Telecoms industry update

The telecommunications industry reports that it is on the up – with global commerce via the Internet leading the way

With an estimated value of 590 billion euros in October 2003, the European information communications technology market is currently in second place behind the USA in worldwide market share, with the UK currently holding 21 per cent of it. Overall European growth to the end of 2004 is forecast as 3.1 per cent, with the UK’s share expected to be around 4.3 per cent.

Key identifiable trends driving this growth are:

- the need to obtain significant returns on investment from ICT spending

- outsourcing

- e-government and e-health

- IT security in the face of global viral attack

- wireless applications and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System rollout

- broadband and mobile services.

It is estimated that organisations with above-average investment in IT enjoy nearly four times as much productivity growth as those in which it is below-average. A new generation of networking technologies – including Internet-based productivity, commerce and communication tools – make up an important part of this trend. Companies using Internet-based business solutions enjoyed a yearly productivity gain of more than 13 per cent, compared to less than 5 per cent for non-Internet users. However, a skills shortfall of some 19 per cent in the IT skills market is forecast over the next two years.

Nowhere is the demand or the opportunity greater than in the field of Internet technologies, and Cisco Systems is one of the most prominent end-to-end solution providers leading the drive in many of these growth markets. As a result, Cisco Systems Career Certifications – a globally recognised qualification framework – are valuable to a range of employers, from education, health and local government organisations and private industry, to Cisco Channel Partners that resell Cisco products and services.

Engineers must meet a specific set of requirements at each level, and the only source of official training courses is a Cisco Learning Solutions Partner. All instructors are certified by rigorous procedures, which are monitored and audited to ensure the highest quality of delivery.

IT certification, especially in the area of network security, is still in strong demand. High-value certification brings financial rewards, and professionals who continue to invest in training, qualifications and certification show that they are committed to lifelong learning. This is valued by many employers as they seek to recruit and retain motivated experts.

Security breaches cost UK companies millions of pounds a year. If its network goes down for ten days or more, a company may never fully recover financially. Networks can run smoothly for years, protected by firewalls and other software, but it is not until disaster strikes and they have been attacked that many companies realise they are under-protected.

Another aspect of security is crime, with 1.4 million detected offences in 2002/2003 and the UK, with over four million CCTV cameras in operation, possibly becoming the nation most under surveillance in the world. The growth and regulation of the security industry means that recruitment of the right people is increasing, with demand for installations up by as much as 15 per cent last year. The Security Industry Authority’s licensing scheme demonstrates a young but rapidly growing industry grappling with the challenges ahead, and the three-year licence will cost £190. The pace of development of biometric technology has accelerated, and this has implications not just for government, defence and airport security but also for the commercial sector.

Residential networks also offer opportunities for employment as we all become more accustomed to the services they offer. An estimated 182,000 new houses were built in the UK last year with the resulting potential for a number of services to benefit from this market. Although the take-up rate of residential networks technology has so far been relatively slow, the expansion of security systems, communications and automation in the residential sector, and the ever-increasing demand for home entertainment, make it likely that there will be no shortage of work for years to come.

The Construction Skills Certification Scheme (CSCS) has been in existence for a number of years; it was introduced to improve the quality of workmanship and standards of health & safety across the construction industry to benefit employers, operatives and clients with the wholehearted support of employer organisations and trades unions. It has now been extended, with the Telecommunications Industry Association recently announcing that its requirements will be applied in full to the telecommunications industry from 1 January 2004. Any eligibility to claim exemption under ‘grandfather rights’ will come to an end on 18 August 2005.

The key aspect of the scheme is the health & safety test, which must be completed before application is made for any level of CSCS card. The computer-based, multiple-choice test may be taken at any Prometric accredited centre (for example, a driving theory test centre).