Category: Media Centre > News (Global)

JT is the first large local company to commit to paying Jersey’s new living wage to its direct employees, which is a major boost for the Caritas Living Wage Project. JT hopes its example will lead the way for other local businesses to register with the scheme, increasing the quality of living for as many people as possible.

Local charity Caritas Jersey, is running a Living Wage Project to encourage firms to adopt this rate in place of the minimum wage, by offering accreditation to those who have committed to the living wage.

JT began planning the implementation of the living wage for its local employees prior to the increase being adopted by the States, this plan will also see JT review their subcontractor’s contracts to bring everyone working for JT in line with the new Jersey living wage.

Jo Waring-Hockley, JT’s Group Human Resources Director, said: “We hope by signing up to the Jersey living wage project we are encouraging other local businesses to do the same. We believe that when you buy something cheap someone else is paying the price, and we wanted to demonstrate how much we value our people. We are a Jersey company and are proud to employ local people and treat them fairly, which is why we plan to raise the bar to ensure fair wages for our external contractors which will help to support our whole community.”

John Scally, Executive Director of Caritas, said: “We have enjoyed working with JT to achieve this accreditation, the process has been seamless. JT’s decision to become part of this scheme is excellent news for Jersey.  If employers underpay their employees, then islanders are denied the ability to enjoy Jersey without worrying about how they will afford to continue living here. Caritas has been part of the Living Wage Project since 2014, we look forward to more local businesses joining the accreditation scheme enabling everyone in Jersey to benefit from a living wage.”

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As an eco-active business, JT has always been proudly green, as well as trying to help local charities to make a difference. This year it is taking it a step further by supporting two local charities that are focused on improving the environment we live in.

Throughout the year, JT’s Jersey team will be working with Littlefeet Environmental and Jersey Marine Conservation, while the Guernsey team will be supporting the Marine Biology Section of the Société Guernesiaise. In JT’s offices in London, Melbourne and Boston, the teams have also selected environmentally focused charities.

Christophe Chateau, JT Group Head of Culture and Staff Engagement, said: “The environmental movement has a new energy as more and more of us wake up to the ‘plastic pandemic’ in our oceans, the impact of our coffee-cup culture, and the potential impact of everyday activities on global warming. Our people across JT felt that we needed to focus on our planet this year and in particular the environments and communities that we live and work in.”

Courtney Huisman, a volunteer at Littlefeet Environmental, said: “We may be a small charity but we have big plans for 2018. Last year, we collected over 140 bags of rubbish and 380 plastic bottles from island beaches and, with JT’s help, we expect to pick up a lot more this year. I would like to thank JT for choosing to support Littlefeet Environmental but, more importantly, for choosing to support the environment.”

In 2017, JT’s people raised £10,000 for Alzheimer’s Disease-related charities.

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The JT-sponsored Institute of Directors winter seminar series will conclude on Friday 13 April by revisiting the important topic of Guernsey’s air links.

The subject was last discussed by the IoD in 2016, not long after the regulator had raised concerns about the Blue Islands / Flybe franchise agreement on inter-island routes and Aurigny’s Alderney services had been criticised following the airline posting a £4.6m loss.

The cost, frequency and reliability of air links remains as relevant now as it did then. New services have been launched while others, including an inter-island seaplane link, have been proposed. But is Guernsey in a better place, two years down the line? Given the continued focus on air connectivity, from both a social and business perspective, JT and the IoD are pleased to welcome another strong panel to discuss this important issue.

Panellists are Economic Development President Charles Parkinson; Lyndon Trott, Vice President of Policy & Resources; Andrew Haining, Chairman of Aurigny; and Tom Barrasin, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Islands.

The panel will review and discuss the political vision for the future of Guernsey’s air links, the means by which the resulting strategy will be implemented and funded, the implications for both Aurigny and private operators such as Blue Islands, and the potential implications for the airport infrastructure. The seminar will be held at 12.30 pm in the Dorey Room at St James.

James Ede-Golightly, IoD Committee member and series organiser, said: “Air links will always be critical to the economic success of an island community, so we felt it was important to revisit this topic. With such a knowledgeable panel and a business audience who will naturally want affordable, regular and reliable transport links, I expect that that any debate will be informed, rational and lucid, and perhaps a little lively.”

Tamara O’Brien, Deputy Managing Director of JT Guernsey said: “With over 600 people working across the Channel Islands, Europe, the US and Australia, JT is all too aware of the importance of robust air links. Equally, we’re conscious that the airline industry is a challenging one, so it will be both interesting and useful to put all the issues on the table. We’re pleased to continue to support the IoD in providing these topical and well attended lunchtime events for its membership.”

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The cover of the new 2018/19 Jersey Directory, being delivered to homes and businesses from this month, celebrates one of our Island’s greatest ambassadors, the iconic Jersey cow, and highlights how technology is changing the face of farming.

Over the years, the Jersey Directory cover has aimed to focus on parts of Island life where JT is helping to make a positive difference. She may not know it but the star of this year’s cover, Roseland Roy Boy Tulip, who was born in October 2017 at Cowley Farm in St Saviour, is a living example of the latest smart farming practices.

Tulip has an electronic tag on her ear which connects to a computer via a radio link, providing the farmer with rich information in real-time about her behaviour, location and wellbeing. For example, a monitor beside each milking unit in the parlour can identify Tulip and every other cow in the herd, and based on her age and other statistics, the computer will know exactly how many litres of milk she should produce and how much food she needs to support that. This technology also allows Jersey Dairy, which sells its products globally, to evidence the origins of the Island’s famous export.

Devices communicating automatically with other devices (called the Internet of Things, or IoT) is expected to play an even greater role, not just in agriculture but in all our lives. This is why JT is helping Digital Jersey to build a state-of-the-art research centre to encourage more IoT business start-ups, foster technological education for local students and encourage off-island organisations to use Jersey as a testbed.

For Becky Houzé of Lodge Farm in St Saviour, science and technology is visibly improving productivity, efficiency and animal welfare. “I have the cows’ whole life history at my fingertips, and I can be completely confident that the data is accurate and reliable,” she said. “This wouldn’t be possible without JT’s full-fibre broadband and 4G networks and it’s definitely a real-life example of their investment paying dividends.”

Tamara O’Brien, JT’s Head of Brand, Marketing and Distribution, said: “Each year, we aim to choose a cover for our Jersey Directory that captures how technology is having a positive effect on the lives of Islanders in some form or other.  We have had very positive feedback from farms in Jersey, where our full-fibre network is already helping Becky and others to automate processes that previously took a lot of time and energy to deliver and record. So, this felt like the ideal cover for this year.”

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JT has learned that Tom Noel, Managing Director of JT International, has been shortlisted in the 2018 Institute of Directors Jersey, Director of the Year Awards. Tom has been nominated in the Director of the Year – Innovation category. 

 Jersey born and educated, Tom has led JT International since 2016. The division (formerly called JT Wholesale) is charged with utilising capacity in JT’s world-class infrastructure by developing new global business streams. Promoting a culture of innovation among his team of 60 people, Tom has developed and successfully sold a number of market-leading products, built on JT’s 700+ roaming agreements with other mobile network operators.

JT Chief Executive Officer Graeme Millar said: “I’m delighted to see Tom shortlisted for these prestigious awards. Having been honoured to have received an IoD award in 2012, I’m aware that Jersey is fortunate to have so many capable leaders and it is important that we recognise and celebrate their contribution.

“Tom left Jersey to go to university in the UK and he later worked in Switzerland and Ireland before returning to Jersey, in the knowledge that his skills and experience would be valuable. JT is fortunate to be part of a growing digital sector in Jersey, and I hope Tom’s shortlisting inspires others to explore the many opportunities available locally in the technology and digital industries.

“Tom’s nomination also recognises the important contribution of JT International, which not only allows JT to invest global revenues back into the Channel Islands but also enables new technologies to be used locally, such as an innovative low-power radio network that we have recently built in partnership with Sony.”

The winners will be announced at the IoD Jersey Director of the Year Awards Gala Dinner on Friday 27 April at the Hotel de France.  All Jersey winners will be put forward for the UK IoD Director of the Year Final Awards later this year.

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As part of the Bosdet Foundation End of Year Wish campaign, JT has donated two PS4 controllers and two Wii controllers to the St Lawrence Youth Project, and has now completed a free assessment of the Jersey Women’s Refuge’s Wi-Fi and migrated the property to fibre, enabling families to enjoy a faster and more reliable broadband service

The Bosdet Foundation pairs up organisations with companies and individuals who can help support them in achieving charitable aims.

For the winter Battle of Flowers Parade, the Bosdet Foundation invited local organisations to create a Christmas stocking to decorate its float. Each stocking contained a wish, that the Foundation aims to help fulfil throughout 2018.

Alan Le Pavoux, Charity Manager of the Bosdet Foundation, said: “We received over 30 stockings with wishes attached. What surprised us most was that the majority of wishes were about societal changes and improving Jersey – which sadly is a lot harder a wish for us to grant. Next year we are going to invite organisations to write two wishes – one a wider issue wish and another a material wish that can benefit the organisation.

“I would like to thank JT for choosing to grant two wishes which we approached them about, as I know it means a lot to the organisations.”

Tamara O’Brien, Head of Customer Experience JT, said: “The organisations in Jersey that support our Islanders are unparalleled. We had already worked with the St Lawrence Youth Project Family Fun day last year and were so impressed by the students’ dedication and mature manner. Which is why we are so glad we can also grant them their wish for 2018 so that more of their members can play the same games, at the same time.

“The Women’s Refuge is also well known for its remarkable work in the Island so again we were really happy to be able to work with them to help grant this wish to help centre-users access fast and reliable Wi-Fi over our full fibre network. Supporting projects like this and the work of the Bosdet Foundation is very important to us as a local organisation.  So many of our team live and work on Jersey and we try where we can to support causes that really can make a difference to the community in which we live and work.”

Anna Shipley, Assistant Youth Worker at the St Lawrence Youth Project, spoke to some of the members and asked them what JT’s donation meant to them.

Tom Clayton, said: “I think JT has been extremely generous”, and Will Wheatley added: “We can play with more people and more can get involved. Everybody can socialise and others can play the same game at once.”

Marine Oliveira, Domestic Abuse Prevention Advocate at the Jersey Women’s Refuge, said: “We were incredibly surprised and grateful to hear that JT was going to consider our wish. Any help or suggestions for improvements JT can give us will be gratefully received – our Wi-Fi is used by children to do their homework and stay in contact with friends, by staff to fulfil their duties and by the women who come to us for refuge to search for jobs and new homes. We would like to thank the Bosdet Foundation and JT for answering our wish for 2018 and not just reviewing but upgrading our system.”

Next year, the Bosdet Foundation is hoping to display tree decorations at businesses across the island linked to a family scavenger hunt to find the most wishes. We hope that businesses and individuals can help make some of the wishes come true. If you would like to join the wish project next Christmas please email alan@bosdet.je

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This International Women’s Day JT is celebrating the diversity of its people with a workforce comprising of 25% women, well above the UK average for the technology industry. JT recognises that diverse teams are known to be more creative, more productive and more successful.

International Women’s Day is a global celebration of the social, economic, cultural and political accomplishments and contributions of women. As a progressive employer, JT hopes to encourage more women to pursue a career in telecommunications by highlighting the diversity and opportunities that already exist at JT.

In the UK the number of women working in technology is significantly lower than most other UK work sectors, with just 17% of those working in the industry being female; however, as more is being done to encourage women to pursue careers in technology and IT roles, this is changing.

Of the 167 women who work at JT, 77% are on permanent full-time contracts, 7% work in engineering, traditionally perceived as a male preserve and 20% of JT’s current interns and graduates are female.

Jo Waring-Hockley, Group Human Resources Director is the senior female member working as part of the JT Executive Committee additionally, there are nine other female members of the Leadership team at JT, said: “In advance of International Women’s Day, we wanted to recognise the significant role women play in our business and further encourage women to apply for roles typically seen as male orientated, such as engineers and technicians. At JT, we have surpassed the UK average of female employees in the tech industry. Our teams include and are led by many women in a broad range of roles from directors to engineers, marketers to cloud specialists

“At JT, we support all our employees regardless of gender and want to ensure every career at JT is supported and nurtured. We are committed to promoting a healthy work-life balance and have made an effort to ensure everyone feels valued. For example, we make sure new mothers and fathers are aware of our flexible working options, so they can work around their children. Over 13% of the JT female workforce are on our flexible working scheme while 15% work on a reduced-hour programme.”

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JT’s market-leading work in the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) will be on display at this week’s Mobile World Congress, putting Jersey on the map at the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry.

JT has developed a special SIM card and underlying operating system which allows devices to communicate with one another automatically over mobile networks. JT’s 700+ global roaming agreements means that devices can seamlessly move onto a different network if the one they are using fails. JT SIM cards now connect over 1.4m devices worldwide, allowing JT to further reinvest international revenue into its world-class Channel Islands infrastructure and networks.

At MWC, being held in Barcelona, 26 February – 1 March, JT will partner with two leading technology software providers: North Carolina-based Able Device and Dublin-based Cellusys.

Able Device and JT will be located in the exclusive ‘Innovation City’ pavilion at MWC. Able Device’s technology takes advantage of the under-utilised processing power in every SIM card and turns it into an actual programmable virtual computer which can run applications, secure communications and, using Able Device’s software, JT is able to monitor network quality, detect location, and save customers money. Able Device and JT will run a ‘smart’ traffic light at MWC to exhibit a practical application of their technology.

Also, JT will announce a new partnership with IoT security specialist Cellusys at the conference. JT and Cellusys’ IoT security software allows enterprise customers to see and manage their cellular connectivity security via an IoT ‘security dashboard’: alarms can be triggered in case of attacks and enhanced security filters can be applied. For the first-time, signalling security will be available for customers who need full visibility and management capability over the security of their IoT devices.

Tom Noel, Managing Director of JT International, said: “Mobile World Congress is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, and it is a perfect opportunity to stay informed on everything happening in the sector and to share our latest announcements on JT advancements. These partnerships are further evidence of JT’s growing influence in the IoT space and recognition that Jersey is well ahead of the curve in embracing new technology.

“The growth in IoT has meant that every type of industry is now looking at connected technologies to ensure it is ready for the move from automated production and IT to an automated society. This transformation has even been called the Fourth Industrial Revolution. From transportation to how we communicate, automation is creating smarter services and a new way to live life, and JT is making sure that we’re at the forefront of this paradigm shift.”

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JT has worked with Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation and Sony Europe Limited to create the Island’s second ‘LPWA’ network – a Low-Power, Wide-Area Network that allows devices to connect to the internet and complements JT’s 3G/4G cellular connectivity.

JT is investing in new networks, in collaboration with Digital Jersey, to expand its ‘Internet of Things’ (‘IoT’) offering – which lets everyday devices collect and share data automatically.

Sony saw the benefit of testing its LPWA technology in Jersey because of the Island’s super-fast fibre network, its varied terrain and the population’s digital connectivity.

To demonstrate the potential of the radio technology, JT deployed just two receivers in the central and southern region of the Island. Extensive drive and walk tests were undertaken by Sony Europe’s engineers to confirm the extent of the coverage offered (see below) and hence the potential low cost of operating a network using this innovative technology.

Tom Noel, Managing Director of JT International, said: “Jersey is the perfect location to run new networks and companies interested in IoT technology can use Jersey as a testbed for

their own products and services. The LPWA technology is relatively new but its potential to interact with IoT technology is vast and will eventually change the way we live, work and do business. Sony’s LPWA technology performed better than expected so JT is primed to provide its customers with the best access to IoT technologies and full connectivity.

“Thanks to a collaboration with Digital Jersey, Jersey will also soon be home to a dedicated IoT Lab, based at one of JT’s exchanges, which will offer companies the opportunity to collaborate on innovative product development, share resources and turn ideas into commercial ventures. JT continues to invest internationally, bringing technology and partnerships back to the Channel Islands to benefit the local smart economy.”

Sony’s LPWA technology is designed for devices that are required to send relatively small amounts of data over long periods of time using low levels of power. Potential examples include:

– Collecting data from sensors monitoring water metering, heat regulation or congestion, which would help Jersey businesses conduct operations more efficiently and cost effectively while gaining greater insight into trends and behaviour.

– Sensors recording temperature, air quality and humidity could give asthma sufferers greater knowledge of their environment, allowing them to better prepare for the day in order to manage their symptoms.

Steve Beck, GM of Telecoms R&D at Sony Europe Limited, said: “JT’s assistance during the trial was excellent and we really appreciated their support. While it wasn’t possible to drive down every road in the time available, we covered a large number of routes and were pleased to confirm such wide coverage using just two receivers.”

JT is already a global leader in the Internet of Things with over 1.4 million JT SIM cards connecting devices worldwide, from heart monitors in Canada to payment systems in West Africa.

PRESS RELEASE

Find out more about JT IoT here.

JT has handed over £10,000 to Jersey Alzheimer’s Association after a year of fundraising by employees, which was matched by the company.

At the beginning of 2017, Jersey Alzheimer’s Association was chosen by employees as JT’s Charity of the Year. Over the course of the year, employees raised money in a variety of ways, from wrapping Christmas presents for customers in JT’s Queen Street store to auctioning off a giant cardboard cut-out of a Pug dog.

In June, staff held a Charity Day, where fundraising activities ranged from teams wearing mis-matched shoes through to various cake and food sales. Thirty-five employees also signed up to become ‘JT Daredevils’. Ten were selected at random and, in September, the intrepid Skydive volunteers plunged at 130 mph for 30 seconds from 10,000 feet above St Aubin’s Bay before parachuting down to land close to the Gunsite slipway.

Christophe Château, JT Group Head of Culture and Staff Engagement, said: “We’ve had great fun supporting Jersey Alzheimer’s Association this year and my thanks go to the charity for their enthusiasm and willingness to get involved – it has been a partnership from day one.  Jersey Alzheimer’s also held 2 educational workshops in JT, helping us understand Alzheimer’s and the activities and services provided by the charity.   Although the money will help to fund an important service, I hope we’ve also helped to raise awareness of the charity, its work and the disease, which is expected to affect more and more Islanders as our community gets older.”

Mark Blamey, Manager of Jersey Alzheimer’s Association, said: “Jersey Alzheimer’s Association is extremely grateful for the wonderful staff at JT who kindly chose to support our charity throughout 2017.  Due to JT’s amazing efforts, the £10,000 will cover the cost of running our Drop-in Centre at de Carteret House in Hillgrove Street for six months.

“The Drop-in Centre is open from Monday to Thursday from 10 am to 2 pm, and at other times if people let us know beforehand.  Anyone is welcome to visit to get information about the help that is available for people with dementia and care providers, both from Jersey Alzheimer’s Association and related organisations.”

PRESS RELEASE