Zen selected for AWS ‘Well-Architected’ programme

Zen has been selected for the new AWS Well-Architected partner programme, which will enable the cloud services provider to help customers achieve business success through well-architected systems.

As an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner for over five years, Zen already provides a firstclass AWS service to customers, and this further accreditation means that Zen will now be able to access AWS funding to assist customers in making improvements to their AWS environments. The AWS Well-Architected Framework is built on five pillars: operational excellence, security, reliability, performance efficiency and cost optimisation; and through a comprehensive review based on each of these pillars, businesses will be able to lay a strong foundation for cloud success.

Zen’s head of cloud and hosting, John Lyons, says: “The AWS Well-Architected Framework provides businesses with a tremendous blueprint to build secure, highly available and cost effective cloud environments. And thanks to our close relationship with AWS - and through our highly-skilled team of in-house experts - we are now able to offer this AWS approved service to our customers.”

The Well-Architected review on offer from Zen includes a half-day review followed by up to five days of free remediation consultancy to address any issues identified.

Get £3000 towards ultrafast connectivity

As of February 2020 this scheme has closed.

The government’s new Gigabit Broadband Voucher scheme allows businesses to get an up to £3000 grant for gigabit connectivity. Zen is now able to offer this incentive across a range of gigabit-capable Ethernet services.

Available for small to medium businesses, the Government’s latest voucher scheme offers the fastest and most reliable internet connectivity to businesses as part of its commitment to a full-fibre Britain.

For eligible businesses there's a grant of up to £3000 to use against the connection cost of Ethernet Leased Lines.

And, as the scheme is only available on gigabit-capable connections, this superfast Ethernet leased line provides you with a dedicated, uncontended internet connection, and the capacity to benefit your business both now and into the future.

Zen enters new era as Paul Stobart appointed as CEO 

After spending the best part of 25 years building Zen into one of the UK's most respected internet and communications companies, Zen founder Richard Tang has been announced as chairman of the board, after stepping down from his position as CEO. Current chairman Paul Stobart will travel in the opposite direction, taking over the day to day running of the business.

The job swap will allow Richard to better focus on his passions - driving up standards in the UK internet market and championing the better way of doing business he developed at Zen. He will remain at the heart of everything Zen does.

Meanwhile, Paul - a highly experienced executive in the telecoms sector - will lead Zen's plans to become an even better technology services provider, maintaining Zen's standards and unique way of operating while overseeing ambitious plans for growth.

The values that make Zen different will not be compromised in any way by the move, as Richard confirms: “At Zen, we believe in doing things differently. It was crucial for me that anyone replacing me as CEO was absolutely aligned with our people-first approach and Paul most certainly is.

“Importantly, we believe these changes will make Zen more successful, whilst staying totally true to our most fundamental long-term objectives: Happy Staff, Happy Customers, Happy Suppliers.”

Paul is a seasoned tech leader and former northern European head of Sage Group. He is determined to drive Zen forward while maintaining the commitment to customers that has been rewarded this year with our 15th consecutive PC Pro Best ISP award and - yet again - Which? Recommended Provider status.

Paul said: “I believe Zen is not just one of the UK's most exciting businesses - but is also one of its most rewarding places to work too - which is why I couldn’t be happier about this new challenge.”

Call recording with cloud comms - what GDPR means for you

Call recording is one of the great features of cloud-based communications like Hosted Voice. But GDPR has brought with it more robust regulations around both the use of data and, crucially, customer consent. And in many instances, assumed consent is no longer sufficient.

Navigating this apparently murky water is a potential headache for businesses – if you rely on recording phone calls, but don’t want to break the law and risk potential sanction, where do you stand?

Thankfully, there are some guidelines to help alleviate your concerns. In fact, under GDPR rules, you must be able to demonstrate that your recordings meet any of the following six conditions.

1. The parties involved in the call have given consent to be recorded.

2. The recording is necessary to fulfil a contract.

3. The recording is necessary to fulfil a legal requirement.

4. The recording is necessary to protect the interests of one or more participant in the call.

5. The recording is in the public interest, or necessary for the exercise of official authority.

6. The recording is in the legitimate interests of the recorder, unless those interests are overridden by the interests of the participants in the call.

If any of these conditions are met, the recording is justified.