As part of the preparation and build up to the event we are aiming to introduce you to each of our cyclists and provide details of their training. You have already been introduced to Mark Holmes, Sallie-Ann Allen, Keith Grubb, Heidi Miles and Sam Witton. Our sixth cyclist to introduce is Nick Creed…

“Nick, do you fancy entering the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix in September?”

“Put my name down!” I promptly replied to Mark Holmes.

Always up for a challenge I find it hard not to say “yes” to these types of events – even though you know it’s probably going to hurt and you often don’t fully realise what’s expected when initially accepting the invite!

I must explain that cycling is not an entirely new concept to me. From an early age I have always been “in to” bikes. I remember my first non-stabiliser cycling experience well. It was a summer’s evening and my parents were teaching me to ride without safety devices. We were in the garden, lawn freshly mowed, ready for my first attempt. Dad steadied me and set my path whilst Mum eagerly awaiting my arrival at the opposite end of the garden.  I was off! Things started OK; although wobbly I was pedalling well and generally going in the right direction. Only then did I spot our big blue slide. Similar to a fighter pilot locking in on a target, this piece of children’s activity equipment became my “prey”. Before I knew it I had cycled up half way up it, stopped, then preceded to fall over the side and on to the grass below. Mum was worried but I think Dad was secretly proud!

Those early skills paved the foundation for many years of cycling. At the age of 5 I competed in BMX races at local tracks which ultimately lead me to progress on to X-Country mountain bike racing from the age of 9. During this time I raced at most venues in the Midlands and enjoyed the odd bit of success. More recently I have competed in a couple of sprint distance Triathlons but now mainly cycle just for fun and the benefits it brings.

So why the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix?

I find giving myself a goal really focuses my mind to get something done. In this case, I want to get a decent level of fitness back, something that has fallen to the wayside during the winter period.  Additionally, or more importantly, as a Team we are raising money for a worthy cause. In January we lost Derek – a respected owner of the business – to cancer. Like me Derek had a passion for cars and our conversations would often progress on to the topic of what we were up to with our (car) projects.  Last year he fulfilled one of his ambitions to build his own Westfield – which he took to the race track. It therefore seems quite fitting that we can raise money by cycling around Silverstone.

So far my preparation has been limited to cleaning my bike, reminiscing on how fit I once was and buying random bits of Lycra based clothing. Now the really hard bit starts – Training……

I will be 100% ready by September and will provide regular updates on what I have been up to.

Please support Nick and his colleagues at Networks First by giving generously to this worthy cause. Don’t delay, donate today.

As part of the preparation and build up to the event we are aiming to introduce you to each of our cyclists and provide details of their training. You have already been introduced to Mark Holmes, Sallie-Ann Allen, Keith Grubb, and Heidi Miles. Our fifth cyclist to introduce is Sam Witton…

“I really wanted to take part in the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix because it is for charity and also to be able to reach a goal I had set myself; I want to be able to say to my son look what Mommy did and for him to be very proud.

I run 5 times a week and I really enjoy it and how it makes you feel. I have recently joined a ladies gym and have started doing cross training and using the bike they have there. I am also thinking about joining some spinning classes although I haven’t ridden a bike since I was 15.  I see the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix as a great challenge for me to able to get back in the saddle (as you never forget how to ride a bike).

My nephew has invited me Portsmouth (where he is based as a Sergeant in the Army) to do some really hard core training (I’m dreading it). He’s told me it will help for when I feel like I can’t peddle anymore! I have asked him to be gentle although I am quite excited by the prospect of an assault course.

I still have a long way to go but I am really looking forward to being part of a team and to give something back.  I believe that anything that involves a charity is worth putting 100% commitment into. Next year is the London Marathon…”

Please support Sam and her colleagues at Networks First by giving generously to this worthy cause. Don’t delay, donate today.

Enterprises are faced with a multitude of challenges. How to:

• use data intelligently thereby improving business agility and competitive advantage;
• regain control of sprawling data centre infrastructure whilst reducing on-going costs;
• guarantee the integrity and security of data to ensure business continuity.

Organisations can benefit from these trends by employing various means to consolidate their data centre infrastructure (e.g. integrating applications, virtualising desktops, replacing new for old, procuring from ‘as-a-service’ public clouds and planning for disaster recovery).

Whilst all valid approaches, the law of diminishing returns will inevitably kick-in as data continues to grow exponentially; occurring against a backdrop of uncertain budgets, increasing energy costs, shortages of internal skills, compliance concerns and decreasing control of IT.

The key is doing all of this through one architecture which unifies the typically disparate elements of a traditional data centre (i.e. network, server, storage) and presents them as one converged solution. FlexPod makes this possible and elevates IT to what it really should be: Innovative Technology not Institutionalised Technology.

What makes FlexPod so compelling when compared with other data centre ‘stacks and pods’ on the market today is the strength of the vendor alliance between Cisco, NetApp, VMware (and most recently Microsoft Hyper-V) which makes deployments and on-going support predictably successful by helping to expedite solutions whenever necessary.

This cooperative model provides: easy access to support; cross-trained experts who are ready and able; no ‘smoke and mirrors’ instead transparency with the manufacturers; deep support capability not just a thin veneer; and a multi-vendor eco-system which simplifies the reproduction and resolution of customer issues.

As part of the preparation and build up to the event we are aiming to introduce you to each of our cyclists and provide details of their training. You have already been introduced to Mark Holmes, Sallie-Ann Allen, and Keith Grubb, our fourth cyclist to introduce is Heidi Miles…

“Well I am a complete novice when it comes to the cycling world, I much prefer the sort of bikes that have engines. As a child I occasionally went out on my mountain bike but this didn’t last long, as my parents used to make my brother and I wear cycle helmets and it just wasn’t cool at the time. This was roughly 13 years ago so when I say I am a novice I mean it – literally.

However, when the opportunity arose to participate in the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix I jumped at the chance as it is for such a worthy cause (and possibly because I am not quite right in the head for taking on such a big challenge).

I found picking the bike I would use for training (and on the day) difficult. Walking into a bike shop was overwhelming and intimidating. I was unaware of how many bicycles there were specialised for different types of surfaces. All I was concerned about was the colour… as long as it wasn’t pink! With a lot of help, advice and tips from the other team members (the avid cyclists), I soon found myself purchasing a Triban 5 B’twin road bike. Which I am glad to report is white and red.

Using the Cycle to Work Scheme I managed to purchase all of the necessary equipment and accessories I needed to start my training, including the uncool safety helmet along with the great hairstyle you gain after taking it off.

“Helmet hair and all”

I am now in training, exercising and eating healthily, no more McDonald’s for me… well maybe the occasional one or two. I was so nervous getting on the bike for the first time, but have now found myself a new hobby. I still prefer the roar of an engine, but it may be classed as cheating if I did the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix on a motorbike. To help with my training I have also entered myself into the Race For Life on 16^th June 2013 for Cancer Research UK. This charity is also very close to my heart. To be participating in two charity events this year is a great honour.

I am pleased to say I won’t be posting any pictures of me in Lycra… you will have to wait until the event to see that; padded shorts and all.”

Please support Heidi and her colleagues at Networks First by giving generously to this worthy cause. Don’t delay, donate today.

FlexPod is tailored to meet changing customer requirements – whether private, public or hybrid cloud – solving the challenges of shifting workloads and overlay applications which are present in the ‘accidental architecture’ and ‘silo computing’ typical of many datacentres today.

FlexPod is modular in nature, bringing together infrastructure building blocks to assure scalability and performance in a repeatable architecture. FlexPod comprises industry leading blade and rack-mounted servers, network switching and storage components, and is virtualisation ready.

FlexPod is pre-designed, pre-validated and pre-sized which means that multiple efficiencies are realised from the outset. The flexible platform scales out and up: reducing time to production, total cost of ownership and business risk.

Customers benefit from a single co-operative support model which avoids the ‘finger pointing’ that can often occur between manufacturers in complex datacentre environments. The vendors simply work together as one, and all approved FlexPods are supported.

The convergence of advanced technologies has made this possible: unifying networking, server and storage to essentially collapse the traditional datacentre architecture. FlexPod lowers on-going operational costs – such as power and cooling – through efficient and dynamic allocation of data whilst reducing the physical amount of ‘bare-metal’ required.

FlexPod simplifies administration and hands back control of the IT infrastructure through integrated management, enabling the right balance of datacentre resources, applications and services to be deployed at the right time for the customer’s business. These processes can be automated and orchestrated to further optimise performance.

Networks first can help you with your data centre deployment throughout all stages of its lifecycle. From planning to implementation to on-going management Networks First is the partner of choice when preparing your Data Centre roadmap.

To learn more about FlexPod and the services Networks First offer, call us on 0845 850 5577 or email us with any questions you have at enquiry@networksfirst.com.

As part of the preparation and build up to the event we are aiming to introduce you to each of our cyclists and provide details of their training. You have already been introduced to Mark Holmes and Sallie-Ann Allen, our third cyclist to introduce is Keith Grubb, Customer Engagement Manager …

“I have been cycling on and off for most of my life. I started at an early age as many of my generation do with a Raleigh Chopper, graduating to the dizzy heights of a Raleigh Grifter before a long and successful relationship with my beloved Raleigh Burner BMX. I spent much of my formative years thrashing around the Birmingham Wheels BMX track, but it was my first 10 speed “Racer” that really caught my imagination and I rode as much as I possibly could, until the inevitable happened and I found girls, cigarettes and alcohol and the bikes were unfortunately retired to the back of the shed where they lived until they rusted beyond repair.

In my mid to late twenties I went through an early midlife crisis, the fast cars and motorbikes that had dominated my life for the past 15 years or so were suddenly replaced with an insatiable appetite for adrenaline. After dabbling with bungee jumping, skateboarding and surfing I was bitten by the snowboarding bug however I quickly learnt that this required a level of fitness that I had not possessed since my childhood. I bought a mountain bike in my bid to get fit for the winter season and spent most of the late summers cycling.

These days there has been a massive shift in my attitude towards cycling – I have re-found the love for cycling that I had as a child, and no longer use it only as a method of getting fit; I ride year round in all weathers. I ride because I enjoy being out on the bike (and it helps the fight with the middle aged spread).

I now have a modified Felt road bike that I ride 4-5 times a week and it is the endurance aspect that I really thrive on, I aim to ride over 100 miles per week and intend to do numerous endurance events this season.

When Mark Holmes and Alex Cook suggested participating in the 24hour cycle event at Silverstone I was more than keen and put my name down straight away. I am thrilled that Mark has suggested doing the event to raise money for the benefit of Prostate Cancer as this is a great cause that is very close to all of our hearts.

Please support Keith and his colleagues at Networks First by giving generously to this worthy cause. Don’t delay, donate today.

As part of the preparation and build up to the event we are aiming to introduce you to each of our cyclists and provide details of their training. You have already been introduced to Mark Holmes from team one, our second cyclist to introduce is Sallie-Ann Allen…

I am absolutely the weakest link in this charity team. My experience of cycling consists solely of occasionally playing out in the street on bikes until I was about 11, two bike rides down the Tissington Trail for Youth Club, and one half day hire whilst on holiday in Wales in the last two decades… I don’t even own a bike, though thankfully I do have my cycling proficiency certificate!

My colleague Leanne has cheekily suggested that I “will rock up at Silverstone with a Miss Marple bike, that has no gears but a basket on the front filled with crisps and Haribo and be dramatically knocked over by a Bradley Wiggins look alike”.  Such is my lack of cycling talent to date that I am hoping by the end of the 24hr ride I will have a Strictly Come Dancing moment and claim that ‘it’s been a real journey…’

So why, given my obvious lack of ability and sporting prowess am I considering this? Well, there are three reasons.

Firstly – I lack experience but not enthusiasm. A few years ago I decided to walk to work for charity, 24 miles before being at my desk for 10am. I loved it, really enjoyed the training, taking a challenge on and I’m determined not to let my other team members down so I’ll work hard at becoming as good a cyclist as is possible over the next 6 months!

Secondly – I went to an employee engagement conference recently that reminded me of the many benefits of exercise and the link between this and performance at work. One of the many benefits of regular exercise is increased and sustained energy throughout the day. This exercise, along with the better diet I’m enjoying at the moment will hopefully give me even more energy!

Thirdly – 2013 feels like the right year to try and raise a significant amount of money for a worthy cause at work. We lost a much loved and respected owner of the business, Derek, back in January to cancer so it’s great to be raising money to help improve the research and treatment for people suffering with cancer alongside 11 other guys from work.

Please support Sallie-Ann and her colleagues at Networks First by giving generously to this worthy cause. Don’t delay, donate today.

What’s new in version 1.0.4?

• Bi-directional sync - where permissions allow you to manage events directly from your iPad/iPhone
• Supports Calendar Notes
• Enhanced Sync Speed
• Nested Calendar Support
• Supports hosted solutions – including Office365

To download CalendarONE on your device please click here. 

As part of the preparation and build up to the event we are aiming to introduce you to each of our cyclists and provide details of their training. First up is Mark Holmes from Team One:

Mark used to cycle everywhere as a teenager until he left school, then in 2010 he bought a cheap mountain bike to get fit.  It worked for a while and he lost over a stone that summer. Mark realised that as most of his rides were on tarmac he could cycle quicker if he got a decent road bike.

Using the Cycle to Work Scheme, Mark purchased a new Specialized Secteur road bike and continued to ride that until the snow arrived in 2010.

In 2011, Mark started riding the bike again after the bad weather disappeared before purchasing his girlfriend a hybrid bike so they could go for rides down the canal paths throughout the summer. However, due to the weather in 2012 they only managed a handful of bike rides.

When Alex Cook, IT Manager at Networks First suggested participating in the Silverstone 24hr Cycling Grand Prix, Mark decided straight away that it would be a great way to lose the Christmas (and most of last summer’s) eating excess,  whilst at the same time getting himself back into shape.

Alex and Mark approached management at Networks First for support with raising the entry fees and sponsorship. They also felt it would be a great cause for the company to get behind.  Sallie-Ann Allen, Head of Operations approached Peter Titmus, Chairman who said they could sign up as long as they didn’t wear Lycra (sorry Peter, it’s too late!!) and they then asked the rest of the business if anyone would be interested in joining a second team. Response rates were high and they actually got enough volunteers to enter three teams for the charity they chose – Prostate Cancer UK.

This is a charity close to the hearts of many at Networks First, and Mark felt he would be better off riding his bike for hundreds of hours (in training and on the day), than growing a moustache for Movember.

Mark started training in late February – early March, and has been dieting for 4-5 weeks now along with practice rides on his training rollers in his conservatory (until the snow goes away and the light evenings arrive). So far Mark has lost 9lbs in weight, and is building up his endurance and speed on the bike.

Mark managed his first outdoor ride on Saturday 30th March on his mountain bike as there was still some ice/snow on the ground. As soon as he got home he jumped on his road bike (on the rollers) for another half hour.

Mark’s training through March is as follows:

This is how Mark practices when the weather is bad:

Please support Mark and his colleagues at Networks First by giving generously to this worthy cause. Don’t delay, donate today.

The question is how can you capitalise on this? 

With users already engaged with the technology they expect the same level of accessibility and functionality working in the office, on the train or from which ever location they happen to be at the time.  This flexible approach needs to be balanced along with the IT challenges of security and compliance.

The initial market approach was just to lock down devices similar to a PC but this is quickly becoming problematic because of the rapid change and broadening of platforms. These traditional security solutions can be cumbersome to manage and use.

Organisations encourage employees to use their initiative, however if that means staff bypassing the controls put in place by IT then there is a loss of control.  Navigating their way around restrictions includes emailing company sensitive data to non-corporate email accounts, using unsecure sites such as Dropbox, downloads to multiple USB sticks and the old school method of printing. Employees aren’t bucking the system because they want to rebel, they want to be able to work smart and efficiently.

ProducitvityONE takes a different approach to traditional security which can be used with or without MDM solutions. In short it works to secure information not the device and also allow controlled collaboration.

By taking an information centric approach, ProducitvityONE allows customers to:

• Use leading mobile platforms including iPhone, iPad, Android and Blackberry to access, synchronise, share and control contacts, documents, calendars and task & note information
• Ensures information is shared securely both internally and externally to the organisation and maintain the ability for information to be recalled or wiped
• Deliver multiple streams of information and documents that display perfectly on every device with the ability to synchronise editing  along with an intuitive user experience
• Provide visibility of user based permissions, information accessed by individual users and what can  be done with it, essential for compliance purposes and providing an audit trail
• Restrict copying, editing, printing and local saving through applying information level permissions
• Allows users tightly controlled yet simplified integration between work and home, whilst enabling organisations to regain control of corporate data stored outside of the network (e.g. LinkedIn). Seamless integration of both corporate (eg. Exchange, Sharepoint) and personal (LinkedIn, Facebook, Gmail)
• As no data is stored on the device it removes the need for Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions
• ProductivityONE technology also aggregates the common sources of both personal information and company information such as contacts, calendars, tasks and notes

Many organisations are restricting BYOD or mobile collaboration due to security concerns however the security solution and technology is available. With it estimated that the average smart device user working an additional 240 extra hours a year, providing employees access to the right information and ways of collaborating is fundamental to making a mobile workforce truly productive.

To discuss these benefits and how ProducitvityONE can assist your organisation contact us on 0845 850 5577.