Category: Guernsey

Jersey’s digital talent was recognised among the winners of the prestigious UK Digital Experience Awards with JT’s Customer Experience and Marketing Team winning two major awards against tough competition from UK and Global household names such as BT, EE, ASDA and The Very Group. The team gained the Silver Award in the ‘Best Digital Marketing Campaign’ category and a Bronze Award for Customer Experience programmes in the ‘Use of Data Analytics & Insight’ category.

JT’s 2019 Christmas digital marketing campaign was praised by judges for the use of Snapchat and Augmented Reality technology to create a festive virtual town blending the online world with the traditional retail environment securing Silver Award to BT’s gold. Working closely with two local digital businesses, Comnexa and Continuum, the methods JT introduced to measure, track and analyse customer feedback to drive change and improvement earned a Bronze Award for ‘Use of Data Analytics & Insight. These awards have secured recognition of the talent Jersey has to offer, alongside some of the biggest companies in the UK digital market.

Graeme Millar, JT’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “Having worked in many global organisations, I understand the challenges of being judged alongside large-scale international brands like BT. The fact that Jersey and JT made it to the shortlist shows just how far our teams’ achievements are being recognised. We were certainly walking amongst giants and I’m proud of the individuals whose innovation, creativity and vision will help shape our digital leaders of tomorrow. It is another example of how, with the support of organisations like Digital Jersey, our world beating local talent is being developed.”

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Marketing, Brand and Customer Experience, said: “I’m very proud my team were initially shortlisted given the competition, however, to go on and win these awards in both categories was a genuine surprise. The judging of all the entries was intense and it’s thanks to the dedication of my small local team that we were ranked so highly amongst all the companies there. We are always looking at ways to improve our service and evolve our offers to better meet our customer needs. This recognition demonstrates the success we can achieve, together, by adopting a customer first focused approach.”

The 6^th UK Digital Experience Awards recognised the greatest accomplishments from the UK’s digital sector, evaluating entries from businesses of all sizes and across multiple sectors. Previous winners of the Awards have included Three, EE and Sky. This is the second consecutive year JT has been recognised as part of these Awards, receiving a Silver Award in 2019 for ‘Best App’.

JT’s Christmas digital marketing campaign and the way data and insight is used to measure how customers rate their experiences have put JT on the shortlist for two national awards alongside some of the biggest names in the technology world.

The UK Digital Experience Awards has shortlisted JT in two categories – Best ‘Digital Marketing Campaign Initiative’ and Best ‘Use of Analytics and Insight’, alongside global household brands BT and EE.

JT’s ‘Step Into Christmas Together’ campaign which used Snapchat and Augmented Reality technology to create a festive virtual town has earned JT a place as one of five finalists. The campaign brought the highstreets’s magical appeal of Christmas to customers digitally, resulting in an 86% increase in online sales for the period. JT was also recognised for the changes it has put in place to collect customer experience data, allowing it to drive further improvements and channel more benefits back to its customers. As part of JT’s data analysis, it introduced ‘JT Voice’, an online feedback forum which has seen nearly 1,800 members register in the 12 months since it was launched.

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Marketing, Brand and Customer Experience, said: “I am thrilled that our team stands shoulder to shoulder with those in huge international companies like BT and EE. To be shortlisted for these prestigious awards is evidence of the hard work they put in every day, ensuring that the information we gather is used to deliver the very best possible service to our customers.”

This is the 6th year of the UK Digital Experience Awards and the first year in which it will be held entirely online. Judging of the finalists is due to take place on Thursday 16 July.

JT has recently expanded its intelligent engineering and home automation service offering by acquiring Jersey-based company, Zero1.  Founded in 2010, Zero1 made its name as a leading designer and supplier of environment and entertainment automation systems for homes and business in the Channel Islands.

Partnering with industry-leading manufacturers and using Jersey’s world-class full-fibre network, Zero1 designs and installs intelligent lighting and shading, security, heating and entertainment systems which fit seamlessly into homes and businesses. As more homes become workplaces and home schools, they need to be capable of running the smart applications and connected devices needed to keep our lives and economy going. Zero1’s tailor-made solutions combined with JT’s world-class fibre network and resources, will support making those places more efficient, comfortable, economic and sustainable.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director of JT Channel Islands, said: “JT’s purpose is to connect our customers and enable their sustainable future. We have a proven track record in bringing products and services to market before our competitors, and Zero1 provides us with an opportunity to move into the exciting and growing world of ‘Smart’, automated and sustainable living.  Having one of the fastest broadband networks in the world, JT and Zero1 can now bring our solutions past the router into homes and businesses, improving sustainability, efficiency, comfort and productivity.   Services like this rely on the superior connectivity our fibre network provides and this is just another way of maximizing the potential of our islands network.

“Amongst many benefits of this joining together, will be combining the knowledge and design expertise of Zero1 with the engineering resources and capabilities of JT.  For example we can now use green technology to create sustainable buildings that keep track of our energy and water consumption and then decrease it through automation and connectivity.  This will reduce environmental impact, contributing to the island’s target to be ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030.”

For more information on Zero 1 visit www.zero1.je

JT has been selected by Agilisys to help deliver an ambitious 10-year programme to transform Guernsey’s digital services and signed a formal partnership agreement on this at the end of November.

In 2019, after a rigorous 3-year tender process, Agilisys entered into contract with the States of Guernsey to modernise their IT systems and transform and digitise public services. This will mean better access to Services for Islanders and greater operational efficiency for the States of Guernsey as part of the ongoing programme of Public Service Reform launched by Chief Executive, Paul Whitfield, in 2015.

Now, JT has been chosen as the Prime Partner for Agilisys to support that programme, building on the investment which has already been made to ensure key public buildings in Guernsey such as the Airport, schools, Raymond Falla House and Police HQ all have access to 1Gb fibre speeds.

Richard Hanrahan, CEO Agilisys Guernsey added: “We chose JT as our Prime Partner because of their commitment to delivering the very best technology solutions, which really makes a difference for their customers. That dedication to excellence in delivery, combined with their local knowledge and more than a decade of operating in Guernsey as the island’s only locally owned telecoms operator, is exactly what this transformative project needs.  They have also worked with the States of Guernsey on key projects for over 8 years.”

Colin Vaudin, Strategic Lead for Future Digital Technology and Communications said: “Smart Guernsey is the key enabler for Public Service Reform. In addition, it stands to transform Guernsey’s technology sector, creating opportunities for the Island’s businesses, entrepreneurs and students. We are very much looking forward to working in partnership with Agilisys and partners such as JT to achieve our ambitious goals.”

 Paul Taylor, Managing Director JT Guernsey commented: “We are delighted to have been chosen by Agilisys to partner with them on this ambitious and transformative project, which will play such a key part in the successful future of our island, and maintain our reputation as a secure and innovative place to do business.  This is a really important opportunity for Guernsey, and all the JT team are fully committed to playing our part in delivering for the Island.”

After an impressive six-week internship, Elizabeth College student, Kieran Aslett, has been awarded a bursary by his JT mentors. This helping hand towards his study costs is in recognition of his genuine interest in digital technology and the bright future that lies ahead of him.

Kieran joined JT having applied successfully for the Digital Greenhouse Discover Digital Summer Internship which JT has supported for the past three years. He spent six weeks working with a number of the company’s departments.

Andy Holmes, JT’s Talent Program Manager said: “As a business we believe it is really important for us to play a part in nurturing young talent. Committed and interested young people like Kieran represent the future of digital technology and we are privileged to have had the opportunity to share our knowledge with him and are really pleased that we can contribute to resources which will help him take those first steps in his career.”

JT offers several bursaries each year to young people in the Channel Islands in areas of study including science, technology, engineering, maths and some business disciplines and over the last five years has financially supported 32 young people across Guernsey and Jersey.  During the summer months of 2019, 15 bursary students have benefitted from fully paid work within various departments across the company and, to date, four students have returned to work with JT on a permanent basis. 40% of our local students supported by our JT’s bursaries over the past 5 years have returned to the islands to live and work in the technology sector.

Kieran said that the internship gave him a good insight into the collaborative working between departments. “It was surprising to me how much interaction there was between departments like sales and engineering. The reality is that they share information all the time to come to a solution together, looking at design and analysing the information before tackling an issue.”

Kieran, who has plans to study cyber security in higher education, said that he had an interest in networking and so particularly enjoyed working with CISCO engineering while at JT but had found the mentoring in all the teams especially beneficial.

“It was never just about me sitting and watching what was going on, that’s not the JT way. The mentoring was fantastic, and I was given the chance to do real work, take part and ask questions. It was an exciting opportunity and worked very naturally. The bursary announcement came as a complete surprise on my second to last day – I hadn’t expected that at all but it’s great news, it’s so nice to know that the team at JT value my contribution” said Kieran.

Paul Taylor, Managing Director, JT Guernsey said: “Kieran worked really well with each team he joined during his internship, it was a pleasure to introduce him to our industry. We hope that the JT Bursary will ensure that he is able to make the most out of what a university degree has to offer him and, one day, bring those skills back to Guernsey and JT.”

The Discover Digital Summer Internship is open to all post-16 students, in full-time education, who have a passion for digital and a desire to work on digital projects with some of the Guernsey’s leading companies.

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NOTES TO EDITORS

The JT Bursary scheme provides local students a £2000 financial grant towards the cost of university fees and expenses as well as offering a challenging six weeks of fully paid work experience during holiday periods.

University subjects considered for a JT bursary are generally science, technology, engineering and maths.

Applications can be made online from January each year through the JT website or contact hrinbox@jtglobal.com for further information.