CENTRAL TELECOM SCOOPS DOUBLE AWARD
Burton-on-Trent-based communications specialists Central Telecom have retained one of the industry's most coveted awards for the second successive year.
Central, which employs more than 250 staff at its headquarters in Burton-on-Trent and regional offices in Guildford and the City of London, retained the title of Enterprise Converged Solution of the Year at this year's Channel Network Awards.
The leading lights in the telecoms world turned out in force at the Dorchester Hotel in London for a glittering awards ceremony.
Central, which is a market leader in the field of convergence and IT, won the title of Enterprise Convergence Solution of the Year for the second time thanks to a leading edge voice network solution designed and implemented for Capita Group plc, the UK's leading provider of outsourced professional and support services.
The solution demonstrated Central's unique ability to create solutions, which address real business needs and achieve tangible business benefits such as customer retention and deliver competitive advantage.
The Channel Network Awards, which are organised by BPL Business Ltd, publishers of Comms Dealer, Communicate and Channel Business and IT Europa, recognise best practice in client solutions and encourages channel partnerships and relationships across the whole of the IT, telephony, voice/data convergence and Internet industries.
They are the only awards that recognise real world ICT solutions as well as channel partnerships and are divided into two sections - the first are exclusively for resellers such as Central who provide solutions for their clients, ranging from SMEs to major enterprises, whilst the second are for suppliers who support their channel partners to deliver these solutions.
The judging panel in the reseller section, which was made up of independent industry experts, were looking for solutions that exceeded the customer's expectations. There was a particular focus on dedication to the customer and impact on its business, plus good practice, competitive client offerings, successful configuration, installation and on-going service.
Entrants were required to submit a case study detailing the proposed solution and showing how it had identified and met its customer's needs. They were also required to demonstrate the impact that the solution had had on the customer's business.
Central Telecom's Marketing Director Julie White is delighted with the company's success:
"We are at delighted that our innovation and commitment to excellence has once again been recognised by our peers. To retain the title of Enterprise Converged Solution of the Year confirms our reputation as a leader in the converged solutions market place."
Awards organiser John Chapman added:
"With entries up 30% on last year, the judges had a tough job in selecting the eventual finalists. Not only was the number of entries up on last year, but the quality of entry was exceptional."
"The Channel Network Awards show that the channel has the ability to deliver complex solutions to meet real business needs of their clients," added John.
Central hopes that this award won't be the only addition to its trophy cabinet over the next few weeks. The company has reached the final of both the Marketing Strategy of the Year Award at the National Business Awards and the Best Campaign category at the Corporate Event Association Awards for its World Cup 2006 promotional campaign.
Central was founded in 1985 and has grown from a small, family-run telephone systems provider to a market leading Value Added Reseller with more than 5,000 managed accounts and 750,000 end users throughout the UK. These range from SME's to some of the world's biggest names from SME's to blue chip and public sector organisations.
Central is one of the UK's leading voice and data specialists and has a proven track record in delivering dedicated business communications across a diverse range of market sectors.
The Channel Network Awards were launched in 2002 and in their inaugural year, Central scooped two category awards, together with the overall title of Channel Company of the Year. It has reached the finals every year since, winning one award in 2004 and two in 2005.
