Pures BlackBerry boost

Pure Communications managing director Matt Sandford said nine companies are trialing 250 BlackBerry devices between them on the back of the first business breakfast, attended by 25 local businesses.

Sandfords conversion rate to date from BlackBerry trials has been 100 per cent, he said last week.

Pure Communications ran the business breakfast in conjunction with O2. Sandford said: Due to the breakfast and the offer from O2, which means we can enable 30-day trials of BlackBerry devices and software to prospective clients, we have around 250 devices on trial. Around 50 per cent of our connections are with BlackBerrys at present.

The interview with Sandford in last issue of Mobile News said he canned his former business, Ternhill Communications. In fact, Sandford sold it for a six-figure sum to Project Telecom in 2002. Ternhill, which under Sandfords stewardship won Dealer of the Year at the Mobile News Awards two years in a row, had no retail outlets at the time of the sale.

Sandford also made clear the reasons for his exit from Yes Telecom. He said: I left Yes Telecom because we had done a deal with Vodafone to acquire the company. My job was done. I did not throw in the towel.

He added: I have had a fantastic time in the industry and not had a struggle in making things work.