Tenerife to become communications nexus spanning three continents

The Council of Tenerife has announced a new initiative that will convert Tenerife into a global communication capital.

The objective of the ALIX initiative is to transform Tenerife into a main link within the global telecommunications network via the development of the neutral Internet access point (or NAP) for Western Africa-Canary Islands, the Island Telecommunications Ring and the CanaLink Project.

As a result of the geographical location of the Canary Islands in a key zone between Latin America, Africa and the rest of Europe, the Archipelago acts as a privileged tri-continental bridge. Status as a platform between three continents offers many advantages in a number of areas including cultural, social, economic, business spheres. All areas of our daily lives can be benefitted via good management of the location of the Islands within this globalised world.

The Western Africa-Canary Islands Nap (Network Access Point) is the element that will enable Tenerife to exploit its possibilities as a tri-continental platform and bridge, commencing with fundamental issue: communications. The Nap, to be installed in Granadilla, will house various existing submarine cable links along with others that are being prepared both between the Islands and within the Canary Islands-Europe-Africa-Latin America axis.

Therefore, the Council of Tenerife's Western Africa-Canary Islands Nap will act as a neutral data centre that not only serves as a point of concentration and distribution of international connectivity, but also as a base infrastructure for local information technology companies interested in competing overseas, or international companies that wish to operate in Western Africa using Tenerife as a platform, with the legal security afforded by location in the EU, hoping to benefit from the additional fiscal advantages associated with the Canary Islands' status as an Outermost Region.

In order to provide alternatives to internal connections, the Council is creating a fibre-optic cable network that will allow the Island to provide its own infrastructure for voice and data transmission.

The first phase will see the southern zone of Tenerife linked to the facilities of the Canary Islands Astrophysics Institute, using the layout of the roads and motorways on the Island. The second phase will see fibre-optics extended to the north and south-east, also via the road network managed by the Island Corporation.

The Island Telecommunications Ring of Tenerife will also be connected to the Western Africa-Canary Islands Nap.

The CanaLink project is another cornerstone of ALIX. CanaLink will contribute to the end of the monopoly within cable communications. CanaLink is formed by the Telecommunications Technology Institute (IT3) and the neutral submarine cable operator, IslaLink. It is responsible for laying a new cable between Tenerife and Rota (Cadiz), which will result in the liberalisation of the sector.

This submarine cable will avoid failures in data transmission and will afford high levels of quality to telecommunications within the Archipelago. It will fulfil the demands of the various telecommunications operators that operate in the remainder of the national territory that currently have their access to the market of the Canary Islands restricted.

FACTFILE:
The Council of Tenerife is the government body of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain). It was constituted on the 16thof March 1913 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The Council of Tenerife, as is the case with the other councils of the Canary Islands, possesses a series of exclusive competences that are contained in the Statute of the Autonomy of the Canary Islands and has also been delegated a series of competences by the remaining bodies of the territorial administration.  It is the Canary Islands' own manner of governance and administration, which offers services and exercises powers deriving from the Autonomous Region of the Canary Islands. The president of this body is Ricardo Melchior Navarro.

www.tenerife.es

Firstnumber Encourage Consumers To Continue To Look At Other Potential Methods Of Communication To Save Money

With technology advancing at an exponential rate and mobile phones becoming smarter, traditional communication methods such as texting and making phone calls are becoming less important, with many other alternatives available to smartphone users.

According to Reuters, consumers are turning to low cost alternatives such as BlackBerry Messenger, Imessenger and Facebook's mobile messaging services. In turn causing many mobile operators to lose a valuable source of income, as instead of being charged per message mobile data is being used instead.

The rise of Social media has also shared the blame for the reduction in the number of people using SMS, with Facebook and Twitter allowing for increased levels of connectivity to friends and family.

By understanding the profit companies are making from SMS it's understandable why they are concerned. For example, SMS currently generates around £640 for every megabyte of data transmitted. And according to Craig Moffett, an analyst for Sanford Bernstein, this revenue is considered “100 percent profit”.

A spokesperson from, cheap international calls company, Firstnumber comments: “With everyone having to cut back here and there, making savings wherever possible can make a huge difference. Consumers are finally realising that money can be saved and therefore are taking action.

“The way society is moving, it's clear that demand for mobile data will continue to rise, which no doubt will involve new products and services allowing for new and innovative ways to communicate being developed.

“Here at Firstnumber we live and breath cheap international calls, offering a service that lets you make cheap calls to hundred of countries worldwide from the UK. With cheap calls to South Africa, Germany, France and India costing from as little as 1p per minute from any UK land line and mobile phone.”

There's no longer any reason for mobile phone users to receive large monthly bills for calling or texting family and friends who live overseas. With calls costing from as little as 1p per minute, surprise your loved ones and give more than a Facebook message or Tweet this year.

Eurocom wins Malling Health account

Eurocom Healthcare Communications has recently been appointed to develop a new strategic marketing communications programme for Malling Health.

With the aim to provide ‘healthy solutions for a healthy nation’, Malling Health is an innovative company providing a range of NHS Primary Care Services in over 20 locations throughout the UK. The group seeks to preserve as much of traditional Primary Care as possible whilst embracing new ideas.

With the face of NHS General Practice and, more generally, Primary Care changing rapidly, new contract models have been introduced to allow 'other' parties to enter the arena and provide GP services. It is this development that prompted the seven founding partners – six NHS GPs and their then Practice Manager, to form Malling Health to utilise their expertise and work together to compete for contracts.

Commenting on this latest business win for Eurocom Healthcare Communications Tony Chant, Managing Director said “We all know that the provision of healthcare services is going through radical change at the moment and Eurocom has its finger on the pulse of this changing environment. We are delighted to be appointed by Malling Health who are at the forefront of NHS provision of quality care and services for patients.”

www.eurocomhealthcare.com