Astro are finalists in the Comms National Awards 2011 in the Reseller Contact Centre Solution category for the Consumer Credit Counselling Service ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Centre and CallCopy installation. This was very much a team effort with our teams working as one with CCCS technical and project teams. The winner will be announced at the awards dinner in London on Thursday 13 October.

The Comms National Awards are in their 11th year and were the first to recognise excellence in the UK convergence channel. They remain the most coveted industry awards judged by an independent expert panel, the Awards are prized by winners and finalists as industry recognition that their products and solutions are among the very best the channel has to offer.

The Contact Centre Solution award recognises contact centre solutions provided by resellers based on innovation in the implementation of applications that meet the needs of the customer and their callers.

We are really pleased that the hard work of CCCS and Astro’s combined teams have been formally recognised and we look forward to the awards evening.

• Meraki Wireless Networks,
• Wireless Leased Lines,
• Mobile Tracking,
• Mobile Workflow, 
• Lone Worker,
• Vehicle Tracking,
• Wallboard Solutions,
• Siemens OpenScape Office.

Meraki Wireless Networks provide cloud managed branch routers and wireless LAN with integrated application, user and content-aware security. Click here for more details.

Our wireless 1Gbit/s and 100Mbit/s leased lines provide short haul 60GHz and 80GHz are very cost effective alternatives for copper or fibre leased lines up to approximately 4Km line-of-sight. Click here for more details.

Mobile tracking provides total visibility of a mobile work force by tracking their mobile handsets. Click here for more details.

Mobile Workflow is an extension of Mobile Tracking providing many productivity benefits including job despatch, signature capture, job progress etc. Click here for more details.

Lone Worker provides a low cost compliant ‘duty of care’ solution for mobile lone workers through 24/7 alarm and monitoring systems. Click here for more details.

Our wallboard solutions provide a full range of information and display benefits for contact centres. Click here for more details.

Siemens OpenScape Office is the only unified and collaboration solution built specifically for small to medium size businesses. We have enjoyed a very long relationship with Siemens are very impressed with their OpenScape Office solution. Click here or more information.

If you have any questions regarding any of the above call +44 (0)1322 610100.

Structured cabling is an expensive business asset and must be treated as such. The cost of replacement if problems are discovered later can be significantly higher once the routes are all covered. When there is a gap between cable installation (first fix) and termination (second fix) the installed cables are prone to damage from other contractors stepping over them and dropping tools and building materials. The damage is not always obvious as crushing, bending or kinking a cable without actually physically damaging the jacket can cause sufficient damage for the cable to fail when tested.

Check with your cabling installer to ensure they have made provision to protect installed cabling from the activities of other contractors. This is significantly cheaper than having to replace cabling in the future. If cable routes are going to be covered with no means of re-opening them between first and second fix, it it wise to temporarily terminate the cables so they can be tested before the routes are covered.

Astro Communications carry out third party testing on copper and optical fibre cable installations for customers, building contractors and M&E contractors. With many customers endeavouring to reduce costs, we also provide on-site training to customers or their nominated installers to enable them to use existing contractors or on-site staff to install cabling. We will also underwrite the installation provided we are able to inspect the installation work at various stages through the insallation process.

For more information on copper and optical fibre installation and testing…

Please call 01322 610100

09.00 Registration, tea/coffee and pastries
09.30 Workforce without Walls – The Future of Communications – ShoreTel
10.15 Mobilising the Workforce – Aruba Networks
10.45 Tea/coffee
11.00 ShoreTel Mobility
11.30 Intelligent Video Solutions – LifeSize Communications
12.00 Connectivity to support mobility & video solutions
12.30 Buffet lunch and a chance to talk to our speakers
15.00 Event close

Consumer Credit Counselling Service, the UKs leading debt charity had outgrown its numerous business communication systems and needed consolidation. The ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Centre supplied and implemented by Astro supports a new client contact process and faster resolution of their issues. The ShoreTel Enterprise Contact Centre enables: ‘warm transfer’ customer service via ‘presence’ and ‘skills based routing’; slashes counsellor appointment process from two days to under two hours; and intuitive management reporting helps CCCS better manage resourcing. This results in 40% of client enquiries being resolved on their first call versus 5% before we implemented their new contact centre.

“We are seeing how UC & contact centre technologies are really making a difference in giving faster, more effective advice to our 500,000+ callers each year – in what is a stressful situation.”
Gordon Bell CEO

We have some exciting new additions to our portfolio to reduce your operating costs and improve productivity including: Enterprise Mobility that can enable you to significantly reduce your mobile call and roaming costs and reduce equipment spend; telephony Disaster Recovery that provides a quick and effective solution should you lose access to one or more of your sites; and cost effective and secure home/remote working that is simple to deploy. Our engineers will also be adding a series of information videos such as basic network troubleshooting, circuit testing and technology overviews. Please call back soon.