News August 2007

Friendly formality and a smile as you dial please, say customers
We may not expect a hat to be raised, but a polite 'good morning' and a smile in the voice is how most of us like to be addressed by the businesses we contact, according to new research.
69 per cent prefer a more formal greeting such as Good Morning. 22 percent liked 'hello'. But the more casual 'hi!' was almost beyond the pale, with fewer than one in ten preferring that.
The survey was conducted by Standard Life Healthcare, which has been voted 'Best Customer Service Provider' at the annual Health Insurance Awards for six years running.
The study also revealed that:
* 53% prefer to be called by their title and surname - women (59%) more than men (47%).
* Only 36% like to be called by their first name, although the younger the person the more acceptable it is. 53% of 16-24 year olds and 43% of 25-34 year olds like it. People aged over 35 much prefer title and surname compared to any other age group.
* We like people to smile as they dial! 68% can tell if you are smiling when they talk to you on the phone. Younger people (16-34) are most intuitive as 77% of them can tell.
* More than half of people under the age of 35 would like to be able to text enquiries to suppliers and receive replies by text. (58% of 16-24 age group, 50% of 25-34 year olds)
'Customer care is part of what sets us apart,' said spokesman Mandy Blanks. 'We regularly ask our customers what they want, so that we can continue to improve our service to them - not simply in terms of our private medical insurance products, but also the important little things, like speaking to them in the way they like to be spoken to!'
Standard Life Healthcare is also well known for its annual Attitudes to Healthcare survey, which is an in-depth study into customer attitudes to healthcare issues at home and in the workplace and receives widespread publicity. The last one was published in November 2006 and is available at www.standardlifehealthcare.co.uk.

Enhancing the visitor experience at Tower Bridge
Digital Signage Specialist Saville Audio Visual has installed a new range of digital signage and presentation systems in the prestigious Tower Bridge exhibition.
Tower Bridge has stood over the River Thames in London since 1894 and is one of London’s busiest tourist attractions. The Tower Bridge Exhibition is home to the original steam engines that used to power the Bridge lifts, plus hands-on mechanisms, models and information panels.
The installation includes a bank of NEC LCD display screens providing up-to-the-minute information at the visitor reception desk, with a further 40” information display at the entrance to the exhibition. The information is delivered using Sedao digital signage software also supplied and installed by Saville. The programme content is designed for simple remote updating by Tower Bridge staff.
In the exhibition area Saville has also installed a powerful Sanyo widescreen projection system alongside the scale working model of the bridge, providing visitors with an added multimedia experience of the Bridge’s history and working mechanisms on a 3.5m wide screen. An induction loop audio system has also been installed for people with hearing difficulties. Visit www.saville-av.com.

Focusing on the 21st century workplace
New ways of working — and new threats to the health of employees — are the focus of a groundbreaking new course at The University of Nottingham.
The impact of teleworking, the ageing workforce, flexible working hours, work-life balance and major events such as flu pandemics and terrorism will all be part of a new postgraduate degree programme that looks at the changing face of workplace health in the 21st-century.
The MSc in Workplace Health is aimed at enhancing the knowledge of occupational health, safety and hygiene practitioners in the management of contemporary issues in the field.
To develop a course that addressed the industry’s main priorities, experts at the University’s Institute of Work, Health and Organisations (IWHO) carried out research with 30 national experts and 1,600 members of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH).
As a result, the new MSc will address a wide range of issues including common mental health problems, the management of stress and sickness absence, the changing workforce and particularly older, migrant and temporary workers, new ways of working such as teleworking and flexible working, rehabilitation, work-related driving, work-life balance and major events such as pandemics and terrorism.
The programme is supported by the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF). At the programme launch, Sayeed Khan, Chief Medical Advisor to the EEF and Special Professor in Occupational Health at the Institute, observed that practitioners are often equipped to address physical hazards in the workplace as well as the physical illnesses and injuries that may arise from exposure to such hazards. However, in the contemporary world of work, occupational health practitioners are increasingly confronted with psychosocial hazards arising out of the design, management and organisation of work and associated health issues – such as stress-related problems – that fall outside the traditional framework.
In recognition of the changing world of work and associated health implications, this unique programme sets out to support the Government’s Health, Work and Well-Being strategy by providing participants with the knowledge and skills to manage health in the contemporary workplace, using the latest developments in workplace health research, law and guidance and professional practice.
The MSc is recommended for professional development by IOSH and the British Occupational Hygiene Society. Applications are currently being accepted for entry in October 2007.
Details can be found at www.nottingham.ac.uk/iwho/workplacehealth.

1st Ever Atex certified ‘Metal Mickey’ installed in UK
Forward Vision CCTV is celebrating the successful installation of the fist ever ATEX certified (explosion-proof) ‘Metal Mickey’ cameras at a leading pan-European petrochemical operator on the south coast. The MIC1-440 series of pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras (Mickeys as they are affectionately known) is specifically designed to provide effective surveillance at critical infrastructure sites.
The client was looking for a robust and reliable process management tool to help meet rigorous on-site health and safety regimes, and experts Eclipse Digital Solutions - an approved FVCCTV installer - was called in to evaluate the brief and make appropriate recommendations.
Eclipse Digital Solutions recommended 2 Forward Vision (FVCCTV) ‘Metal Mickeys’ – widely regarded as the most robust range of cameras on the market for hazardous and high-end specialist environments. Two new metal ‘Mickeys’ were installed (Mic1-440). These leading edge technology cameras are ATEX certified, meaning they are certified safe for use in explosive atmospheres, to EU Directive 94/9/EC IIC T6. This is the first installation anywhere in the UK of this ATEX certified Mic1-440 camera. Another member of the ‘Mickey’ range has already been used to great effect in several other high profile and hazardous situations.
The Metal Mickey, which comes in a range of different finishes and models for different specific environments, is precision engineered to the highest standards. At the UK client’s site, the pair of ‘Mickeys’ now provide virtual access to the processor plant, giving a 24/7 process management overview, displayed onto live screens and desktop PCs in multiple positions around the site. The FVCCTV Mickeys link into a Geutebruck DDR CCTV system utilising a BBV control protocol, which allows all on-site cameras to be controlled from one point if required – either in the UK or on the continent. The client said: “There is zero room for error in potentially explosive environments and we need to know that we are investing in the best health and safety technology that money can buy. The ATEX certified FVCCTV ‘Mickey’ not only fulfils that fundamental requirement, it also offers us enhanced functionality which delivers real business management benefits. The ‘Mickey’s’ physical size is also much smaller than other flameproof camera technologies, which is an added bonus.”
Alan Drinkwater of Eclipse Digital Solutions, said: “We are naturally delighted to be the first ever installer of an ATEX certified FVCCTV ‘Mickey’ in the UK. FVCCTV has yet again delivered a world class product to market and we are looking forward to many more enquiries about the Mickey from a range of specialist organisations and sectors.”
Find out more about our the best-in-class ‘Metal Mickey’, or for further information on FVCCTV, visit www.fvcctv.co.uk
Alternatively, call FVCCTV direct with your enquiry on 0870 0113131

Security is coming to stay
Having got the new look of the magazine well under way we have now commenced work on the next step in our development of Qube magazine.
Starting from the September issue, Qube Magazine will include a dedicated security section in every issue.
The new section will highlight security news and will showcase new products and services. We will take a closer look at some of the leading providers in the industry and bring you interesting case studies from installations and contracts across the country.
A new website will be launched by early October to support the security section and will host the latest news, information and useful links enabling you to find almost any service you require.
Links to the site will be made common throughout the existing qubeonline.co.uk site which will work together with the new site to offer comprehensive information and supplier lists.
This move represents the importance of security in the life of many facilities and building managers and is one of the many improvements that Qube will be making over the coming months.
Your comments are always welcome, especially your reaction to the changes we have and will be making - we aim to make Qube magazine and the websites a useful and informative set of tools.

DTZ and Donaldsons combine
DTZ has acquired the business and assets of Donaldsons LLP, the privately owned, UK-based property consultancy, for an initial consideration of £39.8 million, plus deferred consideration of up to £8.8 million.
The transaction will significantly enhance DTZ’s comprehensive service offering in much of Europe, particularly in relation to retail property. Donaldsons clients will also benefit through access to the broader client-focused property services of DTZ’s pan-European and global platforms. The combined business will fully adopt the DTZ brand name from Autumn 2007.
Headquartered in London, Donaldsons employs 690 staff in the UK and 220 on continental Europe, a total of 910. It provides property advisory services across a broad range of clients in the UK and continental Europe. For the year ended 30 June 2006, Donaldsons reported turnover of £62.9 million (of which £52.2 million related to the UK) and profit before tax and distributions to partners of £12.6 million (partnership profit). As at 30 June 2006, Donaldsons reported gross assets of £27.3 million.
Key features:
· The combination of DTZ and Donaldsons will reinforce DTZ’s position as a top global property consultancy.
· The merger will create a pre-eminent retail property adviser and open up Donaldsons retail and development capabilities to DTZ’s capital markets
· The merged firm is believed to be UK market leaders in several key disciplines: Retail – capital markets, shopping centre leasing, development, set up advisory, management and valuation.
The businesses have relatively little overlap and, while there should be some cost savings, synergies are expected to arise principally through additional revenues.
With a strong cultural alignment, team-orientation and shared vision for the future, the combination will provide significant opportunities for staff in both businesses to benefit from the broader combined platform and reinforces DTZ’s stated mission of working with clients to create leading edge property investment and business solutions worldwide based upon local knowledge.
The transaction is expected to be broadly earnings neutral in the period to 30 April 2008, given the integration costs, and then strongly earnings enhancing for DTZ thereafter.
All 33 equity partners of Donaldsons will join DTZ, taking up positions as directors across the combined organisation.

Sodexho wins again with Leicester City Council contract
Adding to a rapidly growing portfolio in the Midlands area, Sodexho, an FM services provider, has announced the signing of a three-year fabric maintenance contract with Leicester City Council, looking after many of the Council’s public buildings.
In a contract worth over £850,000 per annum, Sodexho will provide maintenance services for a number of city-centre sites including leisure centres, libraries, care homes and council offices.
Sodexho will take over from previously outsourced deals with a number of smaller contractors. Vehicles operating satellite tracking technology are being used to help manage job allocation and scheduling in conjunction with 24 hour help desk facilities.
Sodexho have employed additional tradesmen from the local area enhancing the quality of the service and providing additional employment to the area.
Glynn Roberts, Sodexho’s site manager said: "New technology helps us to get the right operative to the right job on time. Freeing up more of my time to work closely with the council officers planning ahead and finding solutions to the wide variety of challenges we see every day."

Mackintosh’s masterpiece set for £8.7 million ‘facelift’
The largest and most ambitious conservation and refurbishment project ever conceived for Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s masterpiece at The Glasgow School of Art kicked off in July to the tune of £8.7 million, following more than a decade of planning and fundraising. Less than £1 million remains to be sourced.
The Mackintosh Conservation and Access Project will restore the building to Mackintosh’s original design, returning a number of studio spaces to student use as administrative functions are relocated elsewhere. Annual visitor numbers are set to rise to 33,000, an increase of 30% from the current 23,000 and the Art School’s priceless and, until now, largely unseen archives and collections will be made available to the public in new museum and exhibition spaces. Throughout the work, classes and visitor tours will continue as normal.
Work will be carried out over three consecutive periods - July to December 2007 (Phase I, Mackintosh building interior), July to September 2008 (Phase II, East Side) and July to September 2009 (Phase III, West Side). 2009 is the centenary of the completion of the Mackintosh building, which was built in two phases from 1896 to 1909.
A fourth and final phase is planned which will see the creation of a new visitor reception and interpretation centre opposite the Mackintosh building, providing a ’window on the Mac’.
Professor Seona Reid, Director of the Glasgow School of Art said:
“The Mackintosh building is not only home to one of the UK’s leading international art schools; it is also a jewel in Scotland’s cultural crown. We are delighted that we are now able to start work on the conservation of the building and our extensive collection and archive, making them more accessible to as wide an audience as possible.
“A recent estates audit conducted by the School highlighted the Mackintosh Building as still being “fit for purpose” more than a hundred years since it was built, and this project will ensure its continuing legacy as a world-class art school building”.

Young superstar nets corporate backing
Nine year-old golfing phenomenon Maxwell Martin has secured a three-year support grant from British property services company OCS which will help him compete at the US Kids Golf World Championships at Pinehurst, North Carolina on 2 August and US Kids Golf World Cup on 5 August.
Maxwell had already sunk three holes-in-one when he won the Young Star Award at the OCS Young Sports Person Awards in 2004, including one on a 131 yard hole at the HSBC Weewonders Open Golf Championship. But despite his precocious talent, it hasn't been plain sailing for the Birmingham lad. He's still too young for any sports funding, and all Max's training and competitions are being supported by his parents Ryan and Ann. So OCS has stepped in and offered Max a package that will carry him through until he is 12, and old enough to benefit from existing funding schemes.
The grant for Max amounts to £15,000 over three years, vital support if he is to realise his outstanding potential, as his father Ryan explains: "The funding will help dramatically towards Max's development as a great young golfer. Most of the world competitions at his level are held in the United States. Max has achieved three top ten places in the last eighteen months, and is looking forward to the US Kids Golf World Championships and World Cup at the US Open course at Pinehurst in August. The experience he gets from participating in the world competitions is priceless - it's where he learns his trade. It allows him to test himself against the best in the world, and it teaches him that, no matter what he faces, he must never give up. Every year he can't wait to get back."

UBS grants a 250 year ground lease to Oxford Properties
at its 530,000 sq ft riverside development, Watermark Place, London EC4
UBS Global Asset Management announced that its UBS South East Recovery Fund (SERF) has granted a 250 year ground lease to subsidiary of Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (“OMERS”), Canada, to develop the landmark 530,000 sq ft, Watermark Place, London, situated on the River Thames EC4.
OMERS is Canada’s third largest pension fund with its real estate investments managed through Oxford Properties Group (“Oxford”). Oxford owns and manages a diversified global portfolio, exceeding 40 million square feet with a strong mandate from OMERS to build a global real estate platform. Christopher Voutsinas, Executive Vice President of Global Investment, Oxford said: “we are excited about our relationship with UBS and the exceptional development team that has been assembled to deliver an exceptional property to the marketplace”. Andrew Trickett, Vice President of Investment, added “this development represents a unique investment opportunity for Oxford and an outstanding space offering to City occupiers.”
Alex O’Connell, Executive Director, UBS Global Real Estate said, “We are delighted to have Oxford on board as developer/leaseholder. This is a very exciting project as it will provide one of the largest buildings in the city in the early part of this cycle”.
Oxford Properties will pay 50% of the rentals of the completed building to UBS SERF. Oxford and City Offices LLP, the development manager, have appointed Sir Robert McAlpine as contractor for the c. £200m reconstruction and they started on site in July. The development will provide 530,000 sq ft over basement, ground and 11 upper floors and with a 20,000 sq ft landscaped roof terrace at level six over looking the Thames. Watermark Place will be finished to shell and core by Q1 2009 and is due for practical completion at the end of September 2009.
CBRE represented both UBS and Oxford. CBRE and Knight Frank are letting agents for the scheme. The architect for Watermark Place is Fletcher Priest.

Ex-Or Acquired By Honeywell
Ex-Or has announced its acquisition by Honeywell. The company, which develops, manufactures and distributes intelligent, energy-saving lighting controls, will become part of Honeywell's Environmental Controls and Combustion (ECC) business unit, itself a division of Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions (ACS). Ex-Or will, however, retain its brand and continue to trade as Ex-Or.

Johnson Controls appoints new Vice President to lead project management business
Mark Johnson appointed Vice President, Design and Project Management, EMEA
Johnson Controls Global WorkPlace Solutions has appointed Mark Johnson as Vice President, Design and Project Management to drive the growth of its project management business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Mark joins Johnson Controls after 18 years with InteriorExterior where he was involved with some of the most innovative construction, refurbishment and fit out projects across Europe. Mark successfully held a number of senior positions with the company, and in his most recent role as Projects Director completed over 186,000m 2 of projects in Europe for global 1,000 corporations.

MITIE makes the Skills Pledge
MITIE is delighted to announce that on the 14th June 2007, it became one of the first employers to make the Skills Pledge to its 45,000 employees across the UK.
The Skills Pledge is a specific promise, made by an employer to its workforce, that every eligible employee will be helped to gain basic skills (functional literacy and numeracy) and a full Level 2 qualification (equal to 5 GCSEs at A*-C or vocational equivalent). The purpose is to ensure that all staff are skilled, competent and able to make a full contribution to the success of the company.

HKR receive planning permission for Dublin’s ¤750m Northern Quarter Development
HKR Architects (HKR), has announced that the firm’s design for the regeneration of Dublin’s Northern Quarter has received planning permission from Dublin City County Council.
The Northern Quarter incorporates the area of Dublin City Centre bounded by Henry Street, O’Connell Street, Abbey Street and Liffey Street. The development represents a ¤750m investment and will see Dublin’s north inner city become a prime retail location.
The project is a mixed-use urban development that will integrate retail, residential, leisure and hotel & spa facilities. The plan, which is being led by Arnotts Department Store, includes the transformation of the Northern Quarter of Dublin and the re-creation of Prince’s Street to a fully engaged urban street and pedestrian thoroughfare. This will become Dublin’s premier shopping street incorporating a new public square at the centre.