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Whilst most of us have heard about the News of the World and their well publicised hacking into mobile phones through the voicemail, maybe not as many of us are aware that this phone hacking or phone phreaking is affecting businesses everyday. This is not limited to the UK but is a worldwide phenomenon, organised by major crime syndicates to create and launder money. It is estimated that this costs UK businesses between £1.3 billion and £1.5 billion each year!

Pre-Internet Beginnings

Prior to the internet the UK Post Office used to manage the telephone network before British Telecom was created and privatised. Hackers were able to hack into the telephone network using a series of tones to fool the system into allowing them to make free long distance calls. Often these hackers did it to prove that it could be done rather than any malicious attempt to create the industry that it now is. Now hackers access business telephony systems through the voicemail ports to make huge numbers of calls to other systems and abroad.

Facts and Figures

• The average monetary cost to a UK business is £10,000, though there is considerable time and effort spent afterwards resolving the situation too.
• Numbers called are abroad and Premium rate numbers, the most expensive
• Organisations are typically phreaked over night, or more likely, over the weekend.
• Notable organisations such as the White House and Scotland Yard have been victims previously. Companies are obviously reluctant to admit being phreaked!

What Can You Do?

There are a number of measures that can be taken to ensure that your telephone system is protected.

• Should you have more than one individual with access to the telephone system then make sure that they have different access codes.
• Immediately disable remote access codes if staff leave your organisation.
• Change your access codes and passwords from the default settings.
• Store your password information securely
• Do NOT use easy passwords such as 1234.
• Review itemised call bills
• Ask your provider about their monitoring policy.

ICA are able to provide anti-hacking software and installation for £695. Contact us now to discuss how we can prevent your business being hacked.

• 10% reduction on systems purchased
• or 3 months free on any new maintenance contract taken out before 31/07/2011.
• Money back rebate to Schools.

As total telecoms providers we have the ability to offer bespoke system packages to cater for your schools needs. We offer competitive packages for your maintenance, calls and lines, Broadband etc. We are able to tailor your telecoms requirements to meet your needs.

We have developed relationships with many schools and have coordinated upgrades and developments of systems, linking or re-locating sites with the skill and expertise earned from more than 15 years experience.

Cash Back For Schools

We offer very competitive calls, lines and mobile packages, and should you consider ICA as your chosen supplier we will return that support by financially supporting your school by giving back 1 penny in every pound to the school.

If you would like to consider a free telecoms review meeting with one of Business Development Managers, please email support@ica.co.uk or call 0845 074 3211.

Position: Telecoms Engineer

Location: Stockport Office.
Working hours: 9am – 5:30pm Mon – Fri
Job type: Permanent.
Salary:: £20,000 – £25,000 per annum + benefits

Description:

ICA are a North West based telecommunications company offering services andsupport nationwide. We are looking for an installation / Maintenance engineer to join our expanding team.

Our customer base consists of NEC, Avaya and Alcatel users and the posts offers the opportunity to enhance your product skill set to include the above vendors.

To be considered for the role, you must have:

• Experience with NEC full product range including XN, SV8100
• Full UK Driving Licence
• Eligibility to work in the UK

Please submit your CV with a covering letter to Pam@ica.co.uk.

Ok –  so that black thing on your desk with a reciever and buttons on is good for making and receiving calls, but wait until you see the new MyIC SDK (Software Development Kit) Phone from Alcatel-lucent.

What is it?

The My IC Phone is set be the most unique deskphone on the market combining the deskphone with smartphone technology and not to mention applications, customisation and access to API libraries. All these rolled into one means that this attractive, touch screen bit of equipment will allow you to engage a conference video call whilst composing an email and then turning the temperature down in the office all from one device. It is set to revolutionise the way we do day to day activities and can in some cases erradicate the use of a PC. You can even connect to programmes such as Skype and Facebook, and expect developers to produce downloadable content directly to your smart deskphone.

“This new device has the potential to be a game changer, transforming the role of the desktop phone from a static and closed device to becoming a more quick, convenient, and reliable alternative to complement smartphones and desktop computer”

Why will this phone be a success for hotels?

First of all it is set to simplify service options and allow guests to have instant and easy access to hotel services, communication options, entertainment choices, room controls and web applications, all through an intuitive, high resolution touch screen interface. The communication link to all the Hotel’s services straight to your room phone will allow guests to feel comfortable and in-control.

So you have just arrived at the hotel and given your room number. Once in the room and unpacked you may wish to set the A/C temperatures, Lighting ambiance and set your room to do not disturb. Just head to the Alcatel-lucent My IC Phone and do all of these options. Or maybe search the entertainment listing such as up coming TV programmes, Purchase live On Demand Films or listen to the radio or link your MP3 player to the phones dashboard.

Once you have settled in and watched copious amounts of on demand films possible, you may wish to see what the hotel has to offer. Select the Hotel Services tab and view the hotel’s listings and special offers like you would an advert on the television and book a time that suits you from your phone. The possibilities become endless.

This allows Hotels to lower overhead costs by channelling voice communications through the network, ensure guest loyalty by creating a unique service, create more brand impressions inside your hotel with a fully customisable interface and finally add revenue streams by making hotel services and multimedia content easily available and accessibile whilst making new opportunities for advertising.

Well, without argument companies that are still feeling the pinch will look to save money and keep cost down, thus opting for convenient and reliable communication options available on the market this year. Without growth these companies will need to reduce overheads dramatically.

This brings me to the first Communication trend that may be successful this year – HD Video Conferencing:

Last year saw business travel in chaos with travel disrupted by a number of train, tube and air strikes as well as volcanoes erupting literally saw travel in Europe come to a standstill. In late 2010 we also had problems due to adverse weather effects. On top of this the Government has been putting huge pressure on companies to reduce their carbon footprint. With the global video conferencing market set to grow to around $10.8 billion by 2015 and clearer HD video conferencing systems supported by broadband networks which are truly built for business, companies are able to dramatically slash their travel budgets and carbon footprints at the same time without having to sacrifice all important face to face interaction.

Cloud Computing:

Cloud computing is a cheap and simple way of having a third party host your databases or software giving your company global access to its data over the internet. This in effect saves time and money having an internal IT infrastructure that only members of staff located internally can connect to. The service is scalable meaning you can chose a small suitable package if your a new start up company or a large system if you have a sharp increase in workload. This also allows  your workforce to be mobile and flexible but is only successful and reliable using a robust broadband provider, without that users are left unable to work and customers lost.

Remote Working / Unified Communications:

The days of the desk phone maybe numbered as businesses look to go mobile. With most workers owning or given access to mobile and smart phone devices – staying in touch with customers and the office has never been easier. As more and more people work from home or on the move and are expected to be contactable 24/7 the need for a fixed desk phone has declined. Again mentioning the bad weather in late 2010, companies that have adapted a remote service were able to continue business and stay in touch with customers. If you are thinking of this approach, a decent and solid infrastructure needs to be set up to be able to deal with high bandwith. Alcatel’s Communicate, Collaborate and Move Office Communication Solutions (Omni PCx Enterprise) is great for such a thing and is something that ICA can help you with.

Wireless Tablets:

We have seen how useful Apple’s iPad can be around the house, connecting it with your music entertainment system changing songs remotely, applications that can control your lighting or even sync with your bath taps. It is a new age of communication tools dedicated to a small tablet, and it is great to see rival companies such as Dell and Samsung creating their own tablets. With the next generation iPad rumoured to house many new features such as camera capability and video conference support, the small and nimble tablet has become a very powerful communication tool. Some say it may eradicate your desktop computers within the office and will also allow you to be mobile yet still perform day to day tasks. With endless Applications at your disposal, expect workforce members adding entries to Content Management Systems, updating Excel documents and scheduling meetings from the train or Starbucks.

Whatever the next big thing is going to be in terms of communications you can expect it all to start with the turn of a new decade. If you look back and compare the technology to 10 years ago, you can really see how much things have come on.

The stylish new BlackBerry® Torch™ 9800 is the world’s first mobile device to have both a full touchscreen and the legendary BlackBerry QWERTY keyboard. We have power, we have style and we have innovation. The new BlackBerry Torch boasts an unrivalled user experience. Enjoy all the fantastic benefits of BlackBerry Torch. Slide out the full QWERTY keyboard and shoot off emails, text messages and Facebook™ status updates.

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 delivers a fantastic all round user experience with 5 Megapixel autofocus camera with flash and image stabilisation and great for social networking, web browsing and media playback.

All This For Free

And that’s not all………..
We are giving away a year’s subscription to Telmap Navigator (normally £34 ex VAT), an in-car holder and charger (worth £36.90) with any new BlackBerry Torch connections (subject to terms and conditions).

• Simple and easy to use interface
• Maps downloaded on the fly, freeing up memory on the device
• Free up to the minute live traffic updates
• Easy to find addresses by full or partial address
• Easily find businesses and places
• Stay connected by sharing your location with colleagues or friends.

Telmap Navigator is a complete GPS navigation solution that gives you the best overall navigation experience available today. You can even continue to make and receive calls.

Choose your Offer:

Offer 1: Vodafone Business Choice 1200 (Blackberry bolt on included) £55 per month Includes unlimited landline calls, 150 texts,unlimited voicemail, 1200 minutes and 150 texts.

Offer 2: O2 Medium Business Frequent user. (Blackberry bolt on included) £52.51per month. Includes unlimited voicemail, unlimited calls to O2 numbers, 1000 minutes and 100 texts.

Offer 3: Orange Business Solo £30. Includes 900 minutes, unlimited landline calls, unlimited texts, unlimited email (250MB).

All offers exclude VAT. Offer ends 31st December 2010, 24 month contract + 30 days notice. Subject to credit check

To find out more regarding this offer Call our mobile division now on 0161 443 5000 or drop an email to: mobiles@ica.co.uk

• Select your screen resolution size
• When the image loads, right click and click ‘Save Image as’ and select a destination for your image to be saved.
• Locate the file, right click again and select ‘Set as Desktop Background’

1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, iPhone

May we take this opportunity to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from all of us here at ICA. We thank you for your continued business and hope to continue to provide excellent service to you in 2011.

To get you in the Christmas spirit we have created a December Calendar Desktop Background. Please click on your screen resolution below. Instructions of how to set the image as your desktop background:

• Select your screen resolution size
• When the image loads, right click and click ‘Save Image as’ and select a destination for your image to be saved.
• Locate the file, right click again and select ‘Set as Desktop Background’

1024×768, 1280×800, 1280×1024, 1440×900, 1680×1050, 1920×1200, iPhone

Office Opening Hours

The times and dates stated below are our Christmas Period Opening Hours.

• December 24th  -  9am – 1pm.
• December 25th – 28th  -  Inclusive – Closed
• December 29th – 30th  -  9am – 5pm
• December 31st  -  9am – 1pm
• January 1st – 3rd   -  Closed
• January 4th   -  9am – 5pm

Once again, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Warmest Regards

ICA

Here at ICA we understand the business aims and objectives of the education sector differ from those faced by profit driven organisations.

The key success factors driving projects forward demand solutions that can deliver the latest technologies, unified communications and reduce costs but are often subject to budgets that can compromise the delivery of bespoke solutions.

ICA can offer viable options to meet the individual requirements of each establishment within the education sector from early years providers, primary and secondary schools to colleges and universities.

Shedding the burden of legacy based equipment can be more cost effective than you think and we have a portfolio of services to meet the demands of any challenge,

from full systems integration, telephone system maintenance, cabling and fibre considerations, to reducing your telephone bills, provisioning of broadband and the ever remaining fax machine.

Established for over 15 years ICA have partnered with many  leading education providers such as Verdin, Leftwich, St Bedes and Winsford Academy.

Our Pledge to You.

ICA identifies that our responsibility and continuing commitment to education providers are met by donating 1p in every pound spent with our network services back to the school.

To take advantage of a free analysis and consultancy to rationalise your voice and data expenditure, please email us at support@ica.co.uk.