The power of networks

There’s a lot more to the telecoms industry than just selling the latest mobile phones. Russ Sharman, Chief Technical Officer at Cable & Wireless Communications in the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, looks at the road ahead for telecoms in the Channel Islands

Having worked in the telecoms industry since beginning my apprenticeship in the early 1980s, I have become accustomed to the fast-paced change in communication technologies.

Today, a new wave of change is sweeping the industry. It is not one that will capture headlines in the same way that the latest mobile phones do but it will mean a great deal to business customers.

Technology has developed to such an extent that it is now realistic for telecoms companies to work with their corporate clients on designing and managing private business networks. In turn, this frees up companies from owning and maintaining their own ICT and communications infrastructure, so they can concentrate on their core business requirements.

The revolution that is currently taking place has been set in motion by the speed, security and flexibility of today’s communications networks, which enable firms to outsource their ICT requirements, housing them in remote data centres operated and managed by third parties such as Cable & Wireless.

As companies choose to divest themselves of their own ICT hardware, they become more reliant on resilient and secure network infrastructure as well as global connectivity that keeps data flowing in and out of the firm. What then becomes important to businesses is a communications company that is able to advise on and even manage network infrastructure rather than just trying to sell phones.

Telcos are perfectly suited to fulfil the role of network consultants as we have been building, operating and managing networks since the first telegraph cables were laid over 150 years ago. Indeed, with a history stretching back to 1852, Cable & Wireless has perhaps more experience in this area than any company in the world.

Our more recent experience has seen us lay a new submarine cable network linking the Channel Islands to the UK and France. Called ‘Hugo’, it provides the Channel Islands with an enormous amount of bandwidth, ensuring global connectivity for the largest of businesses. The success of this venture was confirmed recently when Cable & Wireless Guernsey won the ‘Connectivity Supplier of the Year’ award at the E-Gaming Review awards and was also on the shortlist for the ‘Data Centre of the Year’.

We have been working with businesses across the Channel Islands for many years, always aiming to ensure that our business relationships are more like partnerships than the traditional supplier / customer model. To achieve this, we are keen to listen and exchange ideas, so that our products, services and networks are suited to the needs of Channel Island companies.

A perfect example of partnerships in action can be seen in the new access network that we are building in Jersey. This multi-million pound investment has come about largely because businesses were telling us that they wanted a world-class alternative to the incumbent network. The expectation is that the new network will succeed on two fronts:

1) forcing down prices on private circuits and other business services
2) providing businesses with an alternative communications supplier, which will enhance their corporate governance standards.

Whilst the new access network is an integral part of our business strategy, working in a trusting partnership with our business clients puts us in an excellent position to advise on how firms can best set up their networks in order to achieve their business aims.

One of the principal concerns companies have when discussing the idea of outsourcing their network management is security. With vast amounts of data being hosted outside of the firm, this is understandable but the truth is that as network specialists, we are far better placed to ensure the integrity of a firm’s network than most non-communications companies will ever be.

Take our data centres, for instance. These are highly secure, robust and resilient elements of our network. They have been designed to provide disaster recovery and business continuity services and therefore have been built with security in mind. It would be difficult for any company that does not operate in the ICT or communications arena to provide such a high quality of service and it makes sense for Channel Island firms to take advantage of the knowledge and infrastructure that we possess.

Whilst the telecoms industry is famous for the innovative mobile gadgets that it has developed over the past decade or so, perhaps the most valuable service it provides is the understanding and knowledge of 21st century communication networks. By working in partnership with our clients, we can deliver solutions that really do solve problems and in the process make businesses more efficient, secure and reliable.