JT awarded for commitment to innovation
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JT awarded for commitment to innovation

Channel Islands telecom company JT has been named on a national stage as Innovation Partner of the Year by Mitel, a global market leader in business communications services.

JT was chosen as Innovation Partner of the Year ahead of many other UK & Ireland leading businesses after not only setting up its own state-of-the-art Mitel Contact centre but also for completing a world-class, multi-dimensional and complex migration process of IT systems for the Government of Guernsey. The accolade has further strengthened JT’s reputation as a leading telecoms company, achieving the ultimate recognition within Mitel’s award-winning partner programme.

JT achieved Mitel’s highest level of accreditation two years ago, when it was awarded Platinum Partner status, a partner level that is only given to a select few. JT is the only technology company in the Channel Islands that has been granted that status.

Rob King, IT and Facilities Manager, Healthspan, said: “We take 3,000 calls a day, and there was absolutely no downtime in terms of those phones ringing from one day being in the office to the next when those agents were working from home. We had the backup of JT’s people to help us and be on hand at that changeover to answer any questions. Most of our staff are still working from home and want to continue to do so and I think if the technology or functionality wasn’t right there certainly wouldn’t be that high percentage of staff wanting to do that.”

JT also worked with Mitel to update the Government of Jersey’s communications systems and enabled leading online supplements business, Healthspan, to move its call centre agents from the office to their homes without interruption to their services.

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director, JT Channel Islands, said: “Thanks to the ongoing partnership with Mitel, JT continues to push ahead with innovative products, providing exceptional services to business customers all over the world. That comes with hard work and commitment from our team who work closely with our partners at Mitel to provide a high level of service to our customers. Mitel rightly demand exacting standards and to go beyond those is an amazing achievement.”

Nick Riggott, Country Sales Director from Mitel, added: “JT have always represented a true partnership with Mitel, and this award is testimony to the collaboration, creativity and engagement we share. It’s one thing to develop world class enterprise communication solutions, but it’s another thing to really make them come to life. JT have delivered solutions from the broad scope of the Mitel portfolio, providing quality, secure and reliable solutions for their customers without compromise in any way.”

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See the world through a different lens

Photography enthusiasts in Guernsey are being asked to consider the challenges and strengths people on the autistic spectrum have when taking part in a competition with a difference during World Autism Acceptance Week (28 March – 2 April).

Autism Guernsey is running a digital photography competition, sponsored by JT, with the theme ‘From a Different Angle,’ reflecting how autistic people see the world, hoping that the entries will give an eye-opening perspective on how we all see things differently.

Judges will choose the photo that best reflects the theme, regardless of whether it’s taken using a smart phone camera or the latest digital SLR, is in black and white or colour. The competition is open to everyone in Guernsey and the winner will receive  an Apple iPad, donated by JT, who have selected AG as their Chosen charity for 2022.

Mandy Rowlinson, Fundraising Manager for Autism Guernsey, said: “World Autism Acceptance Week aims to draw attention to people living with autism, both to educate those unaware of the condition, and to help make the world friendlier to those who are affected by it.

This year, with the help of the JT Team we’re running a digital photo competition which will showcase how we view things. I’m really excited to see just how objects can be viewed and explained differently, because as a society we are all different and embracing difference is what makes us a community.’’

All photos that are sent in will be displayed on a digital screen in the JT shop on World Autism Awareness Day, Saturday 2 April when the winner will be announced.

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director, JT Guernsey, added: “Peoples’ understanding of Autism has improved greatly over the last few years. A powerful indication of this, is the campaign  to move from ‘awareness’ to ‘acceptance’, which is about helping people lead more fulfilling lives.  We are hoping Islanders will get involved in World Autism Acceptance Week and help us change attitudes and foster change, while at the same time reminding us, we are all unique, all different and sometimes we need to look at things from someone else’s viewpoint.’’

On Saturday 2nd April the Autism Guernsey team will be in the JT shop to chat to people about what they do. Accompanying them will be ‘Archie the Recycling Goat’ one of Autism Guernsey’s famous Goats from 2021, who helped to raise the profile of the Golden Guernsey Goat Trail, which raised money for Autism Guernsey and the Guernsey Adult Literacy Project.

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Solar energy trial for JT exchange

Although the west of the island is generally more known for its fabulous sunsets, now the sun’s rays are being put to another use in a trial that will see one of JT’s telephone exchanges using renewable energy. In the first trial of its kind by JT, 84 solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are being installed on the roof of the West Exchange in St Ouen’s Village.

JT’s 10-year Sustainability Strategy commits the company to move 50% of its energy consumption to renewable sources by 2025. This has already resulted in a successful project with the Little Green Energy Company in Sark to use the sun’s energy to help power the JT mobile network on the island.

In Jersey, JT is working with solar energy experts SunWorks to install the panels on the roof of the West Exchange building. The pilot will see the extent to which the solar can provide a supplementary source of electricity, if successful, it could be used across more sites around the island reducing JT’s reliance on the grid.

Tom Noel, JT’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “We made a clear promise when we launched our Sustainability Strategy that we would apply its principals across every part of our business. One of the most visible demonstrations of that is to install solar panels on prominent sites and we hope that the trial will tell us whether it will work elsewhere. As a technology business, we use a large amount of energy and if we can switch to renewable sources of power where possible,  we will make less impact on the planet – using energy generated in the sunniest place in the British Isles.”

Mark Brandon, Director of SunWorks, said: “When a company like JT comes to us with plans to use renewable energy in a practical way, we know we are dealing with a client that’s speaking the same language as us. It is important for the larger local businesses like JT to consider where their electricity comes from and make all efforts to use local resources for electricity generation. This supports the global transition to renewables and can deliver significant long term savings on electricity.”

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Employee Recognition goes digital with JT All-stars

JT has launched a new digital initiative that gives their people the opportunity to recognise and reward team members across all locations and in real-time for delivering on the company’s strengths.

With a passion for people and a drive for digital innovation, JT set about creating an easy to use, digital platform, that was managed by their own people, and was simple and engaging.

The new JT All-Stars recognition platform gives everyone the ability to thank their peers, colleagues and co-workers, and also gives Managers the option to allocate points that can be redeemed from an extensive range of prizes.

Having launched the scheme less than a month ago, already over 85% of JT’s 586 strong global team have activated their accounts, with over 1,000 peer recognitions being made.

This latest scheme is just one of a few digital initiatives being launched by JT resulting directly from listening to employee feedback. It’s part of the company’s innovative culture and drive to building an inclusive working environment, where people are encouraged to have a voice, so everyone feels valued and heard. So now, when a co-worker does something great, they can share that moment with the whole team or business by sending them a recognition in real time.

Laura Belo, JT’s Head of HR, said: “We’re so proud of our people and everything we achieve together, but what’s really special is seeing people taking the time to thank and reward each other. This new platform not only puts our people first it empowers them to create positive business outcomes and sustainable performance. Simple acts of kindness can go a long way and we’re thrilled with both the adoption rate and feedback from our people so far.”

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Pedalling their way to work, JT joins EVie travel scheme

JT team members are being offered a 20% discount on using e-bikes and e-vehicles to help meet targets on reducing carbon emissions. The telecom company has joined the EVie Corporate Partner Programme which offers reductions on using EVie’s sustainable transport solutions.

The benefits of encouraging more people to cycle or use an electric vehicle include boosting productivity and wellbeing, but it also means fewer vehicles on Jersey’s roads as greener alternatives are chosen for getting to and from work and to meetings and work appointments.

The scheme offers JT team members discounted access to EVieBikes, EVie cars and vans, bike servicing and the BlueBike subscription that provides full-time use of a bike.

Tom Noel, JT’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability, said: “We see this as a really positive step towards sustainable business travel. We already have a bike discount scheme where we provide our people with help towards buying a bike and the ongoing maintenance, but this partnership means they don’t have to own their own bike. Instead, they get the benefit of leading a healthier lifestyle through the scheme which is also helping JT meet its sustainability goals and contributes to the reduction of air pollution on Channel Island roads – it’s a win all round.”

Jamie Kelly, CEO of EVie, said: “We see our corporate partner programme as a way of making a real difference to reducing carbon emissions. Our programme aims to provide convenient, healthy and sustainable shared use travel. It helps by reducing the need to have private parking and cuts down on the use and demand for public parking spaces. To date, EVie users have displaced 55 tonnes of CO2. What works well for many businesses that have joined our Corporate Partner Programme is the BlueBike subscription that provides their people with a bike for their full-time use. It reduces the hassle and if something goes wrong, we’ll replace it with a new one.”

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International line-up will take the stage at Cobo Bay once again

The Cobo Bay Balcony Gigs, proudly sponsored by JT and seen by many as an essential part of the Guernsey summer, is back for 2022 and for the first time in three years has a line-up of international acts, supported by Guernsey’s leading local talent.

The Balcony Gigs have always been about bringing people together and for a number of years JT has been using its technical support to live stream them on so that anyone who can’t make it to the gigs can join in the fun online from wherever they are.

A tribute to the legendary Duran Duran will kick off the series of free family friendly gigs continuing through the summer to the August Bank Holiday.

Tamara O’Brien, JT’s Deputy Managing Director in Guernsey, said: “Once again an awesome line up has been announced for the Cobo Bay Hotel Balcony Gigs, in this our 11th year of sponsoring the events. We know how lucky we are to enjoy these free events in such an idyllic location, which provided a massive boost for islanders over the past two years. Now as the world opens up, we can once again enjoy large outdoor gatherings with family and friends from outside the Bailiwick and this event marks a very special moment for Guernsey and our hospitality industry.

I always look forward to these events which to me signal the start of the Guernsey summer. There is some amazing musical talent here and the Cobo Bay Balcony Gigs are the best place to see them perform live.”

David Nussbaumer, organiser of Cobo Bay Hotel’s Balcony Gigs, said: “We are itching to get going and I am thrilled that we are bigger and better than ever, welcoming bands from the UK once again to this amazing west coast venue. Thanks to more than a decade of support from JT, we have together transformed the Summer Balcony Gigs into the most sought after event series each year. With this partnership we have kept the Guernsey summer alive even during the challenging times we have all faced. We have so much to celebrate and to be thankful for and we will be doing that all the way from May until the end of August. The true spirit of the Guernsey summer is coming, and I can’t wait.”

Keeping with the great Guernsey tradition of supporting local charities, a collection at every event will support the two charities being supported by Cobo Bay, Guernsey Cheshire Home and JT, Autism Guernsey.

Holding events in such beautiful surroundings comes with added responsibilities and all those attending will be asked to play their part to help ensure that Cobo Bay remains litter free by collecting and taking home their rubbish.

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Telecoms & postal services to be made free to support Ukraine

JT and Jersey Post are working together to support Islanders who have relatives and friends in Ukraine.

As of 1st March 2022, all fixed and mobile calls and SMS messages from the Channel Islands to numbers in Ukraine will be free.

Meanwhile, Jersey Post will waive postage charges for mail addressed to Ukraine from today.

Pip Carpenter, Head of Consumer Market at JT, said: “We have all seen the deeply disturbing images and news coming from Ukraine and our hearts go out to the people caught up in this tragedy. We want to do what we can to help and, working with Jersey Post and others, we hope by making phone calls free will support those who are trying to contact and stay in touch with friends and loved ones.”

David McGrath, Group Marketing Director from Jersey Post, said: “As both JT and ourselves are in a position to help, we started working on how to make this happen over the weekend. Keeping in touch with people at moments like this are vital, and we will do all we can to help those caught up in these tragic events.”

Mail should be hand-delivered to both Broad Street Post Office and Rue des Pres Post Office for processing by Jersey Post.

JT partners with Sky Mobile to protect customers from fraud
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JT partners with Sky Mobile to protect customers from fraud

JT has partnered with Sky Mobile, voted Uswitch Best Pay Monthly and Best Value Pay Monthly network, to  provide additional  security for its millions of customers when carrying out financial transactions on their mobile device.

By partnering with JT’s Fraud Protection Services (FPS) Sky Mobile can help UK Banks’ fraud detection systems  to query valuable network information, providing an extra level of security to Sky Mobile’s customers  against SIM swap fraud. Criminals use SIM swap fraud to gain access to bank accounts by hijacking one time pass codes sent to mobile phones.

Once triggered by the bank, JT’s  system, in conjunction with Sky Mobile,  can carry out  a seamless background check to verify whether the SIM has been swapped on the customer’s phone, a key indicator of potential fraud and prevents criminals from stealing customers’ identities.

By working with mobile and virtual network operators globally, JT’s Fraud Protection Services provides the broadest coverage possible to prevent criminals from stealing customers’ identities. The service is already widely used by banks and businesses throughout the UK and around the world, providing additional security and peace of mind.

Clare Messenger, Head of Fraud Protection Services at JT, said: “SIM Swap Fraud is on the rise around the world and on average a customer loses £2,500 when a successful fraud is carried out. JT’s Fraud Protection Services provide an enhanced level of security when customers are making payments or using other sensitive information. What’s different about JT’s FPS platform is that it takes away the complexity of using multiple arrangements with mobile operators to create a single system to quickly verify transactions. We are delighted that our innovative services have been trusted by a leading brand like Sky Mobile to provide that extra confidence that their customers are protected against this type of fraud.”

Paul Taylor, Managing Director, JT International said: “The pandemic transformed our world in so many ways and one of those was increasing our reliance on using mobile phones to access the internet as part of our everyday lives. Fraudsters saw opportunities to use sophisticated techniques to target system vulnerabilities and we at JT International have been working hard to provide the necessary extra layers of protection to identify and prevent potential fraud.”

Paul Sweeney, Managing Director, Sky Mobile said: “With SIM swap fraud on the rise, it’s important to us that Sky Mobile customers are kept safe, which is why we’ve partnered with JT FPS to provide them with an additional level of protection and peace of mind.”

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Autism Guernsey to benefit from JT’s support

JT’s people have chosen to support Autism Guernsey as their main charity this year. The company’s team members have always played a central role in choosing which charity to support and decided that Autism charities across JT’s locations in Jersey, Guernsey and Australia would be the focus of their attention in 2022.

Autism Guernsey was set up in 2012 to provide assistance and support to people on the autism spectrum in Guernsey. The charity’s aim is to ensure that those with autism lead full, positive and inclusive lives with a reasonable level of independence. The charity is self funding, relying on the continued support from the islands community and companies like JT.

JT and the charity are planning to work together to increase fundraising, awareness of services and needs while also helping to recruit people into critical support roles.

Andrew Warren, Chairman of Autism Guernsey, said:“ As a charity, we are dependent on the support of organisations and individuals to fund the valuable work our staff undertake with islanders on the autistic spectrum and their families.  We’re delighted that JT chose to partner with us this year, their collaboration with other local charities has been extraordinarily successful at generating awareness. We’re all really looking forward to working together and with JT’s digital expertise and telecoms infrastructure, we are hoping to take our fundraising to a new level.’’

Tamara O Brien, Deputy Managing Director JT Guernsey, said: “I am delighted that our people have recognised the great work that autism charities do across the locations we work in, especially here in Guernsey. As a society we are learning more about autism and the needs of adults and children who are on the autism spectrum.  Helping and supporting charities has always been a huge part of the culture at JT and we’re really keen to explore new ways of supporting Autism Guernsey using our technology, expertise, and network.”

For more information about Autism Guernsey or to make a donation, please visit www.autismguernsey.org.gg

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Autism Jersey to be JT’s chosen charity in 2022

JT’s people have chosen to support Autism Jersey as their main charity this year. The company’s team members have always played a central role in choosing which charity to support and decided that Autism charities across JT’s locations in Jersey, Guernsey and Australia would be the focus of their attention in 2022.

Autism Jersey was set up in 2005 by a group of committed parents and now has Preferred Partner status in the provision of autism-related services to the Department of Health and Social Services. Its charitable services, which are not funded by the Government, are provided to autistic adults and children, their families and carers and are free at the point of delivery.

JT and the charity are planning to work together to increase fundraising, awareness of services and needs while also helping to recruit people into critical support roles.

Nick Winsor, Chair of Autism Jersey, said: “We are really excited as we begin a dedicated year of partnership with JT, a longterm supporter of the charity. Although awareness around Autism has increased in recent years, with JT’s help, we hope to move on from awareness to acceptance and greater inclusion for people on the autism spectrum in everyday life. As we continue to grow as a charity, the demands on our services are increasing. One of our main challenges, like for so many other charities, is recruiting people of the right calibre to fill roles supporting people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). With JT’s help this year, we will set the charity further along the path towards providing the best quality care, assistance and support for people on the autism spectrum.”

Daragh McDermott, Managing Director JT Channel Islands, said: “ Our relationship with Autism Jersey is well established and will grow from strength to strength as we work closely together this year. We’re immensely proud to have this long-term connection with an organisation that does such vital work in our community. Helping and supporting charities has always been part of the culture at JT and we’re really keen to explore new ways of supporting Autism Jersey using our technology, expertise, and network.”

For more information about Autism Jersey or to make a donation, please visit www.autismjersey.org