JT CEO steps down to lead IoT business

JT Group CEO steps down to lead Internet of Things business

After nearly 12 years as CEO, the Board of JT has agreed that Graeme Millar will step down as JT Group CEO. He will remain in Jersey, to head-up its recently sold Internet of Things (IoT) business.

John Diamond, who has been with JT for 11 years – most recently in Australia where he is Senior Vice-President, Asia Pacific – will act as Interim CEO of the JT Group, while a recruitment process for a permanent replacement is carried out.

Phil Male, JT Chair, said “I would like to thank Graeme for the passion and devotion to JT he has shown over the years and the work he has done to transform JT into one of the planet’s most innovative and commercially astute telcos. This has been achieved whilst retaining the company culture that aims to truly support and serve our customers. Whilst both Gigabit Jersey and our international growth have been major successes during Graeme’s time in office, I am most proud of the way that he lead JT to support our communities when Covid hit.

“I know that Graeme will work closely with John Diamond who has for many years been part of our CEO succession plans. John will arrive in Jersey, later this week to take up the position of Interim Group CEO, working with Graeme for a few weeks to ensure a smooth transition. In July the Board will launch the process to select a new permanent CEO.”

Graeme Millar added: “It has been the greatest honour of my lifetime to lead JT, but with Gigabit Jersey complete; a successful sale of our world beating IoT business and our Covid support efforts starting to wind down it is the right time for JT to select a new leader for the next decade. I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead the next phase of growth of JT IoT and especially pleased that this will allow me to continue to live in Jersey.

“I would like to thank all of my colleagues at JT that have made the last 12 years so enjoyable and successful. Finally, special thanks to the three Chairmen that I have served under: John Boothman, John Stares and Phil Male, without whose guidance and support I would have achieved so much less.”

For more information, contact Chris Rayner on chris@directinput.je

 

About JT

From its origins in Jersey in 1888, JT is an innovative global telecommunications firm, employing more than 600 people in 7 global locations.  Our clear purpose is to connect our Channel Island customers to their sustainable future. To do that, we form long-standing partnerships with leading communications businesses to deliver the products and services expected from a full-service, world-class communications provider.   Our fast-growing International business, also includes successful fraud protection and bulk messaging services.

Owned by the people of Jersey, JT has completed a socially inclusive project to install a full-fibre broadband network in Jersey, making the island the first jurisdiction in the world to have 100% full-fibre connectivity to all premises, with the second fastest broadband speeds in the world.

Throughout the Covid crisis JT continues to provide all of its Channel Island Fibre customers with a 1 Gbit/s synchronous service, at no extra cost. Our Channel Island customers also enjoy an award-winning 4G mobile network, with 5G trials currently underway.



JT creates and sells IoT business

JT creates and sells Jersey’s biggest digital technology business

St. Helier, Jersey – June 24th 2021. JT is delighted to confirm it has reached agreement to sell a majority stake in its Internet of Things (IoT) division to the family backed private equity investor Perwyn. The new business will remain headquartered in Jersey. JT were advised exclusively on this deal by Arma Partners.

This division was created as part of JT’s international expansion drive in 2014 and has doubled in size every year for the last 3 years. It provides device connectivity services to customers around the world. There are almost 10 million JT SIMs in active use today. The sale has been timed to maximise the excellent growth potential of this successful business by securing substantial investment from a new owner who specialises in providing risk capital to rapidly growing technology businesses. JT will continue to benefit from this growth by supplying services to the new company and retaining a minority stake in it.

Phil Male, JT’s Chairman said: “I am immensely proud of the hard work, talent and commitment which the JT team have shown to get our IoT business to this point. Together we have grown this business from inception into an entity now worthy of a sale at this scale. This sale not only shows the vast potential and value of Jersey’s digital sector, but also demonstrates that within Jersey we have both the human talent and the funding to enable and build globally successful digital businesses.

Now is the right time for JT to sell the majority of this business, in order to further turbo-charge that success. Whilst retaining a minority stake and becoming a supplier to Jersey’s biggest technology business, we believe that in Perwyn we have a new owner for the business with the vision and risk appetite to fund and grow this young, dynamic and growing global Jersey business.”

Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, said:
“This is extraordinarily good news for Jersey and a clear marker of just what can be achieved in the digital economy. We welcome this significant inward investment to the Island, which will lead to growth and exciting employment opportunities for Islanders.
“The agreement clearly shows that Jersey is gaining a global reputation as an incubator of successful digital businesses, and I am determined that this will represent the start of an even more exciting time for Jersey’s digital sector.”

Andrew Wynn, Founder and Managing Partner of Perwyn, added:
“We are extremely pleased to have secured the purchase of JT’s IoT business. We have been watching JT’s development in this space for some time with great interest and are impressed by both the speed and scale of their success and growth in this area. They are now one of the most attractive players in this global market. The process of dealing with JT and the island of Jersey during this transaction has been collaborative and productive. We are confident this relationship will bring benefits to Jersey, as well as augmenting the island’s future attractiveness as an incubator for leading-edge innovative businesses. We look forward to working with the JT team to complete the transaction, which is one of important size and scale for us.”

ENDS

For further information, please contact Laura Morel at Direct Input on 07797 816624 or email laura@directinput.je

EDITOR’S NOTES

Potential investors in Jersey digital businesses can get help and support by contacting Digital Jersey on 01534 789333 or emailing info@digital.je

• About JT
From its origins in Jersey in 1888, JT is an innovative global telecommunications firm, employing more than 600 people in 7 global locations. Our clear purpose is to connect our Channel Island customers to their sustainable future. To do that, we form long-standing partnerships with leading communications businesses to deliver the products and services expected from a full-service, world-class communications provider. Our fast-growing International business, also includes successful fraud protection and bulk messaging services.

Owned by the people of Jersey, JT has completed a socially inclusive project to install a full-fibre broadband network in Jersey, making the island the first jurisdiction in the world to have 100% full-fibre connectivity to all premises, with the second fastest broadband speeds in the world. Throughout the Covid crisis JT continues to provide all of its Channel Island Fibre customers with a 1 Gbit/s synchronous service, at no extra cost. Our Channel Island customers also enjoy an award-winning 4G mobile network, with 5G trials currently underway.
www.jtglobal.com @JTbusiness JT Group Limited

• About JT IOT
JT has built a reputation as a supplier of global “Internet of Things” connectivity – applying its telco assets to provide cellular connectivity and remote management of close to 10 million SIMS and connected devices across the world.
JT IoT has demonstrated consistent strong revenue growth since its launch in 2014. Supported by a team of 70 people and over 500+ roaming agreements with global operators, JT IoT offers multiple network access through a single SIM – providing robust, secure and “always on” connectivity. Its in-house developed Nomad Connectivity Management Platform (CMP) provides a differentiated experience through real-time monitoring and control of large SIM estates.
Recognising the massive potential of this nascent technology JT launched its first “embedded-SIM” (eSIM) proposition in 2020. This product eliminates the “lock-in” effects of traditional SIMs by enabling a change of network providers over the air, allowing remote provisioning and billing of operator profiles, enhancing its credentials as the most advanced CMP on the market today.
IoT is now a truly global phenomenon, with applications across the healthcare, mobility, automotive and infrastructure sectors, to name but a few – many now supported by JT IoT solutions.
www.jtiot.com

 

• About Perwyn

Founded in 2013, Perwyn is a family backed, international private and growth equity investor. Perwyn works closely with investee companies applying strategic and operational expertise in addition to providing capital. Perwyn is free from the usual private equity funding cycles, focusing above all on our investments rather than fund raising. We approach investment with an evergreen model and believe in genuine partnership with management teams, seeking to facilitate long term growth and development.

There are two main focuses of our business. Perwyn Private Equity is an active lead investor, seeking buyout opportunities in established, growing, cash generative market leaders headquartered in the UK or Western Europe where it can make a material impact on growth and profitability. We invest in businesses with an EV of £/€50-300m, seeking partnership investment support for growth initiatives or transition. Perwyn Growth Capital invests in growing businesses across the same markets, with a passion for backing entrepreneurs and founders on their winning strategy. We seek primarily minority equity investments of £/€5m-50m to help accelerate growth.
www.perwyn.com

• About Arma Partners
Arma Partners provides independent corporate finance advice to companies and investors active in the global Digital Economy. They act as trusted advisors to Digital Economy leaders throughout the entire corporate lifecycle, from raising private capital for fast-growing disrupters and founder-led businesses to orchestrating complex cross-border M&A deals for private equity investors and global large-cap public companies. Founded in 2003, Arma today is one of the world’s largest dedicated technology advisors.



Prevention is better than cure

Author:
Sunny Ajanaku
Professional Services Manager, JT Enterprise

Data Backup – Misconceptions and risks around your
business’s 365 data

Almost everyone who has ever used a computer will be familiar with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or Teams.

Today, the world over, millions of businesses rely on the Microsoft suite of tools to communicate, create documents, host meetings, manage file storage and more.

However, while organisations can and do rely on Microsoft 365 to power their daily operations, understanding its limitations and where and how risk could be avoided is a crucial part of keeping your business safe. One of the most common misconceptions is that Microsoft is responsible for securing your data. Whilst Microsoft provide extensive tools, businesses are in fact responsible for the security, privacy, compliance, backup and recovery of their own data.

Below are a few examples of the risks you should consider when defining your back-up strategy beyond Microsoft 365’s own data handling.

 

Accidents happen

Data being accidentally deleted; it happens more often than you realise, someone presses the wrong button; moves the wrong file to the wrong location or misreads a prompt on their computer. Or maybe it didn’t involve human error— a machine simply crashed at a crucial moment, and your data can be accidentally, permanently deleted.

Microsoft 365 does offer protection in these instances. However, more often than not data that’s been accidentally deleted risks remaining lost. For example, files are deleted and or altered and synced back to OneDrive– replacing the original file version. Or a file is deleted on a user’s local device, that change is automatically synced. While some items may be recoverable from the ‘recycling bin’, it shouldn’t be relied on as a fully-fledged back-up as it can’t restore previous versions and requires manual intervention.

Lost communications

Cyber criminals know email is a business’s most-used communication tool and, with relatively little effort, hackers can gain access to a treasure trove of confidential information. Microsoft Exchange Online Email comes with some built-in security features – however this may not be enough to protect your organisation in the event of a breach.

Your business communications, research, client data, and even your internal confidential conversations are at risk if you don’t back-up Microsoft 365. Whether it's emails, or messages sent via a third-party platform, data is central to a company’s operations and losing it has consequences.

Legal obligations

There are of course specific regulations to be aware of and comply with regarding how data should be stored, secured, and accessed. It’s your business’s responsibility to ensure these regulations are followed. Having a back-up solution can complement MS365’s data security capabilities with additional protection. If data isn’t properly protected, there’s a chance it won’t be recoverable which could have legal repercussions.

JT’s solution to data backup concerns

To help properly protect your Microsoft 365 data, you should consider engaging a third-party back-up and recovery option, which is why we developed the JT Cloud Back-up solution for Microsoft 365.

We understand how complex and specific data retention policies are for businesses. With JT’s solution you can define and implement your own retention policies, specifying unique requirements to enhance security, via a personalised solution customised to your needs. JT Cloud Back-up is easy to install and integrates seamlessly with the Microsoft platform, protecting data without getting in the way.

Prevent accidental deletion

Microsoft 365 does offer safeguards to prevent data loss within tools and applications, helping secure the bulk of your data short term. However, shorter data retention periods can lead to data unknowingly being deleted.

JT’s Cloud Back-up solution improves on this by offering unlimited back-up retention for data, backing up as often as every five minutes — company wide and without interruption. Meaning the window for data to be permanently lost is vastly reduced.

Location of data

At JT, we know that where your data is located is important to you, which is why we use local data centres in Jersey and Guernsey, ensuring your data is safe, secure, and easily accessible.

The right choice

A data protection strategy that includes data back-up is essential for all businesses seeking to mitigate risks and provide reassurance to key stakeholders. So, why not contact us to find out more about JT’s Cloud Back-up service? Offering fast, easy, reliable back-up for all 365 services; Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams and OneDrive.

If you would like to learn more about JT’s secure back-up services, or any other business services, please contact one of JT’s friendly Enterprise team today to review your business needs.

Contact the team today >



Support to local Cancer charity

Communications boost for local cancer charity, with JT partnership

This year the JT Guernsey Team have decided to offer their support to Guernsey Cancer Support, a small charity made up of volunteers who help those living with or impacted by cancer, their families and carers.

The Channel Islands telecoms group has kick-started its 12-month commitment with a people donation of £500 and a number of free-roaming devices and sims that the Charity’s members can use when travelling off-island for treatment, giving them one less thing to worry about.

Gill Syvret-Berboda, Chairwoman of Guernsey Cancer Support, said: ‘We are incredibly grateful to JT Guernsey for choosing us as their charity of the year. Like so many other charities, it has been a difficult 12 months particularly during the lockdown periods when we were unable to hold our monthly meetings or spend time with members and give support to those affected by cancer.

‘Improving connectivity will enable us to help our members who are travelling off-island for critical treatment to stay in touch with loved ones. This is going to make a huge difference to us and all the people who use our services. A team like JT, that is clearly passionate about being part of what we do, is already making a difference and means so much to us.’

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director, JT Guernsey said: “Unfortunately, one in two people will be affected by cancer in some way, and the chances are we all know someone, likely more than one person, who has been affected in some way by this disease.

“For this reason alone, we are all fully committed to supporting Guernsey Cancer Support as they care for our loved ones. It’s very important to us that we get involved with causes which are dedicated to helping others because without additional support, especially in difficult times, many services would not be so readily available.”

Helping local charities and initiatives is embedded into JT’s culture; it’s a great way to bring people together and give back to the communities we serve.

Throughout 2021, JT will focus their support on charities which helps people living with cancer and their families. The Guernsey office has chosen Guernsey Cancer Support and the team in Jersey will partner with Macmillan Jersey to make the best use of JT’s expertise to help develop digital patient services and to make a positive impact where it is most needed.

Notes to Editors
For further information, please contact Chloe Chescoe at Black Vanilla on 01481 729229 or email chloe@black-vanilla.gg



JT Progress Report 2020

Progress Report 2020 details a strong year for JT’s core business

St. Helier, Jersey: JT Group has today published its Progress Report for 2020, describing a strong year for its core business.

Overall, the Group’s Financial Statements detail an increase in profit before tax of 17% on 2019, at £4.7m – JT was also able to maintain a healthy dividend to its shareholder, the Government of Jersey, of £6m (2019: £7m).

The strong performance of the Group’s core activities meant that the cash generated by the business increased by 30% on 2019, and the level of net debt reduced by 41%.

Total Group revenues fell by 13% as a result of a one-off strategic decision to exit Voice Trading business, but that had little impact on profits, as it was low margin.

The Progress Report also explains how JT played its part in supporting islanders to cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic by doubling broadband speeds to 1Gb/s at no extra cost to support people working at home, providing free local landline calls to its customers, and suspending charges for both late payments, and exceeding agreed data limits.

In addition, the Report details the success of the Group’s Internet of Things (IoT) division which was created by JT in 2014 and has doubled in size every year for the last 3 years. It provides device connectivity solutions to customers across the world.

JT Group Chairman, Phil Male, commented: “Clearly, 2020 needs to be seen through the frame of COVID-19, and in the light of what many people experienced in that year. JT played its part to support the community in any way it could, perhaps notably by doubling broadband speeds to help islanders to work from home. I would like to thank our people who pulled together brilliantly under some really tough circumstances to make that happen quickly, and with the minimum of disruption – I know I speak for the whole leadership team when I say how very proud we are of them all. 2020 was a year when we were all tested – but JT has come through it strongly and is very well set-up to continue supporting the islands as we go forward.”

Graeme Millar, JT Group CEO, added: “2020 was a year when our whole community faced considerable challenges, and I would like to echo Phil’s comments about how well the JT team pulled together in the face of such tough circumstances.

From a trading point of view, it was a very solid performance. We had to contend with the negative effects of Brexit, the pandemic and general volatility in global markets. But we took a prudent approach to those challenges, protected our core business and looked to focus on new opportunities for growth. That core businesses performed very well indeed, and proved how resilient the JT Group is. And we see excellent future opportunities both for our Internet of Things division, but also for Fraud Protection Services, and for our international business generally. Closer to home we enabled the cultural shift to working-from-home, something which demonstrated the deep capability of our network; we will continue to invest in that to make sure the islands have the essential infrastructure they need to prosper.”

ENDS
You can read JT’s Progress Report 2020/21 and Financial Statements www.jtglobal.com/progressreport

Notes to Editors
For further information, please contact Chris Rayner at Direct Input on 07797 847039 or email chris@directinput.je



International Digital Experience Awards Finalists

Jersey talent stands tall next to the world’s largest businesses

JT’s frontline Customer Experience teams are up against some of the biggest business names from the business world after being chosen as finalists in two categories at the International Digital Experience Awards.

Two of JT’s customer experience (CX) initiatives have been shortlisted twice in the Best Use of Customer Feedback category, and JT’s Field Engineering Worx App, developed in-house, during the COVID-19 pandemic to help digitise the case management for JT Engineers, is in the running for the Best Use of a Digital Platform.

Both CX entries are competing in the same category as the global energy giant Shell and the Indian telecoms company Tata Communications.

The winners will be announced on 22 July after presenting their initiatives in full to a distinguished panel of judges from around the world.

Graeme Millar, JT’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “I’m so proud of the individuals whose hard work, dedication and brilliance shine a light on Jersey. It’s not the first time our Customer Experience teams have been up against some of the biggest names in the world of business, so we understand the challenges of being measured alongside these brands and are delighted to be recognised as their peer. It really demonstrates, that our local talent is up there amongst the best and how technology and the use of digital channels is improving the customer experience.”

Tamara O’Brien, Group Head of Corporate Communications, Brand & CX, said: “Making the shortlist with not just one, but three entries is a fantastic achievement and I’m so thrilled that our people are being recognised for their genuine dedication to providing great customer service. They did that while we were all facing daily challenges during the pandemic, at a time when what we do best suddenly became essential, every JT team member played a key role in keeping our community connected.’’

The International Digital Experience Awards recognise innovation and best practice as millions of people moved to becoming digital-first customers during 2020 and 2021.

ENDS
Notes to Editors
For more information contact Chris Rayner at Direct Input on 01534 735253 or at chris@directinput.je



MS365 misconceptions – Don’t risk not backing up your business’s 365 data

Author:
Paul Gray
Product Portfolio Manager (Cloud)

Microsoft Office 365 is one of the most popular business software tools, offering email, meetings, file storage, and more.  

But while organisations can rely on MS365 to power their daily operations, there’s are some major risks to data security and retention.  Threats inside Office 365 have grown by 63% in the last two years alone, according to McAfee. And with everything from meeting invites to sensitive intel on the line, how can you keep your business safe from MS365 data loss? 

Your data could be lost when using MS365

Microsoft 365 has become a go-to business tool thanks to the infrastructure it provides for data management. And yet at the same time, the process of actually managing, securing, and backing up your data is still your responsibility.  

MS365 won't perform backups for you — and that’s something not too many people know (certainly not at a general user level). 

Below are just a handful of the data types you’re at risk of losing if you don't take measures to improve MS365's data handling.  

Data that has been accidentally deleted

It happens all the time at work: someone presses the wrong button; moves the wrong file to the wrong location; misreads a prompt on their computer. Or maybe there was no human error at all — a machine simply crashed at the wrong time, and now your data has been accidentally, permanently deleted.  

Microsoft 365 does not protect your data in these instances. Certain pieces of data may be protected in some cases for a short period of time. But more often than not, data that is wrongfully deleted will stay deleted.  

Communications data that should never be erased

Communications data is another type of data that's at risk when you use Microsoft 365. Whether it's emails, messages sent via a third-party platform, or communications sent over a bespoke application, this kind of data is central to a company’s operations and you don’t want to lose it.

Unfortunately, it's common for communications to be moved to the recycling bin for a variety of reasons. And if this happens, Microsoft 365 will only protect your data for one month — after which it is permanently deleted.

Since the average time of discovery for wrongly deleted data is 140 days or more, it's unlikely that you'll see those communications again.

Data that is protected by industry-specific regulations

MS365’s limited data management capabilities are arguably the most serious in the case of industry-specific regulations. This refers to legally imposed regulations on how your data is stored, secured, and accessed.

A key area where this is a concern is in the instance of eDiscovery: the legal process of sharing data between parties during civil litigation. If data is properly protected, then there's a chance it won't be recoverable. And that can have serious and lasting legal repercussions.

The same can be said for companies that hold highly-sensitive information, such as bank account details and personal data.

 

JT's solution to Microsoft 365 vulnerability concerns

It was these concerns and more that led JT to develop the JT Cloud Backup integration solution for Microsoft 365. JT Cloud Backup integrates seamlessly with the MS platform to protect your data without getting in the way.

Define your retention policies from the start

Data retention policies are complex and specific to each business — that’s why we allow you to specify your unique policies right from the start. JT's Cloud Backup solution helps you define and implement your retention policies for a secure and personalised option.

Prevent accidental deletion

As mentioned, Microsoft 365 secures the bulk of your data for less than three months. However, the period it takes to realise that data has been wrongfully deleted is generally 140 days, rendering 365's 90-day policies… less than helpful.

JT's Cloud Backup solution takes things up a notch by backing up your data every five minutes — company-wide and without interruption. That means the window for data to be permanently lost is so small — on an individual and organisational level — that you'll never need to worry about accidental deletions again.

Local data centres

As mentioned, Microsoft 365 secures the bulk of your data for less than three months. However, the period it takes to realise that data has been wrongfully deleted is generally 140 days, rendering 365's 90-day policies… less than helpful.

Contact the team today >

 

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