Cambium Networks wins award

APC Solutions first formed its relationship with Cambium Networks, which was previously known as Motorola and prior to this Orthogon Systems in 2002. APC is now a Platinum partner in the UK carrying Cambium’s entire point to point and point to multi point wireless range.

Cambium Networks has just been named the 2012 Manufacturer of the Year by the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association. This prestigious accolade is awarded for product innovation and outstanding contributions to WISPA and the fixed wireless broadband industry.

Cambium was awarded its award at the annual WISPAPALOOZA conference at the South Point Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

APC Solutions works closely with Cambium to install wireless networks around the globe. With its satellite offices in South Africa and North America and with further expansion to the Middle East in 2013, APC is ensuring its clients can not only see results in the UK but also, globally.

In the current challenging economic times, investing in your company’s connectivity can seem the last thing on an ever growing to do list. But, with Cambiums technology installed, planned and deployed by APC Solutions, ROI can be achieved in a matter of years compared with an alternative lease line agreement.

Speaking about Cambium’s award, David Bell, APC Solutions Group Sales Director comments: “Having worked with Cambium, previously known as Motorola, for many years we have seen firsthand how the company has grown and expanded across the wireless market. Its products offer the best connectivity and reliability allowing APC to install networks even in the most challenging of circumstances. Where other products can fall short, we can always rely on Cambium products to complete the job. The award is greatly deserved and we look forward to continuing our relationship with the company as we further expand ours.”

Leased Line Replacement

With the current economic climate, investing in your infrastructure and data network maybe the last thing on your mind? But, with on-going maintenance support and expensive subscription costs for your existing IT network often in excess of £10K a year per circuit, how much difference would a saving of over 25% per annum make to your bottom line?

Installing a wireless network doesn't mean a considerable investment, the ROI can be returned in a matter of years leaving you with ownership of your network and a simple to manage service level agreement in place. 

There is also the small matter of bandwidth. With technology constantly evolving, applications like live streaming, video conferencing and Cloud based applications are all becoming commonplace in today’s work place, traditional technologies simply can’t deliver the required speeds, and the battle for fast, reliable and flexible internet connectivity has begun.   

These fixed line cable alternatives also often come with data limits, extensive fees, and additional costs for larger bandwidth speeds, many are locked and limited for certain applications only, the user has limited access and control to their own systems.   As a result, many businesses are finding their forecasted costs can double, come the end of the financial year, purely to accommodate for changes or alterations to their network.   

And what happens when there’s a problem? The circuit goes down, the company halts and has to wait for an outside party to diagnose and fix the problem, costing both valuable time and money. There is also the worry of fixed lines being cut during construction projects or road works, lines not working at critical times and extreme weather damaging reliability.

Finally, there is the wait time for a circuit to be installed and activated. Often a connection can be required within the same week, but with fixed lines having to be installed and connected and there not always being an existing circuit in place to the building, a week turnaround is nigh on impossible. Most fixed lines providers give a 60day “go live” date from the initial enquiry, in this time they will conduct their survey, and in many cases advise customers of extensive extra construction costs.  We have seen these costs spiral to in excess of £100k for one single circuit from some providers.

However, this is not so with wireless. A connection can be requested, planned, implemented and installed in under a week, and in some cases in less than 24hrs for disaster recovery projects.  Wireless can also be installed as a short term fix, no need to sign lengthy contracts for 12, 24, 36 months terms, we can supply a solution for as little as 24hrs, providing complete flexibility.

Cambium Point-to-Point (PTP) and Point-to-Multipoint (PMP) Wireless Broadband solutions, installed by APC Solutions, advantages can be substantial. First, you can eliminate or significantly reduce monthly lease fees. Overall network performance can be upgraded, which is especially important to support today’s in-demand, real-time applications such as Voice-over-IP, video surveillance, and video conferencing.

In many networks, local access is the most problematic point of network congestion. Wireless broadband can provide a stable, high-performance platform to ease local-access bottlenecks. Wireless also enables agile and flexible bandwidth provisioning that can be easily and quickly scaled up or down to match dynamic traffic patterns. Its unique, problem-solving technology is also able to increase reliability and connect remote, hard-to-reach locations while offering exceptional quality of service. Plus, its non-line-of-sight (NLOS) systems communicate steadfastly in some of the most challenging environments on earth.

VERSATILITY

APC Solutions Cambium Networks PTP and PMP wireless solutions can support a wide range of network applications, including:

• Replacing leased-line service with wireless broadband

• Extending fiber networks with wireless

• Deploying a wireless backup network to ensure business continuity

• Furthering network migration by integrating wireless into hybrid networks

Optimising network performance and extending network services to additional users while containing costs is an ongoing process. With systems that deliver up to 700 Mbps aggregate throughput, APC solutions can transmit high-definition video very efficiently. High quality-of-service and low latency – as low as 1.7 milliseconds – can protect the quality of voice communications.

Fixed wireless networks are significantly more cost-effective and faster-to-deploy solutions. Systems can be planned and deployed in a matter of days or weeks rather than months or years. Equally important, cost of expansion is significantly reduced. Plus our PTP and PMP systems can perform reliably over long distances, in obstructed environments and high interference, as well as severe weather conditions.

BETTER RESULTS WITH LESS COST

There are two major reasons to replace leased-line service with APC Solutions Cambium Wireless Broadband – eliminate or reduce leased-line charges and improve network performance. As requirements for bandwidth continue to increase and budgets continue to shrink, its wireless broadband solutions can offer significant bottom-line benefits.

With more than 3.5 million PMP units and more than 60,000 PTP systems deployed worldwide. APC and Cambium Networks have the experience to help you design a wireless solution that best meets your specific needs. Working with its global network, it has successfully deployed wireless solutions in a wide variety of business and government organisations. APC Solutions has the solutions, partners, and expertise to help realise greater value and performance from your communications networks.

APC Solutions relationship with the well renowned Essex Business Awards started when David Bell, Group Sales Director and Chris Lynch, Group Technical Director went on to become finalists at both the Countywide and Colchester Awards in 2011. David became a finalist at the Countywide, whilst Chris was a finalist at the Colchester Awards.  

Their success increased further, when David won Business Man of the Year in October 2011, at the Mid Essex Awards.  

APC instantly formed lasting business relationships and went on to become the head sponsor of the 2012 Countywide Business Awards that took place in May 2012. As head sponsor, APC chose the charity to be supported on the night. It chose The Starlight Foundation and raised over £2500. A tremendous achievement for both APC and the Essex Business Awards.

So do awards help businesses? We think so. They boost profile; engage consumers and like-minded businesses in social situations that in turn, generate lasting business relationships. APC Solutions has found that the environment on the awards nights is perfect for networking. The mood is casual, everyone there is in business locally and they all want to support each other.

APC Solutions has certainly found that working with the Essex Business Awards has given it a new perspective on networking. It already engages in social media, regally updating Facebook and Twitter with news updates, case studies and relevant news. The awards help to strengthen brand recognition; something the team is keen to ensure is prominent within both the local and global markets.

And, there’s nothing better than networking and meeting perspective new clients face to face. People do not just see the potential of the communications; they also see the person behind the business. Something APC finds repeatedly generates new business and repeat custom from its existing clients.

APC has just recently been selected for two categories at this year’s 2012 Colchester Business Awards. David Bell has yet again been selected as a finalist in the Business Man of the Year category, whilst the company itself has also been selected for Growing Business of the Year. This is another fabulous testament to the hard work, passion and dedication that the Directors and team give to the company.

APC Solutions is a wireless communications and networking company based in Kelvedon, Essex. It also has satellite offices in South Africa and North America and is expanding to the Middle East in early 2013.

For more information on APC Solutions visit the website www.apcsolutionsuk.com or follow us on twitter @apcsolutionsuk

Welcome to the 4G revolution

The 4G revolution is soon to be on its way and APC Solutions thinks about time to. With UK consumers spending over £50 billion on internet shopping in 2010, mobile networks needed to ensure their piece of the pie is safe.

In this time-starved society, the UK consumer demands instantaneous access to everything at the click of a button or swipe of a screen. Need your weekly shop, swipe the screen. Need to order flowers for that forgotten birthday, swipe the screen. Need to transfer money, swipe and it is there. Need to send that report to your boss, update, swipe and send. There are over 12.8 million smartphones in use in the UK and consumers are thirsty for sites that operate without chaining them to a laptop. APC Solutions equips its staff with the latest mobile technology to ensure data and information can be fed back to and responded to far quicker than waiting to log in from the laptop. This in itself plays a vital role in keeping business on track, the ability to do this even faster? Even better.

Gone are the days of waiting an eternity for the standard online version of a page to load, even when you have a 3G signal. Now, there is an app or mobile friendly site for almost everything the consumer needs, often making it a shock to see a non-mobile version of a popular retailer. UK mobile internet sales could double in the next few years. By 2013, mobile internet sales could reach as much as £275m, 4% of online retail spending.*

And not to mention the need to socially interact though our phone. Gone is the time when a simple text will do. Now, it is a constant stream of information fed though social networks. Checking in at each bar you visit on a Friday night to gain your free drink or meet with your friends. Updating your status while watching the Olympics and setting the latest athlete trending. Or even, commenting on that photo of a certain person caught enjoying themselves whilst on vacation. How many of us forgo the morning paper choosing to read the latest news on Twitter as it happens rather than five hours later or even the next day in print. And how many businesses, including APC Solutions use a mobile device to update its customers with the latest news, views and goings on rather than sending out newsletters or hard copy reports when it can do this faster online.

So, just what is 4G and how will it benefit the standard mobile user? Well, it is all about speed. 4G downloads will be up to up to 20x faster than 3G enabling you to download an album in under 1 minute compared to 5 minutes with 3G. Or a film in 10 minutes as opposed to an hour with 3G.

Amazon launched its new 4G Kindle in LA this week, which offers a full year of 4G LTE service for just $50. However, 4G is not yet available in the UK. Everything Everywhere, the amalgamation of T Mobile and Orange is investing £1.5bn to instrument a 4G network in the later part of 2012. 4G is already available across the United States, Canada, Russia, Australia, Brazil and parts of Europe as well as others Including India, Angola and of course Hong Kong.

So why is the UK so slow on the uptake? The role out to 4G has been in the pipeline with Ofcom working towards an auction process due to start in the later part of 2012, early 2013. 4G runs across airwaves and will need to coincide with the traditional 2G and 3G frequencies. There is also the investment and the possibility of the 4G frequency interfering with digital transmissions. This can be easily rectified but of course, demands a body to deal with and educate users to re tune their frequencies.

However, over 82% of people polled by Everything Everywhere believe that 4G is vital for Britain. And, with the UK internet economy valued at over 100bn per year and growing at a steady 10% year on year, who can blame them?

To read more visit the APC Solutions website www.apcsolutionsuk.com or follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/apcsolutionsuk or like us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/APCSolutionsUK

*(Verdict & Ovum, 2010)

Can your business be without a WiFi hotspot?

Remember the time when free WiFi at a hotel used to be a privilege and a luxury. More often than not, you would have to pay to use the internet for a short period through a pre paid card. Or to connect to the internet you had to rely on snail paced dial up, waiting for minutes or even hours at a time for one file to open?

Now, however, the web is literally at our fingertips. With tablets, android and smart phones readily available, the web has never been so accessible. There are now more mobile phones in the UK than people and with children as young as five, and even younger, regularly using mobile phones, we are a nation of data hungry communication addicts.

The number of smartphone searches doubles every two months and over 52% of UK mobile users have a smartphone. A staggering amount of consumers just waiting to get online and search for the latest piece of celebrity gossip, where to buy the next top gadget, compare prices or download the latest software, game or song.

There is still a cost associated with using data via a mobile handset. Most networks cap the users data with customers having to pay for additional MB usage each month. This can lead to exorbitant mobile bills if the user is unaware how many MB each YouTube search is costing them.

But, with the introduction of thousands of WiFi hotspots around the UK and globally, there is a way for UK consumers to surf, purchase and connect through their mobile device or tablet for free. Tablet sales are growing 378% year on year with over 38% of UK tablet owners spending more time on their tablet than watching TV.

The portability of the tablet and mobile device means consumers are no longer tied to the office. The worry of missing important emails or not being able to get a document finished and sent when your car has to go into the garage for emergency repairs, is now obsolete. And with free WiFi hot spots littering many of the UK’s car dealerships, the humble garage has become a hub for working professionals of those just eager to catch up on the latest Facebook gossip.

So just why are car dealerships, restaurants, coffee shops, hotels and supermarkets offering customers free WiFi? It’s an added bonus that can deliver heavy extra revenue for the supplier. If the customer can surf for free, will they order that extra cup of coffee, sit for that extra half hour and maybe order their lunch rather than heading back to the office? Possibly. Will the busy mum taking her kids out for a treat stay that extra ten minutes, order the kids a desert just so she can have a window of peace to catch up on the latest news story or reply to her Facebook messages? More than likely.

We are a time-starved nation and anything that can offer us the opportunity to multitask, is a bonus. Getting the car fixed while finishing the latest proposal, bonus. Launching a Facebook selling business and being able to reply to customers from anywhere, perfect. Doing these things for free and keeping your data usage for the times you really need it, even better.

Are businesses, which do not offer free WiFi, missing a trick? Yes. For a relatively small initial investment, free WiFi hotspots can be installed to almost any business offering its customers an added bonus much as the, free cup of coffee while you wait, used to be. And the longer you have a client in your store, restaurant, garage, coffee shop, the more chance you have of them purchasing something additional. While their waiting, checking their emails or Facebook, they’re more relaxed and likely to be more open to the suggestions of an air con check on special offer for just an extra £20. Or more likely to buy that bag they've been converting, that is after they've uploaded the picture to Facebook, for free, and ten people have commented on it telling them to buy it.

We are a nation of data loving consumers who want everything at our fingertips and if possible, we want it for free. Why would you not offer this to your customers?

APC Solutions has installed Hot Spot WiFi links for a variety of car dealerships and retailers across the UK, to read more visit the APC Solutions website www.apcsolutionsuk.com 

APC Solutions is a leading global wireless communications and networking company based in the UK. For our latest news, follow us on Twitter @apcsolutionsuk 

Is there a place in the office for your own mobile device?

For years, employees have had to carry two mobile devices. Their own and the work phone, which is usually a lot older, lacking in features and passed through several other team members. Employment policy would also often forbid the use of an employee’s own device for business due to data protection and management of company sensitive information. Many companies were also unable to allow employees to use their own device as they simply could not sync personal devices to their business network.

However, in the current technological age where a Blackberry, IPhone or a tablet such as an IPad is often more common place than a diary, employees are using their own devices to connect their work and home lives. To constantly update to the latest software or mobile device would cost small companies substantially. But, to an employee on contract, the cost is nominal.

Does this mean the death of the work device is nigh? Could we argue the use of a personal device not only means employees are more likely to conduct their work more productively due to their existing knowledge of their own technology, but also work more effectively with only one device to manage? We believe so. But at what cost to data protection and management? With most mobile devices linked in some way to a social network channel and with spam, viruses and malwall a daily battle, could employees run the risk of losing critical business data to opportunist hackers? And if so, how do businesses manage this risk?

With initial software investment to protect employees personal mobile devices, which can be monitored via the company IT department, personal devices can play a role in corporate culture. After the initial investment in the software, which can work out considerably lower than that of several new mobile devices, companies can be sure that their employees are not only more effective but also protected.

The current mobile devices also come with inbuilt security, password protection and the opportunity to back up date to an online portal accessed anywhere. They can also lock, unlock and transfer data without having the mobile device with them, critical if the device has been stolen. And how can we forget, documents are often left in train carriages, memory sticks are found and company information shared over glasses of wine or social networking chats. Is there really much more of a risk of data being put in the wrong hands because it is on a personal device? No, not at all.

Companies are constantly looking to streamline their business, cut costs and ensure employee productivity is at its highest. Could utilising the employee’s own technology be one of the easiest ways to do this? With the right management and policy in place, yes.

And not forgetting, is the use of a personal mobile device which could be monitored and tracked by your company, in other words big brother, be an infringement on your personal life? Or would you rather have just one device linking both your home and work existence?  After all, so much of your work life seeps into your home life is the use of a device for both really going to change much? 

Essex Countywide Business Awards

The 18th May saw the annual Essex Countywide Business Awards. APC Solutions was privileged to be the head sponsor of the event which took place at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend and featured 14 categories.

During the evening APC Solutions orchestrated a prize draw to support the charity, The Starlight Foundation. APC Solutions Director, David Bell, first became of the charity when his son's classmate's brother became sick with a brain tumour. Joshua's mum, Beverly, would regularly attend his son's football matches to try and gather donations and raise awareness of the charity. 

David and the team at APC wanted to help Beverly raise awareness of this fantastic charity which grants wishes to seriously sick children and those which face long stays in hospital undergoing treatment. In the Christmas of 2011, APC Solutions staff chose to forgo their annual Christmas drinks bonus to donate to the Starlight foundation. An amazing £975 was raised by the generosity of APC Solutions staff and clients.

2011 also saw David win Business Man of the Year at the Mid Essex Business Awards. Strong relationships were formed with the Essex Business Awards team which saw APC become head sponsor for the 2012 Essex Countywide Business Awards. 

David recognised APC Solutions role as head sponsor could further benefit the charity. The sponsorship committee decided on a prize draw through donation “Grant a wish” envelopes on the night of the Essex Countywide Business Awards. 

The tremendous generosity of the attendees saw an amazing £2272 raised in just one evening. With several fantastic prizes generously donated by the team at APC and other sponsors of the awards including the Lee Stafford Hair and Beauty School, who work with Chelmsford College and Aer Lingus. The charity will benefit hugely from the donation. 

During the evening David spoke to Joshua's mother, Beverly. He told her of the fantastic donation. Beverly immediately told Joshua who has been granted the wish of a trip to Disneyland once he has finished his treatment. Joshua's response? 'Mum, does that mean I can pack an even bigger suitcase?' Such strength and humour from a little boy who that day, had been undergoing treatment, is testament to the amazing work Starlight do. 

For more information on Starlight please visit http://www.starlight.org.uk/ to donate please visit http://www.justgiving.com/JoshuaTree

For more information on APC Solutions, the leading wireless networking company, please visit http://www.apcsolutionsuk.com/

APC Solutions provides a wireless broadband backhaul network across Carmarthenshire in South Wales.

APC Solutions has been chosen as the preferred supplier for the Carmarthenshire Community Broadband Partnership scheme. The scheme will allow those which have less than 512k broadband bandwidth to apply for a grant, funded by the Welsh Assembly, to supply them with high bandwidth wireless broadband.  

APC partnered with ResQ Internet Service Providers to deliver wireless broadband to the rural communities of Carmarthenshire. APC would provide the backhaul network using existing radio masts across Wales to transmit the wireless frequency. Using the Motorola PTP 800 licensed solution with various frequencies and the Motorola PTP 250 for the last mile, APC was able to deliver throughput in excess of 100MB across the entire backhaul network with the flexibility to upgrade the backhaul network when required.

With distances in excess of 50Km between points, APC designed, implemented and deployed the network across the whole of the county.

The Wi-Fi Broadband system resulted in Broadband speeds comparable to those available in urban communities. Wi-Fi Broadband will enable customers to access a full range of services including email, web surfing, “Skype” communication, internet banking, streaming live television and previous TV programs provided by the BBC via  “iPlayer” and provided on demand by the other major UK television channels.

David Bell, Group Sales Director, Comments: “APC has been delivering wireless projects across the UK and Europe since 1996 and more recently in South Africa and North America. With our wealth of experience, we were delighted to be chosen for the partnership. In this current time, there’s no excuse for rural communities to be without the same level of broadband urban areas receive. Using wireless technology, APC was able to install a network that would be consistent across all areas of the county, provide high bandwidth and a reliable connection. We have now completed phase two of the project and hope to look at additional phases and role the network out across the whole of the county by the close of 2012.”