Part of the development will include a new customer portal – details of which will be announced soon. We expect the site to be complete in the coming weeks and will keep you up-to-date with its progress.

Thinner, lighter and faster, the iPad 2’s lightweight design means you can take it anywhere and it can be easily stored whilst on the move.

The iPad 2 offers a wide range of apps, specifically designed to make your working life easier. We’ve selected ten of the best for you:

1. DRAGON DICTATION
Dragon Dictation is a free voice recognition app which allows you to dictate emails, documents and text messages. Up to five times faster than using the keyboard, Dragon Dictation also lets you dictate status updates on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, as well as drafting documents or sending notes or reminders to yourself.

2. LOGMEIN IGNITION
LogMeIn Ignition is a paid for app which allows you to control any PC directly from your iPad. This app lets you copy and view files on your computer from your iPad, as well as giving you the option to update local files and folders and transfer files between multiple computers. This app makes accessing all the information stored on your PC from your iPad effortless.

3. DROPBOX
Dropbox is a free app which enables you to save photos, documents and videos anywhere. Any file you save to Dropbox will automatically save to your iPad, as well as your iPhone, computers and the Dropbox website. This app is perfect for those times when you need important documents that are saved on devices elsewhere.

4. BLOGPRESS
BlogPress lets you update your company’s blog on the go. Connecting with most blogging platforms, BlogPress includes a video uploader as well as an unlimited photo uploader. Once you’ve written your post you can upload it to all blogging platforms you’re registered with, in just one click.

5. KEYNOTE
Part of Apple’s iWork suite, Keynote enables you to create presentations on your iPad and showcase them either via your iPad or by connecting to an external display or projector. Creating slides, including photos and videos, and making them show-worthy is incredibly easy to do. With Keynote, there is no need to worry about losing your work, as everything is saved automatically as you go.

6. NUMBERS
Another iWork app, Numbers lets you create spreadsheets wherever you are. Simple to use, Numbers also calculates any formula with a simple tap. As with Keynote, all work is automatically saved as you go and you can open and edit Microsoft Office documents.

7. PAGES
iWork’s Pages allows you to create, edit and view documents on the go. Using one of sixteen Apple themes, you can customise the colours, fonts and textures of your documents. Again, Pages saves your work as you go, meaning you can leave it and come back to it at any point.

8. PRINTCENTRAL
PrintCentral allows you to print your work on most WiFi and wireless printers without any additional software. Using this app also allows you to print remotely over 3G and other networks where WiFi is not available.

9. ROAMBI VISUALIZER
Roambi Visualizer is a free app that lets you transform your business reports and data into secure, interactive mobile dashboards that are instantly delivered to your iPad. The app showcases your data in the form of bar charts and pie charts etc, allowing you to view and analyse up-to-the-minute company information, wherever you are.

10. TWEETDECK
Finally, TweetDeck for the iPad lets you manage multiple Twitter and Facebook accounts simultaneously. The multiple column format makes monitoring tweets, messages and mentions easy, as well as allowing you to save search lists for future reference.

The iPad2 is now available at Activtelecom. You can get yours for just £280 when you connect to one of our data plans that start from just £12.77 per month. To find out more or place an order, please call 0191 244 9400 or email us at info@activtelecom.co.uk.

The BlackBerry PlayBook™ tablet has a dual core processor, a high resolution 7” multi-touch display and up to ten hours of battery life, making it perfect for even the most demanding of tasks.

Weighing less than one pound, and less than half an inch thick, the BlackBerry PlayBook has been designed to go anywhere and everywhere.

Features include support for Adobe® Flash 10.2, as well as the latest web technology, HTML5, which will give you full access to all the internet has to offer.

The BlackBerry PlayBook also boasts a 3-megapixel front-facing camera – perfect for video calling – and a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that can be used for still images and video recording.

You will also be able to multi-task like never before as the huge selection of apps, built and optimised for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, run simultaneously and in real time.

Built in video chat means you can view calls on a clear, high resolution, HD screen or output to an HDTV to share the conversation with others.

Also featured is BlackBerry Bridge, which allows you to view your emails, BlackBerry messenger, calendar and address book from your smartphone on the larger BlackBerry PlayBook display. It also links seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook to ensure that all of your vital business information is always easily accessible.

The BlackBerry PlayBook also offers the ability to browse the internet via WiFi or your BlackBerry device, making the PlayBook a winner for both business and play.

The highly anticipated PlayBook is now available to order and we’re expecting demand to be high. To avoid disappointment, order yours now by calling our sales team on 0191 244 9400 and quoting ‘BP11′, or emailing us by clicking here.

For a full demonstration on how to get the most out of the PlayBook, please feel free to visit us here at Hadrian House. Alternatively, one of our team can come to you. You can book a session by clicking here.

Vodafone is running a competition for small business owners, which will see the winner’s company name placed on one of Vodafone’s McLaren Mercedes F1™ cars at the 2011 Formula 1 Santander British Grand Prix.

This once in a lifetime chance means that the winner will see their company name race round the track, with millions watching.

Also included in the prize are two grandstand tickets for the weekend (8 – 10 July 2011) at Silverstone.

On the Friday of the weekend, you will be given a tour of the F1™ Paddock, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Garage and the brand centre. This offers a great photo opportunity for your business, as you will get up close to the car which displays your company name and meet one of the drivers, before having your photo taken with both.

Vodafone customers can enter the competition by clicking here.

The closing date is 24th June 2011.

Good luck!

Managing director of Activtelecom, Michael Fitzpatrick said: “We are delighted to receive this national award; it is a real coup for the business. We have a very strong customer service ethic and our retention figures demonstrate just how effective this is.

“We are delighted that our customers have decided to stay with us in this very competitive marketplace and will continue to work closely with them to ensure they receive a high level of service.”

As well as being named as Vodafone’s Partner of the Year, we are also now a Vodafone Gold Partner, which allows us to offer Vodafone’s recently launched service, One Net.

One Net is an innovative new system that allows mobile and landline phones to work as one. Providing a seamless service, One Net offers all of the benefits associated with a standard switchboard system and allows all calls to be terminated on a mobile device. It also offers integrated voicemail and gives users the option to multiple landline numbers to any area code in the UK.

Michael continued: “Our status as a Vodafone Gold Partner means we are now one of the only suppliers in the North able to offer One Net. The service is different to that of other landline packages as desk handsets will work via your mobile device and vice versa. The service is designed for businesses from one to 60 staff and is extremely cost-effective. It’s also great for businesses who work out of the area as they are able to have individual dialing codes for the areas of the UK that they operate in.”

To find out more about the award or One Net, please call 0191 244 9400 or email info@activtelecom.co.uk.

The event saw over 20 young people, aged between two and 14, practise their scrums, tries and tackles with the team responsible for some of the UK’s most well respected rugby players. The training session lasted for an hour and the children and their parents were given a full tour of the stadium, which included a look into the players’ gym and changing rooms.

We decided to host the event to celebrate our first year’s sponsorship of the Newcastle Falcons and, whilst the children trained outside,  we held a networking event for their parents and local business people, which included a look at some of the latest gadgets and mobile handsets.

Activtelecom’s sales director Duncan Edward said: “We have really enjoyed sponsoring the Newcastle Falcons this season and wanted to host an event to celebrate this.

“The event was a huge success and both the children and their parents really enjoyed it. Training with a premiership rugby team’s players and coaching staff isn’t the sort of opportunity you get everyday and we’re glad everyone had a great time. We’re hoping to host another similar event soon.”

Further photographs from the event can be found here.

If you’d be interested in attending our next event, please email info@activtelecom.co.uk with your full details and we will contact you with further information once the event is confirmed.

Activtelecom would like to invite you and your family to an exclusive coaching event that we are hosting in conjunction with the Newcastle Falcons.

Players and coaching staff will be on hand to train with under-16s in a special hour-long session at Kingston Park Stadium. The event, which will take place on Thursday 5th May 2011, is completely free of charge and sure to be a big hit.

And whilst children are having fun outside, adults are invited to have some fun of their own inside. We will be showcasing all of the latest technology including the iPad2, a large selection of phones and more.

Refreshments will be provided at this excellent opportunity for networking and you will also be able to watch your child train.

The event will take place in the West Stand at Kingston Park Stadium, Newcastle. Guests are asked to arrive at 4.30pm, with the training commencing at 5pm. We expect the event to run for approximately two hours.

To find out more and register, please email info@activtelecom.co.uk with your full contact details and the name and age of the child/children who will be attending the event. Alternatively, call 0191 244 9400 to speak to one of the Activtelecom team.

We expect this event to be very popular so please book early to avoid disappointment.

We hope to see you there!

The iPad 2 is now available at Activtelecom, along with a range of data plans to keep you connected whilst on the move.

The iPad revolutionised the way we do business and the iPad 2 does not disappoint. Thinner, lighter and faster, the iPad 2’s lightweight design means you can take it anywhere and it can be easily stored whilst on the move.

In addition to providing an enjoyable browsing experience, the iPad 2 gives you full access to vital business functions such as email, calendars and contacts.

You are able to create, edit and review word documents, presentations and spreadsheets anytime, anywhere, and constantly stay connected with your team. The iPad 2 also incorporates two inbuilt cameras meaning you can host video calls with colleagues, customers and associates wherever you are.

Purchase an iPad 2 for £280 when you connect to one of our data plans that start from just £12.77 per month. To find out more or place an order, please call 0191 244 9400 or email us by clicking here.