More Students to access on-line learning tool with GoGSAT, Flow Partnership

GoGSAT is an education phenomenon in Jamaica that is helping students to achieve greater success in the GSAT examination. Since its inception in 2005, over 95 of its subscribers have been awarded national scholarships, including the Top Girl and Top Boy awards. Now, through a special partnership with Flow, even more students, teachers and parents will have greater access to this home grown, Harvard backed on-line learning technology.

Through this collaboration, Flow Internet customers who sign up to GoGSAT or Caribbeanexams.com from September 9 to November 30, will receive significant discounts to GoGSAT's educational packages including three month's free access to any GoGSAT package they purchase. Existing Customers will also benefit from this partnership.

This is important news for students as GoGSAT has been rated of the best on-line examination preparation tool for students in grades one to six. In addition to test preparation materials, GoGSAT also provides access to live tutorials facilitated by Jamaican and Harvard University Tutors, essay grading, eMentoring, 24/7 help, as well as daily homework and research assistance. GoGSAT also provides educational materials such as handouts, worksheets, practice tests etc. for teachers. Currently Macmillan Publishers and Nelson Thornes provide teaching material while Harvard University tutors provide mentorship to students via the system's study room.

This is the second year of collaboration for the two organizations and Shalette A. East Vice President Operations at GoGSAT Ltd anticipates another great year with Flow. "GoGSAT is pleased to partner with Flow on this initiative. This partnership came about as a result of our collective desire to assist students with their GSAT, CSEC and CAPE preparation," she said.   Last year through the Flow promotion, many persons upgraded from basic usage of GoGSAT thus maximizing access to support and opportunities. Ms. East explained.

Speaking on the benefits of the partnership,   Sharon Roper, Vice President of Marketing at Flow said, "We are very pleased to offer this added benefits to our customers. GoGSAT is a dynamic approach to on-line learning, it is relevant and constantly growing. The GoGSAT team is doing an excellent job and we are proud to facilitate greater access to our students," she said.

The response to the six year old GoGSAT programme has been tremendous, resulting in GoGSAT winning four national awards for education. In 2011, subscribers won 50% of the Government Scholarship places. One Flow customer who began using the service in 2010 also won a scholarship in 2011.

FlowTV expands options for Local content providers

Local content providers, television viewers and advertisers welcomed new option for local producers as Flow, Jamaica’s triple play service provider, unveiled the expansion of its repertoire with the launch of its revamped channel, FlowTV on Tuesday August 30 at the Terra Nova Hotel.

Judith Fallon Reid, producer of Gospel Rhythms, which airs on FlowTV sees the latest development as good news for the local industry.  “My team and I have been working with Flow for the past two years, we think FlowTV offers a very viable opportunity to producers to get local content on the air.”

Fallon Reid lauded Flow’s vision for industry development and acknowledged the benefit to young producers. “FlowTV provides an affordable option to local producers, without access to large funding, to get their programmes aired. Young producers with great ideas will be able to benefit from this alternative outlet. I love Flow, they have brought international standards to local cable television,. Flow has brought a visionary approach to local programming,” she said.

Directors, producers and other creative minds have already found FlowTV to be a real alternative for locally produced content, with the Network picking up shows such as “Pree Dis,” the immensely popular lifestyle current affairs show and the topical talk show “Lauren o Lauren,”.

Anieph Latchman, creator of the animated feature, Cabbie Chronicles which is available on Flow OnDemand sees this as a bold move that will boost the industry. “Flow's continuous diversification of its services and opportunities is exceptional. The newest revamp of Channel 100, now FlowTV, is significant to local producers as it provides an outlet for their content, new opportunities for income and increased visibility in the Jamaican market. This can only increase opportunities available to producers that will ultimately boost the local industry, he said.”

The newly re-launched channel will now support an upgraded format focusing on business, entertainment and lifestyle related subject matter. This initiative reinforces Flow’s commitment to ensuring more local content reaches the Jamaican market and that viewers can continue to have a wide variety of choice when it comes to general programming.

Vice President of Marketing for Flow Sharon Roper comments, “We are very excited to support the Jamaican film fraternity with this newly revamped platform to put out their creative talent.” Flow TV is part of our wider investment in local content.  With over 22 local channels already available on the Flow network, FlowTV, along with Flow OnDemand and our recently launched Public Access Community channels, provides a diverse range of broadcasting outlets offering everything from free community content, a library of popular Jamaican plays to Internationally acclaimed shows such as Cabbie Chronicles.

From their new offices, FlowTV, the broadcasting outlet of Flow, offers a sound platform for local content including footage of public events, concerts, and music videos,” Michael Look Tong, Head of Media Services for Flow comments, “With our new facilities, we have added some capacity and can therefore allot space for increased programming.  Local content providers have the option to lease “on air space” or choose from a variety of commercial options to air their production.

FlowTV will feature regularly scheduled broadcasts seven days a week with Daily News content from the Associated Press. The channel also features new as well as previously syndicated shows from 5:30am to 11:00pm nightly.
The event was attended by members of the Jamaican creative industry, as well as the who’s who in stage, film, and music, from directors and producers to actors and entertainers.

For further information please contact:
Nicole Campbell
PR Executive
1-876-365-7773
ntcampbell@flowjamaica.com

Local Box Office Giant Third World Cop on Demand!

Chris Browne

Almost on the eve of the arrival of the Chris Browne's eagerly awaited drama Ghett'a Life on Friday, July 29, his debut feature film, Third World Cop has been added to the roster of available local content from Flow OnDemand. The result is that Jamaicans can enjoy a Chris Browne double dose, ingesting the drama and excitement of Ghett'a Life at the cinemas then top up with an action fix with box office smash Third World Cop when they go home.

Michael Look Tong, Media Services Director at Flow says that Third World Cop, which holds the record for Jamaica's highest grossing box office, is doing very well in the OnDemand category. Look Tong also pointed out that on the first night of Third World Cop's introduction to the line-up, the amount of buys, stands up very well against other titles. He also explained that OnDemand content sale is driven by familiarity and so he has high expectations for Third World Cop's success. "People know Third World Cop," he said. "I expect it to do very well."

Flow's OnDemand service allows viewers to select content from a library of movies, music and television shows and watch at their own leisure over a 48-hour "viewing window". Mr. Look Tong explained that local content, which includes plays and concerts, currently accounts for approximately 30% of the revenue derived from Flow OnDemand. "It's growing very, very fast," he said.

The continued popularity of Third World Cop highlights that Browne is keyed into what local audiences are looking for. Although the former is very different from his new project Ghett'a Life, it is expected that he will once again produce a film that Jamaicans can truly delve into. Ghett'a Life mixes the twin adrenaline fueled engines of political and gang related violence and sports, in this case boxing.

Ghett'a Life is a gripping tale of life in Kingston's ghettos. The film does not attempt to make the violence sexy, but instead gives a realistic, yet entrancing portrayal. Ghett'a Life is already being touted for its high production values as well as the social implications of the film. The feature stars newcomers Kevoy Burton and Kadeem Wilson, as well as stalwarts Carl Davis (Dancehall Queen, Almost Heaven, and Royal Palm Estate), Teddy Price (Small Island, Glory to Gloriana, and Royal Palm Estate), and Winston 'Bello' Bell (Third World Cop, Royal Palm Estate). The talented cast is rounded out by Karen Robinson and Actor Boy Awardee Christopher McFarlane.

Flow increases support to Y.U.T.E with J$1 Million Donation

Sandra Glasgow, Chief Executive Officer, Private Sector Organization of Jamaica (PSOJ) accepts a cheque for the Y.U.T.E programme valued at J$ 1 Million from Sharon Roper, Flow’s Vice President, Marketing. The cheque was presented at Flow’s 5th Anniversary Celebration on the East Lawns of Devon House, last Thursday. The donation signifies Flow’s on-going commitment to the development of the nation’s youth.

Last Thursday July 21, the Private Sector Organization of Jamaica’s (PSOJ) Youth Upliftment through Employment (Y.U.T.E) project welcomed a J$1M cash donation from Flow; a symbolic move to further cement the organization’s commitment to the participants of the Y.U.T.E programme.

Sandra Glasgow, Chief Executive Officer, PSOJ who accepted the donation on behalf of Y.U.T.E, said that she was “Ecstatic about [the] partnership with Flow, a valued member of the PSOJ.” She also continued by saying that, “The support already received from Flow by airing Y.U.T.E ads on its cable channels is helping to spread the word about this important project.

The staff of Flow is also ‘stepping up’ to act as Mentors for Y.U.T.E. participants and we expect further support for our training programmes as we roll out the project over the next eighteen months. Flow is demonstrating, in an unequivocal manner, its strong commitment to helping to make the future brighter for young people in Kingston’s inner-cities.”

Flow celebrates fifth anniversary in Jamaica — Part I

THIS week, telecoms service provider Flow celebrates its fifth anniversary in Jamaica. During that time, Flow has managed to redefine the way Jamaicans employ digital broadband technology. The company has introduced high speed Internet and delivered cable television packages that to date can not be equalled.

Back in 2004, just after Hurricane Ivan, lead principals of Flow's parent company, Columbus Communications, Brendan Paddick and Michael Lee Chin flew into Jamaica to evaluate investing in the country. They were confronted by uprooted infrastructure, chaos and devastation. They made their way to Gordon House to inform then Minister of Commerce and Technology Philip Paulwell that they wanted to build a triple-play fibre optic network and the first objective was to lay a subsea link offshore Jamaica that would hook into a greater subsea network that services the Caribbean. They vowed that never again would Jamaica's telecommunications capabilities be incapacitated in such a manner.



They proceeded to put together an RFP that would have people bid on building that subsea network off the island. Two licenses were awarded and the network was delivered expeditiously, in fact, in less than 12 months and was in service in March 2006. In April of that year, Flow had its official launch.

Building a network

It started offering its services to just around 25 customers in the New Kingston area. When Michele English, who is now the President and Chief Operating Officer of Flow, arrived in Jamaica, in April 2006 she was the 92nd employee. By then, many construction professionals were engaged in building the network. Initially she was the general manager and was mandated to build a new business with less than a hundred employees. Today Flow has 550 employees comprising specialised expertise.

English points to the number of returning residents who have joined Flow, lending it their considerable expertise garnered from First World telecoms companies like Comcast, Time Warner and Rogers. She adds that many of these overseas professionals were impressed with what Flow was attempting to accomplish and got on board.


Carlton Baxter returned to Jamaica to visit his mother back in 2006. He recognised the infrastructure going up around Kingston and was curious. He went to visit Flow's offices, knocked on Michele English's door and told her he was an engineer with Comcast and was impressed with what he saw in Jamaica. He expressed an interest in returning home and started with Flow as a design manager. Today he is VP of Engineering at Flow responsible for its infrastructure roll out across the island.

Great efforts were made to train the local contractors. Today, English proudly proclaims they work full time for Flow and are very successful as a result of being equipped with the right tools. She credits the team of local contractors with Flow's ability to deliver a good product.

"We spent the first couple of years in construction mode and I had to do practically everything. One minute I was recruiting customer service representatives, the next, designing the products and coming up with how we were going to sell them. Then hub sites had to be built. There was a phenomenal amount of activity in those first couple of years, but five years on that hasn't really stopped but is now more focused on operational practices.

"We delivered to our first residential customers in the summer of 2006. Back then we only had a licence to deliver Internet and voice services both locally and internationally. We did apply for a cable license but we began with a double-play offering," recalls Flow's chief operating officer.

Delivering a stellar service

This goes some way in explaining why Flow went into acquisition mode, snapping up cable operators aggressively. The first company Flow acquired was Sauce in the Kingston area thus allowing it to offer a triple-play service (Internet, voice and cable). Flow had arrived, and the question was could it manage expectations?

Today Flow has about 5000 kilometres of fibre in its network, then another 4000 kilometres of cable, a 1000 kilometres of subsea cable and a dozen hub sites built. When Flow first got started it could only deliver its service to 10,000 homes. Five years later it can deliver to 50 per cent of the homes in the country and almost 100 per cent of all businesses operating in Jamaica in terms of an enterprise level fibre service.




Full Article: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/business/VIDEO--Flow-celebrates-fifth-anniversary-in-Jamaica---Part-I_9272577#ixzz1T8PASPXw