Customers from Sussex and Kent took time out from the World Cup Tournament and Wimbledon to join the Cavendish team at the various events at the appropriately named Cavendish Hotel on Eastbourne seafront.
Talking about the three separate events, Chairman and Cavendish Founder, Andrew Walker said, “We wanted the chance to say thank you to some of our long-standing customers for making Cavendish a success over the 20 years. We were having trouble finding one time that suited all the people we wanted to invite, so we decided to hold three events over the course of a day.”
Having met in the lavishly decorated library, breakfast guests were bathed in sunshine whilst enjoying the Cavendish Hotel buffet breakfast. Lunch was in a private room after a welcome Pimm’s on The Terrace. Afternoon guests were back on the Terrace overlooking a sunny Eastbourne seafront and enjoying cream teas with the Cavendish team.
In reviewing the 20 years in business, Chairman Andrew Walker drew uncanny parallels between the events in 1990 and 2010. Unfortunately, a massive clean-up operation was underway of the coast of America following the oil spill from the Exxon Valdez, British and American troops were active in the Middle East, there was a significant change in government with Margaret Thatcher resigning and dare we mention it, Germany won the World Cup....
In terms of technology, there had been some significant changes over the 20 years. In 1990, the internet was in its infancy. Today, 350M Facebook users alone access the internet worldwide to update their status and a significant proportion of telephony communication takes place of the internet.
The second generation or 2G wireless telephone technology standard was introduced, bringing with it the first SMS Text Messaging. Very few people had mobile phones in 1990, today there are 80M active mobile phone SIM cards in the UK.
Commenting on the changes in technology since the company was founded, Andrew Walker said, “The product portfolio at Cavendish has had to grow significantly over the years and we now offer customers everything they need in terms of business communications from one local provider. This includes a range of telephone systems, broadband and data services, mobile communications, voice over IP communications, SIP trunks (flexible virtual exchange lines) and hosted telephony solutions. All of these can be seen in action at the purpose built demonstration suite in our Newhaven offices.”
In summing up, Andrew Walker noted that whilst technology had changed, the one factor that had remained constant was the need for loyal customers and that the day had been all about saying thank you to a number of customers that had used Cavendish services for many years.
Special acknowledgement and commemorative pens were given to Mark and Gary Parrett from Eastwell Manor in Ashford, who had been customers of Andrew Walker before Cavendish was founded.
Commenting on the special note Mark Parrett said, “Cavendish have provided and maintained the communications for Eastwell Manor for at least 20 years and Gary and I have known Andrew Walker from before that. Andrew could always be relied upon to respond quickly to our requirements and I’m pleased to say that he has managed to instil the same values into the staff at Cavendish Communications. I look forward to celebrating the next 20 years with Cavendish.”
The Cavendish staff are looking forward to their own celebrations at the company barbecue in August.