Latest news with #SimonEdwards
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Property developer agrees deal to buy Hanley Town Hall
A buyer has been found for a prominent building in Stoke-on-Trent which has been empty for five offer from Heronceau Properties to buy Hanley Town Hall has been accepted, Stoke-on-Trent City Council building started life as the Queen's Hotel in 1869 and was most recently a wedding venue until it closed in October director Simon Edwards said his plans for the building included residential accommodation, an event space, a coffee shop and an area for start-up businesses. The council had put the property on the market for £500,000 but until now had not been able to secure a buyer for Edwards has previously spoken about how he became a Christian while in prison serving time for armed is also CEO of Walk Ministries, a charity he set up to provide rehabilitation for released prisoners or those who are at risk of being former Meir resident said he remembered walking into the city centre and seeing the building, and recalled how impressive it was in its heyday."We want to be able to bring that building back into use, and we want to get marriages back in there," he said."It's a massive part of the history of Stoke-on-Trent and it's a massive part of Hanley."He said he had split ithe building into four zones with residential accommodation on the top floors, an event space in the former courtroom and council chambers, space for start-ups in the basement and the coffee shop."We see it as a building where people are going to come to visit again."He added it had well looked-after by the council and was structurally sound."We hear all the stuff about some of the historic buildings that are empty," he added."It takes a lot of ideas and it takes a lot of traction to get a building even brought [back into use], of this size and this magnitude." A spokesperson for Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: "We can confirm that we have accepted an offer on Hanley Town Hall subject to planning permission and other required consent being obtained."We are working with Heronceau Properties to ensure the building is put to the best use for the local community." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Channel Post MEA
08-07-2025
- Business
- Channel Post MEA
NetApp Bags 2025 SE Labs Award For Enterprise Data Protection
NetApp has announced that it was recognized as a standout performer in cybersecurity in the SE LABS Awards 2025. NetApp won the 2025 SE Labs Award for Enterprise Data Protection, validating NetApp's status as the most secure storage on the planet. This recognition as a winner of a 2025 SE Labs Award is a result of NetApp's exceptional innovation in cyber resiliency to deliver NetApp ONTAP® Autonomous Ransomware Protection with Artificial Intelligence (ARP/AI), which was tested and validated by SE Labs. NetApp ARP/AI demonstrated 99 percent detection of tested, advanced full-file encryption ransomware attacks with zero false positives, indicating a strong ability to operate in a business context without contributing to alert fatigue. 'Great security doesn't just happen—it's built, tested and proven,' says Simon Edwards, Founder and CEO of SE Labs. 'Behind every high performing security product is a team committed to excellence. We believe that we should celebrate the technologies and teams pushing the boundaries in protection and resilience against cyberattacks. The standard of competition for the top place in each category has been very high this year and all of our winners are to be congratulated.' Now in its seventh year, the SE Labs Awards recognize those security vendors that deliver the very best in their field and are making a real difference in keeping systems secure. Judged based on a combination of continual public testing, private assessments, and feedback from SE Labs' corporate clients, these are the products setting the benchmarks for the rest of the cyber security industry. 'Winning the 2025 SE Labs Award for Enterprise Data Protection highlights NetApp's commitment to providing the most secure storage on the planet. With ARP/AI, NetApp is the first and only storage vendor with built-in, real-time AI-powered ransomware detection in primary storage for file workloads,' said Gagan Gulati, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Data Services at NetApp. 'Keeping data and their businesses safe is a top concern for companies everywhere, with discussions about the disruption of ransomware attacks rising all the way to the boardroom. To combat the relentless threat of targeted, automated and destructive cyberattacks, companies need an intelligent data infrastructure with built-in cyber resilience.' Since the release of ARP/AI, NetApp has continued to build and innovate its cyber resiliency solutions, announcing advanced capabilities to orchestrate protection of critical workloads in native cloud environments and the upcoming enhancements for ARP/AI to protect block storage workloads.
National Post
02-07-2025
- Business
- National Post
SE Labs Award Reinforces NetApp Status as the Most Secure Storage on the Planet
Article content SAN JOSE, Calif. — NetApp® (NASDAQ: NTAP), the intelligent data infrastructure company, today announced that it was recognized as a standout performer in cybersecurity in the SE LABS ® Awards 2025. NetApp won the 2025 SE Labs Award for Enterprise Data Protection, validating NetApp's status as the most secure storage on the planet. Article content This recognition as a winner of a 2025 SE Labs Award is a result of NetApp's exceptional innovation in cyber resiliency to deliver NetApp ONTAP® Autonomous Ransomware Protection with Artificial Intelligence (ARP/AI), which was tested and validated by SE Labs. NetApp ARP/AI demonstrated 99 percent detection of tested, advanced full-file encryption ransomware attacks with zero false positives, indicating a strong ability to operate in a business context without contributing to alert fatigue. Article content 'Great security doesn't just happen—it's built, tested and proven,' says Simon Edwards, Founder and CEO of SE Labs. 'Behind every high performing security product is a team committed to excellence. We believe that we should celebrate the technologies and teams pushing the boundaries in protection and resilience against cyberattacks. The standard of competition for the top place in each category has been very high this year and all of our winners are to be congratulated.' Article content Now in its seventh year, the SE Labs Awards recognize those security vendors that deliver the very best in their field and are making a real difference in keeping systems secure. Judged based on a combination of continual public testing, private assessments, and feedback from SE Labs' corporate clients, these are the products setting the benchmarks for the rest of the cyber security industry. Article content 'Winning the 2025 SE Labs Award for Enterprise Data Protection highlights NetApp's commitment to providing the most secure storage on the planet. With ARP/AI, NetApp is the first and only storage vendor with built-in, real-time AI-powered ransomware detection in primary storage for file workloads,' said Gagan Gulati, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Data Services at NetApp. 'Keeping data and their businesses safe is a top concern for companies everywhere, with discussions about the disruption of ransomware attacks rising all the way to the boardroom. To combat the relentless threat of targeted, automated and destructive cyberattacks, companies need an intelligent data infrastructure with built-in cyber resilience.' Article content Since the release of ARP/AI, NetApp has continued to build and innovate its cyber resiliency solutions, announcing advanced capabilities to orchestrate protection of critical workloads in native cloud environments and the upcoming enhancements for ARP/AI to protect block storage workloads. Article content Statements by NetApp about unreleased offerings and future plans are for informational purposes only, are subject to change without notice, and should not be relied upon for purchasing or other decisions. Such statements do not constitute a commitment, obligation, guarantee, or warranty of any kind by NetApp, including about availability, functionality, pricing, or timing. Article content No ransomware detection or prevention system can completely guarantee safety from a ransomware attack. Although it's possible that an attack might go undetected, NetApp technology acts as an important additional layer of defense, and our research indicates NetApp technology has resulted in a high degree of detection for certain file encryption-based ransomware attacks. Article content NetApp is the intelligent data infrastructure company, combining unified data storage, integrated data, operational and workload services to turn a world of disruption into opportunity for every customer. NetApp creates silo-free infrastructure, harnessing observability and AI to enable the industry's best data management. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in the world's biggest clouds, our data storage delivers seamless flexibility. In addition, our data services create a data advantage through superior cyber resilience, governance, and application agility. Our operational and workload services provide continuous optimization of performance and efficiency for infrastructure and workloads through observability and AI. No matter the data type, workload, or environment, with NetApp you can transform your data infrastructure to realize your business possibilities. Learn more at or follow us on X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. Article content Article content Article content Article content Media Contact: Article content Article content Kenya Hayes Article content Article content NetApp Article content Article content Article content Article content
The Sun
01-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
High-end supermarket dubbed ‘Waitrose of the North' with 27 stores set to close city centre branch after 16 years
A HIGH-END supermarket chain is set to close it branch in a city centre after 16 years. The upmarket grocer Booths, dubbed the " Waitrose of the North", will close its store in Ripon. It comes as the store struggled to generate a profit in the Yorkshire cathedral city, the BBC has reported. The lease of the Marshall Way branch is likely to be taken over by Tesco, it is understood. Residents have told the broadcaster that they will be "sorry to see it go". While Booths has 27 stores across the north of England, only three are in Yorkshire. The majority of its locations are dotted across Lancashire and Cumbria. Booths' other Yorkshire stores in Ilkley and Settle are expected to remain open. Owner of The Little Ripon Bookshop Simon Edwards, whose shop opened around the same time as the Ripon Booths in 2009, told the BBC: "Booths has an affinity with our shop - we both attract customers who appreciate the human touch. "If it was closing and no one was replacing it, we would be worried, especially with the new Next store opening out of town, next door to the expanded M&S food hall. "It's a relief that Tesco will be taking it over and it won't be empty. "Ripon was probably a bit of an outlier for Booths. When you get to Lancashire, you see them everywhere and it's much better known." Popular retailer to RETURN 13 years after collapsing into administration and shutting 236 stores The cathedral city still boasts a Sainsbury's in its town centre, as well as a nearby Aldi, a Morrisons to the south - and an M&S food hall at St Michael's Retail Park. Residents expressed their sadness at Ripon Booths' closure to the BBC. Jill Smith, who drives five miles to do her shopping there, told the broadcaster: "I like the fact the staff are very friendly and it's just got some different bits and pieces in that you don't get in Tesco. "They seem to support local producers. So it's just sad, but it's just the way things are." Why are retailers closing stores? RETAILERS have been feeling the squeeze since the pandemic, while shoppers are cutting back on spending due to the soaring cost of living crisis. High energy costs and a move to shopping online after the pandemic are also taking a toll, and many high street shops have struggled to keep going. However, additional costs have added further pain to an already struggling sector. The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs from April will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. At the same time, the minimum wage will rise to £12.21 an hour from April, and the minimum wage for people aged 18-20 will rise to £10 an hour, an increase of £1.40. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." It comes after almost 170,000 retail workers lost their jobs in 2024. End-of-year figures compiled by the Centre for Retail Research showed the number of job losses spiked amid the collapse of major chains such as Homebase and Ted Baker. It said its latest analysis showed that a total of 169,395 retail jobs were lost in the 2024 calendar year to date. This was up 49,990 – an increase of 41.9% – compared with 2023. It is the highest annual reading since more than 200,000 jobs were lost in 2020 in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced retailers to shut their stores during lockdowns. The centre said 38 major retailers went into administration in 2024, including household names such as Lloyds Pharmacy, Homebase, The Body Shop, Carpetright and Ted Baker. Around a third of all retail job losses in 2024, 33% or 55,914 in total, resulted from administrations. Experts have said small high street shops could face a particularly challenging 2025 because of Budget tax and wage changes. Professor Bamfield has warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020." Avril Kernow said she would be unlikely to go back when the store becomes a Tesco. She said: "We quite like Booths. The others are all much the same. "You always get something a bit different in there. "It isn't always cheap, but it's good and the staff are good. "And it's convenient, so we think it's a shame." Ripon MP Sir Julian Smith said: "I am grateful to Booths for their years of service to Ripon. "Tesco's decision to take over the site shows confidence in the city's future, and I stand ready to work with Tesco to ensure the transition supports the community."
BBC News
01-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Ripon Booths: City shoppers sad to see 'Waitrose of the North' go
Upmarket grocer Booths is set to close its Ripon store, after the "Waitrose of the North" struggled to make a profit in the lease of the branch on Marshall Way is likely to be taken over by Tesco, with staff being transferred to the national has 27 stores across the north, but the majority are in Lancashire and Cumbria, with only three in residents have said they will "be sorry to see it go". Simon Edwards, owner of The Little Ripon Bookshop on Westgate, which opened at a similar time to Booths in 2009, said Tesco was "better than a Lidl but a Waitrose would have been fantastic for us".He said: "Booths has an affinity with our shop - we both attract customers who appreciate the human touch."If it was closing and no one was replacing it, we would be worried, especially with the new Next store opening out of town, next door to the expanded M&S food hall."It's a relief that Tesco will be taking it over and it won't be empty."Ripon was probably a bit of an outlier for Booths. When you get to Lancashire, you see them everywhere and it's much better known." The closure of Ripon after 16 years will leave the Ilkley and Settle stores still open in also has a Sainsbury's in the centre of town, an Aldi nearby and a Morrisons to the south, with an M&S food hall at St Michael's Retail outside the Booths store on Friday said it was shame the supermarket was leaving the Kernow, who had popped in for some decaf coffee, said she liked the supermarket because it offered something a little said: "We quite like Booths. The others are all much the same."You always get something a bit different in there. It isn't always cheap, but it's good and the staff are good. And it's convenient, so we think it's a shame."She said she would be unlikely to return to the store when it becomes a Tesco."We do M&S more than any other supermarket," she said. "Sainsbury's occasionally, when they have an offer on. But other than that it's here and M&S."Jill Smith, who drives five miles into Ripon to do her grocery shopping in Booths, said she would be sad to see it go."It's just such a lovely, different store. It's not like all the others."I might bob in to Tesco but I probably won't come in as much as I do to Booths. "I like the fact the staff are very friendly and it's just got some different bits and pieces in that you don't get in Tesco."They seem to support local producers. So it's just sad, but it's just the way things are."Dominique Chevalier-Godber, who was holidaying in her in-laws' nearby holiday cottage, said the family tended to shop in Booths when they were staying in the said: "It's really sad. I used to work for Waitrose and John Lewis, but I feel like Booths is the only similar sort of supermarket like Waitrose. "It has really good values, really good community feel and we love coming here rather than going to a Sainsbury's." Ripon MP Sir Julian Smith said he understood the "surprise" many felt at the said: "I am grateful to Booths for their years of service to Ripon."Tesco's decision to take over the site shows confidence in the city's future, and I stand ready to work with Tesco to ensure the transition supports the community."Lilla Bathurst, manager of Ripon BID, said Booths had been an important part of Ripon's retail landscape, but welcomed Tesco's investment in the said: "Ripon continues to thrive as a vibrant destination for both national retailers and independent businesses."Booths has closed two other stores since the pandemic - the MediaCity UK branch in 2021 and Hale Barns in April 2024, ending their presence in Greater Manchester.A spokesperson for Booths said the challenges of "significantly increased operating costs" meant the company could not see a future where the Ripon store "would be profitable under the Booths model".They said: "Booths have begun a consultation process with their colleagues at the Ripon store relating to a forthcoming transfer of the property lease for the store to Tesco."It is anticipated that all jobs will be protected and transferred to Tesco during this consultation process. Closing any store is a very difficult decision, however we are working to protect all jobs in this process."We have no current plans to exit any of our other stores." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
