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Tees Valley, UK, 12th July 2007.  Hartlepool-based Garlands Call Centres has received the coveted 'Orange Best Use of Technology in Business' Award at the National Business Awards, North East Region Finals.

The award was presented to Garlands' IT Director Chris Colyer at a glittering Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner hosted by Louisa Bojesen of CNBC Europe at the Palace Hotel, Manchester, on Tuesday 10th July. The Award was presented before a gathering of over 500 leading business people and VIPs.

Judges were looking for the organisation that could best demonstrate it had effectively used business technology to create a significant and exploitable competitive or operational advantage in a business area - including revenue, improved quality and/or customer convenience.

Garlands' award entry was based on the company's recent £3m+ investment in an advanced IP infrastructure and IP contact centre.  The technology has led to significant performance and quality improvements, greater flexibility, business agility, resilience and technology thought leadership.  It's enabled Garlands to centralise operations, reduce the technology footprint required at satellite offices, simplify 'moves and changes' and network administration, and slash the cost of technology-enabling new Advisors by 50%.  The investment has also lead to IT operating costs falling by 25%.

Other finalists in the Orange Best Use of Technology in Business category were Northern Gas Networks/ United Utilities, Norwich Union and Trident UK. 

Garlands now advances as a finalist in The National Business Awards programme, with the finals to be held in London on the 13th of November.

Suzy Edward, partner director, Orange Business Services said, "Garlands Call Centres has used technology to create a significant advantage for its business.  We are proud to be associated with such successful British talent and congratulate the company on achieving this fantastic accolade."