Case Study
Adept
Adept Communications and Technology is a professional, friendly Communications and IT company based in Newcastle. They provide an end-to-end Telephone and IT service from consultation and advice through to installation and ongoing support/maintenance. The company’s KTP with the University of Sunderland was rated "Very Good" by Innovate UK, and was hugely beneficial to all involved.
“There is, in our opinion, no way better to achieve a positive outcome in the world of growing competitiveness than for an SME to reach out and utilise the benefits offered through the KTP program.”
Philip Pugh – Managing Director
“A fantastic opportunity for me to undertake a massive project and learn how to become agile in today’s high demanding market as well as to learn real-time project management.”
Chris Ellsaesser - KTP Associate
“The KTP with Adept Ltd has helped us develop new module materials including case studies which will be used in the areas of MSc Telecommunication Systems and BSc Network Systems, as well as develop numerous student projects with the company.”
Phil Irving - Senior Lecturer
The Project
Adept approached KTP to help them create a new market disruptive mobile to voice bridging product encompassing the latest in synchronised technologies. The product will help the company to boost its market reputation and securing more and different client types in the small to medium-sized category both in the UK and globally. The latter is a key aspect of the KTP outcome as the opportunities predicted are quite significant for the business.
Company benefits
The partnership will give the company access to current telecommunications and advanced cloud based networking research and knowledge with associated software development and security research and techniques.
- Through high levels of knowledge transfer, Adept Ltd will develop a mobile to voice bridging product with inbuilt sophisticated technologies and software enabling cost effective telecommunications services for client businesses.
- Introducing this product into the company’s portfolio will increase sales, facilitate growth and enhance its reputation.
- The company will embed new product development skills and capability in advanced telecommunications, cloud networking and software security providing a base for further new product development and continual innovative activities in this area as new opportunities, threats and challenges emerge.
Associate’s benefits
- On a personal level, the Associate has gained valuable experience and training throughout the course of the KTP project
- The associate gained technical expertise in which it helped him to produce an innovative system which integrated a Wi-Fi roaming solution with the developed mobile system
- Extensive knowledge for the EU regulatory system changes in regards to software coding challenges
- Personal and professional development was wide-ranging and, academic papers produced
- The Associate’s contribution to the project has been rewarded with an offer of employment by the Company and full-time employment has been secured
The Academic Partner’s benefits
- The Academic Partner provided considerable expertise and increased knowledge on voice bridging product into valuable by-products
- The project has provided the academics with real-world exposure to a number of areas including: Mobile telephony, Long Term Evolution (LTE) of telephone systems, greater understanding of the “air side” of the mobile telecoms infrastructure which are at the forefront of the discipline
- Knowledge transfer from the company has given the academics a deeper understanding of the practical issues involved in implementing low-cost mobile telephony and commercial VoIP systems
- Steps for Intellectual Property protection have already been put into place following the submission of a Patent Application
Results
- New applications, technologies and products developed
- Increased sales turnover generated
- Strategy and commercial awareness performance improved
- Training and development
- Management and supervision of staff
- Co-ordination for the new services and products that the Company wishes to add to its portfolio
- Research and development of current and future product development
- Support to the Technical Desk and the education of Company Engineers in-house
- Permanent employment for the Associate by the Company
- MSc project have been sponsored concerning technology deployed in the KTP
- Four articles in peer-reviewed publications to be produced
- The use of specific technologies and methodologies available in a commercial institution
- Continued development opportunities with Adept Ltd and other stakeholders