Issue 3 2021 Cloud Cover In this issue: With an emphasis on providing reliable and flexible colocation services, eStruxture Data Centers have achieved the remarkable throughout challenging times, and have subsequently won the title of Most Outstanding Data Center Services Provider 2021 - Canada. We dig a little deeper into the firm’s incredible achievements. Island Success MULTIPLES SECURE COOPERATIVE GROUP BuroBuro Opportunity Access Ltd The Pioneers Driving Excellence in Supported Learning Astrea Academy Dearne Securing Success With Superb SEO Services Bruce Clay Inc. Also in this issue:
Welcome to the March issue of Corporate Vision magazine, providing you with all of the latest news and features from across the corporate landscape in 2021. Yet another month has passed, and with it comes the closing of 2021’s first quarter. Though the world is still being put to rights following the events of 2020, the business world is looking beyond the present to the wealth of opportunities and hope that the future holds. One of the most exciting things about the future is the emergence of new technologies, and ways in which technology can be used to enhance life. Technology is one thing, but having it in the right hands is another thing entirely. Our cover this month focuses on the team at eStruxture, who have some exciting news about an acquisition that is sure to shake up Canada’s data centres industry. Another of our highlighted success stories is that of Bruce Clay Inc., a firm that is celebrated for fantastic services and offerings within search engine optimisation training. The world is getting more digital, and Bruce Clay Inc. is right there at the cutting edge. If this is what the first quarter of 2021 has to offer, then my hope and expectation is that this will be a year to remember for many businesses as they come back from a harrowing 2020. Whatever may come, there is sure to be innovation, success, and excitement aplenty. Until then, stay safe and well, and enjoy the success stories within these pages. See you in April! Micheal Pusey, Editor Website: www.cv-magazine.com AI Global Media, Ltd. (AI) takes reasonable measures to ensure the quality of the information on this web site. However, AI will not assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, correctness or completeness of any information that is available through this web site. If errors are brought to our attention, we will try to correct them. The information available through the website and our partner publications is for your general information and use and is not intended to address any particular finance or investment requirements. In particular, the information does not constitute any form of advice or recommendation by us or any of our partner publications and is not intended to be relied upon by users in making or refraining from making any investment or financial decisions. Appropriate independent advice should be obtained before making any such decision. Any arrangement made between you and any third party named in the site is at your sole risk and responsibility. Editorial Team Laura Brookes, Senior Editor | Jess Daykin, Editor Michael Pusey, Editor | Daniel Long, Writer Alexandra Abraham, Writer | El Muers Writer Design Team Emma Hunt, Senior Designer | Daniela Levinte, Graphic Designer
Contents 4. News 6. Cloud Cover 10. Making People Smile 11. Pioneering Fully Integrated User Engagement Solutions 12. Securing Success With Superb SEO Services 16. Clearing the Way 17. Institute for Immersive Learning 18. ‘The Carriers’ Carrier’ 20. Inimitable Industry Expertise 21. The Minds Behind Revolutionizing Real Estate 22. Ensuring Cybersecurity with METCloud 24. Best Online Smartphone Accessories Retailer - UK 25. Best Online Fitness Equipment Retailer - UK 26. Car Rental Firm Leads The Way 27. Supporting Britain’s Back to Work 28. Island Success 30. Business Coach Who Gets Results 31. Malaysian Broadcasters Secure Success 32. The Pioneers of Audio Branding 33. Educating NYC 34. The Pioneers Driving Excellence in Supported Learning 36. Encouraging Multi-Cultural Education Environments 37. Educational Excellence 38. Encouraging Education 39. Leading the Pivot of Canada’s Education Industry 40. A Musical Menagerie 41. On Your Bike 42. Ingenious Innovation From docs24 44. The Gateway to Success 45. No Pain, No Gain 46. Game-Changing Global Approach To Digital Advertising 47. Pure Business Growth 48. Winners’ listings
4 OCI Appoints New Chief Commercial Officer Appointing Gary Griffiths as their new CCO, OCI makes this key hire to help support business development activities in the UK and USA. OCI has appointed a new Chief Commercial Officer, Gary Griffiths as the firm seeks to enhance its services for large corporates and governments, trading domestically and overseas. Griffiths joins OCI with over 30 years’ experience in the trade and supply chain services industry. He has an impressive track record of creating, developing and leading top performing trade businesses across the UK, EMEA, ASPAC and the Americas. Speaking of his appointment, he said: “OCI is an exciting business that is leading a revolution by structuring pioneering solutions that challenge how the trade and supply chain is managed. The OCI proposition is market leading - we work in true partnership with our clients to structure bespoke and innovative frameworks to help solve sourcing, supply chain and financing challenges. OCI is a business in constant growth and I am looking forward to helping drive the revolution further.” In his new role, Griffiths will be responsible for building the right team and proposition which will drive the expansion of OCI’s already strong trade and supply chain partnering business. Oliver Chapman, Group CEO of OCI said: “It’s fantastic that Gary is joining the team at OCI. Our growth strategy and expansion campaign are on target and I am confident that Gary is the right person to support us in achieving our goals.” Griffiths will oversee OCI’s development in the US and will work alongside senior management and the origination team to continue building appropriate foundations and the network to successfully execute the new business strategy. Prior to joining OCI, Gary was Managing Director at Bibby Trade Finance. In addition to this, he has also held senior roles as Global Head of Trade, Receivables & Supplier Finance Origination at Lloyds Banking Group, and Regional Head of Trade & Working Capital at Barclays.
News Supporting Small Businesses A recent survey reveals optimism from small businesses owners as over a third expect to recruit new staff in 2021. As thousands of shops, hospitality venues and many other businesses plan to reopen in line with the government roadmap, the national discount scheme, My VIP Card, has new data highlighting that many small businesses are optimistic about 2021 and over a third (36%) are planning to recruit and expand their teams once lockdown measures ease. The survey also highlighted that there is confusion amongst small business owners with regards to government legislations around the legalities of vaccinating staff, how their insurance is impacted and the legislation required to open safely and legally. For the retail and hospitality sectors this is a vital time as they have already missed out on Christmas, Valentines and Mother’s Day trade and is imperative that the government offers crystal clear advice to allow these businesses to open seamlessly. My VIP Card recently launched a national campaign, ‘Everyone is a VIP to someone’ to support small business owners and raise awareness of mental health issues in the UK. The scheme has been actively supporting thousands of businesses through the pandemic by offering free membership and promotion to our national network of members. Many local shops and services have adapted their solutions to offer online, click and collect or takeaway services and My VIP Card allows a ‘one stop shop’ to find all the amazing offers and discounts available in your local community and beyond. The national discount card gives local shoppers access to thousands of discounts, helping them save on average £500 a year while supporting their local high street. Maddy Alexander-Grout, Founder of My VIP Card, added, “It is hugely positive to see so many businesses planning to recruit when lockdown measures ease. I have personally spoken to hundreds of local business owners and many are really struggling to survive and are obviously keen to reopen but they need the advice and support to ensure they can do so correctly and efficiently. My VIP Card is here to support small businesses across the UK by raising awareness and actively encouraging shoppers to benefit from local discounts. If you need support or know a small business that would benefit from becoming part of our network, then please get in touch.”
Cloud Cover Companies have become reliant on new levels of flexibility, but maintaining that flexibility is often beyond their limits. With businesses focusing on what they do best, it’s down to teams like those at eStruxture Data Centers to deliver the goods. With an emphasis on providing reliable and flexible colocation services, they have achieved the remarkable throughout challenging times, and have subsequently won the title of Most Outstanding Data Center Services Provider 2021 - Canada. We dig a little deeper into the firm’s incredible achievements. Canada is home to many technological innovations, and one of its most renowned is eStruxture. With data centers that spread the length and breadth of the country, the team have been able to achieve truly remarkable results on behalf of their customers, and it’s a level of success that doesn’t look likely to peak any time soon. The company provides modern-day data center infrastructure for companies who require reliable and flexible colocation services across a broad spectrum of customers including network and cloud providers, XaaS, Fintech, Machine Learning, VFX and rendering, or other industries. If your business is dependent on IT services running smoothly, the team at eStruxture are your natural partners. However, there is even more exciting news for the firm beyond that which it has already achieved through Corporate Vision magazine. As of March 30th, 2021, eStruxture has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire all eight Canadian data centers from Aptum Technologies, a global hybrid multi-cloud managed service provider. Alongside this acquisition, the firm also takes control of all of Aptum’s customers and employees that are associated with its colocation business. The addition of these strategic locations complements eStruxture’s existing portfolio of six data centers currently located in the cities of Vancouver, Calgary, and Montreal, further strengthening the company’s pan-Canadian platform and adding key industry verticals to its portfolio. eStruxture will now be able to provide one of the largest amounts of immediately sellable capacity in Canada for companies looking to speed up their time to market. On top of this, the customers working with eStruxture will benefit from having access to two of Canada’s largest carrier hotels located at 151 Front Street West in Toronto and 555 Hastings in Vancouver. This will add over two hundred new network providers to eStruxture’s ecosystem including access to the Toronto Internet Exchange (TorIX) and the Vancouver Internet Exchange (VANIX). With the addition of these new facilities (five in Toronto, two in Montreal, and one in Vancouver), eStruxture will be fully in control of more than fourteen facilities across the entirety of Canada. As such, this increase in the number of data centers also means that eStruxture has expanded its total footprint to more than 600,000 square feet of combined data center space and a total IT capacity of a massive 100 megawatts. In acquiring this new wealth of data centers and technological capability, eStruxture is offering its customers both central and edge locations that are scalable, sustainably designed, and highly connected. The firm’s ability to provide the capacity, performance, and flexibility to run modern, demanding enterprise applications, as well as scale rapidly in response to unpredictable changes in business processes, is nothing short of outstanding. In short, eStruxture is a partner who can meet even the most challenging of demands. This capacity comes from the decision to play the customer at the heart of every decision made. Staff working at eStruxture have taken the time to research the Canadian data center market deeply, and as a firm that is rooted in the traditions of Canadian business understand exactly what is expected of them from customers. Having gained the support of prominent financial institutions, eStruxture is able to deploy large-scale projects with the smallest delays. When a customer needs to expand, eStruxture is able to expand with them. Having built a strong reputation within the industry at large, it’s little wonder that eStruxture has gained loyal customers, including carriers, cloud providers, media content, financial services, and enterprise customers across Canada. The team’s highly scalable solutions offer impressive high-density power of 30kW per cabinet and more standard, for the most intense computing workloads. Something that sets the team apart from the competition, however, is their desire to power data centers in as sustainable a manner as possible. Achieving this while also maintaining a high level of performance, scalability, and uptime has been a difficult challenge, but one which has brought about numerous rewards for the team. By taking advantage of the Canadian climate, the team have been able to reduce energy usage as well as minimize water consumption, noise levels, vibrations, and the environmental impact of refrigerant and other potentially harmful chemicals. Feb21500 eStruxture will now be able to provide one of the largest amounts of immediately sellable capacity in Canada for companies looking to speed up their time to market.
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Over the years, eStruxture has been able to achieve an annual power saving of 70%, thanks to the use of waterless and free-cooling technologies. These maximize energy efficiency and minimize environmental impact. It’s this commitment throughout their operation that gives the firm such strong standing now, and well into the future. Of course, no great business has ever been built without having an exceptional staff. The team behind eStruxture are some of the hardest working people in the industry, putting in an enormous amount of resources to ensure that customers are able to transform their digital identity. Needless to say, the team work alongside customers from many different industries, and this means that the team must formulate a bespoke approach that fills every possible gap. Diversity has proven to be key to the team’s success, and they are very proud of the fact that most of their workforce is considered diverse. This applies across the various sections of the business, and has proven to be a boon to the firm, and its customers. Operating with a diverse team makes the company more versatile, with the ability to move agilely from project to project, searching for creative solutions that get results. New team members are always in demand, as eStruxture looks to expand its horizons. Those who come to the business must be willing and able to contribute to our company’s winning corporate culture, however. It’s only team players who are able to stand the test of time in these challenging circumstances. The team make it a priority to ensure that those who work at eStruxture enjoy working there. They live and breathe eStruxture’s family-like and fun-at-work culture. By finding somewhere to work where they are happy, they can achieve their best work. Having a strong staff team is one thing, but having an exceptional leader is another thing entirely. eStruxture benefits from having a CEO and leader who is more than capable of taking the firm to greater heights than ever before, as evidenced by the announcement of eStruxture’s acquisition of these new data centers. Todd Coleman is that CEO, and is also President of eStruxture. Bringing more than twenty five years of experience in the IT, data center, and telecommunications industries, Todd delivers experience and expertise in abundance for eStruxture. Alongside this, Todd also partakes as a racing driver in his spare time. The blitzing speed of the track and the world of business are not too dissimilar, especially when it comes to the speed with which Todd is building eStruxture. Just recently, Todd won a weekend race by more than thirty seconds; a victory which is certainly comparable to the success of eStruxture within this industry. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the benefits of this way of working. The team has had to adjust quickly to businesses which want to work remotely and take advantage of digital communications. The demand for this technology over the last year has skyrocketed, driving more network use and placing more strain on the critical infrastructure that data centers are responsible for. eStruxture has experienced rapid growth since its launch in 2017, but 2020 was easily the strongest performing year in the history of the company. Companies couldn’t move quickly enough with their digital transformation strategy. As such, the team had to walk the walk, and expand to meet. They did this with aplomb, implementing measures that would safeguard their employees and customers’ businesses as well as determining what was essential work to minimize the need for external suppliers. The success of 2020 has driven much of the workload of 2021. eStruxture remain committed to helping more businesses grow and expand by offering secure, reliable data center solutions in more regions, direct connectivity to an ever-growing number of cloud and service providers, as well as assistance when it comes to speeding up the process of digital transformation. The last year saw a great deal of change hit every company and every industry at once, in very short order. For many, it was the tireless work of eStruxture that ensured they could continue operating to such high standards. With a model that has now proven itself to be both sustainable and scalable in equal measure, we look forward to seeing exactly what this impressive organization does next. Company: eStruxture Data Centers Contact: Angela Adam Web Address: www.estruxture.com Jun20125
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Making People Smile With a mission to help people achieve healthy, beautiful smiles, Ivoclar Vivadent is passionate about providing the integrated solutions, empowering people and giving superior services. Owning subsidiaries in 30 countries and employing approximately 3,500 people worldwide, we took a closer look at Ivoclar Vivadent and how they established a reputation as being leading innovators of dental technology in Switzerland. Headquartered in Schaan, Liechtenstein, Ivoclar Vivadent is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative systems for high-quality dental applications. Over the years the company’s remarkable success has been the result of a comprehensive portfolio of smart systems, strong research and development capabilities and a clear commitment to advanced training and education. Supported by almost 100-years’ worth of disruptive innovations, Ivoclar Vivadent have proven to be a thought leader in the dental field on countless occasions. Since their inception, the company has developed several game-changing solutions for the dental market, such as the IPS e.max, and will continue to do so in the future. With a radical customer centric approach, the team at Ivoclar Vivadent are able to offer a vast range of services which includes fascinating augmented reality visualisations for emotional, customer-need-oriented patient consulting with intuitive design software, thousands of hours of advanced education per year as well as a process security for dentists and dental technicians with optimal and efficient workflows that help to achieve time savings, increase profitability and make treatments more convenient. It is clear from the endless positive reviews and numerous accolades that the diverse range of services Ivoclar Vivadent have on offer are part of the company’s extraordinary success throughout the years. However, how does this award-winning company seem to maintain a steady growth speed, alongside their success? Their answer is ongoing innovation being the driver of sustainable growth. Ivoclar Vivadent have to be innovative in all of their activities, not just in technology, to be able to provide superior added value to their customers who are dentists and dental technicians around the world. With one of the world’s largest R&D departments in the dental business, as well as research team of over 170 highly-qualified employees, this unstoppable work force is working on developing comprehensive treatment solutions across the world. In addition to this, the root of any progress is having the respective open mind-set. Which is why every long-lasting successful change the company implements comes from within. These changes come from Ivoclar Vivadent’s leaders who direct and steer the organization in a prosperous future. As the company continues their meteoric rise to success, one thing which remains at the centre of everything they do is their conscious belief that good oral health and a beautiful smile are the foundation of a good life. Whilst maintaining their internal values of respect, smile, focus, act and grow, Ivoclar Vivadent aspire to provide the best oral health and beautiful smiles to the world and we are certain that the leading innovators of dental technology in Switzerland will be able to do so. Contact: Anja Nöstler-Büchel, Head of Corporate Communications Company: Ivoclar Vivadent AG Web Address: www.ivoclarvivadent.com Jun20248
Pioneering Fully Integrated User Engagement Solutions After over a decade of operation, Comm100 has cemented itself as a leading voice in providing the technology businesses need to connect with their customers anytime, anywhere. A global provider of digital omnichannel customer engagement solutions, Comm100 equips customers with the tools and support needed to deliver fast and effective service and inspire greater customer loyalty as a result. The platform uses AI and a friendly, intuitive user interface for both visitors and agents. It connects every key digital channel together to deliver an all-in-one answer to increasing customer engagement, growing revenue, and improving customer satisfaction. The Comm100 platform allows brands to offer a range of digital customer service channels, whether that be via an automation-assisted agent, an AIpowered chatbot, self-service interactions, or a blend of all three. Using powerful natural language processing and integrations with other core business systems, Comm100’s chatbots provide genuine, personalized communications that leave the customer—and the agent—happy with the interaction. At present, Comm100 is trusted by organizations such as IBM, Rackspace, Stanford University, and HomeTrust Bank to enable meaningful, real-time conversations. Since its founding in 2009, Comm100’s focus has been on helping brands improve the customer experience. Regardless of what size a company is or how established it is within its industry, Comm100 seeks to help its customers provide the best service and support they can by enabling smooth and seamless communication between its agents and their end users. The platform’s compatibility with a wide range of clients and target markets has made it one of the most popular solutions on the market. Being positioned in the SaaS space requires Comm100 to meet the challenges of a competitive and dynamic market. It sets itself apart by providing businesses with the support that they need to effectively leverage its platform—it provides programming and education training for its clients, empowering them to become proficient and confident in its use. Its feature-packed freemium plan is a comprehensive and accessible solution, easily upgradable for more sophisticated businesses. Furthermore, Comm100 is dedicated to tight cybersecurity Jan21087 Issue 3 2021 11 and compliance. To protect its clients’ data, it is SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR compliant. Comm100 found that the pandemic has definitely increased the number of organizations calling upon its services. With so many having to pivot to fully remote work, many sectors were forced to find solutions that allowed them to engage with their customers from afar. As part of its 2021 Live Chat Benchmark Report, Comm100 discovered that the duration of chats on its platform have gone up during the pandemic while wait times have gone down, implying that this technology is helping businesses more efficiently handle customer inquiries and giving agents the bandwidth to spend more time with customers who really need the additional support. As customers continue to set high expectations for service, Comm100’s technology can help businesses scale to meet those expectations efficiently and compassionately. Comm100 continues to enhance its platform to be the best solution on the market for both enterprise and small business. In 2021, the brand is prioritizing honing its user interface to be more versatile and intuitive, as well as including more powerful mobile capabilities and extending the range of channels that it can support. In tandem with this, it will be developing smart integrations with other core business systems, continuing its mission of making Comm100 easy to use, dependable, and secure. Contact: Jeff Epstein Website: www.comm100.com Comm100 continues to enhance its platform to be the best solution on the market for both enterprise and small business.
Jan21372 Securing Success With Superb SEO Services As the world has become more digital and technical, businesses, organisations, and individuals alike have all had to adjust their service offerings and create an online presence. However, simply having an online presence is not enough. That online presence has to have all the necessary information, and be ranked high enough so that customers can easily find it. Understanding the ins and outs of SEO is Bruce Clay Inc., which has been named the Most Outstanding SEO Training & Services Provider – 2021 in this issue of Corporate Vision. Join us as we find out more about the business and Bruce Clay himself, and highlight the success that both have seen. Search engine optimisation, otherwise known as SEO, has become a staple of business in the twenty-first century. The emergence of search engines such as the ever-dominant Google, amongst others, has paved the way for businesses to scramble in order to be ranked on the first page of searches that relate to what they are offering. There are all sorts of tips, techniques, and tricks that businesses can make use of when creating their online presence and adjusting it to ensure that they are consistently ranked higher and better on search results that pertain to them. Uncovering and finding these secrets is not easy, but something that Bruce Clay and his team have dedicated much of their professional lives to. Since first being formed back in 1996, the work of Bruce Clay Inc. has been focused on becoming the world’s premier search marketing agency that delivers results for its clients. Fast forward nearly a quarter of a century, and that is certainly the case today for Bruce Clay Inc. and Mr Clay himself as an individual. Having established itself and built up a repertoire of outstanding services over the course of twenty-five years, Bruce Clay Inc. can now hold its collective head high and take pride in the fact that it is a premier search marketing agency. In essence, what Bruce Clay Inc. does for its clients is get them and their websites traffic from search engines and search engine results. The firm is a strict follower of search engine guidelines, and it succeeds in generating results for its clients. In many cases, it would certainly be fair to say that Bruce Clay Inc. has changed lives by generating traffic to websites through legendary skills. A quick Google search itself will bring up results of Mr Clay’s own colleagues citing him as the father of search engine optimisation. The way it works for clients partnering with Bruce Clay Inc. is this: they put their trust in the firm completely to focus their efforts and activities on driving traffic to a particular website. Achieving this can be done through search marketing activities, such as search engine optimisation techniques, pay-per-click techniques, SEO-driven content, and social media advertisements. These are very much where Bruce Clay Inc.’s core services lie, and the firm ensures that it only employs experts to guarantee the best service possible for clients. Every single one of the analysts working at Bruce Clay Inc. has more than ten years in their given space, and are clearly experts on the matter of search engine optimisation and marketing, and each of the technical consultants also has more than ten years’ experience in their chosen field. Mr Clay has intentionally built a team of the very best experts so as to ensure that his clients get the very best SEO service that money can buy. Even Mr Clay himself is an expert, having been in the industry for more than a quarter of a century. He has shared his knowledge and spoken at more than three hundred conference sessions, written three top quality books, and has offices on five different continents. The breadth and depth of Mr Clay’s expertise in this particular subject matter is second to none, and anyone would be hard pressed to find a reason not to work with this incredibly knowledgeable and insightful individual. Mr Clay has spent years crafting his name into a brand that is synonymous with success, and Bruce Clay Inc. is now well known as being the agency that people call when they cannot afford to fail when it comes to search results. In doing so, the work of Bruce Clay Inc. is also synonymous with expertise, competence, value, and service. This is the company that clients turn to if they really want to get traffic from search engines. Just a handful of the services that Bruce Clay Inc. offers has already been outlined above, but there is so much more to what the firm has to offer than simply titles of service. Search engine optimisation is such a wide-ranging area for example, and the SEO services provided by the firm demand greater exploration and understanding. In delivering SEO services to clients, the firm’s goal is to get clients into a position where they are in the top three rankings for important keywords, thereby generating increased website traffic. There are also three core ways in which the firm delivers its SEO services: retainers, blocks, and audits. With a retainer, Bruce Clay Inc. runs in sprints of four weeks each, staffing a client project with an agile team that is capable of overseeing a high quality SEO program. It includes on-page, off-page, and server analysis, covering desktop and mobile websites, as well as expertise, authority, trust, and maintenance signals. Blocks of time service are also available. Clients can buy a block of time that stacks up in multiples of twenty hours. Through expert consulting over the next six months, these twenty hours can be used by clients who are driving their own projects but need some help with the trickier aspects and harder questions. This is ideal where a client has some SEO capability themselves, and just wants someone for the tough issues. Rounding off the SEO services is the complex audits. They vary by purpose of course, and can be anything from simple reviews, to deep penalty detection and repair, to comprehensive full suite audits with implementation support. Whatever the need or the purpose, Bruce Clay Inc. is there to help with whatever is needed. Audits then lead to the delivery of reports and discussions around the findings that are contained within those reports. Bruce Clay Inc. then has its team work with the recipients of those reports for a full three months to focus on mentoring, consulting, guidance, and eventual confirmation of best SEO practices that can stem from those findings. Upon delivery of the final report, clients will find that it also contains a severity and priority list of things that need to be done as soon as possible. Oftentimes, these things are exactly what a firm needs to succeed, and can pertain to a myriad of different areas. Content expertise, link authority, earned trust, and a sound SEO program are all synergistically tied together, and clients cannot succeed at any They vary by purpose of course, and can be anything from simple reviews, to deep penalty detection and repair, to comprehensive full suite audits with implementation support. Whatever the need or the purpose, Bruce Clay Inc. is there to help with whatever is needed.
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without all of them. Each works in tandem with the others to create an environment in which site traffic is fostered in the best possible way. There are ways in which Bruce Clay Inc. can help, such as training, PPC, social media, content, and overall guidance. For instance, the SEO training course that the firm provides is online, meaning that clients can take it at their own pace. Another option is to have clients pay for PPC advertisements, or pay-per-click advertisements. Bruce Clay Inc.’s PPC program is a full-service management program where the client owns the account and the firm does all the management work. It includes both PPC and Paid Social Media programs, so advertisements in Facebook and other platforms are also serviced under the same program. Social media has quickly established itself as a major force to be reckoned with in modern society, influencing everything from corporate business to politics, and beyond. Specifically, Bruce Clay Inc. focuses its efforts on social media advertisements, and how to turns leads into conversions. Everything about social media feeds off buzz, whether it be buzz around a business, a headline, a news article, a life event, or something else entirely. Particularly regarding a business, there is a social media buzz around service and shareable content. That requires a content strategy and SEO, which in turn requires a keyword, theme, and hierarchy strategy. Again, that in turn requires persona development before the cycle starts again. There is a never-ending cycle of social media buzz that is generated by shareable content. Social media, without some trustworthy content behind it, is nothing more than a wasted opportunity. Bruce Clay Inc. takes the initiative and seizes the plethora of SEO opportunities that are out there. In the social media marketing and advertising space, the power lies with shared content. Bruce Clay Inc. helps with clients with their content needs, but as part of a larger and more cohesive program. If the client wants content, that is where the program can start, but content alone is not a solution. The firm analyses an existing website, discovering content gaps and identifying keywords, variants, and questions that need to be answered. From there, the firm also uses its patent-pending tools to determine page length and keyword density, before creating a draft to client specifications. After the client has approved the draft, Bruce Clay Inc. then finishes the job with images, references, and videos as appropriate, all of which is peppered with tags, strategic links, keywords, variants, and more. In essence, every single project is unique because every client is unique. The projects that Bruce Clay Inc. takes on are each customised for a client’s specific needs, and that is why the firm does not offer traditional and ineffective packages. Instead, it takes the time to carefully and meticulously identify any next steps, focusing on ensuring that those are all met in four-week periods. Now is the perfect time to get on board with what Bruce Clay Inc. is doing. The world has never been more digital than it is now, and being optimised for search engines is the quickest way to ensure that a business is found. Yet, 2020 was a year quite unlike any other before it. The introduction of COVID-19 into society has left many businesses wondering what is next. Fortunately, Bruce Clay Inc. has worked quickly to ensure that it is prepared for the future. As a part of the pivot due to COVID-19, Bruce Clay Inc. made the decision to pivot from entirely classroom-based training and learning, to most online training for search engine optimisation. In fact, just recently, the firm has launched its new training program, and it is perfect for those looking to jump into the world of SEO. Having been live since March 15th, 2021, this new SEO course from Bruce Clay Inc. is online and not a live classroom recording. Instead, it allows users to take things at their own pace, starting and stopping where they need to in order to catch up. Whilst there are some things missing, such as the additional videos, Mr Clay’s exceptionally humorous jokes, insightful stories, and the morning Q&A session, this online course does have everything that a learner could need in getting into SEO and finding out more about what it is, and why it is imperative for a business to succeed in the twenty-first century. Those who want the added extras as part of the real-life classroom experience can have them, with a physical course that is tentatively planned for late summer in 2021. Of course, things are subject to change, but the hope is that Bruce Clay Inc. will be back to teaching people the way it is used to. At present, the newest course offering from Bruce Clay Inc. is for general audiences and is priced at $1795. The online class contains many different sections, and takes over fifteen hours at normal playback speed. In addition, the program includes monthly live Q&A sessions with Bruce Clay, mini-courses covering in-depth topics such as siloing, ask-us-anything style videos, a discussion forum, and even a subscription to the firm’s own SEOToolSet® software tools. For those who have decided to take the course in a group or as part of a corporate entity, there are both multiple student and corporate discounts that can be applied to the fees of the course. This course is significant, for both Bruce Clay Inc., and the students that enroll. Everybody has a chance at learning something or gaining something. Over the firm’s lifetime, thousands of students have take the classroom courses with rave results, and this is surely yet another feather to the already well-decorated cap that Mr Clay has. There can be no denying the power of technology and of search engines in the world today, which is something that Bruce Clay Inc. has sought to convey to its clients for over a quarter of a century. As technology has come and gone, this firm has stood tall and proud at the forefront of what this relatively new industry can do for people. Bruce Clay Inc. is a truly outstanding business, and one that deserves every success as it transitions from classroom courses to online courses. There are a myriad of businesses out there that need help in achieving all that they can through the power of SEO and search engine marketing, and Mr Clay’s team of experts stand ready to deliver that help in the best possible way. Company: Bruce Clay Inc. Contact: Bruce Clay Website: https://www.bruceclay.com/ Over the firm’s lifetime, thousands of students have take the classroom courses with rave results, and this is surely yet another feather to the already welldecorated cap that Mr Clay has.
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Clearing the Way When organisations want to make headway through a political system, they can easily find themselves quagmired in a host of unique challenges. We take a closer look at the team from Vulcan Consulting, experts in the art of navigating political and regulatory hurdles across Europe. Their success saw them named Best Strategic Regulatory Affairs Advisory Firm 2021 – Ireland in 2021’s Corporate Excellence Awards, so we thought we’d take a closer look to find out more. In 2016, Lucinda Creighton was in a unique position. She had spent 12 years at the heart of Irish government, many of them working across the world as Minister for European Affairs, but times were changing, and so was she. Determined to find a way to put her unique perspective on politics to good use, she founded Vulcan Consulting, assisting clients to move smoothly and swiftly through the regulatory processes that government creates. The firm has quickly grown into an enormous success, trusted by multinationals based in the US, Ireland, the UK and Brussels as well as small and medium size enterprises in Ireland and in Brussels to deliver world beating advice. These clients work across numerous sectors, including sustainability and the environment, technology, financial services, healthcare, agrifood and transport. By acting as thought partners for clients, the team are able to provide advice that truly meets their unique requirements. Vulcan Consulting has offices in Dublin and Brussels, allowing it to offer a pan-European approach with their clients. The team can draw on the knowledge of many skilled strategic partners throughout every single EU/EEA Member State through the firm’s membership of the Fipra network. This means that the team can access reliable intelligence and useful insight on any challenges that may arise, as well as anticipate ways of dealing with them. The team also leverage cross-party and non-party contacts. Finding ways of moving the dial on policy and regulation is also very key to the success of the firm. With this level of expertise running the firm, it’s little surprise the team are made up of former Government Ministers, EU officials, policy makers, industry leaders, communications professionals and experienced political and regulatory affairs consultants. Driving the business forward are people who share a passion for client service and public policy. It’s an area that is changing by the day, and as such the ability to react quickly under pressure is key. The result is a dynamic workforce that can answer any call made by the client. The team works collaboratively to bring about the best possible results, which has been very useful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Vulcan Consulting quickly moved to remote working, and even this difficult time has seen the team develop and grow in knowledge and skillset. These challenging times have also seen the company innovating when it comes to maintaining their strong network with decision makers. This is a major concern for businesses too. A clear example of how this works in practice can be seen with the Jan21499 webinars the team has run, focusing on Biden’s agenda and the future of the EU-US trade relationship. This was put together with Washington D.C.-based partners VH Strategies. By taking the time to consider what was on offer, the team have managed to broaden their reach to new transatlantic clients. This commitment to growth is sure to be key to the firm’s continued success. While the pandemic has affected many firms, forcing the team to react and adapt to their client’s individual economic crises, it has also ensured that they are keeping busy by working to match new agendas from the EU and beyond. The upcoming legislative agenda, related to the Green Deal and Digital Services, has given the team the capacity to hire in both the Dublin and Brussels office. As the business expands in a rapidly changing market, it’s clear that Vulcan Consulting will be a name to watch for some time to come. Company: Vulcan Consulting Contact: Lucinda Creighton CEO Contact: Marykate Collins Head of Brussels Office Email: [email protected] Phone: + 353 1 5414777 Website: www.vulcanconsulting.eu Driving the business forward are people who share a passion for client service and public policy. It’s an area that is changing by the day, and as such the ability to react quickly under pressure is key.
Institute for Immersive Learning Immersive learning is an interactive learning programme using virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality to generate positive experiences and to enable maximum learning success. Recently, we caught up with Torsten Fell who tells us more about how these experiences can translate into the business environment. Issue 3 2021 17 The Institute for Immersive Learning, based in Germany, advises vendor-neutral companies on the identification of fields of application, as well as the introduction and implementation of virtual reality and augmented reality experiences. It specialises in the following area of work: networking people and competences; communicating news, trends and practical examples; providing events and workshops; creating and setting quality standards in training; and providing certified training for trainers and learning designers. Founder and chief Executive Officer, Torsten Fell, tells us a little more about this unique offering. “It is a new dimension of working and learning,” he begins. “Our objectives are to find a way that work and learning can be optimally interlinked and efficiently designed using new technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality.” With more than 20 years of experience in companies in which Torsten headed training and further education or business transformation departments, he has now been dealing with the topics of virtual and augmented reality in the learning environment. He founded the Institute for Immersive Learning in 2019. Virtual reality and augmented reality is still a relatively new concept, however it is becoming more and more commonplace as technology advances. However it still requires a lot of explanation and what Torsten refers to as ‘overwork’ to ensure that it is made tangible for target groups when it comes to meaningful integration and implementation in companies. In this age of ever-changing technology, it is also imperative that the Institute for Immersive Learning can clearly differentiate itself from others in this field to stay ahead. Torsten explains that he is always ‘on the road’ two to three years before all of the others, trying out new possibilities, and he already utilises fully immersive and collaborative virtual reality solutions, another unique offering in the marketplace which helps define the Institute as the go-to place. “I let the experiences and results flow holistically into my projects and thus transfer the knowledge gained into a new environment. The customer always benefits from implementation skills that are shaped by doing and doing.” The dedicated team at The Immersive Institute of Learning are committed to innovation and curiosity, however Torsten also believes that making mistakes, learning from them and, ultimately, improving, are the way forward for the future. “Virtual reality and augmented reality are new and powerful media that can be used sensibly in all industries and organizations. We speak of an experience medium that allows you to dive into virtual worlds and experience new experiences. This requires courage and openness to look at them and try them out for yourself.” Contact: Torsten Fell Web Address: www.immersivelearning.institute Jun20186
‘The Carriers’ Carrier’ With technological innovation in network connectivity playing a greater role in business and society now more than ever before, the work of Aqua Comms, the transatlantic specialist of subsea cable networks, is proving vital. Supporting global carriers and media organisations in their missions to keep us connected, Aqua Comms is evolving to stay ahead in a rapidly advancing industry. Established in 2014, Aqua Comms is an internationally renowned specialist in the field of subsea fibre-optic cable networks, that provides comprehensive services in the building and operation of submarine cable systems. From the planning, implementation and supply of fibre pairs and capacity services to the global media, content and carrier markets, Aqua Comms is committed to providing solutions for the webscale providers that are so central to the international cloud industry. Since its inception, Aqua Comms has continued to honour its commitments to exceptional performance and reliability in its solutions, positioning itself as the leading Transatlantic experts in subsea networks in the North Atlantic market. Run by its highly experienced team, Aqua Comms’ first networks AEC-1 and CC-1 remain the most advanced subsea cabling systems to connect Ireland, the UK and the US to Europe, enabling inimitable Transatlantic connectivity for global carriers, cloud-based networks, data centres, IT companies and the global media. Today, Aqua Comms remains devoted to increasing connectivity across the North Atlantic, having launched its most recent project with consortium partners Facebook, Google and Bulk Infrastructure, a data centre operator situated in Norway. The HAVFRUE cable system is a new high-speed cable with a landing party in New Jersey, Ireland and Denmark, and forms a part of the North Atlantic Loop to offer next generation cable systems and diverse routing. Aqua Comms has been charged with the operation of the cable, owning a portion of the fibre pairs which has been called AEC-2, as the logical representation of the firm’s next step in connecting Transatlantic regions. AEC-1 was conceived shortly before Aqua Comms came into being in 2014, when a private investor in a Transatlantic cable initiative previously called Emerald Networks acquired the Irish cable company, Sea Fibre Networks. In 2012, Sea Fibre Networks had built an undersea cable between Dublin and Holyhead in Wales called CC-1, which was the shortest, most secure crossing of the Irish sea. The private investor, then named Aqua Ventures International, capitalised on what was a period of high growth in the Irish economy to combine its own Transatlantic cable with CC-1 to create AEC-1. Extending from Shirley, Long Island, to Killala, Co. Mayo, Ireland, AEC-1 had the shortest passage through shallow water in the US, landing in western Ireland before going into Killala. It has dual diverse backhauls to Dublin to reach the Irish Sea and dual diverse backhauls across the UK to London. Today, Aqua Comms continues to work alongside a multitude of carriers such as global content networks, wholesale carriers and global media organisations, never competing with clients but striving to deliver the best possible service as the ‘carriers’ carrier’. The surge in networks has been incoming since the turn of the century, which saw a monumental drive to build new, transatlantic cables. Soon into this momentum, however, the costs for building new cables jumped exponentially due to demand, coinciding with a collapse in the market in 2002. With a huge oversupply of capacity in the Atlantic, many of these cables went into bankruptcy, putting an end to new investments in cable systems. However, with legacy cable systems typically having a lifespan of about twenty-five years, this oversupply is now coming to an end. Moreover, the economic life of these cables which has been somewhat extended through upgrades by equipment vendors is now no longer rational, with the cost of running these cables approximately the same as new cables, yet with approximately a tenth of the fibre capacity of their newer counterparts, approximately 4-5 Tbps per fibre pair compared to 20-30 Jan21200 Tbps per fibre pair today. That’s six to eight times the capacity for the same operating cost. Thus, the launch of AEC-2 is the first of many new cables that Aqua Comms will play a part in installing over the coming months and years, including the brand-new cable across the Irish Sea called CC-2 and a cable across the North Sea running from Newcastle, in the UK, to Denmark, called North Sea Connect. Between them, these cables will create a series of ring-based structures between North America and Northern Europe that will be part of the North Atlantic Loop that has already been extended through the AEC-2. Projects such as AEC-3, which is due to be launched in the first half of 2022, will see continued development of Transatlantic connectivity, while plans further down the pipeline expect to see exciting projects in the Arctic launched, focused on the development of new routes connecting Asia to Europe. In the next year, Aqua Comms also plans to introduce its ‘liquid products’, an automated offering that will be tailored to customers’ specific requirements in an innovative ‘bandwidth on demand’ concept. Clients will be able to grow their own speed through a fully flexible and dynamic model that can accommodate the everchanging nature of innovation in the network industry in the form of developments such as 5G. Aside from its expanding connectivity services, the firm is looking to develop its professional service offering further too. Currently providing everything from cable design and build through to provisioning and sales with an emphasis on operations and maintenance, Aqua Comms will also be able to manage submarine cable assets on behalf of third party owners, who will be able to benefit from the efficiencies of the firm’s outsourced operating model, which includes an outsourced NOC. The strong, flexible model employed by Aqua Comms is based on aggressive automation, that allows customers to maintain control of their own networks and thus provide financial and operational efficiencies. Structured with a management tier of twenty leading professionals across all the crucial functions of a complete business including Sales, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Marketing, HR and more, the Aqua Comms model allows the freedom and agility to maintain superior standards on budget and on time. This unique model has created a company culture that attracts some of the best talent in the world, with a management team that is made up of some of the industry’s Top 100 Influential People. The experience of the team has enabled the creation of a relatively flat hierarchical structure which operates with transparency throughout the organisation, facilitating a positive, progressive working environment that engages on all levels and ignites a shared passion for the promising future that lies ahead. Trust and transparency are key mantras of the organisation: Trust the team with the information, receive trust back Structured with a management tier of twenty leading professionals across all the crucial functions of a complete business including Sales, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Marketing, HR and more, the Aqua Comms model allows the freedom and agility to maintain superior standards on budget and on time.
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