Kingston Communications is an established UK communications company. The Group's national business-to-business capabilities encompass the provision of fully integrated and managed network solutions, complemented by the delivery of voice, data and call handling services in the towns and cities served by the Kingston Communications network. This infrastructure comprises twenty-five metropolitan fibre networks and a long distance broadband network, which was initiated for service in May 2001. Kingston's new media activities include the DSL-based interactive television service, KIT, and satellite broadband content, storage and distribution arm, Kingston inmedia. The Group's East Yorkshire network operation has served business and residential customers since 1904.

News

27 November 2003

Kingston Scoops Contract with Lottery Ticket Printer Stralfors

Specialist printing company becomes first business in Cornwall to be directly connected to Kingston's nationwide network

Specialist printing and information transfer company Stralfors - best known for printing National Lottery tickets - has called on telecommunications company Kingston Communications to be its sole provider of voice and data services in the UK.

The global company - which becomes the first business in Cornwall to be directly connected to Kingston's nationwide telecommunications network - awarded the contract in a move to cut communications costs and improve service.

"We switched to Kingston because we wanted to reduce our overall expenditure on voice and data and streamline our communications," says Mark Wright, IT manager at Stralfors, which recently moved its UK operations to a purpose-built 75,000sq ft factory in Redruth, Cornwall.

"Another factor in our decision to award Kingston the business was our need for a single source of invoicing for data and IT, as well as a single point of contact for account management."

Under the terms of the agreement, Stralfors' voice and data traffic will be carried on Kingston's national fibre network.

In addition, Kingston Communications is providing leased lines between Stralfors - which also has a site in Swindon - and its main customers. These will allow data from customers to be converted, collated, made into documents and mailed by Stralfors, which specialises in critical transactional mailings.

As well as printing and posting almost one million personalised letters a month to registered donors on behalf of the National Blood Service, Stralfors prints the stationery for every game slip and lottery ticket sold in the UK for Camelot, playing its own unique part in making millionaires each week.

"What we like about Kingston is that we have a dedicated account manager and regular contact, which helps enormously with new projects," adds Mark Wright.

Lance Spencer, managing director of Kingston Communications - business markets, said winning the contract - which had been secured following a competitive tender involving BT and Energis - reflected why many companies choose Kingston.

"Kingston is a national telecommunications provider, but has a firm commitment to supporting customers at the local level," he says. "This ensures they have a named point of contact and a rapid response to their enquiries. This closeness to the customer is why many companies select Kingston as their provider over and above some of our more anonymous competitors."

Kingston Communications provides a comprehensive portfolio of cost-effective, high quality business communications services including voice, data and 08 services in the towns and cities across the UK.

The company recently extended its network to make its services available to more businesses in the South West. For information, call 0800 138 6000.

I dont think that we can expect a great deal of movement for a while but it certainly is a plus point for kcom when they keep landing these contracts.
Interesting that kcom is moving into the South. Must be a lot of business to be won in that area.

Pivot Points for Fri 28/11/03

r2 67
r1 66
pp 64
s1 63
s2 61

The seem to be going for quality (high volume/single user) rather than quantity (low volume/multiple users) business - should pay off in the long run.

Just discovered this thread, excellent work lw. optomistic, out of interest, the Hook office used to be Milgo Solutions, which KCOM bought in 2001 (I think) to expand into the data communication side of things. Recent contract wins seem to be both voice and data, so things are obviously beginning to work. KCOM also have a huge site close to Gerrards Cross, where their inmedia satellite stuff is based.

realcooltrader, welcome to the thread and look forward to any further contributions from yourself.
Rgds
optomistic

kcom has firmed up this afternoon on trades predominant in the sells, interesting! any clues on L2 LW, when you return from taxing your car?

Buys almost caught up with sells. Through R1 will R2 break? certainly looking stronger overall.

most of the AT trades are back front! AT buys are our sells & AT sells are our buys.

If you take a look at the trades at 14:36 - there are a couple of AT sells @ 67p, and the last one also @ 67p but this is down as a buy. The give away is the bid price. The last one went down as a buy because the bid price dropped - even though it is the same type of trade!

The MM buy orders way exceed the sell orders is why the price is going up.

e.g at the moment there is a buy for 50,000 @ 66p, but only 2,016 to sell @ 67p
Next down, buy 35,000 @ 65p and sell 2,012 @67.25p
Then buy 57,156 @63p and sell 2,088 & 25,000 @ 68p

Thanks LW. points clarified.

Take a look at Market Scan - Top gainers over 5 days. KCOM is 7th !

Cheers for the welcome optomistic, I'll look in from time to time.

rct

Investors chronical have KCOM as a Sell. Untill now, their articles were fairly positive - but this time say :Two profit warnings in 12 months have raised questions over Kingston's growth credentials

Only time will tell.

Pivot Points for Mon 01/12/03

r2 68
r1 67
pp 66
s1 65
s2 64

Looks like the MM don't agree with Investors Chronical! Although it wasn't there on market open, support at 65p is certainly there now!

I know that watching the trades can be misleading - but just had 3 Ordinary trades go through for 389,846; 110,000 & 500,000 @ 67p over 673K in value.

I took Investors Chroncle for several years and found their research very good but even the IC columnists have not had an 100% success rate in their predictions. As you say LW time will tell. I feel with those kind of trades going through a lot of support is indicated, and certainly if I was in a positon to invest that kind of money in a company my decision would be based on research and sound information not just pure speculation. In the meantime I still remain an 'opomistic' holder of kcom. Could be wrong, but that's a chance we all take!

Pivot Points for Tue 02/12/03

r2 68
r1 66
pp 65
s1 63
s2 62

Pivot Points for Wed 03/12/03

r2 66
r1 66
pp 65
s1 65
s2 64

3 December 2003

Gloustershire Constabulary Gears Up for High Speed Connectivity in Partnership with Kingston Communications

New data network will support pioneering tri-service control centre as well as bandwidth hungry applications such as video streaming from helicopters and CCTV

Gloucestershire Constabulary has awarded Kingston Communications a substantial contract to provide a resilient high-speed data network that will support the county's pioneering new TriService command and control centre.

The new infrastructure will enable Gloucestershire Constabulary to run bandwidth hungry applications more effectively, such as video streaming from helicopter mounted cameras.

It will also allow the force - one of 15 constabularies nationwide now using voice and data technology provided by Kingston Communications - to make better use of town centre CCTV systems.

In addition, Kingston's new network will support HOLMES, the Home Office Large Major Enquiry System. This will enable the force to set up a specialist casualty bureau - a feature of HOLMES - as well as remote police stations in the event of a major incident in Gloucestershire, where events such as the Royal International Air Tattoo and Cheltenham Races are held.

For the rest of the article click here: http://www.kcom.com/news/2003/news248.shtml