When British star Rugby player Phil Greening decided to launch an industry-changing fitness business, he turned to Connectus to ensure the best possible connectivity was available from the outset.

Founder and director of Chester-headquartered The Athlete Factory, Greening’s mission is to share his wealth of experience in elite sport. As a player, he represented England and the British & Irish Lions. As part of his Athlete Factory role, he consults with the US Olympic Committee and USA Rugby. Phil’s experience in elite sports and the USA sporting environment helped create the Athlete Factory in 2014.

Connectus – a leading connectivity, telecoms and cybersecurity value-added services partner – provides a state-of-the-art full-fibre connection, which runs the Athlete Factory’s secure WiFi, allowing members to access online content via the Athlete Factory app 24/7/365, and the connectivity experts also run the VOIP and data requirements.

Phli Greening says: “When I met Roy back in 2014, I had zero background in technology, and we were starting to build the first Athlete Factory site, at Chester Rugby Club back in 2016, from scratch – there was literally nothing here, just land. Roy offered to help out with telecoms and communication requirements.

“He was truly a shoulder to lean on, and even arranged sponsorship of the International Rugby 7s tournament and the technology to live stream the event to over 600,000 fans worldwide. It was a huge job, and very successful due to having the Connectus expertise on board.”

Today, Greening and his team of dedicated coaches have created what they believe is the best facility of its kind in the country – with the elite athlete admitting he thought about the concept since 2014.

“There’s a real synergy with Connectus actually – while we want people to train better, Connectus helps people use technology better,” he continues, “We cut through the gimmicks, offering specialised equipment – built for us, and fully utilising our knowledge as sportsmen. Connectus also cuts through the noise to provide appropriate technology that works exactly as we need it to.”

Connectus CEO, Roy Shelton, says: “As a great fan of Rugby, it’s always been an absolute pleasure working with Phil and The Athlete Factory team. He understands exactly what he needs in technology terms to make his business stand out, but also understands it’s good to leave it to the experts. Phil’s rugby experience also means he carries values like enthusiasm, energy, teamwork and great communications, all of which align with our values, and make Connectus feel very much part of the Athlete Factory family.”

As a coach for the USA Olympic Committee for the Rugby 7s for the last eight years, Greening has first-hand knowledge and ex[perience of the high level of equipment and training the teams receive.

“I share that knowledge here, allowing those who use the Athlete Factory to benefit from cutting edge training knowledge. Not only does it give me more of a global insight into the sector – and technology being used by top athletes – but I get access to the top US universities and have been lucky enough to travel across the States seeing how things are done there. I gain technology and trends awareness and insight from the US that I then implement in the UK.”

Greening has taken his understanding of elite fitness and knowledge of Olympic-level training equipment he has seen and used in the US, to launch a new venture, manufacturing and designing his own equipment – which will soon be launched as a separate business – AF Performance Equipment.

“There are unique pieces of training equipment here, not available anywhere else in the UK,” he says.

When you join the Athlete Factory, you get an app – as it’s a tech-based business. Greening says the app technology is “a massive part of what we do and what makes us different.”

Members receive an expert coaching programme and all activity at The Athlete Factory is logged on the app – all your calories, all your activity is logged – exactly like elite athletes.

“This way we can track what our members are doing, and help them get the results they want. If you are a member and you don’t reach your goals – we have failed. We are different – a membership means a commitment from both sides – we have the sports team ethos, underpinned by great tech and a flow of live data that allows us to manage and maintain our member’s journey,” says the fitness visionary.

“Technology gives us data and allows us to keep members connected and focused. It’s a crucial part of the business. The data allows us to see exactly what’s being done and what progress (or otherwise) is being made,” he says.

And just like Connectus, Phil says of The Athlete Factory: “We are going the extra mile to deliver a service that works. If our members don’t get what they want out of coming here, we have failed.

As a global business, we rely on technology. I spend nearly half the year in the States, so reliable, always on connectivity is vital. Good WiFi is very important for our members, and for our app.”

Adopting an industry-disruptive business model, backed by a future-proof technology backbone, is allowing The Athlete Factory to expand. Phli reveals that his concept is being rolled out to sites in North Wales, Manchester and the Midlands, with a franchise model being developed for more national and international locations.

Connectus’ Connect, Protect and Collaborate model encompasses a blend of fully managed services in order to mitigate cost, complexity and risk for their clients.

Connectus brings a range of services covering connectivity, network and cybersecurity, voice, IT support and data storage and backup to leading organisations across the North East and Midlands.

Cloud connectivity expert Connectus is now approved as an official G-Cloud 12 cloud services provider under the UK government’s Digital Marketplace Framework, fulfilling all the criteria to provide bleeding-edge cloud services to the public sector.

The Government Cloud, also referred to as G-Cloud, is a UK government programme created to promote government-wide adoption of cloud computing.

The G-Cloud framework supports the government’s ‘Cloud First’ policy, introduced in 2013 to encourage public sector organizations to evaluate and pursue cloud-based services rather than on-premises alternatives.

After an extended application process, Connectus is now officially sanctioned to deliver cloud services across all three areas applied for – Cloud hosting, Cloud software and Cloud support – via its market-leading cyber consultancy and services.

Connectus had to demonstrate its ability to deliver products and services governed under the Crown Commercial Services Digital Marketplace Framework. Through this framework, potential public sector buyers can engage with Connectus for a wide range of products and services that enable them to mitigate risk, complexity, and costs when adopting new cloud technologies or the expertise to secure their cloud services.

Duncan Shaw, Group CTO, says: “This is a great opportunity for Connectus to establish itself in the public sector. We have demonstrated that our knowledge, strong values and processes can deliver complex solutions and help organisations embrace cloud technology as an enabler to work more effectively and efficiently – underpinned by our established CyberSecurity Framework.”

Connectus is now proudly among a small, select group of accredited suppliers, having undergone a gruelling six month application process to prove its technical mettle, and future-proof capabilities. Connectus had to demonstrate its ability to meet criteria that provide assurances to buyers in terms of delivering products and services in line with relevant standards, in particular, those aligned with cybersecurity.

“We were part of the G-Cloud initiative before, but this is an extension of our previous offering, reflecting our growth in experience, capabilities and skill sets as a company. Under GCloud10, we provided hosting, but now we have the green light to also offer cloud software and support,” explains the CTO.

The growing team of technology experts at Connectus is keen to take advantage of this new ability to engage with public sector buyers – such as schools and regional governments – through established processes, providing controlled and well-managed delivery and support mechanisms.

Connectus’ detailed application and proof of capability means it can deliver expert, cost-effective services in three key Lots: Cloud Hosting, Cloud Software and Cloud Support, enabling public sectors bodies to create flexible and secure working practices that help them meet modern-day challenges.

This prestigious new status allows the company to bring its services to a new group of clients, having already developed an unmatched reputation in enterprise and B2B solutions. Connectus can now bring its years of knowledge and experience to the public sector, creating enormous opportunities to engage with new markets and establish itself as a trusted public sector partner.

The G-Cloud comprises a series of framework agreements with suppliers, from which public sector organisations can buy services without needing to run a full tender or competition procurement process. Via an online store – the “Digital Marketplace” (previously “CloudStore”), where Connectus is now to be found – public sector bodies cna easily and efficiently search for services covered by the G-Cloud frameworks.

The new G-Cloud 12 framework is an agreement between the government and suppliers of cloud services, such as Connectus. For the buyer, procuring services through a framework is more efficient than posting and managing multiple, individual contracts.

The Urban Technology Group has signed a three-year hosting deal and cyber security audit services from Connectus, a leading connectivity and value-added services partner.

Chester-based Urban Technology Group (Urban) delivers bespoke CRM and ERP software solutions, consulting, planning and technology management services, and called upon the specialist services provided by Connectus to avoid the unnecessary business headaches that are often associated with providing non-core services.

Lou Crane, CEO at The Urban Technology Group, says: “With so many of us working remotely, we have all been looking at our processes, and robust cybersecurity is key to that. The pandemic has pushed us into making sure our company and data is secure. We want to ensure our data – and our client’s data – is as safe and secure as it can be. Working from remote locations can compromise sensitive data, and our Connectus audit means we are doing everything to ensure data integrity across our systems and networks.”

Connectus has also been appointed by The Urban Technology Group to provide a comprehensive three-year hosting deal. The deal means Urban can concentrate on its core expertise, without concern over hosting issues. The company needs a dual-layer of hosting – a client development area, and a live environment.

Lou says: “We made a decision not to host directly, but rather bring in a specialist with the skills or tools we simply don’t possess. We knew exactly what we needed, but didn’t want the headaches associated with hosting. We are a Windows server company, and Connectus jumped in with a viable, cost effective solution that means we don’t have to pass the costs onto our clients.Connectus also provides round-the-clock support and maintenance, which is reassuring.”

The CEO says the mindset has shifted from large companies thinking they had to work with other large companies to a model where specialists – like Urban and Connectus – are much more in favour.

Andy Marsden, Group Business Development Director, Connectus, says: “Lou and her team have realised the advantages of outsourcing certain technology elements to us – with our deep expertise, experience and hands-on support and maintenance. Since Connectus started, we’ve always had a mission to provide a suite of appropriate services to help protect businesses and enable them to scale fast enough to create and maintain a sustainable and competitive advantage. We are delighted to partner with The Urban Technology Group in its ongoing business success.”

Connectus — a leading provider of connectivity, telecoms and cybersecurity services with offices in Doncaster and Salford — has been appointed technical partner for Eduu.school, a revolutionary new edtech project designed to reshape the UK’s entire educational system and make it more suitable for life after lockdown.

Connectus will be working in support of Chester-based GLUU, who have built a network of global educational leaders and industry experts from the combined worlds of online learning, curriculum creation, publishing, mental health and teacher personal development.

Key partners include Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust who will develop content and services from the Hodder Education Group into blended learning solutions for use both inside and outside of school. Children’s non-fiction publishing house, What on Earth Publishing, will also contribute to the project.

Eduu.school content is designed to be used in online lessons experienced while at school or at home. The work follows the Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust’s digital curriculum framework and supports self-directed learning whereby the student’s parents act as coach with agile approaches designed to cope with a range of return-to-school scenarios.

The platform is supported by a technical helpdesk team led by Connectus CTO Duncan Shaw. Connectus helps clients mitigate cost, risk and complexity via a “One Provider” approach and a proven portfolio of services: Connectus Connect, Connectus Protect and Connectus Collaborate.

GLUU Managing Director Sean Gardner said:

“We’re living in a completely different world now and the new system needs to do two things. First, it needs to create a national edtech platform to deliver one response to the challenges faced post COVID-19, rather than via the 50-plus different platforms being used by schools before now.

“The second thing is that the curriculum today is not built to support home learning with parents acting as a coach. We’re building a curriculum that’s suitable for both home and in-school learning.”

Connectus Group Chairman Paul Ruocco said:

“We are thrilled to be supporting GLUU and their pioneering approach to blended learning. Via our Connect-Protect-Collaborate model, we will be providing and maintaining a high availability hosting environment, cybersecurity and endpoint protection, enabling the platform to be delivered in a scalable, robust, secure and cost-effective manner.”

Cybercriminals are exploiting the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic to launch potentially deadly cyberattacks on a global health industry already struggling to cope with the largest global challenge it has ever been called on to deal with.

But a growing global collective of private and public sector organisations are rising to the challenge to keep the healthcare providers operational as they battle Covid-19 and cybercriminals.

And Connectus has joined the fight with the announcement it will offer healthcare and educational providers a range of substantial support packages in order to give responders the support they need and #keepemsafe in such challenging times.

Cybercriminals are using ransomware to hold hospitals and medical services digitally hostage, preventing them from accessing vital files and systems until a ransom is paid. Interpol’s Cybercrime Threat Response team has detected a significant increase in the number of attempted ransomware attacks.

“As hospitals and medical organizations around the world are working non-stop to preserve the well-being of individuals stricken with the coronavirus, they have become targets for ruthless cybercriminals who are looking to make a profit at the expense of sick patients,” said Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

He explained:

“Locking hospitals out of their critical systems will not only delay the swift medical response required during these unprecedented times, it could directly lead to deaths. Interpol continues to stand by its member countries and provide any assistance necessary to ensure our vital healthcare systems remain untouched and the criminals targeting them held accountable.”

In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) is already in crisis mode, says London-based international think tank Chatham House. Health professionals are focused on providing beds and ventilators in response to “one of the largest peacetime threats ever faced”.

But cybersecurity support is critical so health professionals can carry on saving lives, wrote Joyce Hakmeh, Senior Research Fellow of Chatham House’s International Security Programme and Co-Editor of the organisation’s Journal of Cyber Policy in early April.

“Yet this support is currently missing and the health services may be ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of potential cyberattacks.”

The NHS is stretched to breaking point, says Hakmeh, and expecting it to be on top of its cybersecurity during the Covid-19 pandemic is not only unrealistic, but it could also actually add to national risks.

“Now is the time where new partnerships and support models should be emerging to support the NHS and help build its resilience. Now is the time where innovative public-private partnerships on cybersecurity should be formed. Similar to the economic package from the UK chancellor and innovative thinking on ventilator production, the government should oversee a scheme calling on the large cybersecurity capacity within the private sector to step in and assist the NHS. This support can be delivered in many different ways, but it must be mobilized swiftly.”

There are opportunities in every crisis, says Hakmeh, and the Covid-19 pandemic offers an opportunity for the UK government to show agility in how it deals with cyber threats and how it cooperates with the private sector to improve national cyber resilience.

“It is an opportunity to lead a much-needed cultural change showing cybersecurity should never be an afterthought.”

Connectus CEO Roy Shelton said:

“Building on our work with healthcare and government clients – including Clinical Skills, serving over 100 NHS trusts across the UK – Connectus are ideally placed to assist the healthcare industry with proactive cybersecurity protection.

“Our innovative approach of integrating the world’s best technologies into a single robust, scalable and cost-effective managed service which can be rapidly deployed is already generating increased levels of protection for our clients. We are offering healthcare and educational providers a range of substantial support packages in order to enhance their capabilities and #keepemsafe.”

• For more information about Connectus cybersecurity services, click here or contact us today.