Meet The Team

Job role responsibilities: 

The role of Managing Director here at alwaysON means that I have a number of different responsibilities, these range from customer engagements such as sales and escalations right through to supplier and partner ownership. 

First and foremost I am responsible for driving change through our business. As the business strategist I make decisions about the solutions we provide and their route to market. As the business decision-maker I consult with my Management Team and make informed decisions on issues that affect our business and as the business manager I motivate the functional teams to deliver results, this has to be consistent messaging and more often than not in real time.

Before joining alwaysON in Jan-2011, I ran a business that deployed Live Communications Server (LCS), Microsoft’s first unified communications solution into the capital markets division of a very large high street retail bank. By today’s standards LCS was pretty unsophisticated, but at the time it was considered to be a cutting edge solution. It was quite clear to me (even back then) that unified communications would be a massive enabler for all business customers from large too small. Microsoft were certainly not at that stage seen as a threat to the big boys in this space, but since then it’s clear to all, including the big analysts that Microsoft Lync is game changing. Indeed, the integration element of Microsoft Lync makes it without doubt the most compelling solution available.

With so many hats to wear over the course of the day, it’s vital for me that I can connect and share information with customers, suppliers, partners and colleagues – anytime, anywhere. Throughout my day I use a range of devices according to my need. My devices of choice include my Windows laptop with a blue tooth headset for use either in or out of the office. When I’m out and about I use my iPhone and iPad which means that I don’t always have to carry my laptop!  All of them are Lync enabled and I use Lync all day, every day for voice calls, video conferencing, Instant Messaging and to see what people are up to.

I love Microsoft Lync for so many reasons - but most importantly because it allows me to retain control of the business, whether or not I am actually in the office. Being the Managing Director means that I need to be highly available to make and act upon decisions quickly. However, my demanding workload means that time in the office is rare! Lync allows me to balance the need to be highly available without having to be in the office. 

I would not hesitate in recommending Microsoft Lync to any business leader considering the deployment of a unified communication solution. It really will change the way you work forever!! That’s not to mention the significant cost savings

There are so many features in Lync, which makes it hard to single out one as my favourite! The instant message capability is great for those times when you’re stuck in meetings, seminars or conferences and need to respond to queries. The ability to publish a single number across a range of devices means that you can be contacted wherever you are. Perhaps my most favourite is the video capability – with such a wide range of supported devices Lync enables you to have face-to-face meetings without the need to travel. I actually couldn’t live without our Polycom CX5000 Roundtable device … we’ve saved fortunes on travel expenses using that!! 

Being the Operations Director at alwaysON is a varied role covering all of the operational, technical and service aspects within the business. As well as owning all of the processes and interfaces with clients, partners and suppliers, I manage the day-to-day operational and service management of all products and services. Supported by our Technical teams, I am responsible for our network infrastructure. 

Before joining alwaysON I had used a variety of communications tools – some designed for business and some not! Along with the mainstay business conferencing solutions that included Audio, Web and Video conferencing, I also had experience of using Telepresence solutions. 

The closest communication solution to Microsoft Lync that I had used was Skype. Although it fulfilled some desires to see the presence status of my contacts and communicate with them real-time, it was simply not a business-grade solution. 

I joined alwaysON in 2012 and can honestly say that Lync has revolutionised the way I work. Using the full Microsoft Lync client on my Windows laptop and the same mobility client on my Nokia Lumia phone, I am able to connect to my contacts all the time. I currently opt to use a Voyager Pro Bluetooth headset which is paired with both my Lync clients. This means that my conversations go wherever I go without the need to leave and re-join calls on different devices! 

I love Lync because it provides a truly collaborative way of working. Rather than scheduling a series of meetings to whiteboard solution ideas and design principles, we can bring together all the key stakeholders onto a single conference where ideas are exchanged and shared with ease. Indeed Desktop sharing is fantastic for any user that needs to share concepts, drawings or spreadsheet in real time across different users and sites, anywhere in the world.

I actually have two favourite Lync features - only because they work so well together! The first is the ability to share. Being able to share documents and/or applications with conference attendees means that everyone is referencing the same resource and making amendments only once. With the sharing feature, the ability to pass control to other conference attendees means that all parties can work on the resource without having to travel to meet face-to-face. The second feature that I love is the recording facility. Being able to record sessions, whether audio, web or video conference reduces the need for copious amounts of meeting minutes and notes! One single recording can be stored for reference at a later date.

I joined alwaysON in 2007 as a Finance Assistant and have since been promoted to the position of Financial Controller. Within this role I am responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of our financial activities as well as managing the Accounts team. 

My only experience of any kind of unified communication solutions has been here at alwaysON. During my time here I have used not only Lync, but its predecessors in the form of Office Communication Server (OCS). Lync is definitely the best unified communications solution from Microsoft to date!!

As my role is permanently office based, I use the full Microsoft Lync client on my Windows desktop machine. I spend a lot of my time making and receiving phone calls, so instead of using a telephone handset, my preference is to use a Plantronics Blackwire headset. For long calls it’s more comfortable than holding a telephone receiver. 

I love Lync because it has allowed us to significantly reduce not only our communication costs. Lync has replaced a number of systems (each with their own connectivity requirement) with a single solution that has virtually eradicated call costs. 

My favourite Lync feature is instant messaging. This feature enables me to send messages to other team members to get billing queries resolved while the Customer is on the phone. This real-time communication capability means that we can resolve a higher number of queries on the first call - which subsequently means a higher proportion of invoices are paid on time. 

As alwaysON’s Marketing Manager I am responsible for our end-to-end marketing strategy. This includes the promotion of solution propositions to target markets through campaigns and events, as well as fostering a positive brand perception through public relations and communication activities. 

Prior to working for alwaysON, my experience of unified communication tools in the workplace was limited. The most ‘unified’ business tool I had previously used was a web conferencing service that included a chat capability. At the time, these integrated featured were quite new and revolutionary but are now commonplace on most web conferencing solutions. 

What you should know about me is that I never go anywhere without my iPhone or my iPad! I also don’t mind admitting that I’m an avid Lync user – both in the office and out of the office! 

In the office, I use the full Microsoft Lync client on my Windows based laptop, along with a Polycom CX100 handset. So that I only have to issue a single number to my contacts, my Lync office number is set-up to simultaneously ring my iPhone.

Out of the office (or in the office if I am in a meeting), I use the Lync clients for both my iPhone and my iPad. These give me full and seamless Lync functionality, without having to have my laptop with me. When I’m working from home, I use the Lync client on my iMac. 

Marketing is all about getting the right information, to the right people, at the right time, via the right communication medium. I love Microsoft Lync because it puts me back in control of my communications. At a glance I can see the status of my contacts and choose how to communicate with them accordingly! Instead of calling someone who is already on a call, I can send an instant message and get an instant reply! 

My favourite Lync feature is the integration with other Microsoft applications, in particular Microsoft Dynamics (CRM). From within Dynamics, I can easily manage the allocation of Sales leads to the Sales team because I can who is online and available to ensure that Prospects get an instant call back.