What your organisation can learn from data in sport

As much as debates may rage as to what is or is not a sport every time the Olympics takes place, one thing that is in increasingly little doubt is that even the most tenuously sporting activities are also becoming a science. The applicability and usefulness of a wide range of data parameters in sport is something to which prospective clients of panintelligence’s (http://www.panintelligence.com) business intelligence analytics should take notice.

Dashboard reporting software first came into being due to the growing volumes of data that businesses find themselves having to produce meaningful conclusions from, with sources seemingly ever-multiplying and emerging at an unprecedented rate. Data is permeating every aspect of public life, from supermarket loyalty cards to the world of sport. Its relevance in the latter in recent times is particularly demonstrated by the emergence of organisations like Opta using unique collection methodologies to produce highly detailed data on player performance. Meanwhile, sports like Formula One have always revolved around the skilful interpretation of the right data, including as a means of counteracting the strategies of competitors.

In Formula One, data has a real influence on outcomes, with mere milliseconds dictating whether a driver scores a pole position, or is consigned to the disadvantageous ‘dirty’ side of the grid at the start of a Grand Prix. Similarly, football fans know all too well the frustration of recent failures by referees to spot legitimate goals, leading to calls for the implementation of goal line technology that a long-technophobic FIFA is finding increasingly difficult to resist.

The sheer amount of analysis that continually happens in sport, covering such parameters as game statistics, leaderboards, games played, goals scored, metres run and even player heart rates, is not a new phenomenon. However, the methods that are used have certainly changed, as the amount of data being recorded and analysed has become ever greater. All of this holds real lessons for firms considering an investment in a business intelligence solution.

In short, it has never been more important for organisations inside and outside sport to have the right application to monitor, interpret and present data back to users in an easy to interpret fashion. With business intelligence software from panintelligence (http://www.panintelligence.com), firms can not only acquire relevant data, but also recognise patterns and leverage insights in real time, using the dashboard to continually refine their strategy and affirm industry competitiveness.

Editor’s Note: Panintelligence (http://www.panintelligence.com) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Be prepared for the spring fashion onslaught!

It’s such an exhausting thing to keep up to date with the latest developments on the international catwalks... and that’s if you have the time to do so at all. Given all of the anxiety prevailing in the UK right now about slightly more humdrum matters like jobs and money, your own engagement with fashion might extend to little more than the occasional magazine. It’s not the best way to ensure that you look great this spring – which is why you might consider consulting a London fashion stylist from Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) for advice.

Even when consulting a fashion stylist, there is no guarantee that you’ll learn much about the latest fashions, let alone discover which ones actually suit you and how to make more informed buying decisions independently in the future. All too often, a style makeover looks so much better on paper than it ends up being in reality. Unfortunately, there are some ‘fashion advisors’ and ‘personal stylists’ out there who have already made all of your clothing choices for you, even before you say anything to them about your own preferences and requirements.

Increasingly, people like you are realising this. You might not have the time to read about the most outrageous up-to-the-minute fashions, but one thing that you do know is that a ‘one size fits all’ philosophy from your fashion stylist in London will simply not do. That’s why, the moment you call Shikkuu Guides about our personal shopping or styling services, we’ll provide you with a style consultation to establish what precisely you want to achieve. You can then choose which of our services is right for you, whether that’s our personal shopper services, personal style and image sessions, wardrobe reviews, colour consultations, or a combination.

Whichever service you request from us, we’ll be very thorough in our preparation for your appointment, and once you do meet up with your personal stylist in London, you’ll not only be styled, but also thoroughly educated on how you can look and feel great this spring. At every stage, the emphasis is on your requirements, not ours – whether you have requested assistance from a personal shopper in finding new seasonal wardrobe pieces, or you are learning how to dress cleverly for your figure during one of our complete personal style and image sessions. Or maybe you want to discuss and edit your existing wardrobe or be shown the clothing colours that best suit you?

We help both men and women to look simply stunning this spring, with independent services that represent great value for money. When you are considering fashion stylists in London this spring time, turn to those that actually work for you – our own, right here at Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com).

Editor’s Note: Shikkuu Guides (http://www.shikkuuguides.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Defra strikes back over Daily Mail ‘recycling con’ story

Those recycling old computers and other materials with Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com) may be interested to read of a publicity storm that has brewed over the supposed illegal export and sending to landfill of millions of tonnes of waste, as reported recently by the Daily Mail.

The claims have now been described as “myth” by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in response to the newspaper’s front page headline on Saturday 6^th April, “Recycling: The Great Con Trick”. The ensuing article claimed that most of the recyclable waste being shipped to countries including India, China and Indonesia was disposed of in landfill after being rejected by reprocessors.

In news that may have alarmed many of those with an interest in services like computer, aluminium, cardboard or copper recycling, the newspaper added that it was ‘compulsory recycling schemes’ set up so that the Waste Framework Directive’s requirements could be met, rather than insufficient landfill space in the UK, that was to blame for the large amount that was disposed abroad.

However, Defra described the allegations as “untrue”, adding that “the vast majority of the millions of tonnes of waste that is legally exported for recycling is dealt with properly and recycled into other products.” In a statement on its website, it described the exporting of household waste from the UK for dumping as “absolutely illegal”, and said that the illegal export of improperly sorted materials was a prosecutable offence.

Defra added that the only materials that could be legally exported were “sorted materials such as metals, paper, card, glass or plastic that can be reused again”. It went on to state that it was presently working on updating the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste Regulations, which make clear the requirements for UK agencies’ enforcement of EU waste shipment regulations.

The statement continued:  “We are clamping down on people illegally exporting waste and giving enforcement agencies the necessary powers to combat illegal activity. Under international law, importing countries will also refuse entry to illegal shipments of waste.”

Adding that the materials recycling trade was a “global market”, the Department also indicated its wish for the growth of the UK’s recycling industry, which would present an “opportunity” to be grasped “with both hands” to the British economy’s benefit.

The Daily Mail’s allegations have also been refuted by those involved in services like aluminium recycling, who have stated that it would make little economic sense for a company to export waste abroad so that it could be buried in landfill.

With services ranging from WEEE disposal to cardboard recycling, here at Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com), we offer a comprehensive and efficient recycling service that is also fully compliant with the law at all times. We serve a wide range of businesses and organisations across the United Kingdom, and ensure that your waste items are safely, securely and lawfully disposed of and destroyed.

Editor’s Note: Collect and Recycle (http://www.collectandrecycle.com) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

Fire Safety – A Brief History

At Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com/) we pride ourselves on supplying state-of-the-art fire safety equipment including the latest technology in fire alarm systems, all expertly installed and maintained by our industry leading engineers.

But fire safety wasn’t always cutting edge, in fact the early days of fire prevention and detection was, at best, rudimentary. Two hundred years ago fire alarms were very much do-it-yourself affairs. Communities sounded the alarm when a fire was spotted by blowing whistles, ringing church bells, shooting guns and just by shouting “fire”. You’d be hard pushed to call this a fire alarm system as such, it was more a natural human response to danger - that of panicking, shouting and making a noise! Somewhat effective but clearly a better, more systematic approach was needed.

The fire brigade in its earliest form was put together by a wealthy Roman family in 115BC - a team of 500 people that rushed to a fire at the first cry of alarm - but it wasn’t adopted in the UK until after the great fire of London, when insurance companies had private teams of fire fighters protecting their client’s homes. They would only tackle blazes at homes displaying the relevant mark to show they were paying the insurance company for fire protection. Fire fighting became wider spread in the 17^th century when the first fire engines appeared. As fire fighting was a commercial activity many people waited until the last minute to raise the alarm, to avoid paying the fee, leading to many fires raging out of control before a free fire brigade came into effect.

Having a fire brigade is one thing but detecting a fire and raising the alarm is quite another. With the advent of the telegraph came the possibility of communication and it was quickly adopted by communities to sound and send the alarm when a fire broke out. To report a fire in the neighbourhood a person would crank a handle on a fire alarm box that would send a message with the box´s number to a central headquarters who would relay the corresponding address of the box location to the fire brigade.

Detection devices came much later. The first electrical heat detector and smoke detector was patented in Birmingham in 1902 but the first “modern” smoke detector wasn’t operational until the 1930s. Until the mid 1960s, when solid state electronics made a cheap sensor possible, smoke detectors were the preserve of big businesses as they were the only people that could afford them.

So we’ve come a very long way over the years: not only have the technological advances made protecting your premises, your business and your staff possible, it has become affordable too. And to find the best value, highest quality fire alarm systems you need only contact us at Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com/) for access to the latest and best fire safety equipment, managed by the best engineers in the industry.

Editor’s Note: Triple Star Fire (http://www.triplestarfire.com/) is represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Please direct all press queries to Louise Byrne. Email: louise@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.

OfficEurope – A Star is Born!

Welcome to www.officeurope.co.uk– OfficEurope is a website that sells office supplies for less! We stock over 17,000 office products for next day delivery throughout the UK.

Established in 2011 – OfficEurope differ from nearly all other office supplies companies. We do not produce endless amounts of catalogues. We firmly believe that the internet is the way forward. Our business model means we keep our overheads to a minimum. We are office supply nerds and we have coupled that with our love of the internet and technology.

We offer the best value around. We have teamed up with a small number of strategic suppliers and made sure they give us the best pricing on office supplies so we can pass these on to you. We don’t spend tonnes of money on warehouses or vans – we simply use our supplier network to store our products and their vans to deliver your office supplies next day across the UK.

Our website is designed to the very highest standards to make sure you can find the office products you need quickly. You can use a debit or credit card to pay us or you can apply for a 30 day credit account. But we have to warn you, we don’t give out our credit accounts to easily. We want to protect you and us from bad debts. Bad debts mean an increase in prices and we are determined to continue to offer you the best value office supplies in the UK.

Our ethos is based on passing on value to the consumer. For too many years we have all being paying too much for office supplies. Our model now allows us to pass on all the savings we are able to make by selling only online.

For the business and commercial accounts, we have some great back office tools to help you manage and monitor your spend on office supplies. You can set a monthly budget or set up an approval process which means you can monitor and approve every order for office supplies before it actually comes to us. The real advantage of our website is that we offer the same level of pricing to all. If you’re a home user a big corporate account you get the same prices on your office supplies. We load our prices everyday and make sure they are the lowest we can go. We monitor several other suppliers across the office supplies industry to make sure you are buying from the most competitive office supplies company in the UK.

We have a friendly team of staff willing and able to help you with everything you require for the office. Be it regular office supplies or a batch of office furniture just log on to www.officeurope.co.uk and check out our low prices. We would love to hear from you!

Love Your Office!

An Apple a Day keeps the Office Supplies in the Bay

It never fails.  It's day's end on Friday, you are set to leave for the weekend, and you have one more document to print: Ctrl-P, Click "Ok" and....nothing.  You look at the printer and it blinks its red light, letting you know the toner cartridge needs to be replaced.  Sigh.  You go to the supply closet and sure enough, there's no backup toner.  If only you had your Apple a Day.

Welcome To Apple Office's New Online Store

We are delighted to offer new and improved services to our customers around the UK.  When you think Office Supplies Belfast, your next thought should be Apple Office. We not only offer next day delivery, but we ensure you always have enough back-up supplies on hand. If you are an ECO-conscious office, we offer ECO-conscious solutions. Visit our website daily for our Deal of the Day and save even more.

As an independent office supply company, we have the privilege of tailoring our services to each client's individual needs.

Ink & Toner Supplies Belfast

We offer ink and toner supplies Belfast for every make and model of printer, copier, and fax machine under the sun.  Have an old model that continues to perform? No worries. Apple Office carries supplies for all of your office's needs whether they are ultra-contemporary or budget conscious.  When you are ready to trade-in your old office technology, we will work with you to find new office technology that works within your financial needs.

Paper Supplies Belfast

From everyday printer paper and office envelopes, to high-end stationery and card stock, we excel at providing your business with paper supplies Belfast for every occasion.  If you don't see what you need on our website, contact our customer service representatives and we will make sure we can get it for you.

Office Furniture Belfast

It's important that your office furniture Belfast is attractive, comfortable, and ergonomically correct.  Apple Office can help you create a professional and comfortable office environment and have everything delivered for free by the next day. Whether you just need a new swivel chair, or are ready to overhaul your entire interior, we can take care of it all.

It's important that you work with an office supply company that understands your company's demands and always offers solutions.  Apple Office is a local and independent company that is ready to get to know you and your company's needs.  An Apple a Day makes sure your office runs glitch-free

A closer look at Sunspel's 20th century journey

The 20th century was certainly one of drastic change for Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com/us), much as it was in wider public life. It was a century that saw dramatic transformations in the lives of people across the world, encompassing politics, economics, culture, science, technology and medicine. Feminism demanded equal rights between men and women, while there was also a transition in common means of transportation from the horse to sophisticated automobiles and airplanes. And of course, luxury clothing also changed, almost beyond recognition.  

Sunspel was at the centre of such changes in quality clothing and associated attitudes. Few companies played such an instrumental role in the development and refinement of all manner of icon products like the boxer, T-shirt and polo shirt, made all the more impressive by the company's humble origins in mid-19th century Nottingham. Indeed, by the end of that century, the firm then known as Thomas Hill Ltd had already made a major impact in its creation of comfortable and durable underwear from the world's finest grade of cotton. It had even begun making some of the world's earliest T-shirts, ensuring that they were continually softer, lighter and more comfortable.

It was arguably the 20th century, however, as ownership of the company passed from 'Old Thom' to a succession of sons and grandsons, that saw the fledging Sunspel truly hit its stride. This was the century, after all, in which the Sunspel white T-shirt reached its ultimate point of iconic simplicity, with more recent designs having only subtly altered since the 1950s. John Hill, meanwhile, not only introduced the boxer short to Britain from America in 1947, but also took a lead in perfecting the modern design of boxer short. Double-turned and feldlocked seams eliminated rough or sharp edges, while the remaining excessive bagginess left over from the 1930s was also eradicated.

The 1950s also saw Sunspel begin to make classic polo shirts, as with the boxer short, again introducing this relaxed wardrobe staple to the British public. But the company also added its own touches to the basic polo shirt design for the American market, with a particular emphasis on simplicity and comfort. The result was a polo shirt effectively distilled to its core elements - short sleeves, a soft collar and three buttons - and shorn of the fussy extras favored by some other luxury clothing manufacturers of the period.

As the 20th century wore on, Sunspel (http://www.sunspel.com/us) developed its reputation for the highest standard of British craftsmanship. It made the most of emerging overseas markets in the years before World War II, and before too long, was even issuing undergarments to the RAF. Later in the century, its heritage clothing became a common sight in the world's finest boutiques and stores and many talented designers began to join in with collaborative projects, establishing foundations for the current, flourishing Sunspel of the early 21st century.

Editor’s Note: Sunspel US (http://www.sunspel.com/us) are represented by the search engine advertising and digital marketing specialists Jumping Spider Media. Email: info@jumpingspidermedia.co.uk or call: +44 (0)20 3070 1959 / +34 952 783 637.