Network Communications News (NCN) November 2016 | Page 8

I NDUST RY NEW S
Manchester needs good
connectivity to be dominant
tech hub, suggests report
Manchester is already the UK’s largest tech cluster outside of London, but a new
study commissioned by WiredScore, a digital connectivity rating scheme for
commercial property, suggests that two in five technology workers believe that in
order for the city to grow as a tech hub, Internet connectivity needs to be improved.
One in 10 of those surveyed believe that poor connectivity could damage the
city’s reputation by discouraging Manchester based entrepreneurs. A further 10
per cent of respondents also claimed that current connectivity levels give a poor
impression of the city to potential investors and could put off businesses from
operating in Manchester.
WiredScore commissioned the report to support its launch in Manchester,
its first UK city outside of London. WiredScore is working with a number of local
agents and landlords to certify and make improvements to their properties’
connectivity infrastructure.
William Newton, UK director, WiredScore, noted, ‘Manchester has long
been a hub of innovation in this country and has gone from being the heart
of industrial revolution, to a centre of Britain’s digital evolution. However and
certainly post-Brexit, no British city can rest on its laurels and must continuously
look to future growth.
‘It is essential that developers and landlords in Manchester consider the ever
more important role of technology in business – both for tech companies and
otherwise – and provide the connectivity that meets the current and future needs of
their occupiers.’

Ernest R Shaw and DCA
launch new Allianz backed
insurance offering
Insurance broker Ernest R Shaw has teamed up with DCA
Trade Association and 8 Solutions, a European based
technical cleaning and data centre healthcare business, to
launch a new suite of dedicated insurance products for the
data centre sector.
This is the first time ever that a suite of insurance
products and services have been made available for
the data centre industry and it follows a 12 month
consultation between Ernest R Shaw, 8 Solutions and
the Data Centre Alliance. The result of the consultation
was a new best practice framework to underpin the new
insurance offering.
Businesses that adopt and meet this best practice in
the future could qualify for a lower insurance premium,
underwritten by Allianz Insurance.
Data centres who have been independently audited
under the DCA certification scheme and/or end users
who choose to host in data centres which have achieved
this accreditation can all benefit from this new range of
insurance products and services which have been tailor
made to support the data centre sector and its users.

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03/11/2016 09:42