advance their Zero Trust approach. Dell SCV offers cryptographic verification of components, which extends supply chain security to the customer’s site.
Delivering a scalable, modern compute experience
Customers looking for OpEx flexibility can consume PowerEdge servers as a subscription through Dell APEX today. Using advanced data collection and processor-based measurement by the hour, customers can take a flexible approach to avoid the costs associated with over-provisioning their compute needs.
Later this year, Dell Technologies will expand its Dell APEX portfolio to offer bare metal compute services on-premises, at the edge, or in colocation facilities. Services will be available through a predictable, monthly subscription and easily configured through the APEX Console, enabling customers to meet their workload and IT operational needs with scalable and secure compute resources.
“4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable processors have the most built-in accelerators of any CPU on the market to help maximize performance efficiency for real world applications, especially those powered by AI,” said Lisa Spelman, Corporate Vice President and General Manager, Intel Xeon Products. “With the latest generation of Dell PowerEdge servers, Intel and Dell continue our strong collaboration in delivering innovations that create real business value, while incorporating leading scalability and security that customers require.”
Availability
Dell PowerEdge R760 is available globally in February 2023.
Dell PowerEdge HS5620, HS5610 are available globally in April 2023.
Additional next-generation Dell PowerEdge servers will be global availability throughout the first half of 2023.
ProDeploy Factory Configuration is globally available today
ProDeploy Rack Integration is available today in the US, with availability in Ireland to be announced.
Dell APEX compute services are planned for the second half of 2023.
We’ve all heard of solar power before but how many of us actually know what it is and how it works? Probably not quite as many of us. I mean, most of us know the basics: solar technology generates energy from the sun that we can then use as power. But let’s dig a little deeper into the subject…
Brief History
It could be argued that solar energy has been used by our ancestors for centuries, starting way back in the BC days. Remember when they’d use the sun to bring fire to life with magnifying materials? That’s what we mean. However, solar energy that we know today, collected via silicon panels, was brought to life in the 1950s. Since then, the urgency for humans to choose renewable energy over fossil fuels has accelerated massively, as many countries are aiming to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by the year of 2050.
Therefore, solar technology has come on leaps and bounds in the past few decades, with the mounting pressure of climate change and environmental issues at new highs. People are starting to wake up to the need for change, and can now see the multitude of benefits to solar energy – it’s typically much better for the planet as well as the people, animals, and plants on it. Solar PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements) are something that have made renewable energy all the more accessible in recent times – wondering ‘what is PPA?” Click the link to find out. Now, using a premier solar company is more affordable and cost-effective long term than it ever was before, for the individual as well as businesses.
How Does Solar Power Work?
Solar power is generated by energy from sunlight being absorbed by photovoltaic (PV) technology. Electricity can then flow through cells producing a current. This works as solar cells have a semiconductor within them made from silicon – when sunlight hits this, an electric field is created through one of the two silicon layers becoming positively charged, the other negatively. Electrons become loose and subsequently create power that can be converted into electricity for us to make the most of. In addition to efficiency advancements, the physical design and durability of solar panels have significantly improved, allowing them to better withstand environmental factors such as inclement weather and temperature fluctuations. This has been pivotal in their widespread adoption in various climates and regions around the world.
Will All Countries Make the Switch to Solar?
As it stands, many affluent countries are trying to encourage and increase the usage of not just solar power, but renewable energy in general. However, Ireland is experiencing a slow transition to renewable energy for a number of reasons, including a lack of confidence in the implementation efficiency and affordability in current times. However, plenty of countries are going full steam ahead, with China the country that produces the most solar energy out of any other country in the world – which is relatively good news, as they’re the country with the highest carbon footprint and population. China is followed by the EU and the United States. Cost and infrastructure can be something that holds many nations back when it comes to solar, but as it becomes more affordable and commonly found over time, we are likely to see a large shift.
Are you looking for ways to increase the productivity of your team without having to invest in new technology or tools? You may be able to make a big difference simply by improving the office conditions. In this article, we will explore how making small changes to the office environment can help your employees work better and more efficiently. Read on to find out more!
How Office Conditions Can Affect Productivity
Working in a cluttered, cramped, or otherwise uncomfortable office can make it difficult to stay focused and productive. If your employees are struggling to get work done, it may be time to take a look at your office conditions and see if there are any improvements that can be made.
-Is the space well-lit? Glare from windows or overhead lights can cause eye strain and headaches, making it hard to focus on work.
-Is the temperature comfortable? Too hot or too cold can make it difficult to concentrate.
-Is the furniture comfortable and ergonomic? If employees are constantly shifting in their seats or hunched over their desks, they will likely have a harder time staying focused on their work.
-Is there enough space for everyone to move around comfortably? If people are constantly bumping into each other or tripping over things, it will create a stressful environment that makes it hard to focus.
Technology in the Workplace
Technology has drastically changed the workplace over the last few decades. Computers, the internet, and email have made it possible for employees to be more productive than ever before. Moreover, integrating functional office equipment can significantly enhance the workplace environment. Essential tools like high-quality computers and printers make a significant difference. For instance, opting for a multifunction printer for small businesses, which consolidates printing, scanning, and copying, helps minimize clutter and streamline operations. Strategically placing this versatile device in an easily accessible location not only boosts efficiency but also serves as a gathering point for informal employee interactions during print tasks.
However, technology can also be a major source of stress in the workplace. If not used properly, it can lead to distractions and interfere with productivity. Various desktop management services can help employers manage and monitor employee computer usage, allowing for greater control over how employees use technology in the workplace. Additionally, employers can provide employees with training on proper computer use, as well as policies that outline the acceptable use of technology.
Physical Environment Considerations
Lighting – Make sure the lighting in your office is adequate and not too harsh. Employees need to be able to see what they’re doing, but too much light can be jarring and make it difficult to concentrate.
Temperature – The temperature in your office should be comfortable for everyone. If it’s too hot or too cold, employees will likely be distracted and less productive.
Noise level – Minimize noise as much as possible so that employees can focus on their work. This may mean investing in sound-proofing materials or keeping common areas such as kitchens and break rooms quiet during business hours.
Social Environment Considerations
When it comes to improving office conditions to help employees work better, there are a few key social environment considerations to keep in mind. First, take a look at the overall layout of your office space and identify any areas where employees tend to congregate.This could be near the office coffee machine or water cooler, in the break room, or even just in common areas where people can easily strike up a conversation. See if there are any ways to encourage more positive interactions in these areas by adding comfortable seating, encouraging employees to take breaks together, or providing engaging games or activities.
Improving office conditions can help employees work better and be more productive. By creating a comfortable workplace environment, providing proper equipment, encouraging collaboration and communication between teams, and offering flexible working arrangements, employers can create an atmosphere that is conducive to productivity. With careful consideration of these factors, employers can ensure their employees are able to do their best work while improving job satisfaction overall.
According to PlatformCon organizer Luca Galante, platform engineering is “the discipline of designing and building toolchains and workflows that enable self-service capabilities for software engineering organizations in the cloud-native era” to reduce cognitive load and improve developer productivity. In 2022, it became one of the biggest tech trends. “Platform engineering’s positive impact on system reliability, developer productivity, and delivery speed indicate that platform engineering won’t just be a trend,” commented Humanitec Community Manager Aeris Stewart, “It’s here to stay.”
Last year’s conference attracted more than 6,000 attendees from around the world and featured 78 community-submitted talks. HashiCorp’s Director of Platform Engineering, Infrastructure Michael Galloway remarked, “PlatformCon knocked it out of the park, bringing together folks from some of the top companies that are actively practicing in this emerging space. I regularly refer to the ideas and strategies that folks shared in my work today.”
Building on the success of last year, PlatformCon 2023 promises to be even bigger and better. Confirmed speakers on this year’s lineup include OpenCredo CEO/CTO Nicki Watt, Defense Unicorn Value Stream Architect Bryan Finster, and OpenSauced Founder and CEO Brian Douglas.
This year’s conference will feature new and improved tracks, including “Stories,” “Tech,” “Blueprints,” “Culture,” and “Impact,” covering a wide range of topics, from building platforms for enterprise use cases to technical solutions for platform teams and cultural considerations for platform engineering.
Attendees will be able to watch all talks at their own pace and join live virtual kickoff events for their region. Speakers will be available for Q&A on the Platform Engineering Slack channel during the conference, providing a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with the experts.
The call for proposals is now open! Experts, leaders, and practitioners in the field of platform engineering are encouraged to submit their talk proposals by February 28th to share their insights with the community.
Register for PlatformCon 2023 to receive updates on new speakers, opportunities to get involved, and in-person meetups.
With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, the challenge is on for lovers across the UK to find the perfect gift for their partners. Ten Four Communications has put together a selection of gadgets and accessories for shoppers searching for the perfect presents – no matter who you are buying for. Ranging from £15.99 to £209.99, including a sunrise/sunset simulation clock and affordable soundbars, there’s a great gift for everyone.
Help your loved one start their day a little easier with the Groov-e Light Curve.The light, which mimics natural daylight, will come on at the selected time, starting off gently and gradually getting brighter until it’s at the optimum level, offering a gentler wake-up that leaves them feeling fresher.
When it’s actually time to get out of bed, a chosen alarm sound or radio station will also be activated to help users wake fully. For those who like to read or need the light on darker mornings to get ready, the Light Curve has 10 levels of brightness using its LED lamp. And for those who want to create more of an atmosphere, one of the seven coloured mood lighting options can be selected.
Whether you are crafting the perfect love poem, or penning a love letter, the Rocketbook Mini notebook provides a classic pen and paper experience, yet is built for the digital age. Although it feels like a traditional pocket-sized notebook, the Mini is endlessly reusable and pairs with the Rocketbook app to connect to all of your favourite cloud services. Perfect for shopping lists, quick notes/reminders or to carry with you if you’re out and about. Rocketbook Mini comes in 11 colours.
If your partner is a lover of language and conversation , Pocketalk S is the perfect gift. They can enjoy flowing conversations without language barriers when travelling abroad. This handheld translator utilises the world’s best translation engines allowing for conversations in 82 different languages at the touch of a button. It offers more languages than Google Translate and yields quicker results, it even understands regional dialects and slang. What’s more, the camera offers speedy image-to-text translation, to easily decipher signs, menus and more. Additionally, a two-year roaming data plan for use in 130 countries is included in the cost so they don’t need to rely on WiFi or incur roaming charges.
The perfect gift for him or her, this stylish wireless charging stand makes a great personalised gift as it also doubles up a photo frame! With a blend of modern design and 10 watts of Qi charging technology, PowerPic Mod charges all of the newest, and oldest, wireless charging phones, including phones with cases up to 3mm thick and even AirPods Pro. The acrylic frame on PowerPic mod looks great in its own right or can be positioned vertically or horizontally and customised with any 4×6 photo.
Groov-e Soundbar 20
Price: £29.99
Available from Groov-e now and from Amazon, Curry’s and Robert Dyas from February
This stylish soundbar would make a great Valentine’s Day gift for music lovers. Compact, lightweight and offering 10+ hours playback per charge, it can easily be packed in suitcases, taken to university or used in the garden. The two 10 watt drivers and LED lights make it a perfect portable or party speaker. It’s also ideal for video and voice calls. Connect to a laptop, smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.
The ideal gift for your tech enthusiast lover, the Bittle STEM kit is a palm sized robot dog that can help teach tech enthusiasts, young and old, learn about robotics and coding. Small but agile, Bittle STEM Kit can be programmed to walk, do tricks and roll around just like a real dog. Differing slightly from Bittle V1, the STEM Kit contains plastic-gear servos instead of metal ones and thus making it lighter and more flexible with different movements. It is more suitable for general STEM education and those who want to enjoy some robotics fun.
Gift your partner a slim profile, stylish wallet which offers easy access to all of their cards. There is also room for cash and a key. Classy, professional, casual, or active — the GOMATIC wallet is right for any situation. Choose your favourite colour or buy multiple colours to match your style.
Members of the Peel X team were delighted to attend the official launch of Doors into Docklands recently, part of the Dublin Discovery Trailsseries of mobile app based immersive discovery trails, using innovative Augmented Reality (AR), designed, developed and delivered by Peel X.
Doors into Docklands was co-funded by Dublin City Council and Fáilte Ireland’s Destination Town Investment Scheme and Peel X was brought on board, to help unlock the tourism potential of the Docklands by bringing the area to life using its augmented reality and immersive, digital storytelling.
Jess Wright, Managing Director of Peel X, said: “The team brought together the full range of Peel’s app development services to this project, augmented reality, 3D modelling, animation, historical research, script and copy writing, green screen filming, audio and soundscape development, all interwoven to create stunning digital storytelling of the Dublin Docklands”.
“Merging the old and the new, combining history and technology, visitors are transported back in time. Users can see Guinness barges sailing down the River Liffey, a Crimean Banquet held in the Custom House Quarter (CHQ) and the story of the famine statues. History comes to life along the trail with a 360-degree view of the Custom House fires blazing in 1921, and animated Port workers in the Diving Bell at the bottom of the sea.”
Delighted with the successful launch of Doors into the Docklands, Barry Rogers, Head of Dublin City Council Tourism Unit, said: “As part of the delivery of our Smart Tourism programme we have become very familiar with the market of service providers in the area of digital tours, immersive heritage trails and museum based digital tours and digital visitor experiences in Ireland, the UK and Europe.
“We have consulted the market on these services twice and have developed the best practice guide Toolkit in this area. Having worked with Jessica and her team over the past twelve months, I can say that Peel X is the best supplier of this kind of service that is currently in the market today that I have encountered.”
The App is a first-of-its-kind development for Dublin City Council and further promotes the capital’s position as a leading ‘Smart City’. The app is aimed at locals and visitors who want to know more about the city and experience the history of the Docklands from a new and unique perspective. It’s already creating a stir on the international stage too as Dublin City’s Smart Tourism Programme took the Best Digital & Innovation Award at the Global Tourism Innovation Awards 2022, held in Seville last year.
Walking tour guide, Donal Fallon, whose Three Castle’s Burning podcast grew an army of fans during the pandemic, was invited to road-test the app, he said: “The app lets you see familiar places in new and exciting ways. There are so many different stories in the app, using augmented reality, taking something digital and putting it into the real environment, that’s a brilliant way of seeing things differently. There’s great humour and where there’s a there’s a heaviness to the history, that’s acknowledged too.
“I hope people have many happy wanderings around this part of the Dublin from the Diving Bell to the Custom House, using the app. Well done to everyone involved in making the app, it’s really special. From locals to visitors, I’m sure there’ll be many happy hours on Doors into the Docklands.”
With up to 57 nm(65 US miles) of expected range and DC charging, the foiling Candela C-8 ‘powered by Polestar’is designed to upend the hegemony of fossil fuel boats.
Today, the electric boatmaker Candela unveiled the first product emerging from the battery collaboration with premium electric car brand Polestar announced in August 2022: Candela C-8 ‘powered by Polestar’, the longest-range electric boat to date.
The Candela C-8 will use the same 69 kWh battery pack and DC charging technology as the Polestar 2 and has an expected range of up to 57 nautical miles (65 US miles) on one charge at a cruising speed of 22 knots (25 mph). The range is two to three times longer than what conventional electric speedboats can achieve at high speed and compares favorably with how internal combustion engine powerboats are used.
“This collaboration means that C-8 can travel to destinations previously only reachable by combustion engine boats. The Candela C-8 powered by Polestar marks a significant breakthrough for electrification at sea”, says Gustav Hasselskog, CEO and founder of boat maker Candela.
Usage data from Europe’s premier boat-sharing service Agapi, with fleets in several locations in Europe, from Helsinki to Mallorca, show that 95% of their members’ day excursions are less than 50 nautical miles, or well within the range of Candela C-8.
The secret to the long range lies in Candela’s hydrofoil technology. Flying above the waves on computer-guided underwater wings that greatly reduce water friction, the C-8 uses 80% less energy than conventional boats at high speed. Its highly efficient pod motor, Candela C-POD, outputs 75 kW/100hp for takeoff. Once foilborne, the C-8 flies efficiently, drawing only around 23 kW/30hp continuously from its Polestar battery pack – whereas a similar-sized conventional boat would use around 120 kW/160hp.
“With access to DC fast chargers, which now start to pop up in several places around the globe, you can cover totally new routes with Candela C-8. You can go from Sweden to Finland in one day, or along the entire French Riviera in a few hours. For a few euros/dollars’ worth of electricity”, says Gustav Hasselskog.
The supply of battery and charging systems to a third party, a first for Polestar as an EV manufacturer, marks the start of a broader intended partnership between Polestar and Candela.
“Sharing our know-how on batteries and vehicle engineering with Candela will help us reach our shared goal of transitioning to a future where all forms of transport are sustainable,” says Thomas Ingenlath, CEO Polestar.
Canon UK & Ireland is excited to announce the opening of two new Canon Business Centres in collaboration with Platinum Partners SOS Systems in Crawley, West Sussex and Cantec Group in Munster, Ireland. Both new openings will support local businesses by delivering print and document management expertise, alongside bespoke and unrivalled customer service.
Following in the footsteps of Canon’s highly successful Canon Business Centre North East, which operates in Newcastle, Canon Business Centre Munster (CBC Munster) and Canon Business Centre SOS (CBC SOS) will open their doors on Tuesday 17th January 2023.
Both of the new CBCs are the first in their respective regions and will offer advice to local businesses, providing them with tailored technology solutions to support their wider business needs. The newly formed CBCs will combine the expertise of a local and trusted reseller with the strength of Canon’s award-winning portfolio of products and solutions.
Based in Crawley, SOS Systems has a customer base which stretches throughout the South of England across multiple sectors. The business was established in 1985 and prides itself on its high levels of customer service, flexibility and innovation expertise. It currently delivers print, document and information management solutions to its customers and guidance on wider business initiatives such as digital transformation.
Based in Waterford, Cantec Group was established in 1994 as a photocopier dealership by the parents of CEO Greg Tuohy and executive chair Eadaoin Carrick. Since then, the business has grown with offices in Limerick, Mullingar, Dublin and Cork to become an industry leader in technology solutions – delivering integrated hardware and software solutions.
Stuart Miller, Director of B2B Indirect Sales, Canon UK&I comments: “Cantec and SOS are two trusted partners we have been working alongside for many years and share many of the same values, including an ambition to deliver the best customer service and innovation to our customers. By partnering together to create these two new CBCs, we hope to deliver even stronger support to local businesses, offering award winning solutions which will help them to grow in these challenging times.”
Chris Sills, Managing Director, SOS Systems said: “We’re delighted to be collaborating with Canon on this exciting project – which marks a huge step in our 32 years of working together. Today more than ever before, local businesses are seeking out ways to save costs, boost profits and optimise processes – our new CBC SOS supports this ambition and we’re looking forward to helping local businesses grow and succeed.”
Greg Tuohy, CEO, Cantec Group said: “The evolution of our business has come about by recognising and adjusting to an ever-changing world and the diverse requirements of the organisations we work with. After 28 years of partnership with Canon, we’re excited to be opening the first CBC in Ireland – offering us the opportunity to support local businesses and find new ways to help them enhance their processes.”
Canon UK&I will continue to work alongside other Partners in the regions and across the UK
