The company becomes the Chamber’s first and only patron operating in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector.

The Chamber Patrons scheme is aimed at businesses which want to take a leading role in the local business community. Its patrons are influential and prominent organisations who share the values that drive the Chamber forward.

East Midlands Airport, Eon, Experian, Wilkinson, Imperial Tobacco and Price Waterhouse Coopers are among the Chamber’s other patrons.

Richard Wilkins, President of the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber, said: “I am delighted to welcome Digital Exchange Ltd on board as the Chamber’s latest patron.

“ICT is a fast growing and innovative sector of the business community and we are pleased to be adding this dynamic and forward-thinking organisation, which will complement the skills and experience of the rest of the Chamber’s patrons, for the ultimate benefit of members.

“The Chamber’s patrons are a powerful force in influencing policies, driving economic growth and development and equipping smaller businesses with the knowledge and skills that are vital to their future success.”

Established in Sheffield in 1995, Digital Exchange Ltd is a leading provider of innovative technology products to businesses in both Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, as well as across the UK. Services offered include:

• Voice & Data Connectivity
• Business Telephone Systems
• Networked IT Systems
• Digital Dictation Systems
• Structured Cable Networks
• ICT Consultancy, Design, Installation & Support

Digital also offers a number of wraparound services including ICT consultancy, design, installation and support. The company is the Chamber’s incumbent supplier of audio-visual equipment and is set to introduce a Chamber-specific pricing structure to benefit members.

Nick Cotton, Managing Director of Digital Exchange Ltd, said: “Patronage with The Chamber is a natural progression in our growth strategy, whilst also being an accolade we are extremely proud of. Although we offer our services on a National basis we have typically not had a large market share in the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire areas. Working alongside The Chamber will help in this respect and we look forward to forging solid working relationships with organisations throughout the region.

“Our portfolio of products and services is varied in respect of technology, and as Microsoft Gold Partners we are able to demonstrate expertise in ICT that ultimately enables us to extend unrivalled advice and ongoing support on all things technical.

“We’ve embraced our Patronage from the out-set by sponsoring and judging the “Most Promising New Business” category at the forthcoming Derbyshire Business Awards which is due to take place in February. Our management team will be attending the awards and look forward to having the chance to meet Chamber members during what should be a great event.”

To speak with Digital Exchange Ltd please contact Nick Cotton on 0114 2212000 or email nick.cotton@thedigitalgroup.co.uk.

Today there are two factories, both in Wales, at Bridgend and Pencoed, which between them manufacture broadcast cameras, television sets and components for the UK and export to other countries around the world.

Sony was awarded the prestigious Queens Award for Export on four occasions in the 80s and 90s.

Today Sony UK employs around 4,500 people in functions including Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing.

Fujitsu in the UK is part of the global Fujitsu Group, delivering IT-based business solutions to customers in 70 countries through a workforce of 175,000 employees. Their regional structure enables customers to share in best-practice approaches, knowledge and re-use from around the world whilst local operations ensure that solutions are delivered in line with local customer requirements.

Typically, leased lines are used by businesses to connect geographically distant offices. Unlike dial-up connections, a leased line is always active with the fee for the connection being at fixed monthly rate, therefore allowing a business to fix its costs and prepare accurate future budgets. The main factors affecting the monthly fee are distance between end points and the speed (bandwidth) of the leased line. Because the connection is for the sole use of the subscribing business a leased line can be delivered with an a guaranteed service level agreement as apposed to other types of connectivity, such as ADSL, which don’t offer this assured level of quality.

We have a range of diverse leased line products, the majority of which can not be matched with regard to price and service. Please click here to check availability and pricing.

You can transfer your existing telephone lines and associated phone numbers to Digital Exchange and benefit from guaranteed cost savings without comprising service. Transferring your lines is quick, easy and completely free of charge, and during the transition process there is no disruption of service as all work is done at “network level” meaning no physical changes are needed to your telephone system.

Once transferred you will receive your regular bills from Digital, which will include all line rentals and call usage charges, and as part of our service commitment we will evaluate your call profile to ensure you are always kept on the most cost effective tariff.

All that’s required to provide a no obligation quotation is for you to provide copies of your existing telephone bills, following which we will perform the necessary analysis and revert back with an accurate proposal. Please send in your bills via fax to 0114 221 0768 or email via sales@thedigitalgroup.co.uk. Alternatively if you have any questions about this service and would like more information please call us on 0114 221 2000.

Adopting VoIP can offer a variety of benefits such as improved communication between offices and remote locations, the ability to introduce new network applications, whilst making significant cost savings through more effective use of your company’s network.

An IP-based business telephone system is appropriate if you wish to network multiple offices together, however, the technology doesn’t necessarily mean that multiple telephone systems are required in each location as it’s possible to have a centrally-based system that controls telephone handsets throughout your organisation’s estate. The result of this is a single solution that allows users to operate as though they were all located in the same office.

VoIP also allows remote workers to connect to the company’s core telephone system as if they were in the office, and is therefore a valuable tool for individuals who don’t have a static office location or are constantly on the move.

There are many other benefits of VoIP, and the alternate ways in which it can be designed are equally comprehensive. To learn more about the technology please call us on 0114 221 2000 or send an email to sales@thedigitalgroup.co.uk.

As of October 2009 we progressed our accredited status with Microsoft from Certified Partner to Gold Partner, a status that has taken months of effort and commitment to obtain.

Microsoft do not hand out Gold Partner status to all, and as a result we have had to prove without doubt our ability to consistently and competently consult, design, deploy and support technically complex networked IT solutions to business in varying sectors.

We are absolutely delighted to finally achieve this accolade which cements our ongoing relationship with Microsoft whilst also confirming to our customers our ability to deliver a broad ranging IT service.

Raleys, based in Barnsley is one of the region’s largest legal firms. For the last 7 years the firm have relied on an outsourced managed telephony solution, however the running costs were very high, and in total the firm were incurring fees of up to £64,000 per year. The company reviewed a large number of solutions including Panasonic, Samsung and Cisco but none of these gave the flexibility and cost savings they were looking for.

Raleys’ Chief Technology Officer Richard Hilton says: “Finally Digital Exchange (Yorkshire) Ltd and Swyx Silver Partner recommended SwyxWare which ticked all the boxes. It has a user friendly web interface that was easy to understand and because is it software and is IP based we had the additional advantages of an affordable licence module and the ability to integrate into our other IT systems”.

“Using Swyx’s functionality, it is possible to route calls dependant on someone’s diary movements and secretaries now have the ability to pick up group calls so we can reduce the number of times the phone rings before the caller can speak to someone. Therefore if a customer calls a direct number to one of the partners but they are unavailable, then a secretary can pick up the call instead.”

Partners within the firm are using SwyxMobile so that they have all the same benefits and functionality remotely as they would in the office. The Swyx solution fits well with the company’s virtualised IT infrastructure. As Swyx is a software application it can be managed centrally along with the rest of the IT.