Clicks and Links

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Our History

Clicks and Links was founded in 2000 by Vin Sumner, the former Business Development Director at Sema Group and Head of E-Government at First Software. We have quickly established ourselves as a reliable partner in delivering business ICT services and solutions in an effective and innovative way. Our client base speaks volumes.  We have clients from a variety of sectors and industries and we have successfully delivered many assignments and solutions to the highest of standards.

We began by offering bespoke web-based solutions based on the OpenCms platform which led us to develop a number of websites for Local Authorities and Community Groups.  Developing web-based solutions became a main focus of our business.  In addition, we offered innovative ICT consultancy for the public sector and community groups.

In 2003, Clicks and Links had grown to become a company of twelve people and we were working on three major websites, one for a Local Authority and two community groups.

In 2007, Clicks and Links success was underpinned when we became a Government Gateway Alliance Partner which is a public sector accreditation by the Department for Work and Pensions' E-Delivery Team for trusted partners.  Furthermore, we became one of eighteen approved companies on the DWP's Pygmalion Framework for specialist suppliers through our Network 21 Consortium.  2007 also saw us as the Principal Consultants for the Manchester City Council-led ONE-Manchester partnership which was formed in response to the UK Government's Digital Challenge competition to find an inclusive and digital city.

In 2008, we formed a joint venture called Second Places with Fusion Unity, and based in Aberdeen.  Second Places Limited are market leading delivers virtual world developers, specialising in creating virtual presences for our clients on virtual platforms such as Unity, OpenSim and Second Life. In a relative short space of time, this venture grew to become a market leader, evident by a number of recent awards.

Our Present

Today, we are working on a range of long term programmes and projects. Some of these include:

• The EU Funded Digital Environment Home Energy Management System (DEHEMS) where throughout its 3 year timeframe, as well as leading the Evaluation and Dissemination Work Package, and chairing the Carbon Trading working group, Clicks and Links provided programme management and technical coordination across 13 partners from 4 EU countries for this leading ICT environmental programme.  See www.dehems.eu for further information, and click here for a short video on the benefits of the DEHEMS solution in improved understanding and reduced energy usage within the Birmingham Living Lab community.
   
• Clicks and Links have encompassed and further enhanced the energy management technology piloted by DEHEMS by developing their own branded product, Greenica – see www.greenica.net.  Greenica is completely supplier independent allowing any household or small business to start monitoring their electricity in real-time within a couple of minutes.
   
• Greenica has, and continues to provide the energy management platform for various high-profile home and small business energy management initiative. These include the recently concluded SMARTER project, whereby electricity and appliance level monitoring, together with display monitors were successfully implemented into over 400 homes and small businesses throughout the City of Manchester using a specially designed and adapted Greenica dashboard. See SMARTER Homes and SMARTER Businesses.
   
• The SMARTER initiative has provided the platform for a further extension of this revolutionary approach to driving environmental behaviour change in SME’s. The new ecoSMARTER project, a government-backed green initiative to help tackle soaring energy costs, will provide free electricity monitoring equipment, which together with an engaging and informative web enabled online dashboard; plus specialist advice and environmental certification, aims to reduce energy consumption in participating SME’s throughout UK Northwest by 16%. Started in 2011, the project is due to complete in 2013.
   
• NiCE (Networking intelligent Cities for Energy efficiency) is based around the Green Digital Charter developed by Clicks and Links, promoted by EUROCITIES and currently signed by 23 cities with a view to using ICT as an enabler to significantly reduce energy consumption and CO2 emissions. The NiCE project is being led by EUROCITIES, and involves a consortium of Clicks and Links, the City of Manchester and the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development as partners. The project commenced on 1st September 2011, with a duration of 30 months.
   
• Second Places, a subsidiary of Clicks and Links Limited, is a Unity Authorised Reseller and market leader in developing innovative, interactive virtual worlds for clients. Focused on helping clients make the best use of virtual technology to assist them achieve their business objectives, Second Places are in a position to offer the option for clients to develop their own private virtual world or, alternatively, to create a virtual presence within a variety of platforms.
   
• Open Data to Everyone – Clicks and Links is currently innovating and creating tools to open data to everyone and anyone. Whilst currently open data focuses on public sector organisations we strongly believe that there is value in enabling the private sector and individuals to join this movement. As a first step in this direction we have released an initial version of our OpenDataCity platform that is currently being trialled Europe-wide in the cities of Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Linköping and Manchester.
   

Overall Clicks and Links works with our clients to transform their business with leading and cutting edge technology. We are passionate about everything we do and all our work is carried out to the highest of standards. We have registered PRINCE 2 Practitioners who manage our projects, and our high standards of quality are evidenced by our commitment to ISO9001:2008.

How Clicks and Links Can Help Your Organisation

We can help your organisation, local authority or community group in many different ways, from developing your IT Strategy, your IT architecture, shaping and managing your digital inclusion initiatives to helping you plan for your green digital city. Our solutions side can help you to develop a private virtual world which you can use to engage your customers, citizens and even for cross site company-wide collaboration.

For an informal chat about how we can help you and to discuss your requirements, please call us on 0161 408 3009. We look forward to hearing from you.

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