Lee Scott joins from TalkTalk

Welcome to Lee Scott who joins the Advantex Telecommunications team after a successful career at Executel Limited, now part of the TalkTalk group. Lee will be responsible for assisting in installing and maintaining Mitel 3300 and Mitel 5000 series IP telephone system in the North East of England.

Mitel Authorised Partner

Following its success in delivering telecommunications solutions, Houghton-le-Spring firm Advantex has become an authorizedPARTNER of Mitel, a leading unified communications software solutions provider

The relationship will enable Advantex Network Solutions Ltd to further enhance its solutions portfolio and expand its integrated IT and telecommunications services in the North East and across the UK.

The agreement comes on the back of £1 million worth of new orders secured by Advantex and the appointment of a new senior management team to drive the business forward. This includes Andy Shannon, who has joined as head of communications after eight years with Executel, now part of TalkTalk.

Advantex achieved the Mitel authorizedPARTNER accreditation after investing heavily in training its 30 strong workforce and proving its ability to design and deliver high performance IT infrastructures based on
Mitel’s IP Communications Platforms. These include deployments at Middlesbrough’s Berwick Hills, Beachwood and Green Lane Schools, as part of a new network to deliver improved communications for pupils and teaching staff.

By becoming an authorizedPARTNER, Advantex will be able to leverage Mitel’s expertise and technology to offer new and existing clients an expanded portfolio of solutions, including advanced voice, video and
data communications platforms, as well as applications for customer relationship management and mobility.

Advantex’s director of sales and marketing Stephen O’Connell, said: “Mitel is a well known and highly respected brand, so being recognised as an authorizedPARTNER is a great achievement. It is also testament to our commitment to deliver quality services and solutions, and invest in a highly skilled workforce to meet customer expectations.

“Through our Mitel authorizedPARTNER status we will now be able to offer additional added-value solutions to our clients, providing them with advanced, competitively priced platforms on which we can help them build future communication strategies.

James Madgwick, Account Executive at Mitel, said: “Advantex has built up an impressive reputation and client base by demonstrating a proven ability to deliver advanced communications solutions that meet client demands. The company’s understanding and knowledgeable of IP telephony systems will ensure they are an asset to the Mitel PARTNERprogram. We look forward to working with Advantex to enable more businesses in the North East and across the UK benefit from an IP communications approach.”

Advantex, which is also an accredited Microsoft and Cisco partner, works for a wide range of customers who include Rockcliffe Hotel and Golf Course, furniture giant SCS, Caterpillar Articulated Trucks, BT and North Yorkshire County Council Council.

Head of Communications joins from Executel

Andy Shannon has joined Advantex as Head of Communications after eight years as Technical Manager at Executel following its sale to TalkTalk in April this year.  Andy’s main role will be managing the existing team of engineers in the installation of Mitel IP Phone systems.

Andy said: “I am delighted to join Advantex as they are well known as a successful and forward thinking local company which is what, in my experience, North East businesses want. 

 “The company’s ability to provide complete IT and Communications solutions is truly The One Stop Shop; this excites me very much to be able to provide a service that no other company within the North East can.

 “Their strong presence in the Voice market will allow me to share my existing knowledge of the Mitel telephone system but more excitingly will allow me to develop this long and successful career with locally based company.”

Advantex wins over £1m of new work

Houghton-le-Spring Advantex Network Solutions Ltd has won £1 million in new orders as demand for its range of integrated IT and telecoms’ services increases.

A £250,000 contract from main contractor Sir Robert McAlpine has been won to supply and install new network infrastructure and wireless systems at Nissan’s battery plant being built at Washington, Tyne & Wear.

The work was won in the face of stiff competition because of the quality management procedures, project management skills and expertise Advantex bring to ensure that the work will be completed within the nine month timeframe.

At the former West Road Fire Station on the Westgate Road, the company is working closely with Centre West and Groundworks on designing and delivering an advanced IT and Communications system in a six figure contract for The Beacon project.

The site is being redeveloped into a new community centre which will also accommodate business start-up and incubator units. Although the initial work is for network infrastructure, Advantex is advising on the design and then going on to implement the Mitel 3300 MXe IP phone system, Cisco managed Wireless systems, IT services and Audio Visual systems.

Elsewhere, the company is working closely with Middlesbrough Council’s design services’ team to develop and deliver a tailor made Internet Protocol (IP) network system for four local premises in a £200,000 investment initiative.

Berwick Hills, Beachwood and Green Lane Schools along with Customs House, the site of Middlesbrough’s new Myplace youth facility, are being kitted out with new IP based telephone systems, IP Surveillance cameras, wireless and high speed network cabling systems as part of a new network infrastructure which will deliver improved communications, security and data services for pupils and teaching staff.

As part of these systems, Advantex will also be installing state of the art Axis cameras, including the new Axis-M5014 and the Axis-M3114-VE

The work follows installations at other education facilities including Gateshead College, Aireville School, Richard Rose Academy and Bath Spa University in conjunction with BTiNet.

Also on Teesside, a major contract has been won to supply a secure network infrastructure and associated services including IP Telephone systems, IP Surveillance cameras and audio visual and for the Innovation Accelerator Incubator, a 10,000 square foot facility incorporating specialist laboratories and office space at The Wilton Centre.

Dr Richard Short, Wilton Centre engineering manager, said Advantex integrated IT and Communications solution will meet the needs of users while delivering long term financial and infrastructure upgrade benefits.
“They have the broad IT and Telecoms experience needed to deliver a cost effective solution that’s quick to install and will provide maximum user flexibility and peace-of-mind over many years.”

Whilst in North Yorkshire they have secured a project to implement a network surveillance and door access control system for Foremost School.

The school, which was formally a Royal Navy establishment, will become a community special school for boys with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESD).

The site will have provision for science, art, food technology, design technology, music and drama, a library, 40 single-pupil bedrooms, dining and assembly rooms and a four-court sports hall.

Advantex will be installing state of the art IP Surveillance and Door Access Control systems to provide a secure environment to staff, visitors and pupils.

Advantex was established in 2002 and currently employs over 30 people at its Houghton-le-Spring site. It achieved the prestigious ISO9001/2000 industry quality mark within its first year of trading and currently holds the ISO9001/2008 quality mark.

Director of Sales and Marketing Stephen O’Connell said demand for its products and services had remained strong despite the tough trading conditions experienced in the last couple of years.

“Because we offer comprehensive IT and Communications systems and after sales support right from the cabling through to hardware maintenance and savings on phone call costs, we are able to offer customers a complete single source package which combines to deliver flexibility, added value and cost savings benefits.”

Other customers of Advantex include Rockcliffe Hotel and Golf Course, furniture giant SCS, Caterpillar Articulated Trucks, BT and Sunderland City Council.

The Advantex Evolution

Advantex has successfully performed a total overhaul of their branding and website in order to promote their transition to a total business solutions provider and make existing clients aware of the full range of services they offer.

Formed by brothers David and Stephen O’Connell in 2002, Advantex initially set-up to offer IT and Communications infrastructures such as fibre optics and high speed data cabling. Today, Advantex has developed into an IT and Communications specialist, offering business solutions throughout the region to organisations such as SCS, Caterpillar Articulated Trucks, Able UK and many more.

Managing Director Stephen O’Connell commented on the company’s growth:

“What we have seen at Advantex is a true evolution since our formation in 2002. Initially carrying out cabling installs, we quickly saw the demand for emerging IP technologies such as IP Surveillance, Building Management and Telecommunications. We adopted many of these technologies, which naturally led to other services such as IT and Communications and CRM, and now support many clients through core infrastructure services right through to high end IT and Communications support. We also offer Telecommunications services and maintenance and cost saving services such as least cost routing.”

Operating out of their offices in Tyne and Wear, Advantex now have over 20 operational engineers who hold vendor accreditations from market leaders such as Cisco, Mitel and Microsoft.

Stephen added,

“We truly have evolved from a physical infrastructure company to a full solution provider. Many of our competitors offer services such as IT and Communications support or Telecommunications but have struggled to try and understand many other services such as wireless, fibre, IP technologies and IP routing, limiting themselves within the market and being forced to subcontract many services as a result. Due to our development as a company, our clients benefit from our knowledge and expertise.”