A massive Evoke Telecom ‘Whoop Whoop’ and well done to friend of Evoke Mike Newell for beating a path around London and completing the 26.2 miles that is the London Marathon.

Here is a picture (above) of Mike looking ridiculously fresh soon after he had finished.

How do you do it Mike? We take our hats off to you – well done!!

It’s not too late ~ should you be a supporter of SCOPE, or simply like Mike’s story such that you would like to donate ~ well here is the link to Mike’s ‘Just Giving’ Page.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mike-newell2

👟 Well done Mike ~ from all of the team at Evoke Telecom 👟

Setting new standards in ruggedised smartphones.

Well when it comes to the issue of broken screens and folding issues, TUFF phones have absolutely nothing to worry about! That’s because TUFF phones are TUFF by name and TUFF by nature!

Just as Samsung were planning the launch of their new Folding device – the technical team at TUFF were busy launching the exciting new T500.

With features synonymous with premium smartphone brands available on the High Street, the T500 marks a giant step forward in rugged smartphone design and technology.

Running Android 8.1 and powered by a 5000 mAh battery, the TUFF T500 offers multi-day battery life and thanks to the inclusion of rear mounted fingerprint security and face unlock functionality it offers features never before seen in a rugged device.

Built to withstand even the hardest of industrial, agricultural or field based challenges the new T500 comes laden with an impressive specification as standard.

So, if you are one of those businesses that regularly drops, bashes, sinks or splashes mobile devices (or always seems to employ “Billy Butterfingers”) then look no further as this might well be the handset for you!

If you would like to know more about how the TUFF T500 might help your team, then don’t be shy, drop us a line at hello@evoketelecom.local or give us a call on 01509 278278 (without dropping your existing handset of course 😊)

Around the middle of last year, we introduced you to what we felt was an extremely exciting concept – the Plantronics Elara 60.

For us the POLY Elara 60 (NB the rebranding 😊) is one of the most exciting and flexible alternatives that we have seen coming to the desktop in many years. It has the potential to revolutionise the desktop experience, reignite the whole BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) market and make home working a more credible option for millions.

Did you know that globally 500 million people use their smartphone at work and 1/3rd of those users actually use their handset for their job function? Like WOW!

We are particularly excited as it enables remote connection to the client’s PBX or cloud telephony solution, (via mobile apps), whilst offering a full desktop experience. Fully integrated, you can use: – your mobile, a speakerphone, a headset (wired or wireless) or the handset itself. What is more, you don’t need a networking point, any PoE or even a 3rd party user licence on your system~ It’s just fire up your remote app, enable Bluetooth and away you go.

What is more it also interoperates with Microsoft Teams… how exciting is that!

Our article generated a lot of interest last year, and ever since then we have been waiting on tenterhooks for a launch date. And apparently, the wait is over as collateral and launch information is finding its way into the market, with devices being available in May – Hurrah!

Yay – we are so excited and cannot wait to get a unit on trial in our offices.

We plan to run several user tests, which we will share with you in blogs and newsletter articles so you can watch how we get along as you consider whether the Elara might be the device for you. Watch this space ~ there is plenty more to come.

If like us, you too cannot wait, or if you want information and pricing, or just want to see the ‘Poly’ Elara 60 unit yourself, why not drop us a line at hello@evoketelecom.local or give us a call on 01509 278278.

But what happens when someone says they had the idea before you?

We are all familiar with the brands Polycom (synonymous with meeting room conference phones) and Plantronics (one of the planets largest players in the headset market).

So, when the two giants came together in March 2018 following Plantronics circa $2bn acquisition of Polycom, we all wondered what the inevitable rebrand would look like.

And here it is – POLY is born. What do you think?

Most like the rebranding and the catchy 3 spoke logo. We love it and feel that it really does reflect a conference desk phone and even has something ‘headsetty’ (is that actually a word?) about it. Yes – it really does get our ‘thumbs up’ 👍.

However, not everyone is happy!

One Company in particular, Performance Designed Products LLC (or PDP as they are known in the Gaming accessories Industry) were less than impressed. This is because they claim that they designed, registered intent to use and actually started trading with the logo long before Plantronics & Polycom did.

The problem is not helped by the fact that PDP supply gaming HEADSETs too!

Indeed, they are so confident that they have filed a lawsuit in the US courts!

The decision rests in the hands of the Californian legal system now. But you make your decision – can you see any similarities below in the PDP logo and the new POLY logo above? Different colours perhaps?

One thing is for sure, Poly are committed now with a full global rebranding having taken place. This one will be very interesting indeed. I have the feeling that for someone this could be an expensive oversight – we will see.

WOW – A headset for your phone, PC and smartphone all in one!

I don’t know about you, but I have one headset for my PC and a separate one for my desk phone, cluttering up my desk!

Why? Well, because they have different fittings and so I can’t have one that I use for both. It’s a bit of a pain to be honest.

But, not for much longer as JPL launch the clever new Element X500.

Available with either one or two earphones (to suit) the Element X500 literally is a ‘build your own’ headset. And what is more it is Bluetooth, with up to 100m coverage from your base point.

These smart little devices connect to desk phones, PC’s and laptops, even to smartphones, just using a cartridge which enables connection into the headsets Bluetooth base station. Clever!

And here is the cleverer part. When you get a new starter who exclaims ‘Ewwwwwwwww’ at the prospect of using a 2nd hand headset, well you don’t have to buy a new headset – just grab new earpieces and perhaps a new mic …. And away you go, job done!

As a simple headset

Or add a 2nd earpiece

And connect to PCs, desk phone or smartphone using clever cartridges.

If you would like to know more about how the JPL Element X500 might help your team (and your accounts bottom line) then don’t be shy, drop us a line at hello@evoketelecom.local or give us a call on 01509 278278.

Niall Cowman from Avaya and Friend of Evoke
Cycling 550 miles in just 5 days for Touchstones

Here at Evoke Telecom we absolutely adore Niall Cowman, one of many (to be fair) from a very large team at Avaya UK and indeed globally that support us.

Niall is a bright rising star at Avaya UK. He is without a doubt one of the most positive people you could ever hope to meet and so when we heard about his next adventure ~ cycling 550 miles in just 5 days, for the Touchstone Charity, we could not stop ourselves from helping.

Here is Niall’s challenging agenda, which takes place between the 19^th and 24^th May: –

Day 1 – Paris – Auxerre 128 Miles
Day 2 – Auxerre – Chalon-Sur-Saone 118 Miles
Day 3 – Chalon-Sur-Saone – Lyon 79 Miles
Day 4 – Lyon – Avignon 127 Miles
Day 5 – Avignon – Marseille 109 Miles

And here is Niall’s story:

I am Cycling from Paris to Marseilles (550 Miles) over 5 days to raise money for a fantastic charity called Touchstones.

When I was 18, I lost my role model (Dad) suddenly to Pneumonia. It was completely out of the blue and it turned my life upside down. Fortunately, I was old enough to come to terms with things and my saving grace was university (something to put all of my effort into). However, my younger siblings weren’t so lucky. With the youngest aged just 8 when he died, they had it real tough. Coming to terms with normal changes a child goes through, then adding such a traumatic loss lead them astray. Thankfully the charity Touchstones was around to help them cope through such a difficult time, allowing them to access counselling service, introducing them to other children in a similar situation and being that shoulder to cry on.

5% of children lose a parent before the age of 16. Such a tragic loss can have a devastating effect on that child’s life, not just in the aftermath but for the remainder of that child’s life. It’s so important that given all adversity, a child is given hope of living a normal life. With the right support, this is possible. If you could spare anything you can, it would be massively appreciated by all. It would allow more children to get access to these services that have already steered so many children back onto the correct path.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Needless to say, immediately we heard what Niall was up to, we were straight out of the blocks to offer not only our funding support but also to put this we piece in our newsletter for him.

Should you be a supporter of Touchstone, or simply like Niall’s story such that you would like to donate ~ well here is the link to Niall’s ‘Just Giving’ Page.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/niallc

Good luck Niall – we can’t wait to hear how it goes!

Mike Newell – Friend of Evoke
Running the London Marathon for SCOPE Charity

Great friend of Evoke Telecom, Mike Newell, at the tender age of just 51 years young and father of 5 has decided this year to don his lycra and Nike Joggers and take to the streets in support of the SCOPE charity.

Mike has recently been helping Evoke Telecom with some telesales work, so we thought we would not only support his effort, but also sponsor his running top. And whilst we were at it, why not add a little bit of free advertising in our newsletter too?

Here is Mike’s story:-

My name is Mike, I’m 51 hate running but love keeping fit, running is a fantastic way to keep fit, I love helping charities and so far have helped the British Heart Foundation, The Sickle Cell Society and now the great Scope which is a fantastic charity, I work with great people that share my passion to help as many people as we can.

I’m a Disability Gamechanger and it’s my main reason for supporting Scope. 49 per cent of disabled people say they feel excluded by society. The people I support are amazing individuals – support my fundraising and let’s end disability inequality today. Thank you for reading and than you even more for donating.

Mike has worked hard at his training for many months now, including through the tough winter months of rain and sleep and of course those icy mornings, but is set fair and ready to go.

Should you be a supporter of SCOPE, or simply like Mike’s story such that you would like to donate ~ well here is the link to Mike’s ‘Just Giving’ Page.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mike-newell2

Needless to say, the team at Evoke Telecom have donated to Mike’s fund…so, Good Luck Mike ~ we will be watching out for you on Sunday 28th April and cheering you on!

This month we attended the catchingly titled ‘Margin in Mobile’ event at the Marriott Hotel in Northampton to find out exactly what is current and what is new in the world of mobile communications and OTA (Over the Air) technology.

Even before attending, we already knew exactly what we wanted to achieve from the event – namely to get an update on 3 areas that are of particular interest to us: –

• 5G – what might that mean for SME and Mid- Market businesses in the UK?
• Using mobile network SIMs for fixed telephony and business broadband?
• IoT the Internet of Things

The event was rich with key market service providers, keen to share their latest news, services and products with us. Attendees included: – Zest4, Absorb, Pangea, Comms365, Techdata, Aurora, Nimans and Gamma to name but a few. And here is what we found out.

5G. Superfast over the air Broadband is coming down the track, fast.

Have you noticed recently how our TV screens are awash with mobile phone adverts for the all new Samsung Galaxy 10+ and the Huawei Pro 30 – promoting super-duper this and superfast that? Like me no doubt, when you see this you know that something is about to happen. Could this be the proverbial ‘calm before the storm’? And you would of course be right, as the market carefully begins to position itself for the launch of new rocket fast 5G mobile networks.

Yep, 5G is coming to the UK mid to late 2019 with initial roll out cities announced, including London, Cardiff, Belfast, Birmingham and Manchester.

So, what is all the 5G hype about and just how fast will 5G be?

Well, the chaps with “cone shaped heads and long white coats” are predicting that at download speeds of up to 10Gbps it could be 100 x faster than current 4G networks. That will be fast enough for HD streaming, … so all very exciting as you can imagine.

There are even some suggestions of 100Gbps and 1Tbps in a test lab environment.

But what might this mean for everyday UK small and medium businesses?

Outside of super technology advantages, (for example, live video streaming and huge transfers of data) the most obvious area that superfast OTA data might help small businesses is as a replacement for wired broadband!
Believe it or not, there are still many areas that simply do not have access to anything other than snail paced ADSL broadband! And what is more, it is not only in rural areas but also in some of our larger cities. Have you tried to get broadband access in Leicester LE1 city centre for example?

For some businesses the only way they can access any broadband services that are anywhere near their speeds requirements are those that are commercially too expensive to even consider.
Finally, with VoIP becoming the only telephony option from 2025, it could be that many businesses simply will not have access to the services that they will need to make and receive business phone calls! CRAZY!
As a result we are working with our partners to trial mobile SIM cards in routers as:-

• An alternative to fixed broadband.
• As a Business Continuity Option, should the fixed networks fail.
• As a carrier for VoIP and SIP services
• And finally, in combinations with mixed network providers (as a bonded SIM) and also in combination with fibre broadband services to boost options, speeds and bandwidth.

You would not be blamed for thinking this is actually quite an easy thing to achieve – you know ‘simple plug and play’. Well believe it or not, there are some pretty technical challenges with sending IP telephone line services to more than one connection option! 👍

However, undeterred we have found a super ‘box’ from the team at Comms365, called their SD-One solution and are investigating whether this might be worthy of taking forward to a network trial. This clever little box may enable us to bond several network SIMs (wow can you imagine bonding several different 5G SIMs!) and also bond to a fibre circuit like FTTC/ FTTP or a private circuit. Mind boggling isn’t it!

As we evaluate and trial – do not fear – we will keep you updated. Fingers crossed that it covers off its technical and commercial bases and we can progress to network trial.

We also looked at what is new in IoT – the Internet of Things:

Did you know that by 2024 it is predicted that there will be 150 million IoT connections in the UK? Like wow! But, where will these SIMs be? The potential list is mind boggling:

• Household devices like meters, washers, fridge/freezers, heating,
• Cars & vans, taxi cabs, heavy goods vehicles, autonomous vehicles, hire vehicles
• Medical equipment
• Environmental equipment
• General tracking for stolen cars, capital equipment, sensitive goods
• Environmental services, alarms, CCTV’s, remote wifi and connectivity

…. And on and on – the potential uses are absolutely endless.

Alongside this is the development of the 5G network (perfectly suited to new IoT services) which will enable vast swathes of mobile data to be regularly delivered at superfast speeds – the potential is staggering.

For example, Pangea are doing some exciting stuff with SIM based energy management systems.

They have brought to market their ‘Buddy’ solution ~ consisting of IoT sensors, SIM-enabled connectivity, and a real-time dashboard. Buddy provides a smart building solution that turns sensor data into actionable insights. For example it helps businesses keep track of: –

• Electricity, gas, and water consumption per building, floor, desk, or device
• Temperature and relative humidity
• Power generated by renewable energy equipment

And that is just one example of where things are heading, and the part OTA might play in this. As we keep a watching brief, we will absolutely keep you guys updated over the coming months.

So, stay tuned to our newsletter for more news!!

By Susie Wardell, Director

I was absolutely delighted to be invited to support the local, multi award-winning businesswoman and post-natal fitness legend Dr. Joanna Helcke (https://www.joannahelcke.com/) with her 10-year celebrations of Zest4Life UK.

Held on Saturday 23^rd March, at the beautiful Vegan ‘Prana Cafe’ in Leicester, proceeds from the night went to Sands – Stillbirth and neonatal death charity, an incredibly worthy cause I think we would all agree.

It was a truly special evening and an accolade to the dedication and commitment Joanna has put into building and driving a business that has supported and enhanced the lives of so many.

Joanna is a regular contributor to the national media, providing expert pregnancy and postnatal fitness comment for magazines such as Gurgle, Mother and Baby, and BBC news online. She is also a writer for WatchFit, FitPro and BodyPower and a public speaker at events such as The Baby Show. Despite her busy schedule and being Mum to 3 fabulous boys, she still finds time to provide free classes, clothes and any support she can for The Bridge Homeless charity in Loughborough as well as many other good causes.

As you can understand, I was therefore so incredibly proud to be able support Joanna as a fellow local business and friend. 10 years in already, we all feel sure this is only the start and we very much look forward to celebrating her achievements over the next 10 years and beyond.

Dr Joanna Helcke receiving the raffle prize.

As if donating an Apple iPad to the charity raffle is not enough, I was also persuaded to don a variety of outfits and ‘strut my stuff’ along the catwalk in support of a fashion show on the night.  I’m not going to lie when I confess that I was very nervous, as I’ve never done anything like this before! But sometimes you just have to give things a go, so I steeled myself for the challenge and off I went.

And, what fantastic fun it was! I changed into 5 different outfits across the evening and walked the fashion catwalk. In truth, I really did enjoy myself, it was wonderful and all for such a worthy cause. Here are a couple of pictures from the evening.

Towards the end of the evening we moved on to the drawing of the raffle. I wasn’t fortunate enough to hold any lucky tickets myself but was absolutely delighted when the lovely Rebecca Kay’s ticket came out as the winner for the iPad that we donated.

Needles to say, Rebecca was delighted, and after picking up her prize she sent us a lovely message, and the picture below saying:

Dear Susie,
Thank you so much for this wonderful prize – honestly over the moon with it! The kids have been beside themselves all week too – need to figure out how to hide it from them 😂😂
~ Rebecca Kay

For my part, I was truly honoured and equally humbled to be invited to support such a wonderful cause. Dr Joanna Helcke is one of life’s wonderful people and is devoted to helping others – an amazing woman in every way. Well done Joanna!

I can hardly wait for 2029 😉

We thought we would add a quick line in just by way of reassurance should you be wondering if or how Brexit might affect supplies of telephone equipment post 29th March 2019. Our systems kit is provided in the main by two World Class manufacturers in Avaya and Ericsson-LG.

Ericsson-LG is distributed exclusively in the UK by the team at Pragma Unified Distribution. Previously based at Burgess Hill, the two founders Tim Brooks and Will Morey sought last year to plan ahead not only for their exceptional business growth plans but also in case of a wobbly Brexit and moved the team to new offices with massive warehousing and storage a few miles up the road at Washington in West Sussex. This means that stock is no issue with deliveries arriving next day for any kit that we order from the amazing Pragma Team.

Usually when we buy Avaya product it comes in over night from Brussels. In preparation for possible delays our Avaya Distribution partner, Scansource, have decided (much like Pragma perhaps) to move to larger offices with considerably increased storage space. So they will be moving imminently from their current offices at Egham in Surrey – to a new unit at the Winnersh Triangle near Reading, Berkshire. This means that stock will be held in the UK and will avoid any possible delays in coming in from the European staging area in Brussels.

So, there it is – nothing at all to worry about, your telephony is safe in our hands.

If you would like to know more about how we plan to manage stock through Brexit then please do not hesitate to contact our helpful team at hello@evoketelecom.local or smile whilst you dial 01509 278278 – or if you want to save a penny or two you can call our freephone number on 0800 840 3688.

09.00 on the first day back after Christmas was pretty relaxed for most of us. But not all of us, and certainly not so for the team at David Granger Architectural Design in Packington. This was because Wednesday 2nd January was the date that had been chosen for their move to wonderful new offices in at the specially refurbished ‘Old Cottage Hospital’ at Ashby de la Zouch.

Office moves are by no means easy as we all know, and this move was no exception. Planning had begun nearly 2 years ago soon after the Managing Director, David Granger, flagged the somewhat rundown and unloved ‘Old Cottage Hospital’ premises as a potential new home for his fast-growing team.

Soon afterwards it was all systems go as Michael Perry – Design Director and Lesley Moore – Finance Director planned an 18-month program that would ultimately see them saying “au revoir” to Packington and “bonjour” to Ashby de la Zouch. The end result is an office building that is a celebration of its history and truly fitting for the design flair and project management skills of the David Granger team.

When you first enter the beautifully restored building you arrive at reception, which is a fabulous mix of old and new. The team have done a wonderful job of blending the era of the hospital with the image of a modern-day design consultancy, in perfect harmony.

Should you explore further into the building you will find that downstairs presents a series of offices, meeting rooms, work zones, print offices and a wonderful break-out area for that all-important quiet cuppa, bite to eat or just ‘chill-out’.

Upstairs you will find 11 high quality serviced offices which the team plan to let out to local businesses. Should you be one of the lucky businesses that managed to secure one of these magical spaces you will also find that each office comes with high speed internet access and a cleverly integrated telephone system with full receptionist support. But you better move fast as the very first businesses are moving in in just two weeks’ time.

And what was Evoke’s role in all of this we hear you ask? Well at 09.00 on Wednesday 2nd of January it was our engineering team that were moving the Avaya telephone system out of the old offices in Packington and into the new Comms Room at ‘The Old Cottage Hospital’. Whilst moving the system we also upgraded it to the latest Avaya release 11.0 software and added brand new J139 telephones. This move complemented the new private internet circuit that we had installed and enables the telephone system to be connected to the outside world via new SIP telephone lines for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calling. Very fitting that this wonderful old building should be fully restored yet at the same time brought up to date with the latest technology.

Be you a member of the David Granger team, or one of the lucky few local businesses that manage to snap up a serviced office here, you could not hope for a better or more beautiful place to work.

“David from Evoke Telecom was a breath of fresh air. It’s nice to have a point of contact who deals with everything for you and nothing is ever too much trouble for David and the team. They’ve made the move and our future telecom requirements so much easier.”

Lesley Moore – Finance Director

“We’re delighted with the new offices. They’ve turned out fantastic and make a huge difference to our working day. All of our staff now have so much more space and storage and our new staff kitchen means they also enjoy some downtime away from their desk. We’ve given the building as new lease of life and are very proud to be based here.”

Michael Perry – Design Director

A massive well done goes out to Michael and Lesley. What turned into a labour of love has delivered a stand out landmark in Ashby de la Zouch. Bravo!

If you would like to know more about this exciting project or perhaps can see yourself working at this glorious location, then you can contact Michael Perry at m.perry@davidgrangerdesign.com – or call him on his Avaya system on 01530 560939

If you would like to know how we might support your office move or perhaps turn your telephone system into a system that can be shared by multiple tenants, then please do not hesitate to contact our smiley helpful team at hello@evoketelecom.local or smile whilst you dial 01509 278278 – or if you want to save a penny or two you can call our freephone number on 0800 840 3688.

In the last few years we have seen a marked increase in demand for Voice over WiFi (VoWiFI) but as WiFi technology has become more sophisticated the need for more modern and up to date wireless WiFi handsets has also increased.

Many businesses have been getting by with those wireless analogue handsets (a bit like we use at home) and hoping the user will not have to walk so far as to get out of range from the base station. But there are many scenarios where the distance to walk, phone in hand, is simply greater than the handset can manage. Simple examples would be the teams at small primary schools, or managers and staff at hotels, where people need to be found and messages passed over great distance.

But to help overcome this problem for Ericsson-LG customers (eMG80 and UCP system users) we now have the Ascom i62.

Ever conscious of this the team at Ericsson-LG UK (Pragma) have just added the new Ascom i62 to their portfolio as the wireless handset of choice for their award winning iPECS telephone systems. And we think it looks quite cool actually!

Boasting fabulous voice quality, rugged durability and up to 15 hours of battery life we think the i62 is going to be an extremely popular addition to the range. But don’t take our word for it, why not give one a try?

If you are an Ericsson-LG customer or user and the Ascom i62 is exactly what you have been looking for, or you would like to find out more, then why not contact our helpful team at hello@evoketelecom.local or smile whilst you dial 01509 278278 – or if you want to save a penny or two you can call our freephone number on 0800 840 3688