Industry award for disaster recovery firm ADAM Continuity

A company which ensures firms are protected from IT disasters took home an industry award after being named as a winner at a conference in Holland. 

ADAM Continuity, based in Basingstoke, Hampshire, was named Evault Service Provider of the Year for Western Europe at the EVault Cloud-Connected Conference 2013, held at the Hilton Amsterdam hotel.

The company, part of the Centerprise International group, specialises in providing backup services so that firms can quickly recover data in the event of a system failure.

It provides and manages EVault’s cloud systems for its customers, ensuring that time and money are not lost if there is a problem with their IT systems.

The EVault system avoids using tapes to back up systems – and instead data is transferred and securely held in ADAM’s own vaults in the UK.

ADAM Continuity’s Managing Director Mitesh Chauhan and Director of Sales Ronan McCurtin attended the conference and picked up the award.

Mitesh said: “We pride ourselves on our integrity, knowledge and value-for-money solutions and on knowing that our cloud services provide security to our customers.

“Our job is to step in with the worst happens and get businesses back up and running as seamlessly as possible. I’m pleased that our expertise has been recognised with this award.”

EVault’s conference rewarded systems resellers, distributors and partners for their successes and gave them the chance to network and swap advice. ADAM Continuity offers a round-the-clock service to step in and help whenever disaster strikes. As well as data backup, ADAM offers entire office recovery suites which businesses can move in to at a moment’s notice in the event of a problem such as a fire or flood.

Businesses which want to find out more about how cloud services can work for them are invited to a forum titled “What To Consider in the Cloud”. The forum will be hosted by ADAM Continuity at its head office in Chineham, Basingstoke from 9am on Thursday, December 5.

ADAM Continuity experts will discuss how cloud backup and email services can ensure that business continues as usual even when disruption occurs.

To secure a place, contact Wendy Mills at ADAM Continuity on 01256 378 001. For more information about ADAM Continuity, visit www.adam.co.uk

Read More

Double celebration as business leader Rafi wins top award

He’s already marked his company’s 30th year in business – and now technology entrepreneur Rafi Razzak has an extra reason to celebrate. 

Rafi, founder of Basingstoke company Centerprise International, was named Personality of the Year at the CRN Channel Awards 2013, held at London’s Battersea Park Events Arena.

The highly-regarded awards, celebrating their own 20th anniversary, honour the best companies and people in the technology industry.

The award caps off a great year for Centerprise, which marked three successful decades in business with a party for 500 invited guests in October.

After the ceremony, CRN editor Sara Yirrell said Rafi was “definitely a worthy winner”. She added: “To survive the ups and downs of the IT industry over the years is no mean feat, and to have founded a company 30 years ago that is still going strong and expanding is a true achievement.

“Rafi is a very well-known and respected individual in the IT channel, and the continuing success of his company is a testament to his leadership and vision in an extremely tough market.”

Rafi said: “This award was so unexpected and I am delighted to have won during this memorable year as the CRN Awards celebrate their 20th anniversary and Centerprise celebrates its 30th anniversary.

I have always considered CRN to be the voice of the channel, protecting the interests of the channel and being instrumental in promoting it. May I wish continued success to CRN in promoting and supporting the channel.”

Rafi, born in 1949, spent five years with IBM after graduating from Imperial College University, and went to to PACC International as vice president for four years.

In July 1983, with £100,000 capital, he founded Tulips Enterprise, which was renamed Centerprise International in 1988.

The company had initial success as a computer manufacturer and went on to provide managed IT services and to become one of the leading resellers of computer systems.

The company has had a 20-year partnership with the Ministry of Defence, which Rafi has been instrumental in maintaining.

Over the years the company has won numerous awards and is now expanding through investment, joint ventures and acquisitions into up-and-coming technology companies.

They include computer recycling company Partners IT, cutting-edge gaming PC company YoYoTech and OnCommerce, the company behind OnBuy, a British online marketplace.

Pictured (left to right): CK Kohli of Centerprise Group company YOYOTech, Rafi Razzak, Nick Boardman, a consultant at Centerprise, Phil Boyes, Centerprise Defence & Security Business Manager, Emma Loveless, Centerprise Distribution Sales Manager.

Read More

Celebration for Centerprise as it moves up top 100 companies list

Staff at Basingstoke technology company Centerprise are celebrating after the firm featured in well-regarded top 100 list.

The company, which is a leading supplier of IT systems, was named in CRN’s Top VARs 2013 list, which names the UK’s top “value-added resellers”.

VARs are companies which add features to existing products, such as computer systems, before selling them on to clients. Centerprise provides IT systems and services for a diverse range of clients including government departments, schools and private companies.

CRN, a respected technology publication which also runs the website www.channelweb.co.uk, put Centerprise at number 34 in the list. That is a significant improvement on last year’s rankings, which placed Centerprise at number 46.

In its assessment of Centerprise, CRN said: “The company attributed its success to a healthy increase in its public sector business, alongside a tight rein on operating costs and a boost in services revenue.”

Garry Stevens, Group Chief Executive Officer of Centerprise, said: “We’re delighted with the ranking, which clearly demonstrates the growing stature that Centerprise enjoys in the reseller market.”

“Product quality and customer service are our highest priorities and we set ourselves very high standards. I’m very pleased to see that our commitment has been recognised with the improved performance in these rankings.”

Read More

College teams up with Centerprise in innovative new IT partnership

Leading IT provider Centerprise is keeping Basingstoke College of Technology (BCoT) at the cutting edge of technology with an innovative new contract. 

 A deal between the Basingstoke-based IT systems provider and BCoT sees Centerprise take on overall responsibility for its IT infrastructure, working alongside the college’s IT staff.

BCoT’s computer systems had been run on a fully-outsourced and managed contract for the past nine years. When the time came to review the contract, the college was looking for better value for money and a more strategic partnership.

A key element of the new £500,000 three-year “hybrid” contract entails a team member from Centerprise being permanently on campus to ensure the college’s 1,500 laptop and desktop computers, which are used by 8,000 users across two sites, are up-to-date and running smoothly. The hybrid nature of the contract means that in addition to the embedded engineer, the college can draw on Centerprise’s extensive pool of specialists and experience to help maintain and develop the College’s IT systems.

BCoT’s own IT staff will work alongside Centerprise, benefiting and learning from the company’s strategic expertise.

Centerprise is responsible for the system infrastructure as it adapts and evolves and can swing into action quickly if opportunities or problems arise, such as a disaster recovery scenario.

The result is a contract that delivers the best of both worlds for the college – an evolving and constantly up-to-date system that is extremely cost-effective.

BCoT Principal Anthony Bravo said he was delighted to team up with a local company that shared his vision of how IT could be used to inspire students.

“The idea of working in partnership with a local company in this way seemed like a powerful opportunity, and there is the potential to do a lot more with them in the future,” he said.

“This partnership means that college staff can work exactly where we want them to from day to day and Centerprise can keep developing our systems. That was one of the aspects of this arrangement that appealed to us.

“We think the college has the potential to be a showcase, a reference site for how IT can be used in education and how it can be transformational for students.”

Basingstoke College of Technology is rated “good with outstanding features” by Ofsted and makes extensive use of IT in its teaching.

 Ian Ward, IT Director at BCoT, said: “Working with Centerprise has been a breath of fresh air. The approach and vision provided by Centerprise has been proactive and flexible.

“Working together in this manner is a much more efficient way of making sure we get the best out of our IT – especially as the needs of the college are constantly evolving. In the end it’s the students who benefit from the results.”

Jeremy Bruty, director of Education Sales at Centerprise, said “As part of this exciting deal there is a network engineer permanently on site reporting directly to Centerprise. He undertakes day-to-day monitoring of the infrastructure and if there is an update required or there is an emergency, he is right there to help.

“The college recognised that we are also the perfect strategic partner to help evolve its systems over time. They were looking for a contract where they could draw on expertise when they needed it, and they required a company with a broad range of specialism in those areas.

“This hybrid arrangement gives them the value for money but also gives them the strategic input and control that the college needs.”

Picture: Anthony Bravo, left, principal of BCoT, with Jeremy Bruty of Centerprise

Read More