Events

Time to register for the smart home trade show, EI Live! 2022

Don’t miss your chance to enhance your presence in the smart home market with a visit to the UK’s only national trade focused smart home event. Registration is open now – visit the site, get the date in your diary and start benefiting from the fastest growing sector in new builds and renovation. Taking place at the Farnborough International Exhibition Centre, EI Live! 2022 runs from 14-15 September and offers lucrative opportunities for quality electrical contractors working in the domestic and commercial sectors. EI Live! delivers the opportunity to access this expanding market so that electrical contractors can increase their portfolios and offer customers everything from multi-room music systems and other entertainment experiences, networking products, smart metering and automated control of lighting, HVAC and security. Many of the distributors and manufacturers that operate in this area are looking to expand their customer base, and experienced electrical contractors already have many of the skills and the customer base needed to be successful. Distributors and manufactures offer full and often free training to get companies started or expand your offering if you already operate in this area. The only UK smart home show EI Live! is the UK’s only smart building trade show, offering a vital opportunity to meet with suppliers and find out more about the market. With stands showcasing hundreds of brands and thousands of products, services and innovations, electrical contractors can be sure there is something that will suit their customers and offer a chance to either enter for the first time or increase their footprint in one of the most dynamic markets in UK infrastructure. As well as the main show floor, El Live! will provide a comprehensive series of training seminars in the Learning Zone and other less business orientated experiences, such as the show’s Formula One racing challenge. There are also many launches and special offers that can only been seen at this event. These range from automation products controlling lighting and other building utilities, easy to fit entertainment experiences, networking products and full building automation platforms. Technological advances mean many of these products are easy and straight-forward to fit and deliver serious margin to those companies that get involved. Many electrical contractors have already made the transition to include smart products and show organisers explains that exhibitors are on the look-out for new accounts in particular from the electrical contracting sector. Entry to the show is completely free and access is easy via the venue’s large car park, which is also free for the whole day. In order to take full advantage of this two-day event, visitors have access to dozens of reasonably priced hotels near the site. To register for free and get all the information needed to make a trip to EI Live! visit the show’s dedicated website or call the show team on +44 (0)1634 673163.

Tier III ready data centre solutions shortlisted for four major awards

A range of innovative Tier III Ready data centre design solutions have been shortlisted for four major awards. The team at Cannon Technologies working in conjunction with several OEM manufacturers, including CENTIEL UK, have developed a set of pre-certified solutions ranging from 100kW to 500kW which have now been nominated for the Electrical Review and Data Centre Review Excellence Awards, in the Power Product of the Year, and Data Centre Design and Build Product of the Year categories. In addition, the solutions have also been shortlisted for the Data Centre Solutions (DCS) Awards 2022 for Data Centre Industry Contribution of the Year and Data Centre Power Innovation of the Year. Electrical Review and Data Centre Review Excellence Awards 2021 recognise excellence in innovation and collaboration and outstanding products and projects that embrace the latest in electrical engineering, display forward-thinking design and implementation, and champion the highest environmental, safety and energy efficiency standards. The DCS Awards recognise projects, products, services or corporate or individual excellence in the data centre industry. Cannon Technologies has developed a repeatable modular data centre product design composed of an initial 64.46m2 build supporting 16 IT racks with a capacity of up to 6kW per rack. IT Load cooled using energy efficient direct expansion (DX) chillers and with-in-row (WIRC) air handling units. The 100-kW Granular Modular Data Centre supports an IT load of 93.25 kilowatts (kw) for a data centre design that could fulfil the requirements needed to meet the Tier III standard. Tier III is described as concurrently maintainable and ensures that any component can be taken out of service without affecting production. Cannon Technologies’ Tier III ready design includes Centiel’s true modular UPS CumulusPowerTM and is supported by Centiel’s technical support. Centiel’s Distributed Active Redundant technology is said to offer the highest levels of resilience, is flexible, robust and it has been tried and tested in many scenarios.   Mark Awdas, Engineering Director, Cannon Technologies confirms. “These designs will accelerate data centre clients’ own Tier III certification, reduce the cost, and fast-track their time to market. It’s incredibly exciting to have been nominated for these awards as Tier III ready status provides data centre clients with fact-based evidence that their final build will more easily obtain a Tier Certification by utilising the Cannon MDC range of products.” Louis McGarry, Sales and Marketing Director, CENTIEL UK confirms: “It has taken a significant amount of work and around 12 months in total to complete and gain approval for the 100kW – 250kW from the Uptime Institute, and a further 12 months to secure the 500kW and 1MW designs. The process was intense and involved a joined-up approach with Cannon Technologies and the Uptime Institute to ensure all the rules were adhered to and a consensus of understanding was reached. We are now proud that our collaboration and combined efforts have been recognised in this way.” The UPS is only one element of the whole approved set of Tier III data centre solutions which have been developed. Cannon Technologies has also collaborated with other partners to provide a complete solution that includes generators, switch gear, cooling, and cabling so the entire design can be offered as an approved product. The final Electrical Review and Data Centre Review Excellence Award winners will be announced at an event held at Christ Church, located near Spitalfields Market, London at an event on Thursday, 19th May 2022. The results of the DCS Awards will be announced at a gala dinner at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Pauls on 26 May 2022.

Andy Burnham in at start and finish of Manchester Tech Week

Andy Burnham, Mayor, Greater Manchester Combined Authority has been confirmed to speak at both Digital Transformation EXPO (DTX) and Connected North 2022,  two out of the three major anchor shows making up the inaugural Manchester Tech Week from 25th-29th April. Andy will be centre stage on day one at Connected North, Manchester Central with Tracy Brabin, Metro Mayor, West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority for a keynote mayoral panel to discuss levelling up, the digital economy, and addressing the digital divide. Andy believes connectivity is a basic human right and is a passionate advocate for Greater Manchester supporting the region’s progress in the start-up space, tackling digital exclusion and using tech to improve public services. He will then give a closing keynote at Digital Transformation EXPO (DTX) show at the end of the week focusing on what’s next on Greater Manchester’s journey as a leading hub for innovation, technology and collaboration. Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham says: “In Greater Manchester we have the fastest growing digital economy in Europe which contributes over £5BN a year to our region. We are also making strides to becoming recognised as a world leading digital city-region and are taking our position as an internationally recognised centre of digital innovation, research and practice. “I’m looking forward to speaking at Digital Transformation EXPO (DTX) Manchester. DTX Manchester showcases the latest technologies and insights from world leading experts and we are proud to host it in Manchester.” Andy will follow a series of compelling afternoon sessions on day two at DTX starting with TechUK and Manchester Metropolitan University sharing a new approach to closing the digital skills gap and addressing the talent tech shortage. Infinity Works and AstraZeneca will be looking at how to build soft skills for hard times and drive change as inclusive leaders. Graham Donoghue, CEO of Sykes Cottages, will be discussing what it takes to be a great leader in tech and level up yourself, your company and your community. James McGough, MD of Imago Techmedia, the organisers behind Manchester Tech Week, comments Andy Burnham’s support was invaluable. “Real progress in digital transformation - whatever that looks like for local authorities, companies or individuals -  is driven by those who use their voice to stimulate debate and change. Andy is that person, an influential advocate for the city, the North as a whole, and a supporter of tech communities who have vital role to play in all our futures.” Dominic Beresford-Webb from Connected North agreed, emphasising the significance of city leaders heading up the digital debate says: “Andy’s passion for digital equality and his participation in the launch of Connected North highlights the importance for the North of the UK to have its own digital economy forum to address crucial regional issues on Levelling Up, inward investment, and tackling the digital divide.” Manchester Tech Week 2022 is the North’s biggest ever digital transformation event which will also feature the launch of Unified Communications EXPO (UCX). Aimed at ‘powering the northern tech revolution’ it will help IT leaders tackle major tech challenges with a focus on network and infrastructure, cloud, cyber, unified communications, data and AI, digital culture, skills and hybrid working. For more information on Manchester Tech Week 2022 and register to attend for free, click here.

Centreon sponsors AWS summits worldwide to introduce Centreon Cloud

Centreon has announced that it is a silver-level sponsor of five AWS summits in its priority markets in Paris, London, Milan, Toronto and New York City. Centreon in action at AWS summits The Centreon platform automatically discovers and monitors cloud Infrastructure within minutes, using zero-configuration alerting, whilst at the same time monitoring on-premises legacy and edge equipment. Doing so, allows Centreon’s solution to provide a unique cloud-to-edge visibility, unmatched in the industry. Centreon will demonstrate its Centreon Cloud and its cloud-to-edge monitoring capabilities at AWS Summit events around the world. IT Operations teams will be able to meet with Centreon experts to discuss the challenges of deploying state-of-art cloud technologies, while still maintaining legacy infrastructure. Attention will also be given to how end-to-end visibility on critical workflow enables business observability. Centreon will exhibit its solution at AWS summits in 2022 in Paris (April 12), London (April 27), Milan (June 21 and 22), Toronto (June 22 and 23) and New York City (July 12 and 13). Julien Mathis, CEO and Co-founder of Centreon says, “Centreon and Amazon Web Services are working together to support Centreon Cloud, our SaaS monitoring platform. Together, Centreon and AWS will bring more value and a better time-to-market for global customers and MSPs with a robust, market-proven, agile and cost-effective monitoring solution.” Centreon is committed to joining the AWS Partner Network (APN) Marc-Antoine Hostier, Centreon Chief Operating Officer says, “Centreon Cloud marks the beginning of a new phase of transformation and growth for Centreon, driven by a cloud-first strategy. Thanks to a unique multi-platform deployment capability, Centreon expects to outgrow the market in France, Europe and beyond, with a growth rate of over 30% per year.” “We expect to continue to expand our international network of partners, and together with AWS, we are very pleased to be able to better serve Centreon's customers and partners, and allow them to lower the cost of access to modern monitoring.” The APN program has allowed Centreon valuable access to the cloud provider and fellow partners in the programme, guaranteeing Centreon’s confidence in porting its software to the cloud.

Scotland’s data sector is “inspirational", says Tim Campbell MBE

Leading figures from across Scotland’s data science and AI community joined The Data Lab at the country’s biggest data and AI recruitment event, Data Talent 2022, in Glasgow on the 15th March. More than 250 students and graduates got the chance to connect and discuss career options with representatives from more than 20 of Scotland’s leading employers that are currently actively recruiting for roles in AI and data science, including large public and private organisations such as Public Health Scotland, NatWest, Accenture, and ScotRail, as well as other data and AI specialists. Delegates also had the chance to participate in employer-led workshops to find out more about what a career in data entails delivered by Royal London, NHS National Services Scotland, PHS, ForthPoint, MBN Solutions, and The Data Lab, as well as having access to an on-site photographer to create new headshots for LinkedIn, aimed at helping to increase their employability. Delegates also heard from a distinguished line-up of keynote speakers, who shared compelling thoughts about the future of the industry and the need to share data and best practice to help Scotland achieve its ambitions. Speaking during his closing address to delegates, Tim Campbell MBE, winner of 2005’s The Apprentice, shared an inspirational talk applauding Scotland’s ambitious data and AI strategy and encouraging students and graduates to embrace the opportunity the skills and data revolution is offering to the next generation of talent entering the workplace. Other speakers included Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science of Scotland Jamie Hepburn, who discussed the challenges and opportunities presented by the AI and data revolution; and Manira Ahmad, Chief Officer of Public Health Scotland, who discussed how data sharing is crucial to helping improve health inequality across Scotland, using real-life examples to bring it to life. Tim Campbell MBE, says: “The world of data is a hugely exciting part of our economy – and one that is only growing and getting bigger every year. What Scotland is doing in terms of AI and data is inspirational and all the graduates and students in this room should feel incredibly valued and fortunate as there is such a need for these types of skills in the UK right now. There are a lot of events that inspire hope, but it’s rare to see one like Data Talent joining hope and opportunity at the same time.” Brian Hills, Interim CEO, The Data Lab, comments: “This year’s Data Talent was a fantastic showcase of the breadth and depth of Scotland’s data and AI community. Combining stellar speakers – from both the public and private sectors – with workshops and the chance to get up close to potential employers to find out more what a career in data science and AI looks like, is a win win for both employers and potential employees. “I’d like to thank everyone involved in running the event for helping to make it a special return to Glasgow after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. As Scotland’s largest talent and recruitment event in data and AI, it is incredibility reassuring to see such a rich pipeline of talent coming through and helping Scotland to cement its place as a world leader in these innovative industries.”

Event to process role of data centres in oilfield digitisation

Stellium Data Centres is holding the virtual event on Wednesday, 13 April to highlight to oil and gas businesses how data centres can support data demands at drill sites and onshore. The event will be streamed online from the firm’s state-of-the-art tier 3 data centre in Newcastle, which also hosts the Newcastle Internet Exchange (NCL-IX). The event is being held in partnership with global infrastructure and connectivity provider, BSO and the London Internet Exchange (LINX), one of Europe’s largest internet exchange points.  Attendees to the afternoon event, which is titled ‘Utilising future networks and sustainable colocation to drive digital transformation for the energy sector’, will hear first-hand the innovations being created by Stellium, BSO and LINX. Industry leaders will also deliver presentations exploring the goals and challenges facing the energy sector in relation to managing data between international teams, smart working, innovation and meeting green expectations. An increase in the number of internet connected devices and sensors being used in the oilfield has led to a surge in the volume of data being generated. In turn, this is driving demand for high-performance data storage and processing. Data centres and ultra-low latency networks, like that offered by BSO, can enable the real-time processing of such data to generate insights that can be shared globally and ultimately improve operational efficiencies. Stellium Data Centers, BSO and LINX are working in partnership to provide a digital solution that can securely and efficiently manage, store, and transfer large volumes of data for customers. In addition, access is also facilitated to the UK’s newest submarine data cables from Aquacomms and Altibox / NO-UK, connecting NCL-IX to North America and Nordic countries respectively with the lowest latency available. Greig Scott, Stellium, says, “Having worked within the data centre and telecommunications industry and being based in Aberdeen for over 15 years, I have seen the challenges faced by energy services companies in co-locating, connecting and sharing data across hard-to-reach global destinations. The requirement for the immediate availability of key data operationally, data transfer locally and internationally, and big data analysis presents significant challenges for the energy sector. The resources, tools, and services of the Stellium, LINX and BSO partnership address these concerns. “At Stellium, we offer the availability of high-quality, on net sustainable data centre capability and networking. Stellium’s proximity to the UK energy sector and the rich connectivity options available there enable this. “In this event we will endeavour to explain a new joined up approach for the sector where attendees will have an opportunity to engage directly with industry peers facing the same issues and see first-hand the new innovations being created during this time of digital and green transformation.”

Mobilise will showcase digital offering at Mobile World Congress 2022

Mobilise will be showcasing its extensive expertise in digital telco propositions at the 2022 edition of Mobile World Congress (MWC). Taking place on February 28, 2022 to March 3, 2022 at Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, Spain and will play host to many of the world’s mobile operators, device manufacturers and technology experts. With a theme of “discover connectivity unleashed” for 2022, this year’s MWC will centre around the digital technologies shaping the telecommunication industry, including the Internet of Everything, advancing artificial intelligence (AI) and the implementation of 5G. There’s never been a more pertinent time to discuss such topics; 5G networks will cover one-third of the world’s population by 2025, while investment in AI is set to top £170 billion by the same year. Right now, 40 billion devices are connected to the internet. But where there is opportunity, there are challenges. Despite the burgeoning growth of our digital world, many telco operators are still facing difficulties when embarking on their digital transformations. Pressures to deliver enhanced customer service with a greater degree of personalisation mean more is being demanded from telcos than ever before. Both traditional players and new digital native entrants must address this shift in requirements if they’re to claim their stake in an increasingly digital world. Mobilise, which specialises in providing digital solutions to the telecoms industry, has developed several services that address these challenges. Its white-labelled platform, HERO, is a fully customisable platform that equips telecom companies with an opportunity to create a highly unique user experience. Packed with features that allow telcos to create truly digital-first brands, the modular architecture of HERO allows operators to implement self-care, payment, e-commerce and several other features quickly and with minimal cost. One feature of HERO is eSIM-as-a-service, which facilitates in-app eSIM activation for consumers without the need for a physical SIM card, or even a QR code, to activate new subscriptions. “Telecoms customer expectations are changing — users, more than ever, are looking for personalised, simple, intuitive experience that allows them to manage their subscriptions entirely through digital channels,” says Hamish White, founder and CEO of Mobilise. “Widespread adoption of digital services such as eSIM is inevitable. Already, we’re seeing telco customer expectations rise and demand a more digital service, with consumers seeking faster services that are better catered to their needs. “Megatrends such as AI and the adoption of 5G will pave the way for a digital future. However, without the correct infrastructure in place to help operators really get to know and meet the demands of their customers, the ability to offer these technologies is almost meaningless. At MWC 2022, we hope to advise players from across the telco industry on how to build a digital-first strategy that allows them to connect with their audience and get digitalisation right.”

Zumtobel and Thorn Lighting set to exhibit at Data Centre World 2022

The Zumtobel Group lighting brands, Zumtobel and Thorn, will join the world's largest global gathering of data centre specialists, engineers and business leaders, exhibiting their latest innovative energy efficient solutions at Data Centre World, ExCeL London, Stand D625, from 2nd – 3rd March 2022. Data centres are critical to hosting, managing and delivering important business data and cloud solutions to workforces worldwide, however with the march towards net zero gaining pace, all eyes are on sustainable management and operation. Data Centres are both energy and resource-intensive, so is there any wonder that there are growing concerns over energy use and capacity? With a strong focus on sustainability and complete control of its value supply chain - from components to finished luminaires -  Zumtobel and Thorn are the ideal lighting partners for data centre developers and operators. Hear from Our Data Centre Lighting Experts: Join our experts for their thought-provoking presentations: Presentation: ‘Why Outdoor Lighting is Critical for Data Centres’ Time: 11.45am Date: 2nd March 2022 Theatre: Data Centre Design and Build & Physical Security Eliot Horsman, Head of Application – Urban Life & Architectural at Thorn Lighting, will share his insights on ‘Why Outdoor Lighting is Critical for Data Centres’. Eliot’s presentation will centre around how successfully lighting the building surround and outdoor space of a Data Centre is one of the most challenging and multi-faceted applications in the lighting industry. Register now for ‘Why Outdoor Lighting is Critical for Data Centres’: Presentation: 'Data Halls - Lighting Quality & Sustainability in a Net Zero Carbon Culture' Date: 3rd March 2022 Time: 11.45am Theatre: Energy Efficiency, Cost Management and DCIM Theatre Sophie Parry, Technical Application Consultant at Zumtobel Group, will present ‘Data Halls- Lighting Quality & Sustainability in a Net Zero Carbon Culture’. This presentation will illustrate how net zero carbon legislation for 2050 means that all new builds and refurbishments need to design building services to achieve net zero carbon today if they are to stay compliant with current legislation and achieve a degree of low carbon future-proofing from 2022 on the journey to 2050. Register now for: 'Data Halls - Lighting Quality & Sustainability in a Net Zero Carbon Culture': Innovative Lighting Solutions for Data Centres Zumtobel and Thorn utilise the latest technology to deliver highly energy-efficient lighting solutions which are secure and designed to meet the increasing technical requirements of modern mission critical campuses. Zumtobel and Thorn will showcase their innovative lighting solutions, including Zumtobel's flagship data centre product TECTON and Thorn’s award-winning Omega Pro 2. TECTON TECTON is the world's first LED continuous-row track lighting system with an 11-pole current conducting section built into its trunking body. This means that the system comes ready equipped to meet tomorrow's needs. All functions such as power supply, lighting control, and connection to locally or centrally supplied emergency lighting are seamlessly integrated into the multifunctional trunking. Luminaires can be positioned flexibly onto the system and can be adapted to suit structural alterations at any time. TECTON copes effortlessly with various lighting requirements. The TECTON infrastructure remains unchanged and forms the functional backbone of the lighting ecosystem. Designed for uniform illumination with minimal glare, TECTON offers easy installation, energy savings, and low maintenance, with six different light distribution optics and optional UGR < 19 variants all supported with Environmental Product Declarations (EPD), tracking the ecological footprint of the product to evidence both embedded and operational carbon impact. Omega Pro 2 Omega Pro 2 from Thorn Lighting offers a new approach to lighting control. With this LED panel, which can be installed as a recessed, surface-mounted, or suspended luminaire, it's easier than ever for users to add smart functionality to lighting installations, now or in the future. There is a choice of innovative new optics to give an installation a dynamic edge. In addition, you can personalise your lighting just the way you want it, from the lit effect, to how you wish to control it, to the colour temperature. If you want to take advantage of the digital services available to remotely manage the space usage, environmental impact or even apply navigation services within your building, Omega Pro 2 can connect you to the digital future via a clever new development called Connect Kit or CKIT for short. Omega Pro 2, combined with the O-PEC optical range, provides consistency to any lighting installation as the one product family offers a variety of options that will allow for a creative lighting design. Data Centre Virtual Reality Experience The stand will also feature a live virtual reality experience to demonstrate how you can reduce the OpEx and CapEx within your Mission Critical facility. Steve Mansell, Divisional Director Critical Facilities at Zumtobel Group, comments, "With security breaches reported daily and growing concerns about high energy demands, data centre design has risen in prominence over the last few years. We are looking forward to presenting our latest innovations, including our data hall virtual reality experience visualising energy and product savings through racking colour & optical lighting control. As a global business, we are ideally positioned with our single-source supply chain, R&D investment, and international coverage to offer their audience a sustainable, secure lighting system."

Get set for the end of the financial year!

Got a question about cash flow for your electrical business?  Ask our panel of experts! The first quarter of the year is always busy, especially after the Christmas break. And with 5th April approaching fast, do you really have your finances in order as much as you’d hope?  Join SimPRO and their panel of experts to unravel all of your cash flow woes! We have pulled together an unmissable panel from across the electrical industry, including speakers from the ECA, Sllick, Fusion Electrical and Bright Business Advice. Join us for the opportunity to ask our panel any questions you have about cash flow and preparing for EoFY. simPRO's cloud-based job management software for electrical contractors features tools for accurate quoting, material & labour tracking and project costing. The result? Better financial visibility for better cash flow! The roundtable commences on the 23rd March at 11am GMT. Click here to register NOW!