INDUSTRY NEWS
Penn Elcom expands cable and rack manufacturing in Hastings
Penn Elcom has expanded the capacity of its specialist cable and 19 inch rack manufacturing facility in Hastings , East Sussex , UK , with a substantial investment in new cable cutting and stripping machinery from Schleuniger . This will bring the cable technology and production up to the highest levels .
A bespoke built laser etching machine has also been designed and installed for adding logos , letters , numbers and other customisations to aluminium and steel rack panels , giving Penn the ability to offer further flexibility to its clients .
The move is in response to an increased demand for both standard and bespoke cable and rack manufacturing products and services after the launch of the Penn Elcom Online global web portal in January of this year . A boost in international business is seeing cables , leads and racks being shipped worldwide .
‘ We want to ensure that with this ramp up we continue delivering all our products and cable solutions to the highest quality standards in the quickest turnaround times for which the Penn brand is renowned ,’ commented Penn Elcom ’ s Rob Platt .
IT , Communication SMEs have UK ’ s second largest business savings pots
Small and medium sized enterprises ( SMEs ) within the IT and communications sector come second when it comes to the amount of money held in business savings accounts , with the average balance standing at £ 804,000 , according to new research from specialist challenger bank Hampshire Trust Bank .
Following the outcome of the EU Referendum , 45 per cent of businesses within the telecoms sector said they were increasing the amount of cash in their firms to build a cash buffer , higher than the national average of 38 per cent .
Stuart Hulme , director of savings at Hampshire Trust Bank , said , ‘ Our study demonstrates the sector differences when it comes to the amounts businesses and organisations are holding in current and savings accounts .
‘ The organisations that have been stockpiling cash into current accounts should consider the opportunities to make more out of every £ 1 earnt . At Hampshire Trust Bank , we continue to identify ways to meet the savings needs of SMEs . The benefit of making use of savings accounts is not only the interest rate return you get as a business , but also the knowledge that the money is being lent on to SMEs looking to grow , delivering double value and supporting investment in the UK .’
Xirrus highlights public Wi-Fi dangers in latest survey
Xirrus has revealed the results of its public Wi-Fi survey report , which highlights users ’ habits and perceptions of risk when connecting to public Wi-Fi .
The survey polled more than 2,000 business users , including executives and IT professionals and found that while 91 per cent of respondents do not believe public Wi-Fi is secure , 89 per cent use it anyway .
The study reveals the growing disparity between the increased use of public Wi-Fi and the lack of precautions taken against security threats when connecting .
Key findings include : 48 per cent of Wi-Fi users connect to public Wi-Fi at least three times per week ; 31 per cent connect to public Wi-Fi every day . 91 per cent of Wi-Fi users do not believe public Wi-Fi is secure , yet 89 per cent use it anyway . When on public Wi-Fi , 83 per cent of Wi-Fi users access their email , whether it ’ s for work or personal reasons and 43 per cent access work / job specific information . Nearly half ( 46 per cent ) of Wi-Fi users say their company has not offered cyber security training in the past year . Nearly 30 per cent of respondents are not aware of ransomware as a threat , despite it being identified as one of the most pervasive cyber threats .
‘ Today , the convenience of using public Wi-Fi , for a variety of work and recreational uses , supersedes security , which puts both individuals and businesses at risk ,’ said Shane Buckley , CEO of Xirrus . ‘ Most businesses do not offer secure connectivity options for customers and guests . And what makes connecting to public Wi-Fi even more risky is that employers rarely provide proper education around these security risks , or provide tools to keep their employee and company data safe . Using a secure personal network helps Wi-Fi users stay safe by creating a local network for the user that encrypts all data and protects their devices from being visible on the public network .’
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