Future proofing your carehome

Having spent the last 5 years working with various carehome groups delivering telecoms solutions. GHM have spent many hours both internally and with customers understanding the key areas that will deliver true value to carehome owners and staff alike. When all is said and done the key areas can be broken down into 5 elements (See Image below)

Staff Mobility

In today’s care home, staff mobility and the ability to be contacted on the move is becoming an important requirement.

Our wireless solution provides:

• Remote handsets – staff can be contacted anywhere in the home and make emergency calls without returning to a fixed line.
• A fully integrated nurse call system  to deliver alerts direct to the remote handsets. Wallboards or beepers become a thing of the past, delivering a much calmer atmosphere within the home.
• Mobility solutions that utilise both GSM (mobile phones) and standard DECT  and WIFI technology.

 

Integration

In today’s care home, many different applications are used on a day to day basis. We understand that if those applications are integrated effectively, care will be improved.

GHM work closely with well known providers to integrate:

• Nurse Call  – alerts are sent directly to WIFI handsets throughout the home
• Accounts – to enable simple and easy billing of resident room services
• Care planning software packages and electronic medication packages
• All to open standards

 

Internet Access for residents – “The rise of the silver surfer”

Because our solutions utilise WiFi technology, care homes can extend unlimited internet access to residents and visitors at no extra cost.  In many cases, this process can even create an additional revenue stream for care homes.

“An increasing number of residents also enjoy spending their time using the internet and associated technologies. It is important in the move towards a ‘hotel’ style of care home that offers a superior level of facilities and independence that redefines the perception of residential care for the elderly. Making sure every resident has the option to connect with the outside world is vital to achieve this”

Neil McManus GHM Director

 

Resident services

Are you keen to deliver services to residents that improve their quality of life…and deliver a return on investment?

Our solutions enable care home providers to offer services to residents such as:

• Direct dial telephones with no fixed contracts or line rentals
• Personal voicemail
• Cheaper calls to family and friends
• Unlimited wireless internet access
• On demand television

 

Secure access to corporate network

• Access to resident records and care  planning applications at the bedside
•  Increased productivity
•  Improved standards of care
•  Future proofed solution

For more information please visit our Carehome specific web site www.carehometelecoms.co.uk.

GHM Communications achieve Samsung Platinum Service Partner status

In order to reflect the commitment and investment from our accredited partners, Samsung is recognising those with the top level of service accreditation as Platinum Service Partners. 

 To achieve Platinum Service Partner status the partner has to have dedicated engineers trained to the highest level and demonstrate exceptional and comprehensive knowledge of Samsung systems.

 Samsung is delighted to welcome GHM Communications as the latest company to achieve all of the accreditation requirements.

 Paul Templeton, General Manager of Samsung Network Division comments “We have been working very closely with GHM Communications over the last year and I have been very impressed with their determination to push themselves to gain the highest service accreditation. Their commitment to Samsung in delivering first class technical support and service to their customers is fantastic and makes them worthy of the Platinum Service Accreditation.”

Neil McManus GHM Communications Director said today “ We are very proud to be recognised by Samsung as one of only three Platinum Service partners in the UK. This accredititation further shows our commitment to excellence in providing services to our customers. To be one of only 3 organisations in the UK to achieve this status show’s our on going commitment to the Samsung product range”

For further information www.ghmcommunications.com

GHM Communications joins ShoreTel’s growing network of partners in UK

GHM Communications today announced it has signed a partnership agreement with ShoreTel, the leading provider of IP phone systems with fully integrated Unified Communications (UC) and contact centre solutions.
“Working with ShoreTel, we can give our customers the competitive advantage by offering them industry-leading technology that delivers real value to customers,” said Neil McManus of GHM Communications. “We’re committed to working with the best in the business, so we’re thrilled with the agreement and look forward to a bright future with ShoreTel,” he said.
GHM Communications has joined ShoreTel’s partner network to strengthen its portfolio of end-to-end solutions and services. Based on a unique distributed software architecture and innovative product design, the ShoreTel UC solution provides enterprise-class reliability and scales from ten users to tens of thousands. It is designed and built from the ground up to be the markets easiest to use, easiest to manage, full-featured UC system.

“We are extremely pleased and excited to be partnered with GHM Communications, which is known to conduct a very rigorous process of selecting new vendor partners,” said Mark Swendsen, Managing Director, EMEA, ShoreTel. “GHM Communications is recognised in the UK for best-of-breed solutions, as well as the consultative and technical excellence. GHM Communications is the ideal partner to help us to continue our channel growth in the UK.”

For more information visit http://www.ghmcommunications.com

GHM Communications sign up with Shoretel

GHM Communications can today announce that it has signed to become a partner of Shoretel. The shoretel product set further enhances our converged communications portfolio.

ShoreTel’s IP Phone System delivers on the promises of Unified Communications by integrating voice, video, IM, and voicemail in one easy to use system with no single point of failure. Call control is distributed to intelligent gateways – called voice switches – and voice applications, including voicemail and automated attendant, run on standard server hardware from anywhere on your network. The result is a single-image system across all geographies, with complete feature transparency.

GHM Communications announced as finalist for national award

Oxford based telecoms specialist GHM Communications has been nominated as a finalist in the SME Vertical Solution category of the Comms National Awards 2010.

The Comms National Awards are regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of the Voice & Data Channel and are much coveted.

GHM will attend the award ceremony on October 14^th where the winner of their category will be announced.

Chairman of judges Paul Cunningham said: “The judges were extremely impressed by the quality of the entries received this year. These awards have taken another major step forward in demonstrating the resilience and talent in our industry. The ability of channel players to deliver service and genuine return on investment to customers was paramount in the judging process and this was evident in all the successful entries.”

 

Paul Templeton, General Manager of Samsung Network Division, sponsors of the category, added: ““Samsung are delighted to see GHM Communications reach the final of the Comms National Awards in the Vertical market category. Their hard work and dedication within the Care Home sector has paid off and it is fantastic that their achievements are being recognised within the industry.”

Businesses will have to pay for Carbon

‘Businesses will have to pay for Carbon’ experts say

24th August 2010

Most finance heads at the UK’s largest companies anticipate that all businesses will be required to measure their carbon footprint (72%) and pay a price for the carbon they emit (76%), according to research announced today by the Carbon Trust Standard Company. 40% expect this to happen within the next decade, whilst 16% believe this will be the case within five years.

It discovered that despite expecting an increase in legislation related to carbon and energy use, a surprising proportion of finance heads do not have a clear picture of where their businesses stand today on carbon emissions. Nearly half (48%) do not have a clear corporate target for carbon reduction and a further 16% don’t know if their company has a target or not.  In addition, three quarters (74%) of finance decision makers admit that their business does not currently measure its carbon footprint.

The research is timely, coming six weeks before the registration deadline for the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) Energy Efficiency Scheme.

Under the terms of the CRC around 5000 large businesses will need to purchase carbon allowances to cover their emissions from April 2011. CRC participants that take early action to reduce their footprint and that achieve the Carbon Trust Standard – or equivalent – by March 2011 will benefit from higher placement in the initial CRC league table and reduce their costs of compliance.

When will the switchover to the low carbon economy happen?
Finance heads are agreed that the switchover to the low carbon economy will happen – only one in ten doubts this – but the research highlights uncertainty on when it will take place. The majority of respondents (59%) believe that it will happen over the next decade; with just over a quarter (28%) thinking it will take place in the next five years and 10% believing that it has already taken place. Despite these predictions, only 26% believe their organisation is prepared for the change and just over a quarter (27%) don’t know if their company is prepared or not. 

Is the low carbon economy an opportunity for business?
When asked if they believe the low carbon economy provides an opportunity for their business, 43% of finance heads take a positive view for their companies but the differences between industries are marked. For example technology and communications organisations and FMCG companies are the most positive, with 88% and 63% respectively viewing the low carbon economy as an opportunity. This contrasts with only 22% of professional services firms, 30% of financial services organisations and 31% of retailers. 

Rachel Sinha, Sustainability Manager, Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales (ICEAW) commented:
“ICEAW thinks addressing climate change is one of the most important concerns for business and society today and that businesses should be actively working to promote a low carbon economy. We see finance heads having an increasingly important role to play in guiding their organisations’ carbon management strategy, not only in terms of setting budgets for purchasing carbon allowances and investment, but also in terms of managing carbon data as it becomes a regulatory requirement. They, therefore, need to be prepared to provide the evidence base and framework for their organisations to be able to turn this time of change into a competitive advantage.”  

What are the most important business drivers in the switchover to the low carbon economy?
When thinking about the switchover to the low carbon economy, respondents rated the following as either ‘very important’ or ‘quite important’ drivers for their business:

• The opportunity to increase efficiency and cut costs by reducing energy use = 97%
• To comply with carbon legislation = 95%
• To meet customer expectations = 78%
• To meet employee expectations = 76%
• To protect corporate reputation = 74%
• To create new market opportunities = 48%
• Reduce carbon emissions to win business = 48%

Be ahead of the game and talk to GHM today about reducing your comapnies carbon footprint through the introduction of remote working practices www.ghmcommunications.com

Teleworking

Telework brings work to employees through technology rather than bringing employees to work by traveling. Teleworkers are employees who work at home one or more days each week instead of commuting to the office.

Employers that offer telework programs benefit from:

• Increased employee productivity
• Reduced overhead costs
• Decreased demands for office and parking space

Employees who telework benefit from:

• Fewer parking and commuting expenses
• Better balance of work and personal lives
• Less commuting stress

Put GHM’s teleworking specialist to work for your company today!

Let us help you explore key issues involved in implementing a telework program that fits your company’s unique needs. Our FREE assistance includes:

• Presentations on teleworking designed for upper and middle management
• Hands-on assistance
• Review and development of policies and forms, evaluation and survey tools
• Cost effective teleworking solutions
• Training for both managers and teleworkers

Contact GHM today www.ghmcommunications.com

Connecting Care Homes for the Future:- Article

Specialist telecoms provider to the care industry, GHM Communications, are moving care homes into a new generation of connectivity that means more efficient working by carers, better services for residents and significant cost savings each year.

Many care homes, particularly those operating as part of a group, procure their telecoms solutions autonomously. Each pay for their own BT land line, use different handsets and experience varying levels of service and maintenance.

It is widely felt that current telecoms solutions do not meet the needs of staff that spend the majority of their working days away from their desk and phone. There are also major health and safety concerns over traditional telephone systems as carers have to manoeuvre to the nearest landline in emergency situations.

In addition, residents often have to rent their own land lines, most of which tie them into contracts lasting a minimum of twelve months.

An increasing number of residents also enjoy spending their time using the internet and associated technologies. It is important in the move towards a ‘hotel’ style of care home that offers a superior level of facilities and independence that redefines the perception of residential care for the elderly. Making sure every resident has the option to connect with the outside world is vital to achieve this.

GHM works with care homes to address three common objectives for their telecoms system: to save money, enable their staff to work more efficiently and offer their residents flexible and cost effective telephone calls and internet access.

Wireless telephone systems allow the greatest amount of flexibility and opportunities for the care sector and are the preferred solution by many GHM customers.

GHM typically supply staff members with a Wifi enabled handset that can be easily attached to a belt or waistband. This means that each carer can make calls from anywhere in the home, most importantly without having to leave a resident in case of an emergency. The solution also enables carers to carry wireless tablets and notebooks so they can refer to any prescription or medical records without having to leave their patient or medication.

GHM can also enable standard mobile phones with Mobile Twinning technology so each mobile can answer incoming calls to the home and transfer calls internally within the home or across a group network as a whole.

Mobility is key for carers. By enabling them to receive and make calls from anywhere in the home, they are able to work more efficiently and improve both their safety and that of their residents.

By installing a central network, all internal calls are free of charge and external calls are charged at a much lower rate than many main line providers.

If a care home is operating as part of a group, significant savings can be achieved through installing a central hub which eliminates the need for individual lines into each home. This could equate to savings of up to £2,500.00 for each care home site per year on line rental alone.

Residents can also be allocated their own individual telephone numbers without any monthly fees or fixed contracts which could present an additional revenue stream for home owners. GHM provides a monthly spreadsheet of external calls made from each number so all individual external call charges can be recorded.

Free Wifi access can be offered to residents, at no extra cost to the home owner, enabling them to surf the internet all day long. Visiting family and friends can also enjoy temporary access to share online documents and photos.

Neil McManus of GHM Communications says: “We help our care homes manage their costs centrally as well as significantly reduce them. The savings homes can make by having a single supplier and removing the need for individual land lines at each site is immense.

“Homes can offer additional services to residents and employees can operate efficiently and safely. The new generation system also means our clients are effectively future proofed when it comes to emerging technologies and applications. We expect the return on investment for most care homes would be approximately two years.”

For more information visit www.ghmcommunications.com

GHM Summer Newsletter 2010

Looking to improve your remote working? We could save you £1,000
If you are thinking of introducing teleconferencing, a conference call facility, desktop sharing or any other improvements to your remote working telecoms capabilities, we could reduce your bill by £1,000.

GHM is working with a new grant call Sustainable Routes which is offering businesses across the South East up to £1,000 to reduce the cost of business travel.

We have just received the grant ourselves to implement an in house instant messaging facility which really improves communications when working remotely. We can tell if each other is on the phone or with clients…or if they’re taking advantage of our top tips below!

GHM can advise you on all aspects of remote working and which solutions are available to you. We can also help you through the Sustainable Routes application. Click here for more info

 How we have helped…Oxford Active

Oxford Active is a childcare and activity provider offering after school clubs, holiday activity camps and school cover in and around Oxfordshire.

It was when moving in to their new offices that Oxford Active saw an opportunity to improve their customer service and working practices by installing a new telecoms system from GHM Communications that addressed their needs as a growing business.

Owen McGovern, Owner of Oxford Active says: “GHM have come up with the perfect solution for us. It was so simple and affordable to install and the results have been fantastic. We are now able to offer both our customers and employees a reliable, professional and easy to use system that delivers at every level of our business.”

For the full article click here.

Summer offers from GHM

The summer is finally here and we have resorted to shorts in our offices!!!!!! To celebrate GHM have teamed up with Samsung and put together some fantastic deals for our new and existing customers.

FREE system audit
Our full telephone system audit offer has been a tremendous success. So we have decided to continue the offer through to the end of July.

Free Samsung Officeserv software upgrades
Benefit from all the features of a brand new telephone system with one simple software license. Just pay for the engineering

20% Discount on fully IP Samsung systems
Reduce the costs associated with moves, adds and changes along with reduced timescales on installation. Simplify your network infrastructure with a Single Wire to the desk and promote mobility and home working where appropriate. Could you benefit from finding a solution which will help keep in touch on the go?

BUY BACK on all legacy equipment
Do you have an Alcatel-Lucent 4100 or 4200 system or a Samsung DCS? GHM will BUY the system back when upgrading to the latest Samsung Officeserv System.

Free Fixed Mobile Convergence client license for every user
Work from anywhere if your office phone rings so will your mobile. Never miss that all important call.

And we’ve saved the best till last…!

FREE POE LAN switch for every new system purchased
Ensure your VoIP system has the best possible infrastructure supporting it by installing a POE network switch. We’ll give you one port to every IP user license and handset you buy

Call us now on 0845 058 4668 and talk to one of the team or click here

 Our top tips on…enabling staff to work remotely when the weather’s bad or the football is on!

As a result of not having the right systems in place many businesses suffered severe disruption when January’s bad weather stopped staff getting into the office and when England’s last group game fell within the working day. GHM on the other hand functioned as normal using IP phones to maintain business as usual. So how can you make remote working work for you?

1. Know the difference – flexible and remote working are different, and it is important that employees understand this.
2. Make the policies clear – if you’re going to offer remote working, make sure people know the boundaries and guidelines.
3. Make sure staff have home broadband - the increasing popularity of working from home has prompted many companies to include home broadband as part of their employee benefits packages.
4. Equip remote workers with corporate laptops - laptops have now become relatively inexpensive, with many companies choosing to replace desktops with laptops as a matter of course.
5. Security, security, security - whenever an employee accesses company information, whether this is at home or on the road, they must be able to do this securely to prevent information from being lost or misappropriated.
6. Keep the lines of communication open - businesses should ensure that they are always communicating with workers who are not in the office.
7. Use a single contact number for employees – a remote working employee still needs to be contactable.
8. Build it into business continuity plans - remote working can form part of organisations’ business continuity plans.
9. Don’t tie workers to a specific desk- offices with remote workers require less space, companies can move to smaller, cheaper premises with hot desks available for when staff come into the office.
10. Put computers in the Palms of people’s hands- giving employees smartphones, such as Blackberry’s or iPhones, can dramatically increase their productivity by reducing the ‘dead time’ of commuting and travelling to and from meetings.
 

For our full top tips article on remote workingclick here.

Oxfordshire childcare provider calls on GHM telecoms system

Oxfordshire childcare provider calls on GHM telecoms system

Oxford Active is a childcare and activity provider offering after school clubs, holiday activity camps and school cover in and around Oxfordshire.

Like many businesses, Oxford Active was originally set up from home and has since grown organically to employ over twenty people at their new offices in Woodstock.

 The problem

It was when moving in to their new offices that Oxford Active saw an opportunity to improve their customer service and working practices by installing a new telecoms system that addressed their needs both as a growing business and a childcare provider.

Owen McGovern, Owner of Oxford Active comments: “We previously operated through a network of mobile and home telephones which did not really provide the professional levels of service we aspire to. We also had quite specific needs as a childcare provider that our existing system did not fulfil so we went to market to find the most suitable and cost efficient telecoms system available.”

 Oxford Active selected local telecoms provider GHM Communications to design and install a brand new system at their Woodstock offices that would also facilitate a high degree of remote working from their various clubs and camps.

“In school holidays, the majority of our staff are based at our various camps and clubs so it was vital that each member of staff could accept and make calls remotely whilst being networked to our main office. We also required a facility to leave urgent messages for teachers and parents in situations such as extreme weather conditions.”

 The solution

GHM Communications recommended an IP based Samsung telephone system for Oxford Active as, unlike a SIPS Trunk system, it is not reliant on an ISDN connection which may not be accessible at many club and camp venues. Remote workers simply take the same IP handset that they use in the office out with them to location and connect to the central network through a standard broadband connection. Calls can be transferred directly from the head office and from one staff member to another just as they would if they were sitting at their desks.

Neil McManus of GHM Communications says: “The latest technology means that IP telephony is providing a much more flexible and cost effective solution for small and medium sized businesses looking for a new telephone system. I would say that around 60% of the telephone systems we install in and around Oxfordshire are now IP based.”

The new system allows Oxford Active to provide an automated menu based welcome message called Auto Attendant, allowing parents and teachers to be connected with the right department at the touch of a button. They can also record emergency messages on the Auto Attendant facility in the event that any clubs or camps are cancelled or affected by unforeseen conditions.

Owen concludes: “GHM have come up with the perfect solution for us. It was so simple and affordable to install and the results have been fantastic. We are now able to offer both our customers and employees a reliable, professional and easy to use system that delivers at every level of our business.”

For more information visit www.ghmcommunications.com. And www.oxfordactive.co.uk

-Ends-

Media contact:

Jo Love, LoveCommunication

T: 07887 775271
E: jo@lovecommunication.co.uk

About GHM Communications

 

GHM Communications provide powerful, cost-effective telecoms solutions to private and public sector organisations of all sizes across the UK from their head office in Oxford.

They partner with the world’s leading telecoms manufacturers including Samsung and Alcatel Lucent, to provide industry leading converged telephone systems bespoke to their customer’s needs.