Press Room

WISE GIVES DIRECONE HIGHEST MARKS FOR SOLICITATION CAMPAIGN

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:44:00 GMT

April 25th 2008

April 23rd 2008 was a red letter day DirecOne, in fact any day that DirecOne receives such a glowing testimonial from a Client like WISE (West Indies Stock Brokers Ltd.) is a red Letter day. The WISE programme whilst it was short in duration was very intense and involved continual dialogue between DirecOne and WISE.

Adrian Manmohan head of Operations at WYSE in his commendation to DirecOne had this to say: “WISE would like to thank the DirecOne team for the excellent service during our Solicitation Campaign. Your reports were timely, concise and informative. Our international client was greatly appreciative and this confirms to me that Direc One could stand up to international scrutiny. DirecOne was always responsive to our queries and added valuable input. We look forward to doing business with you in the future.”

Program Manager Jesse Edwards said that what he felt was most rewarding was “DirecOne’s ability to engage WISE in a full partnership, “ … Because this was a solicitation programme that had to be conducted within a specific and limited time frame (over three weeks), DirecOne had to talk to WISE every 15 minutes with an up-to-date report and feedback …A new benchmark in DirecOne’s Response Capability was achieved!”

CARIB - LINK LAUNCHES NEW BUSINESS CLASS DSL SERVICES

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:05:00 GMT

May 18th 2008

Carib-Link Ltd. launched its new business class DSL Packages at the opening of its Corporate Sales Unit in Chaguanas. These Packages are competitively priced and already are attracting enormous interest. At the launch Carlos Ramatali the General Manager Corporate sales, noted the burgeoning interest in the Home Wireless Internet products right across Trinidad and Tobago.

Meanwhile Mr. Peter Gillette, Chairman of the Gillette Group in addressing the invited guests and prospective clients noted the growth of businesses who are investing in the Internet both as a communication and a transaction portal which render enhanced customer service experience and increased sales revenues to the bottom line.

The Power of the Wireless Network as opposed to the wired counterpart is now being maximized by the business community for whom limitless bandwidth and multiple applications which are now common in the work place.

Open Telecom Ltd. Launches Worldtalk the Broadband Phone Company

Thu, 18 May 2006 20:01:00 GMT

April 21st 2006

Again another first for the Gillette Group is the launch by its Wireless Telecommunications company Open Telecom of its Worldtalk long distance services. Worldtalk’s three business plans provide business class quality calls to the United States and Canada at 40% lower than any of its competitors. Soon to launch will be a whole host of value added services such as - Fax Services, Voicemail, Caller ID with name, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding and 3 – Way calling.

Open Telecom Ltd will be launching its Residential Telephone Services soon and will be offering the the most economical rates and for the first time in Trinidad and Tobago telephone users will have a choice of Long Distance providers.

Open Telecom Ltd. secured a license in January of 2006 from the Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago.

C&C and CISCO providing Networking Solutions for T&T Enterprise.

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 00:24:00 GMT

During the month of August 2005, Computers and Controls, Training Division will be holding a series of training courses in networking solutions. These courses are targeted at IT managers and technical staff who are required to manage their companies networks and have expertise in the following areas:

- Advanced routing and switching
- Voice and video over IP
- Optical networking, wireless
- Storage networking
- Security(CISCO PIX Firewall)
- Broadband, and content networking

Cisco's Internet Protocol-based (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of the Internet and most corporate, education, and government networks around the world. The company's tradition of innovation continues today with Cisco creating leading products and key technologies that will make the Internet more useful and dynamic in the years ahead.

Ciscos technology innovations and aggressive approach to R&D in areas particular to services over The Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) continues to propel the company beyond its competitors. Computers and Controls is a committed CISCO technology partner, as these solutions form an integral part of our Networking Services Division.

The Introduction to CISCO PIX Firewall training courses will be held from the 1st to the 5^st August 2005. This course will help participants identify the PIX Firewalll features, models and allow participants to perform basic configuration exercises in a CISCO lab environment.

an introduction to CISCO Networking and will prepare successful graduates for the CISCO and CCNA certification exams.

All interested parties are asked to call Computers and Controls training Division at 625 6553 extension 263 0r 228 or you may e mail us at trainingdivision@computersandcontrols.com

94.1FM Rhythm City Launches New Sound

Wed, 20 Jul 2005 00:30:00 GMT

We are the canvas. Abstract Original Breathtaking A style our own, never before heard, Groundbreaking. You hear us. admire us and when you reach out to us, we are there, creating impressions and influence to be admired, Studied and imitated.

On 3^rd June 2005, Rhythm City 94.1Fm boldly reintroduced themselves to the local airwaves on a hip, urban wave. This innovative approach to popular culture in Trinidad and Tobago is supported by an experienced team dedicated to quality broadcasting, combined with modern vibe and street savvy translates into a true urban voice.

94.1Fms new sound aims at gratifying young listeners, whose musical penchants are merged from the international Hip Hop, Reggae and Dancehall, to the local Calypso and Soca.

94.1FM Rhythm City is the hottest new attraction whose guarantee is The Listener will no longer be denied.

C&C and Checkpoint Technologies Providing Firewall Solutions to T&T*

Mon, 18 Jul 2005 04:00:00 GMT

During the month of August 15th to 19th 2005, Computers and Controls, Training Division will be holding a series of training courses in Firewall solutions.

Computers and Controls has identified Checkpoint as one of its technology partners of choice because of their commitment to developing new and innovative security solutions that will continue to redefine the security landscape. These training courses in firewall solutions are targeted at IT managers and technical staff who are relied upon to manage and provide intelligent security solutions - perimeter, internal and web - that enable companies to electronically conduct business with confidence and convenience.

Check Point Software Technologies is the worldwide leader in securing the Internet. It is the confirmed market leader of both the worldwide VPN and firewall markets. Through its Next Generation product line, the company delivers a broad range of Perimeter, Internal and Web security solutions that protect business communications and resources for corporate networks and applications, remote employees, branch offices and partner extranets. Extending the power of the Check Point solution is its Open Platform for Security (OPSEC), the industry's framework and alliance for integration and interoperability with "best-of-breed" solutions from over 350 leading companies.

Checkpoint is the World-wide Market Leader in:

VPN/Firewall software revenue

Distributed firewall software market share:

VPN/firewall software market share

Checkpoint Firewall application intelligence( NG) management 1 and 2 , is scheduled from the 15 to 19^th of August , 2005 and will provide participants with a preliminary introduction to Checkpoint solutions and will culminate in the CCSA and CCSE checkpoint certificate exams.

All interested parties are asked to call Computers and Controls training Division at 625 6553 extension 263 0r 228 or e mail us at trainingdivision@computersandcontrols.com

Gillette Group Announces Partnership with the Tobago House of Assembly Information Technology Centre

Tue, 03 May 2005 00:29:00 GMT

May 2nd, 2005 saw the Gillette Group expanding its Call Centre business in the sister Isle of Tobago. In a ceremony to mark the launch attended by a host dignitaries from the Tobago House of Assembly, at the THA Technology Centre at Signal Hill in Tobago, Mr. Peter Gillette Chairman of the Gillette Group signed the Memorandum of Association with the THAs Chief Secretary, The Honourable, Mr. Orville London.

The Joint Venture Partnership draws on the resources of three of the Gillette Group ICT companies DirecOne, Voice Works and Computers and Controls and is for the management and establishment of a offshore call centre outsourcing company located at Signal Hill, Tobago. It is another example of the development and commercialisation of new technologies undertaken by the Gillette Group. The Gillette Group will be capitalizing on the existing medical transcription infrastructure and expanding it to include a full fully integrated inbound and outbound call centre facility, similar to its facilities in Trinidad.

Call Centre Director Mr. Damian Hares commenting on the joint venture, attributed the expansion in Tobago as a natural outcome of the increase in Call Centre business that has been coming into the DirecOne Group over the last three years. Trinidad and Tobago, he said, is clearly becoming an attractive proposition, as the near shore destination of choice for many of the Fortune 500 in the United States. About the Technology Centre itself he said, The Tobago Center represents a unique opportunity for us as an ICT Group to develop the intellectual capital of our nationals and thus prepare them for inclusion in areas outside of the fields of energy and tourism. We are proud to play a role as private sector nationals in this project, and hope that the Center will act as a catalyst to the development of ICT industries here in Tobago."

Population IT Readiness assessment

This Partnership will begin with an assessment of IT Readiness and will focus on gathering information as regards computer literacy skills in Tobago. This Partnership will create opportunities for the employment and training of Call Centre Agents. These agents will be trained to the highest standards in Customer Service and telemarketing skills and should they migrate from the Call Centre into other jobs they will benefit from being professionally trained in a first world environment.

Partnership Goals

Through this Partnership with the THA we have firmly fixed in our minds the milestones that we the THA and the Gillette Group need to accomplish. They are:

The creation of new employment opportunities in Tobago
To continue to deploy new knowledge based facilities throughout Trinidad and Tobago
To increase the reservoir of ICT technologies in Tobago
To increase the marketability of Tobago as a near shore/ call centre destination
To establish Tobago as a key player in the Global Market
To drive the implementation of state of the art IT infrastructure in Tobago
Assist the THA in sharing knowledge and making communication amongst all sectors faster and more profound.

The Chairman, Mr. Peter Gillette in making this announcement said, There is a Tidal Wave of Offshore work to be had. It will be there for those that are best prepared. Trinidad has the opportunity to become a World Leader in this arena. What we in the Gillette Group have long recognized as a key component of the success of any business is right sourcing your outsourcing In the Tobago House of Assembly the Gillette ICT group feels that we have once again accomplished this objective. During the course of our negotiations we came to realize that we shared many common beliefs as it relates to the respective development paths that our nation must embark, if we are to take the next generation on a transformational step towards developed nation status and make Trinidad and Tobago the Intelligent Islands that we know they can become.

The vision of the Gillette Group is the continuous creation of employment for our Nation along the lines and models dictated by knowledge based economies. It is based on the appreciation that a Technology-literate and connected community will help Trinidad and Tobago build a leadership position in the Information economy.

DirecOne Opens doors to Second Call Center in Trinidad

Tue, 29 Mar 2005 00:30:00 GMT

The DirecOne Call Centre Group a subsidiary of the Gillette Group of Companies opened its doors to its second Call Centre facility in Trinidad and Tobago. This Centre is located at the heart of the city of Port of Spain on Independence Square and is a full service inbound and outbound call center facility, with a seating capacity of 300 seats and is currently operating two shifts per day, translating into 600 agent positions.

The Chairman of the Group, Mr. Gillette in making this announcement said that, This expansion has become necessary to facilitate the influx of new contact center business that has been sourced by the group. He said, Since the launch of the Sprint PCS help desk and programmes at the DirecOne Chaguaramas facility, DirecOne has seen a steady influx of new business originating out of the United States. The success of DirecOne (Chaguaramas) has spurred the demand for us to increase the loading capacities in all our centres.

DirecOne (Down Town) is currently running two outbound telemarketing programmes for Pacific Monarch Resorts originating out of the United States. Pacific Monarch Resorts is one of the largest privately held hotel chains on the western seaboard. They represent a total of eight world-class Pacific Monarch Resorts locations with 1,901 luxury villas in the California and Las Vegas areas and is a well-established developer of five-star vacation ownership resorts specializing in resort locations and recreational amenities designed for active adults and families.

PMR has consistently exceeded owner expectations and has earned a well-deserved reputation for delivering quality vacations. Since its founding in 1987, Pacific Monarch Resorts Inc. has concentrated solely on the business of vacation ownership and resort development. Pacific Monarchs 1,450 employees serve more than 75,000 owner families who now reserve and enjoy their vacations. Pacific Monarch Resorts Inc. aggregate sales are in excess of $950 million. Revenues for 2003 were $140 million. It is expected that the privately held company will top the$100 million sales mark in 2004, with projected 2004 revenue of $145 million.

Call Centre General Manager, Mr. Roger Gordon in commenting on the rollout has said that, The Pacific Monarch Las Vegas getaway packages and timeshare and vacation ownership packages are one of the most exciting programmes conducted by DirecOne, our TSRs have responded with exuberance and enthusiasm to the Pacific Monarch packages themselves and to the level of professionalism of the Pacific Monarch representatives, these two factors have made it an invaluable learning experience and has contributed to the resounding success of this programme.

Gillette Group ISP Division Launches 3rd Wireless Hot Spot at Cascadia Hotel

Wed, 02 Mar 2005 00:28:00 GMT

Business or vacation: Get unwired at the first Hotspot Hotel!!

The Gillette Group ISP Division (Carib-Link, Cablenett and Interserv) in co-operation Cascadia Hotel and Conference Center now offers the vacationer and business traveler alike, Wireless Internet Access. This location is earmarked as the third HotSpot venture, the previous two being HotSpot MovieTowne and recently launched HotSpot at the Pizza Boys/Piarco International Airport.

The Carib-Link, Cablenett and Interservs Internet Hotspot wirelessly connects you to the Internet through a fast digital broadband connection to Internet Explorer, Email, on line games, MSN Messenger, chat programmes and fast and efficient downloads of many other Internet applications, via a variety of wireless devices such as laptops, tablet PCs and PDAs etc.

The hotel now boasts of Wireless Internet access in the lobby, conference center as well as their restaurant. The Cascadia Hotel and Conference Center has now re-marketed itself to cater for the business professional where wireless high-speed Internet means they could have access to all the information they needed to either close vital deals while being out of the office or for the leisure traveler to surf the World Wide Web, receive and send email. This has now encouraged travelers to seek for hotels that boast of wireless hotspots a requirement before they made their bookings.

Fast reliable connections are no longer a luxury but a necessity. Therefore, Cascadia Hotel believes that by including this service, they will promote themselves as being the first choice hotel in Trinidad and Tobago for leisure and business travelers.

This service is an area where the hotel believes it can bring its hospitality experience to a whole new level and deliver sterling results.

Corporate Communications Division

The Gillette Group

Gillette Group ISP Division Launches 1st Wireless Hotspot at Piarco International Airport

Tue, 23 Nov 2004 00:28:00 GMT

At a Fast Pacein a Fast Place your newest Internet HotSpot. In collaboration with Pizza Boys, The (Gillette Groups) ISP Division (Carib Link, Interserv and Cablenett) has added to their list of services, their 2nd Internet HotSpot at the Pizza Boys locations at Piarco International Airport. This marks a new milestone in the Caribbean, in that it is the first Caribbean Airport to offer Wireless Internet Access.

The Carib-Link, Cablenett and Interservs Internet HotSpot wirelessly connects you to the Internet through a fast digital broadband connection to Internet Explorer, Email, on line games, MSN Messenger, chat programmes and fast and efficient downloads of many other Internet applications, via a variety of wireless devices such as laptops, tablet PCs and PDAs etc.

The HotSpot Piarco now offers the traveler the option to maximize their downtime with a reliable and fast Internet connection to surf the World Wide Web, receive and send email from any of their Pizza Boys Piarco locations. The Piarco Internet HotSpot promise greater Internet mobility and accessibility for its users to connect wirelessly, easily and instantly without the hassles of dialing up phone lines or extended waits to the worlds largest public Wi-Fi Network and is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and innovative technologies of the digital age.

Corporate Communications Division

Gillette Group on behalf of Carib-Link Ltd..

InterServ Ltd. and CableNett Ltd.

Computers & Controls Moves to Increase its Portfolio of Services and Products for Portfolio Project Management

Tue, 02 Nov 2004 00:27:00 GMT

Computers and Controls wishes to announce the inclusion of the Primavera Solutions Inc, a company that specializes in portfolio project management in its list of services offered. Primavera provides the project portfolio management foundation that enables all types of businesses to achieve excellence in managing their portfolios, programs, projects and resources. It is estimated that projects totaling more than $5 trillion in value have been managed with Primavera products.

Computers and Controls view the launch of this new technology as a significant milestone in the provision of advanced project portfolio management services for all types of businesses. Chief Operating Officer of Computers and Controls, Martin Francis at the company launch on October 27^th stated that,

Business needs vary greatly, there are very real differences between what an IT department and a construction company needs. Primavera Solutions best-of-breed software options are tailor made to suit a variety of industries. Computers and Controls in securing this partnership between Primavera & C&C are applying specific Primavera solutions in many of their clients enterprises. As Primavera Inc. says: If youre looking for the right project and portfolio management solution for your needs, youve come to the right place

Companies that need to implement the most powerful Project Management system on the market today, are acquiring Primavera Enterprise Solutions because its implementation duration reductions up to 37% as well as saving of approximately 15% from the total cost of the project which will give companies that use it a competitive advantage. It is also an important support for the decision making system for the best decisions related to the completion of the projects, within the time and budget limits.

Optimized solutions for specific application configurations

Reduced integration risks for a complete solution

Smoother installation and more reliable implementations

Computers and Controls is the first Primavera authorized reseller in Trinidad and Tobago and continue to provide cutting edge technology solutions to Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean market place.

Corporate Communications Division

Gillette Group ISP Division launches first High Speed Dial Up Internet Service in T&T

Mon, 04 Oct 2004 00:26:00 GMT

Exclusive to Carib-Link, Interserv and CableNett and another first fromt the ISP Division of the Gillette Group comes the latest in Internet technology for dial up Internet Users, Turbo Dial Up High Speed Internet Service.

Turbo is a subscription- based service that uses patent-pending technology to provide DSL-like speed over 56K dial-up lines. Turbo works with an ordinary dialup account, so you wont need to change anything to begin enjoying Turbo charged speeds. Turbo goes way beyond competitive products that simply "tweak" windows network settings. Turbo is true "Virtual Broadband", providing DSL-like speed over a single dial-up connection, at a very low monthly cost. The benefits are:

Turbo delivers consistent speed improvements in real-life Internet usage scenarios, it accelerates web browsing, web-based file transfers, uploading and downloading of all native FTP file transfers, and all types of email from simple web-based email systems like Hotmail and Yahoo Mail to POP3 and SMTP based email systems such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express and Microsoft Exchange. Additionally, email attachments including Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel and others will also be accelerated.

Speed, Speed and More Speed

Turbo "turbo-charges" your dial line performance and lets you browse the web more than five times faster than with a 56k dial-up line--speeds comparable to DSL.

Ad Blocking

Are you tired of the constant intrusion of Internet advertising? Turbo blocks these annoying ads to enhance your Internet experience and speed up the delivery of your requested information.

Ultra-Secure Firewall

Turbo ultra-secure firewall and security features provide the complete coverage required to protect your PC from unauthorized access. The Ultra-Secure Firewall blocks unwanted access from the Internet. With its stealth mode of operation, prying eyes from the Internet do not even know that your computer is there, so hackers move onto an easier target.

Enhanced Parental Control

Turbo now supports both "White lists" and" Black lists". For example, you can choose a "walled garden" approach where parents simply create a list of all sites their children can visit or you can take the opposite approach and create a list of restricted sites that you do not want your children to access.

Easy to get - easy to install

Turbo is available by simple download or via CD. In a matter of minutes, you are up and running and enjoying your new-found speed.

Even easier to maintain Automatic updates

Uninstalling old versions of software and reinstalling new ones are time consuming and often frustrating. With your software is always current. Thats because it is self-updating. Each day when you first start Turbo, it will check to see if any updates or new features are available. If there are, you can immediately upgrade your product or you can choose to do it at a later time. Updates include only components of the product that have changed, so updates are completed quickly. For the ISP, this means no new CDs to issue.

Works with existing ISP and e-mail account

Turbo works with most ISPs and browsers so you wont need to change your ISP or your current e-mail address to begin enjoying Turbo speed.

No new hardware to purchase and install

With cable and DSL service you are often required to purchase additional hardware and, even worse, expected to install it on your own! With Turbo simply install the software and you are ready to go.

Portable broadband - available everywhere

Turbo is available anywhere there is a telephone, cellular phone or wireless connection, so now you can enjoy high-speed Internet access from work, home, while on the road, or even on vacation.

Low monthly charge - subscription-based service

Unlike cable and DSL services which can be quite expensive, Turbo is a cost-effective, subscription-based service with a low monthly fee.

Corporate Communications Division

Gillette Group ISP Division Launches First Internet Hot Spot in T&T

Wed, 04 Aug 2004 00:25:00 GMT

Get Hot, Wild and Wireless at Movie Towne! . The (Gillette Groups) ISP Division Carib Link, Interserv and Cablenett have once more taken Trinidad and Tobago right to the cutting edge of technological advancement with the launch of the first Internet HotSpot at Movie Towne. Movie Towne, Invaders Bay, Audrey Jeffers Highway has been designated as the premier location for this exciting new venture.

At the company launch of the Movie Towne Hot Spot. Mr. Peter Gillette, Chairman of the (Gillette Group) ISP Division made reference to The increase in usage of the Internet for purposes of recreation, entertainment and communication for the average person in Trinidad and Tobago has been momentous and has galvanized the impetus for companies such as the three ISPs to introduce the Next Generation Internet Technology in Trinidad and Tobago.

Internet Hotspots promise greater Internet mobility and accessibility for the users of the Internet Hot Spot that connects wirelessly, easily and instantly without the hassles of dialing up phone lines or extended waits to the worlds largest public Wi-Fi Network and is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and innovative technologies of the digital age.

DirecOne Expands its Call Center Operations in T&T

Tue, 23 Mar 2004 00:24:00 GMT

On Thursday, March 18, 2004, Peter Gillette, Chairman of the Gillette Groups DirecOne operation announced their joint venture with US telecom company, Accent. Accents CEO, Gary Owens joined in making this announcement. This announcement brings a 1,000 agent Sprint help desk to DirecOne, which implies a turning point to this industry. The 1,000 new agents are going to deliver in the US, professional customer care on behalf of Sprint. The new agents are all Trinidadians who have gone through intensive training to bring a high level of quality assurance to this new joint venture.

DirecOnes current staff of about 500 will re-locate to a new site still to be determined, while the agents for Sprint will take up their seats at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre. Another call centre has just been acquired in Jamaica where telecom rates are a lot cheaper than Trinidad. Several other present and prospective campaigns are available to all the 3 call centers of the Group.

The Gillette Group has maintained its course all the way and at the end of the day it will continue to make investments nationally and regionally, whilst assuring professionalism, again, both to this country and to the region.

WITCO Sports Foundation Awards Live Web Telecast

Sat, 24 Jan 2004 00:19:00 GMT

WITCO Sports Foundation Awards Live Web Telecast

Computers and Controls was pleased to assist the WITCO Sports Award Foundation in the production of the Witco Sports Foundation Awards this year. The Web team at Computers and Controls went to work with the Foundation over the past few weeks on constructing the web site which facilitated the voting and selection of the Peoples Choice Sportsman/Sportswoman of the Year. On the night in question Images of the event were streamed via wireless broadband links set up by Computers and Controls in conjunction with Open Telecom to the central Sports Foundation Web Site. For the first time , citizens of Trinidad and Tobago were able to benefit a from a pictoral view of the event accompanied by a tickertape commentary over the Internet whilst the awards were taking place

The People Choice Survey category which facilitated online voting for the Peoples choice sportsman/ sportswoman of the year, whilst it had no bearing on the official results, allowed visitors to the Foundation web site who wanted to cast their vote for their favourite nominees to do so.

Based on feedback all around and also from the examination of activity on the website over the past few weeks, we can only conclude that the Foundations business objectives and role for the website in this years awards event were met and exceeded.

Shown below are the key statistics that were drawn before the launch of the On-line voting facility and after the event. Figures were taken to include any post-event browsing that was generated after the event to get a good feel for the full impact.

Increase in Visitors. The number of people visiting the site moved from a low of 619 to 6,403. This is reflective of the true increase in the number of people/visits to the site.

From an earlier count at close of voting on Thursday last, approximately 75,000 votes were cast.

Increased Utilization of Site Content . The number of hits increased from twenty-five (25) thousand to one hundred and thirty two(132) thousand. Whereas there were a high number of hits on the voting pages, there was a significant increase in the number of hits on all the other major information pages Awards, Nominees, Hall of Fame and Medallists.

Increased in Global Hits . Understandably whereas most of the visitors to the site came from Trinidad, there were very significant increases in visits from internet users abroad including: the UK, USA Educational Institutions, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, and Mexico

In summary, the Foundation can look forward to increased activity on its website over the coming year. Getting closer to next years Awards Event will also see increased interest in going online to vote again. The results of this years features on the website should also be manifested in increased interest in the foundations work and the interest of other Sports Foundations Regionally and possibly internationally to copy its work.

WITCO Sports Foundation main committee (John Antoine, Judy Griffith (Secretary) and Terri Young Sing (Chairperson) John Antoine and Terri Young Sing extended their congratulations.

March 6^th 2003

A Forum on Storage Area Networking (SAN)*

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 04:00:00 GMT

On March 19th 2003, Computers and Controls launched as one of its major Technology Initiative for 2003 a Forum on Storage Area Networking (SAN). This is part of a series of Caribbean-Wide technology forums chosen because of its impact on enhancing the Business Continuance capability of our growing IT sector.

This seminar targeted at all Business and IT Leaders whose storage needs have become increasingly more complex and are inundated with managing multiple servers, data and web applications prevalent in the business environment of today.

At this forum, Computers and Controls and its technology partners HP, presented Storage Area Network Solutions that will drive down the escalating costs of storage, improve disaster recovery and simplify the Storage Management Process at the same time.

The SAN forum was addressed by a panel of experts, that featured the world renowned San specialist Mr. Marc Farley, International Network Consultant and author of the Book on SAN " Building Storage Area Networks" (SNIA Approved), Mr. Tim Regier of Hewlett Packard International (HP International Consulting Engineer and SAN designer) and Mr. Derek Robinson President of Convergent Communications an International Technology Training organization based in Washington DC.

E-Mail saninfo@computersandcontrols.com

Posted: 1/23/2004 12:40:41 AM

Computers and Controls to Export Training to the United States

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 00:18:00 GMT

Computers and Controls to Export Training to the United States

Computers and Controls (C&C) announces its newest partnership agreement with Convergent Communications Inc., a Washington based company which specializes in technical courseware development and delivery in the IT environment. Last week Mr. Derek Robinson President of Convergent Communications Inc (CCI) signed a reciprocal training agreement with Peter Gillette, Chairman of Computers and Controls Ltd.

As part of this agreement the Professional Services Division of Computers and Controls will conduct one of the first training initiatives in CISCO Network Professional Certification Course (CCNP). This training is scheduled for June of this year in the United States.

Likewise in Trinidad, CCI will be partnering with the Professional Services Division of Computers and Controls to create and deliver cutting edge training curricula to Trinidad and Tobago. The approach to training will be truly innovative and can be described, as hands on it will include both lab and virtual lab/classrooms options.

The training being provided in Trinidad by CCI in conjunction with Computers and Controls includes Local Area (LAN) and Wide Area Networking (wan) technologies, IP Telephony, Quality of Service considerations in Packet Networks, Storage Area Networking, Multi-protocol Label Switching, Optical Networking and a number of Technical Sales courses. Training modules currently being designed for Trinidad and Tobago by CCI are in the areas of Voice Data Convergence and Storage Area Networking with labs designed by CISCO in conjunction with CCI.

Hewlett Packard International(HP) has awarded Computers and Controls its Partner Excellence Award for 2002.

Fri, 23 Jan 2004 00:15:00 GMT

In recognition of the achievements of Computers and Controls, Hewlett Packard International(HP) has awarded Computers and Controls its Partner Excellence Award for 2002.

Hewlett Packard, has supplied over the last seventeen years through Computers and Controls, a series of Technology solutions ranging from Computer Hardware and Software Applications to Professional Consulting to UNIX Servers.

Recently, Computers and Controls met with Hewlett Packard representatives to discuss the Hewlett Packard strategies and solutions for Trinidad and Tobago.

The HP mission held discussions on the launch of the Storage Area Network Products and Solutions (SAN). Computers and Controls will be championing this new innovation in the Trinidad and Tobago Market.

HPs presence in the Caribbean has also been enhanced through the Companys relationship with Computers and Controls. The Caribbean stands to benefit from this relationship via their sister companies located in Jamaica, Barbados and Guyana.

Photo shows the Hewlett Packard team and members of Computers and Controls with the HP award. From left to right Trevor Deane (C & C), Mr. Andreas Santamaria (HP), Dilys Rodriguez (C & C), Hassan Asswan (HP), James Gillespie (HP) and Darren Marhue (C & C).

Posted: 1/22/2004 11:57:05 PM

The Gillette Group Celebrates Twentieth Anniversary

Thu, 18 Dec 2003 00:26:00 GMT

Message from the Chairman, Peter Gillette, on the occasion of the celebration of Twentieth Anniversary of the Gillette Group

Twenty years ago we were young enough to be brash and arrogant and believed that we could conquer the world. We believed that Trinidad and Tobago was the land of opportunity, and it was ours to revolutionize and change. This was the dream that was the genesis of the Gillette Group.

From our parents, both businesspersons in their own right, we learnt simple truths that had great depth of meaning. We were taught to think and then think again. From our Father an avid reader of the magazine "Popular Science", we learnt to embrace the world of science and technology. We learnt to look towards the future to build the things of today.

The Gillette Group an ICT Company

This dream started with Computers and Controls and the mission statement of that company is a reflection of that dream, "Where Vision is reality!"

Over these last twenty years we have shared this dream with many, our first business partner Johnny Chin Yuen Kee, our first employees Sharon Sabga and Robert Boodoo. This year we honor all those employees that have together formed the foundation of the Gillette Group. Some have been with us for twenty years. Both Sharon and Robert are here tonight not just celebrating the Company's 20th Anniversary but celebrating 20 years of dedicated service to this Group.

Computers and Controls quickly expanded into the Caribbean arena. It happened fast and furious, Barbados first, then Guyana, and eventually Jamaica.

Open Telecom and the three ISP's were natural extensions of a vision that sees Information and Communication technology converging to produce solutions that will continue to revolutionize the way we process and distribute information, as well as the way we communicate one to one, one to many or many to one.

The Launch of the Government's new "Fast Forward" initiative for the implementation of the ICT sees Telecom liberalization begin next year, the introduction of the Internet in 50% of all businesses by 2006 and 50% of all households by 2008.

It envisions that all government services will be accessible to the Public via the Internet by 2008. It is a bold and ambitious plan and it speaks to fiscal incentives and government subsidies for training and computer acquisition. It is my belief that the Gillette Group ICT assets stand ready and poised to capitalize on this tremendous opportunity.

In and around 1989 we applied to the Government for a Cable TV and a radio license. We were granted both. We started the cable company then and 5 years later Radio Vision was also born. The talk radio format implemented at Radio vision has been an incontrovertible success, controversial and borderline rude but relevant. "Power 102" is once again number one in the morning and Gladiator rules the airwaves.

The Gillette Group - A Conglomerate of Interests

In 1998 the Group moved away from its technology roots and diversified into the Service industries.

Our first foray into this area began with the purchase of ValleyVue Hotel, which at the time was in its second receivership. The Cascadia Hotel and Conference Centre was born and what a tremendous success it has become.

The Group partnered with Mega Insurance then GTM Life to develop 72 luxury townhouses that were called the Greens. The project was a success and out of this project was born Baron Developers. Baron has just successfully completed 8 luxury townhouses in Cascade, Coblentz Villas, and is about to embark on the construction of 16 townhouses in Diego Martin.

To Conquer the World

The ultimate test of our mettle as a business was born out of the dream to play with the big boys and we knew that to compete successfully in the North American market was the final frontier.

It was in 1993 after we had established ourselves in the Caribbean market place, that the Group began its foray into the North American Market. It was out of this thinking and execution that Retrofit was born. We acquired a controlling interest in a company called CPI that had a patent for building retrofits of exit signs that replaced incandescent bulbs with LED's. Retrofit started as a joint venture with CPI to build these kits. The project was a success, but the product was under a lot of price pressure from patent infringers and rising R & D costs due to new safety standards. Retrofit was called upon to reinvent itself, the challenge was to find new customers and it was rough going for a while. Today they stand proudly as a manufacturer of Tyco Electronics.

To Conquer the World Again-Call Centres
Another member of this Big Dream was the establishment of our Call Centre business. DirecOne is now the preeminent Call Center in the entire English speaking Caribbean. Its brand is well known to the US market and it stands proudly as probably the only Caribbean based Call Center with a Tier 1 US customer namely Sprint. We have just signed a contract with our partners Accent that will see us expand DirecOne to triple its size in about 6 months. Another great example of what can happen when you apply hard work and persistency.

To the newest member of the Group Voiceworks, our medical transcription service I would like to say welcome. Welcome to a culture that encourages you to risk and make mistakes. For how else would we learn. It is my understanding that Government stands ready and committed to continue to promote this industry and we are making great strides towards productivity and ultimately profitability.

The Gillette Group a Business

So where are we? Well we started in computers, we are in communications, the hospitality industry, manufacturing, and IT enabled services, Land development and more to come.

After twenty years the Gillette Group has reinvented itself. What can we say about that invention? A prospective partner who was exercising his due diligence on the Gillette Group once asked me what were our core competencies and without missing a beat I said "business".

I think it was there and then that I really came to understand what we were all about. In that one instant I was forced to ask myself the question what is it that we were really good at and the only right and fitting answer was business. The application of our passion into ideas has been the fuel that has built the Gillette Group into what it is today and it is what has made the Gillette Group's vision statement, "To continually invent an organization that will challenge the minds of this and future generations" an applicable motto.
Tonight we celebrate 20 years in Business. I hope it has challenged the minds of at least one generation. Congratulations and thank you to all the Management and Staff of the Gillette Group. We wouldn't be here if not for you. Keep up the good work and I hope to celebrate another 20 years with you all.