The Ask4 Datacentre is a custom built, state of the art, tier 3 data centre. This 10,250 sq/ft data centre in Sheffield strives to be one of the most energy-efficient buildings of its type.

Metronet (UK) connects customers at speeds of 1Mbps to 10Gbps with a resilient network that spans the majority of the strategic UK data centres. As the UK’s leading provider of hybrid network solutions, we recognise that our customers need choice both in carrier medium and also in their data centre space. For some years now, Metronet (UK) has been pursuing a strategy to ‘POP’ the UK’s strategic DCs and this has seen our presence further grow into both UKFast and Teldata over recent months to complement our existing presence in London, Manchester and Leeds.

Ask4 will be the latest ‘on net’ data centre to Metronet (UK)’s resilient 10GB/s network that encircles Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds and now Sheffield. Our national data centre presence gives our customers option to have circuits terminated in one or more geographically disparate locations. This means that not only can we provide data centre agnostic cloud services, we can also help companies to fulfil their disaster recovery and compliance requirements, however big or small they are.

Mark Whitehead, Head of Sales at Ask4 Data Centres said, “As a fellow telecommunications provider, we understand the importance of reliable services supported by great customer service, attributes demonstrated on a daily basis by Metronet (UK). We are delighted to be partnering with them and look forward to a strong ongoing relationship.”

Metronet (UK) Technical Director, Craig Timmis said, “Our presence in Ask4’s data centre will allow us to deliver solutions for local businesses in a truly high quality hosting facility. This represents the first step for the growth of Metronet (UK)’s network in Sheffield. With our unique hybrid approach to connectivity, we will deliver services quickly, in a cost effective manner and with a level of service that traditional providers cannot match.”

If you would like to find out more about MetronetUK you can do so by visiting their site here.

For more information about this program and to apply see http://dotforgeaccelerator.com/

And now 121 IT will be acting as the sole on site point of contact between Ask4 and other tenants at Westbrook Court, ensuring a consistent and reliable level of broadband service.

“Most Businesses can only afford xDSL products from the better known brands on the available market, such as the classic ADSL connection of up to 8Mb down or the newer 21CN ADSL2+ of up to 24Mb down,” Ask4 Business Sales Manager George Powell explained.

“Mass market products that are typically available have a single point of failure via the local exchange and local cabinet but Ask4 Business bypass all of this and remove these points, improving reliability of the line into the office.

“Clients see a significant difference in stability and because we don’t route the connection through the lines used by neighbours, there are no longer slow speeds during busy times of the day.
“Thanks to this stability that is standard with any Ask4 connection, clients like 121 IT and the other users of the service at Westbrook Court can confidently take advantage of connection-reliant technologies such as Hosted VOIP.”

Adrian Lane, of 121 IT, commented: “Faster speeds and faster downloads mean that we can consume and share more information online than ever before.

“Thanks to fibre optic broadband, the future of the internet is both bright and speedy.”

Unlike most ISPs ASK4 began life in 2000 with the primary purpose of delivering telecommunications services to multiple-tenanted buildings, with a focus on student accommodation and businesses. Since then it’s continued to expand and now delivers superfast broadband and phone services to over 100,000 students in properties across the country.

In February 2012 ASK4 hit the headlines after it stepped in to save the customers of a little known South Yorkshire ISP, RiPWiRE, that had suddenly ceased trading after experiencing a host of “commercial and technical issues” with the Digital Region network (Click here to read the story).

Suffice to say that ASK4 has somewhat of a unique perspective on the current broadband market and Digital Region’s potential fate. ISPreview.co.uk has politely pulled in Ross Bray to give us his thoughts on these issues and all of the years other main developments.

If you would like to read the full interview you can do so here >>

The Canadian Olympic support team chose a base camp supplied by Nido, the international brand for student accommodation, attracting diverse cultural markets in the UK, Europe and further a field in Asia and known for spearheading student community care.

And one of the main reasons they opted for Nido was because of its super fast fibre optic internet service – which is supplied by award-winning Sheffield company, ASK4.

Based at West One in Devonshire Green, Sheffield, ASK4 is hailed as the UK’s leading provider of services to student accommodation and is now developing its work with residential accommodation and business premises, linking with property developers and communication companies to develop and design systems that offer clients flexibility and reliability.

“Nido are a valued client and we were delighted to hear that one of their London sites had been selected by the Canadian Olympic support team,” said ASK4 Chief Operating Officer Ross Bray.

With ASK4’s support, all Nido sites have 10MB Internet dedicated access in room as standard and wireless is also available in all communal spaces.

“As the UK’s leading supplier of fibre-optic broadband to student accommodation and Data Centres, we had increased capacity within our network to deal with the needs of new on demand services available to our 100,000 plus customers during the Olympics,” Ross said.

“We also increased resilience to deal with the expected increased demand for online services.

“The Olympics is all about excellence and achieving the Gold Standard – and that’s what we believe in at ASK4 too!”

Victoria Hall won the Best Private Halls Provider prize, awarded to the company achieving the highest levels of satisfaction amongst residents.

And helping to achieve that standard was ASK4, primary supplier to Victoria Hall properties across the country with its market leading internet speeds, round the clock support services and Service Level Agreements.

“We are pleased that the level of service and support we provide helped Victoria Hall to retain the title for a second year running,” said ASK4 director Matt Eley.

“As well as working with Victoria Hall, ASK4 also delivers full services to Liberty Living and Opal, both previous winners of the prestigious National Student Housing Survey award so we are clearly delivering a gold standard service for all our clients.”

Victoria Hall Head of Operations John Ripley commented: “With students valuing the internet service so highly, ASK4 provide a vital component of the facilities we supply and also give an excellent level of support to our business services.

“We are delighted to have won this award for a second year running and feel that our continued relationship with ASK4 was a key factor in achieving that level of success.”

Victoria Hall also scooped a second prestige award, Best Value for Money, awarded to the university or private hall provider achieving the highest value-for-money scores.

Award winning ASK4, based at Devonshire Green in Sheffield city centre, provides superfast fibre optic broadband and associated services such as IPTV, gaming and backup to students across the UK at speeds in excess of 100Mb/s.

Victoria Hall provides prestige student accommodation in many of Britain’s leading university cities, including Sheffield, Birmingham, Cardiff, Glasgow, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Nottingham and Wolverhampton.

You can visit their website here

Liberty Living is the exclusive brand of the Brandeaux Student Accommodation Fund, which owns and operates one of the largest private purpose-built student accommodation portfolios in the UK of approximately 16,000 student rooms in 17 university towns and cities.

ASK4 based at Devonshire Green in Sheffield, which has provided student internet services to two-thirds of Liberty Living’s property portfolio for the last 5 years, has signed a new multi-million pound agreement to become the first exclusive provider of IT services for all of Liberty Living’s customer needs.

ASK4 will provide a network to Liberty Living’s 41 residences underpinning its long term commitment to develop technology exclusively for the student accommodation market’s comprehensive needs, including full business services.

“We have worked very successfully with Liberty Living for many years, and are delighted they have chosen us to provide student and office network services throughout their business. Liberty Living and ASK4 have a very similar ethos and are focused on delivering fantastic service to all student customers – which we believe is reflected in our ongoing partnership.” said Jonathan Burrows, ASK4’s Managing Director.

John Kenny, Chief Operating Officer of Liberty Living, commented: “Our network infrastructure requirements have increased in recent years as we continue to focus on the innovative use of IT to add value to our service proposition. We recognise that superb internet provision is a key facet of service expectation for today’s student, our customer, and moreover that our business is increasingly operationally dependent on IT at every level. ASK4 has worked with Liberty Living to design a new infrastructure spanning our complete portfolio, using high bandwidth Ethernet technology that will not only deliver a robust network but also enable Liberty Living to expand operationally and commercially without worrying about the extra demand on the network.”

The Sheffield company is one of three finalists for the University Business Partner of the Year Award in the inaugural CUBO Uliving awards, recognising the great practices, support and innovation that make for an excellent student experience.

Ask4 provides superfast fibreoptic broadband and associated services such as IPTV, gaming and backup to students at universities across the UK at speeds in excess of 100Mb/s.

The award winners will be announced by former British and Irish Lions and Scotland rugby captain Gavin Hastings at the CUBO Summer Conference gala dinner, to be held in the grand setting of the Playfair Library at Edinburgh University on Wednesday, June 20.

Oliver Riddle, Business Development Director at Ask4, commented: “it’s hugely satisfying to be see Ask4 on a shortlist of three for this award.

“We are a rapidly growing business and to be recognised in this way is testament to the guys in Support and Customer Service. We look forward to the awards in June.”

CUBO (College and University Business Officers) is the professional association for senior managers in higher education whose responsibilities include the strategic planning, management, administration and development of residential portfolios, catering and retail operations and commercial income generation from business and leisure tourism, including the management of year-round conference and training centres.

Ask4 will be exhibiting at CUBO ’12 at Edinburgh University, from June 20 to 22.

For the second year running, the Sheffield company is a finalist in the Internet Services Providers’ Association awards.

ASK4 has been nominated in the prestigious Customer Choice category of the ISPA Awards – and now the company is depending on its customers to propel it to victory!

As one of 14 entrants in the hotly contended Customer Choice section, ASK4 needs its many users throughout the country to tell the ISPA why they think ASK4 is the nation’s finest when it comes to supporting its customers.

Voting is quick and easy – simply log on and go to http://ispa.thinkbroadband.com/vote/

And by taking part in the vote there’s even a chance to win two tickets to the glittering black tie awards ceremony at London’s Sheraton Park Lane Hotel on July 3.

ASK4 chairman Jonathan Hudson commented: “I am delighted that ASK4 have been nominated for the ISPA’s for the 2nd year in a row. By delivering customer benefits such as average hold times of under 10 seconds for our UK based support centre and offering instant connections in our fibre connected buildings, I believe that we are again leading the way for ISP’s in the UK, as we did over a decade ago by pioneering fibre to the premises.”

Jonathan Burrows, Ask4′s Managing Director travelled to a regimental send off in Stoke to present a cheque to Enid Corker for The Mercian Regiment Benevolence Charity and wish her well for her epic trip to Everest Base Camp.

Jonathan said “Ask4 have strong links to the army via our ex-forces employees and employees with family currently serving in Afghanistan and as such felt it was important to recognise both Enid’s effort and the work the MRBC are doing, we wish her all the very best for her attempt”

Enid celebrates her 70th birthday this year and to mark the occasion is going to climb to base camp Mt Everest. In doing so she is raising money for The Mercian Regiment Benevolence Charity.

Of the past 5 years The Mercian Regiment has spent over 2 ½ in Helmand, Afghanistan. Numerous soldiers have been highly decorated for their achievements whilst reinforcing the Regiment’s outstanding operational reputation. Unfortunately its success has come at a tragic cost. The Mercian Regiment has seen 28 soldiers pay the ultimate sacrifice for their bravery in Afghanistan and has seen 71 more receive life-changing injuries; both physical and psychological.

The Mercian Regiment Benevolence Charity (MRBC) provides relief to past and present members of the Mercian Regiment, and its antecedent Regiments, who are in conditions of hardship, need or distress. It awards grants that pay for items, services and facilities which can help soldiers and their families improve their quality of life. With close links to The Soldier’s Charity, Army Benevolent Fund and other key forces charities, its goal is to provide enduring lifelong care to assist soldiers’ even once their military career is over.