New location for news

Our blog has now been integrated into our brand new website at www.tengomedia.co.uk. All of our news stories will be posted there from now on, so please be sure to visit our new site regularly!

Is your business ready for the m-commerce boom?

With around half of the UK population now owning a smartphone, it is more important than ever for businesses to make sure that their web presence is mobile friendly.

Latest research shows that e-commerce sales are worth £1.3bn, and with smartphone sales gathering speed, that figure can only go one way. Barclays Corporate is forecasting m-commerce sales will witness rapid growth in the UK over the next decade.

The specialist unit of the financial services provider Barclays, estimates consumer spending through mobile phones and tablets should reach £19.3bn by 2021. During the next five years, it forecasts m-commerce will enjoy growth of 55%, the fastest of any retail channel. This compares to expected growth of 8% for online sales and 1.6% for in-store sales. Mail order is expected to shrink by 1.2%.

In the 12 weeks to 2 October, 2011, the likes of iPhone and Blackberry made up 70% of sales of mobile phones in the UK.

All this means that if your website is not mobile-friendly, you are effectively slashing your market, if not now, then in the very near future.

While developing mobile applications or apps can be a long and expensive process, ensuring a website works well on iPhone, iPad, Blackberry and Android phones is a cost-effective way of accessing the growing market of consumers who shop and surf on their mobile devices.

Throughout November Tengo Media is offering a free m-friendly web check. To take part contact: enquiries@tengo.tv.

Huge Ruthin discount scheme extended

Rural Ruthin has been Tengo Media's home since the start

Tengo Media's discount scheme for consumers and businesses in Ruthin and surrounding areas is to be extended to a range of new products and services from Monday 12th September 2011. For the last 2 years in an effort to give something back to the community that helped Tengo Media to grow, local businesses and individuals have received a third off standard labour rates (http://ow.ly/6qNVn) - where a business outside of the area pays £50 per hour, locally the rate is just £33.33.

This 33% discount has now been extended to a wider range of offerings including Service Contracts (http://ow.ly/6qNYb), Website Design (http://ow.ly/6qOBj), Bespoke Software (http://ow.ly/6qOCF) and Branding (http://ow.ly/6qODG).

Tengo Media's managing director Tom Strapps

Tom Strapps, Tengo Media's MD who lives a mile away from the companies' Ruthin headquarters at Birch House (birchhousebc.co.uk), explains the decision: "We've always been based in Ruthin and whilst we now have clients all over the UK and beyond, our local clients helped get the company off the ground all those years ago and continue to be vitally important to us. It costs us less to provide our services in the immediate area around our base, so we are passing on these savings to our customers, as a thank-you for their support. In addition, many businesses locally go further afield and spend a great deal of money on products, services and expertise, perhaps not aware that they are available from a local ICT Consultancy - we hope that reducing these charges will encourage local businesses to take advantage of the services we offer."

Customers in the area with existing support contracts will automatically have the new discount applied to their next invoice. More information on the products and services offered by Tengo Media can be found at www.tengomedia.co.uk.

Fashion meets Technology as tengo update mens-wear site

Classic Formalwear of Bolton unveiled their new ranges this week on www.classicformalwear.co.uk.

The site, designed and maintained by tengomedia, has also now been updated to make it fully compatible with iPads and iPhones.

Originally designed in flash which at the time was compatible with the vast majority of devices and browsers out there, tengo have modified the site using current technologies to ensure users of Apples' mobile devices don't lose out.

Updated range of waistcoats

"There are over 160 million iOs devices (iPad, iPhone etc.) in circulation worldwide" explains tengomedia managing director Tom Strapps. "If your site doesn't load on those devices, that's 160 million people you can't reach online with your products and services".

"Tengo can update flash based parts of your website to ensure you're not missing out on new customers, and that existing customers can access your site on those devices. Wether we originally designed your site or not, we can modify it using non-flash based technologies to ensure everyone gets the full picture".

Shirley Smalley, proprietor of Classic Formalwear, is very pleased the updated site: "I've always thought we've had the best website around in comparison to our competitors, this 'techy' update can only improve things further - how technology has progressed!"

Price Breakthrough on Laser Toners

At tengodirect.co.uk our new range of remanufactured and original laser toner cartridges are now on sale at prices never seen before - Google Shopping (google base) results today confirmed that we are the cheapest retailer on the web for toners - a random selection of products were chosen and google searches ran with prices set from low to high, and in all cases tengodirect.co.uk has the lowest pre-shipping price available in the UK. Visit Tengo Direct today for amazing prices not just on these new cartridges but on a range of thousands of information technology accessories, hardware and software.

The toner cartridges tested are listed below, clicking on them will take you to the current google search results page showing prices from all UK stockists:

Remanufactured Xerox 106R01374 Toner Cartridge Black

Remanufactured Brother TN200 Toner Cartridge Black 2.2k

Oki 9002390 Toner Cartridge Black 1.5k

Epson S050319 Toner Cartridge Black

HP Q2612E Toner Cartridge Black 2k

Tengo Deliver 1st Class Website for Newspaper Delivery Specialists

The new website for Castle Bell News in Ruthin has gone live today. Tengo delivered a professional and functional site which Castle Bell are looking to use a a springboard for their companies' expansion. Helen from Castle Bell News offers her thoughts on the website and explains her vision for the future of the company:

"We love the new site!! we have already had some positive feedback from friends, informing - it's clear and easily navigable.

As for our future plans, our aim is to expand our Newspaper & Milk delivery service to North Wales Villages that are unable to obtain a Newspaper locally, due to there being either no Local Newsagents or Delivery Service. Many villages and hard to reach residential & business premises have slowly but surely seen a decline in local provision leaving many people, especially the elderly without the basic 'nice to have' services.  Having to travel for several miles to collect a paper & milk is expensive and costs far more than our daily delivery charge. We would hope the future can bring a wider range of groceries to the door of the customer should there be requests for such a service. Unlike tesco, you won't have to wait 2 days for a delivery or pay £5.00 for a delivery. We can deliver daily for £0.45p. It is for these reasons our website will be an essential part of our growth and the the reason we will need tengo media to work with on developing these ground-breaking services in the North Wales area!"

Tengo Complete Takeover

Tengo Media MD Tom Strapps (right) shakes on the deal

with Peter Blanchard, at tengo's HQ in Ruthin.

On the 4^th March 2011, the acquisition of Libresco Limited by Tengo Media Limited was completed. Tengo Media will continue to support Libresco customers in all areas and will be consolidating the website and support platforms over the coming months. Peter Blanchard will continue to be a crucial part of developments on the mobile technology front, staying on as a consultant to the Tengo team.

“I’m delighted that we have inherited a company with such a strong reputation amongst its client base,” explains Tom Strapps. “Libresco focused mainly on providing solutions incorporating its own hardware solutions to European Businesses and Public Sector Organisations.  Tengo Media has always focused on providing innovative solutions to business challenges, our business model does not rely on profit from hardware sales. Peter and I are set on a strategy of providing mobile solutions that are completely device and platform agnostic – i.e. web-based and cloud-based applications. This way we don’t have to second guess developments in the technology and can focus on providing solutions that really help businesses to achieve their goals. It’s an exciting time for Tengo and Libresco customers alike, as the combined entity will be a driving force at the cutting edge of technology for many years to come”.

“In addition I am delighted that Peter has become part of our team. His insatiable appetite for innovation and his belief in the potential of this technology has been the driving force behind Libresco over the past five years, and we look forward to reaping the benefits of this over the coming months and years.”

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL PRESS RELEASE

Number 1 software enters museum

Tengo Media are to install a gift-shop retail system for the No. 1 Royal Crescent Museum.

No.1 Royal Crescent is a magnificently restored Georgian town house that creates a wonderfully vital picture of life in Georgian Bath.

The new retail Point Of Sale and Backoffice Stock System will be in place for the 19th of February, when the museum opens for the new season. Many thanks to the Bath Preservation Trust and to Georgie Swindells for choosing to work with us on this project.

UPDATE 20th Feb 2011 - System went live yesterday and is proving to be a great success - if you're in the area, pop along and take a look!

WiFi coming to a Caravan Park near you

Both Carmel Park Dyserth and Woodlands Park Harlech have contracted Tengo Media to install and support WiFi wireless network systems.

The networks will provide high-speed wireless internet to all residents and holidaymakers in the parks, ensuring they stay connected at all times.

Multi-company, multi-site software hardware and infrastructure overhaul

Tengo Media have been awarded the contract to supply a multi-company, multi-site software hardware and infrastructure overhaul for sister companies 1st Option Safety Services and Scarff Fire Safety UK.

1st Option Safety Services provide specific advice and a wide range of services in occupational safety, health and environment to Broadcasting, Film and Television.

SCARFF Fire Safety UK Ltd provide a professional maintenance, installation, training and consultancy service to business and industry, offering instant response nationwide.

The 2 companies are working increasingly closely together and are looking to consolidate their IT systems and infrastructure. They needed a solution that can streamline their Administrative processes and facilitate instant access to information required across their 3 operating locations in London and North Wales.

Tengo will be supplying Servers, Computer Hardware and associated infrastructure, along with IT Support, Consultancy and Bespoke Software. In addition we will be installing a trade counter EPOS system within their safety equipment store.  This will enable Scarff and 1st Option to efficiently manage and track stock movements in and out.

Work commences next week, and we look forward to working with John, Helen and their teams - this will be a complex and interesting project!

PROJECT UPDATE 20th Feb 2011 - following a weeks consultancy last week and equipment installation, project is on-course - we wish 1st option every success in their new offices and thoroughly enjoyed working with you this week!