Internet Watch Foundation

Soham’s award-winning telemarketing business, Blue Donkey have recently recruited a Business Development Manager and it’s already paying dividends.  Simon Strode has already been instrumental in winning new business for the company.

 

Business Link is one of the latest new accounts, where Blue Donkey is working on a government funded initiative, designed to help businesses within key industries. The project involves Blue Donkey creating opportunities for Business Link advisers to talk to SME’s (Small to Medium Sized Enterprises) in the region in specific industry sectors.  “Although the project is still in a pilot phase, we have already been successful in creating a number of opportunities, as tasked”, explains Simon “and I hope that the pilot project will be extended to cover more industry sectors in due course.”

 

The company has also recently embarked on a campaign on behalf of the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), based in Oakington.  The foundation provides an internet ‘hotline’ for the general public to report illegal content, with particular reference to child abuse images. The organisation is funded by the internet industry including Internet Service Providers, Mobile Operators and filtering companies. The IWF is supported by the Government and works closely with departments such as the DTI and Home Office and in partnership with national and international Law Enforcement Agencies.

 

Blue Donkey’s IWF research contract was won on the back of the recent amendment to the Sexual Offences Act 2003. 

The first phase of the research campaign has been completed and is currently being analysed.

 

Fay MacDonald, Communications Co-ordinator at the Internet Watch Foundation commented; “Everyone has been very pleased with the research and the way it was collated. We found it very interesting and enlightening, if somewhat alarming.”

 

The research revealed a startling lack of awareness amongst IT Managers around the changes in legislation about how to handle illegal content in the workplace and on company networks. Nearly 90% had not heard of these amendments which offer guidelines on how to deal with illegal child abuse images which systems administrators may be exposed to when monitoring company systems.

 

The law now affords these IT professionals some protection in their day-to-day work of viewing such internet content if and when they need to preserve such images for legal evidence. The prison sentence of up to 10 years for deliberately seeking out such content remains, as does the seriousness associated with handling this issue and these images correctly. The information complied will be shared with the DTI, Law Enforcement Agencies, other relevant organisations and the Media. It will also be incorporated into the Internet Watch Foundation’s awareness programme and guidelines.

 

It is a year since Blue Donkey moved into the ground floor of their Soham premises in the High Street.  The refurbishment of the first floor is nearing completion, creating much-needed additional workspace as business continues to boom.

                                                                                   

 

 

Blue Donkey was established 7 years ago in Wilburton, near Cambridge.

 

The company has grown steadily, doubling turnover year on year and staying profitable.

 

It boasts an impressive client portfolio, including Godfrey Davis, Guardian Media group and the Bank of Scotland.