Crossing the Thames (the wet way)

On the 2^nd July 2011 HJS Essentia's Simon Gale and Steve Brackstone will be donning their wetsuits and taking the plunge. Now in its third year the British Gas Great London Swim 2011 is to be staged at the Royal Victoria Docks in London. Simon and Steve are swimming for Wessex Cancer Trust and have been training in preparation for the swim for the last three months are due to start training next week.

To encourage our budding "Thorpedos" and more importantly to benefit a good cause they would be extremely grateful if you could make a donation via their Just Giving page. If you'd like to watch them perform their interpretations of dolphin and whale respectively we're sure they would appreciate your support on the day.

Simon, Sally Hall (Wessex Cancer Trust) and Steve.

Investing in the infrastructure

Following on from the success of the recent Customer Relations training HJS Essentia have been refining their team working skills.

Ensuring that the support service was unaffected by staggering the training over two days the team have been evaluating and improving upon their team communication and methods.

This investment in the company's unique asset: its staff, is borne out of a genuine desire to continue to raise the bar on the quality of service we can provide our customers.

It was a constructive time with the opportunity for everyone to consider how we communicate and what we can do to improve the efficiency of our team interactions as a whole.

Our aim is that through this continued commitment to staff development HJS Essentia can enhance its reliable IT support service and deliver exceptional IT /telecom solutions for our growing customer base.

Is an iPad2 useful?

You're more than likely aware of the recent media attention surrounding the launch of Apple's latest version of the iPad, cleverly called the iPad2. But what is the point of these machines?

Use of the Internet is now no longer the domain for pale faced individuals with little in the way of social skills (geeks, nerds, take your pick for nicknames). It is truly a global resource and its uses range from keeping in touch with friends, shopping, entertainment and even completing your census return (you have done that haven't you?)

What is now changing is the way in which people access the Internet. Historically connection to the Internet was via a desktop computer attached to a modem / phone line. With the introduction of wireless networking (WiFi) and broadband, suitably equipped laptops became a more favoured method for "web surfing". Sitting in the living room whilst checking your email is now commonplace.

Ironically, one of the most uncomfortable places to rest a laptop can be on your lap. Over a short space of time the heat the laptop generates becomes quite uncomfortable (unless it's a cold night, though I don't think this is the most effective heating system available). This is where the "tablet PC" comes into its own. These devices are touch screen driven so no need for a mouse or indeed a keyboard, the vast majority of the unit is the actual screen. With the addition of mobile phone data technology these devices become totally portable.

The Apple iPad, and subsequent iPad2, have taken the tablet PC format to a new level of sophistication. The iPad's easy to use interface is what differentiates it from everyone else's offerings. Ease of use is one thing but what about the programs it can run? The Apple App Store currently provides over 400,000 different programs (or "apps") so there should be something of interest to most individuals.

Photos, music, videos - so many other possibilities! For further information about how an iPad2 can change the way you access the digital world, talk to us…