Aerohive is one of the most respected network providers on the market, because it’s easy-to-use, flexible, highly reliable and secure.  To find out more and see a short video about it, visit our Aerohive product page.

This spring we have four special offer ‘bundles’ of Aerohive access points (APs) and switches:

• The “10 for 8” AP Bundle:  buy 8 x 100 Series or 300 Series AP and get 2 additional APs free of charge

• The “40 for 30” AP Bundle: buy 30 x 100 Series or 300 Series AP and get 10 additional APs free of charge

• The “8 AP & 1 Switch” Bundle: a bundle of 8 x 100 Series or 300 Series AP with 1 x SR2024 Switch (providing 8 POE ports)

• The “30 AP & 4 Switches” Bundle: a bundle of 30 x 100 Series or 300 Series AP with 4 x SR2024 Switch (providing 32 POE ports)

These offers are available on orders placed with BCNS by 12^th June 2013.

Multiple bundles may be purchased by the same customer.  No other products may be substituted.  Licences, management and support must be bought at the same time.

Get in touch with us today to find out more and ask for a quote.

Buy an R120 or R220 physical appliance, and receive the Deduplication Module and Remote Replication Destination & Source Modules free of charge – a saving of over £2,500.

So if you’re thinking about improving your backup system, this could give you the perfect opportunity!

The Arkeia backup appliance provides simple, reliable and affordable data protection for remote offices and small and medium-sized organisations. It’s ideal for offices without full-time IT staff, or for those who wish to simplify their backup management.

The R120 and R220 backup appliances include Arkeia Network Backup software, integrated RAID for disk backup, connectivity for cloud replication, and an optional embedded tape drive.

• The R120 has a disk base capacity from 1TB, an Atom processor, 2 drive bays, and  4GB memory.
• The R220 has a disk base capacity from 2TB , a Xeon processor, 6 drive bays, and 16GB memory.

Full specification details for these products are available on request.

This offer is valid on all orders received by BCNS no later than 26^th June 2013.

Join our webinar to find out more!

To find out more about the Arkeia system, and see it in action for yourself, sign up now to attend our informative webinar on 16^th May 2013.  Click here to read more.

Arkeia in action

Read our case study about how Arkeia Network Backup transformed the backup system at Sandwell College in the West Midlands.  Click here to read more. 

The BYOD – bring your own device – revolution is upon us.  With estimates of 1.08 billion smartphones worldwide, and 119 million tablet sales in 2012 alone, it’s here to stay – and indeed growing fast.

Students are increasingly using their own tablets, smartphones and laptops for college, using them to log in remotely and bringing them onto the premises.  Remote workers are relying on them ever more as a mobile office, to extend their working time and flexibility, and improve productivity.

Network security implications

It’s a trend that brings with it serious implications for data management and security.  How much confidential and sensitive data do these mobile devices hold?  What are users doing with that data?  And what happens if a device gets lost or stolen?

The organisation needs to keep control, yet still allow users to enjoy the benefits these devices can offer.

Novell ZENworks® Mobile Management – the mobile security solution

Novell ZENworks® Mobile Management allows the IT team to control the mobile devices using the organisation’s network, whether the device belongs to the organisation or the user.

Firstly, the IT team is able to control the security settings of mobile devices which use the organisation’s network, be they iOS-based (for iPad/iPhone), Android, BlackBerry, Windows-based, Symbian, or an ActiveSync device. If the user decides not to accept the organisation’s required settings, then their device can be prevented from accessing parts of the system.

The IT team can set the right balance between protection and performance, so security measures don’t interfere unduly with the user’s experience.  IT managers can decide

• whether the user needs to enter a password to access data or applications;
• whether the organisation’s data on the device should be encrypted;
• which applications can be viewed on the device;
• whether data can be copied and pasted from the corporate e-mail system.

The very nature of mobile devices means they are vulnerable to loss or theft, with a very real threat to data security.  Should a device remain unused for a while – or worse, be lost or stolen – the system enables the device to be locked, or even wiped remotely, for failsafe security and peace of mind.

IT management benefits

ZENworks® Mobile Management gives the IT team complete control over the mobile devices which use the organisation’s network, and see exactly who is using the system at any time.  Uniquely, it also allows them to manage by user, not just device.

It allows applications and files to be sent to users, or groups of users, so that devices can be provisioned automatically and remotely.  This helps to save time, and ensure standardisation when it’s needed.

Understanding how mobile devices use the organisation’s system can also help IT managers to plan resources – for example, software licences.

As a Novell partner, BCNS can advise on your specific requirements, supply the ZENworks software, ensure smooth implementation, and provide ongoing support.  To find out more, call us today.

It’s clever, comprehensive and loved by teachers and IT managers alike.  Impero is a superb classroom and network management solution for schools, colleges and universities – and we’re pleased to say it’s now available from BCNS.

What makes Impero so compelling is that it offers a combination of benefits for both teaching and IT support staff.

Teachers can enjoy better control in every lesson – including showing their own screen to the class easily, keeping track of what each student is doing, and sending messages to individual students during a lesson.  Students are kept on-task more easily, and are more engaged and productive as a result.

IT managers enjoy a host of useful management tools to help save time and automate routine tasks.  Impero offers remote monitoring and control, centrally managed upgrades, an asset tracking tool, automated scheduling and software licence allocation.  All of this is wrapped up in a modular package, with a single licence fee.

Online security is a vital part of every school’s IT management, and Impero has this well under control.  Files, websites and applications can be blocked easily and automatically (for example, according to timetable).  What’s more, every student’s activity can be logged for a complete audit trail, offering peace of mind for the school and parents.

Saving costs is always a high priority for every educational establishment, and again Impero offers the perfect tools to control two areas of typically high spend – printing and energy.

The Print Credit system tracks printing, and restricts it if required.  This helps reduce consumables spending, and enables the organisation to attribute costs to the right department.

Energy usage is monitored (down to the room and machine) to show where energy savings can be made.  Brilliantly, the system also allows IT staff to power-down machines remotely and automatically – no more relying on staff remembering to turn off machines.

Impero is compatible with numerous systems, including Windows 7, Citrix, VMWare, SoftXpand, NComputing, and Apple Mac OS X.  It works seamlessly across multiple platforms too.

For more benefits, read our Impero product page – or give us a call today to find out how it could transform your education IT system.

We’re delighted to be taking part in the Novell Solutions Day in Swindon on 16th January 2013 (an Open Horizons UK conference).

We’ll specifically be presenting on the WSTrust single sign-on system, exclusive in the UK to BCNS.

We’ll also have information available on some of our other solutions for education, including Arkeia network back-up, and the Cashless Catering meal payment management system.

Book your place for FREE with our special promotional code.  

E-mail info@bcns.co.uk and we’ll send the code to you.  

You can then visit the Open Horizons booking page to order your ticket, entering the promotional code before your confirm your order.

We hope to see you there.

The Cashless Catering school meal payment solution from Live Register uses thumbprint recognition to enable students to pay for meals.

The student chooses their meal, then simply presses their thumb against a biometric reader located at the till.  The software deducts the value of the meal from the student’s pre-paid account, the account balance being shown to the till operator.

An entirely cash-free transaction, Cashless Catering eliminates the risk of dinner money being lost or stolen, giving students peace of mind, and helping to make schools safer.  It also speeds up service time considerably at the till.

The system integrates with many commonly-used management information systems, including Capita SIMS, Serco CMIS (and Progresso), iSAMS, Pearson e1 and WCBS PASS.  It is also compatible with popular payment methods such as ParentPay, ParentMail+Pay, Squid, Wisepay and Tucasi.

It can be supplied to accept MiFare cards or PIN numbers rather than the biometric reader, if preferred.

We think the system has huge potential – and in fact around 130 schools across the UK are already enjoying the benefits. These case studies from Live Register are just two examples:

Cashless Catering at Pentrehafod School

Cashless Catering at Mount Grace School

Two other systems from the same company, Live Register, also use the principle of biometric recognition:

• Live Register e-registration allows students to register their attendance via a thumbprint recognition terminal, saving valuable lesson time.  Staff can access the system to view attendance and generate reports.
• Live Register Access Control uses thumbprint terminals to allow automatic release of doors; controlling access and enhancing security.  It can also be combined with the e-registration system to record staff and students entering and leaving the premises.

The same technology can also be applied to control and record the use of services – photocopying, for example.

To find out more about any of these exciting new systems and how you could benefit, talk to us today.

GroupWise can be an empowering communications tools for businesses and staff, but it does require diligent maintenance by the IT department.

Vertigo helps hard-pressed IT professionals reduce administration and save time.  With Vertigo it’s easy to:

• Create, disable and delete rules
• Change user proxy settings
• Assign mailbox cleanup options
• Manage all GroupWise clients centrally
• Change junk mail settings
• Identify “forward all” rules to personal mailbox accounts
• Report across the entire system on rules, proxy settings and client options
• Export reports for detailed analysis

Right now we’re offering GWAVA Vertigo FREE to any of our customers with an active GroupWise maintenance contract (offer applies to systems up to 250 users).

If you don’t already have an active GroupWise maintenance contract with us, take one out by 21st December 2012 (when this offer closes) to enjoy the benefits of this time-saving, headache-saving and money-saving offer!

If you have 250 users or more, your requirements may be more bespoke.  We have some other offers available only for larger systems – so get in touch with us, and we’ll put together the right package for you at an attractive price.

Contact us today to find out more.

We have two very special offers on Arkeia back-up products this autumn.

1)  Free dedupe licence

Buy any back-up server from us by 21st December 2012, and receive a free Arkeia dedupe licence (worth over £1200).

2)  Arkeia v-storage agents – buy one, get one free

Just like it sounds!  Buy one Arkeia v-storage agent from us by 21st December 2012, and receive another free (worth over £975).

Arkeia is a trusted and proven back-up system – extremely reliable, fast, easy to use, and compatible with numerous platforms.   Read our case study to find out how it transformed the back-up system at Sandwell College.

Offers end 21st December 2012 – so get in touch with us today to take advantage of this special autumn offer.

WebTitan is a powerful web filtering, and web security solution that allows you to manage access to or filter websites visited by employees.  It protects your company from viruses, phishing attacks and gives a 360 degree view of how your employees are spending their time on the internet.

To celebrate the release of WebTitan 4.0, we’re offering a special “buy 12 months, get 12 months free” offer for SpamTitan customers.  Purchase 1 year’s WebTitan 4.0 protection by 15th December 2012, and we’ll give you another year completely free.

Call us today to find out more, and take advantage of this great offer to improve your system’s protection.

Managing different log-ins for various applications can create some challenges for businesses and IT managers.  Multiple log-ins mean the user is likely to either forget their log-in details or write them down.  Forgetting passwords means wasted time resetting them – and writing them down is obviously a serious security risk.

Many web browsers now offer to save a user’s log-in details – but this is also problematic.  If they forget to log-out, others may be able to access the system.

WSTrust provides the answer.  It works by asking users to log in to either the organisation’s eDirectory, Active Directory or LDAP, via WSTrust.  Once the user is successfully authenticated and logged in, WSTrust records the IP address and the user’s full name.  When the user tries to connect to an application, WSTrust checks its register of users, and if recognised they can proceed without logging-in.

The system is straightforward to implement, and it’s usually quick to do.  Call us today, and we can advise you on the next step.

You may also find these testimonials and case study helpful:

Testimonial – WSTrust with Novell Vibe and GWAVA Retain

Testimonial – WSTrust with Moodle and Squid

Case Study – WSTrust at Czech Ministry of Interior