A comprehensive round-up of the latest business news covering all sectors within
the Isle of Man’s diverse and dynamic business environment.
WORLD FIRST MANX TELECOM TECH
POWERS NEW UK MOBILE NETWORK
World-first technology developed by Manx Telecom in the Isle of Man is powering the launch of a
new mobile network, which is the first of its kind in the UK.
T he Audacious network, which launches
today, uses the world’s first medically
certified technology to personalise mobile
calls based on the user’s unique hearing profile.
It provides a solution for users with a range of
hearing needs, but also has the potential to help
those who struggle with sound quality on their
mobile and find phone calls stressful.
Audacious is endorsed by Ben Cohen MBE,
the former England rugby union international
and 2003 world cup winner, who experiences
hearing loss. He said: “I’ve never let my hearing
loss hold me back, whether playing sport at an
international level or learning to ballroom dance.
The one thing I find hard though is missing
out on interactions with loved ones. I travel a
lot and while text or email are great you can’t
beat hearing the sound of someone’s voice.
Audacious is a game changer as it means I can
hear about my children’s day wherever I am.”
The launch of Audacious follows the success of
MT clearSound which was launched here on the
Island last year. Manx Telecom’s pay monthly
mobile customers were the first in the world to
use the technology behind Audacious when
MT clearSound was launched last September.
The MT clearSound story goes back to 2012
when Goshawk Communications’ founder,
Matthew Turner contacted University of
Cambridge’s Emeritus Professor Brian Moore
who developed the first algorithms to measure
someone’s hearing loss over the telephone
using a mobile network. Matthew is also
the founder of Audacious. He has suffered
moderate to severe hearing loss since birth
and made it his personal mission to develop
the technology that could tailor phone calls
to individual hearing loss or needs and so
empower people to have better, clearer
conversations. Goshawk’s technology was later proven in
several technical and clinical trials here on
the Island using Manx Telecom’s world class
mobile network, with support from the Isle of
Man’s Department of
Health and Social
Care’s Audiology
Services team, the
Manx Deaf Society,
and the Ideas
For Ears social
enterprise. MT
clearSound was brought
to market by
Vannin Ventures
(Manx Telecom’s business
incubator), and telecoms solutions
specialists Partitionware which is also part of
the Manx Telecom group. Partitionware developed
the Goshawk technology from a proof of concept,
allowing it to be deployed on a full mobile network
capable of simultaneously enhancing hundreds of
mobile calls.
For more information about Audacious visit
www.audacious.co.uk PALATINE-OWNED SMP GROUP COMPLETES
ACQUISITION OF HELM TRUST COMPANY
Palatine Private Equity owned SMP Group of Companies (SMP), has announced the successful completion of a deal to
acquire Helm Trust Company Limited (Helm), a highly regarded trust and corporate services provider based in Jersey.
T he deal, originally announced in July, has
been approved by the Jersey Financial
Services Commission.
Helm has now begun trading as SMP Helm Trust
Company Limited (SMP Helm), as part of a staged
integration process that will see SMP’s existing
Jersey offi ce merge with the acquired business.
Lewis Buckley, who has been a Director of
Helm since 2011, has moved into the position
of Managing Director of SMP Helm, providing
continuity of leadership. He has also joined the
board of SMP Group, alongside fellow Helm
Director, Claire Machin.
Lewis commented: “This is an incredibly exciting
time for staff and clients of SMP and Helm alike.
Joining the group means significant, rapid, and
targeted investment into our business, allowing
us to drive improvements and modernisation
across the board. We are also eager to act on
the many opportunities for our clients resulting
from an expanded service suite and offi ce
network.” David Hudson, Group CEO of SMP Group,
added: “We have long considered Jersey
to be a strategically important jurisdiction for
us, something which is reflected in this deal
and the invitation to Lewis and Claire to join
our global board. We are really pleased to
welcome such a strong team of professionals
into our group and discover just how much
we are able to achieve together, honing and
developing our global service offering.”
Andy Lees, Partner at Palatine Private Equity,
said: “We completed the MBO of SMP in June
and have quickly followed that with a very
significant acquisition in Helm. The Group now
has real scale in the Isle of Man, Jersey and the
Caribbean. With additional international reach,
SMP can offer its clients a truly global service.”
The acquisition was supported with additional
debt funding provided by Apera Asset
Management. |
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