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Client Case Study: Careline Services Limited
Call Type: Taking card payments on customer retention calls and inbound retail sales.
Why Semafone: Semafone was developed within Careline to meet the PCI DSS compliance demands of multiple Careline clients.
"Often times it is the outsource provider that is the first to be hit with the challenge of meeting new industry requirements. Careline was approached by a number of its clients in 2007 requesting details in how Careline was going to tackle PCI DSS within its call centres. Our investigation into the available solutions for call recordings in the market place was not positive. Pausing call recording was not acceptable to our financial services clients. An automated payment IVR had too much risk in call fallout and did not meet a number of our clients' high customer satisfaction requirements. Our extensive experience in call centre management led us to design a solution that met all our customers' requirements and allowed us to capture the complete customer call experience within our call recordings. The design of Semafone was always driven from a call centre requirements perspective with huge focus on minimizing Average Handling Times (AHT)."
Charles Cooper-Driver, Managing Director & Co-founder
https://web.archive.org/web/20100328124142/http://www.semafone.com/Clients
Andy Tew
IT Director
Semafone
2009 - Jul 2011..2 years
https://contactout.com/Andy-Tew-5017669
Thursday, September 28, 2023
84..RESPONSE to Motion re80 MOTION to Seal Document by Sycurio Limited, Sycurio, Inc.. Replies due by 10/5/2023(Werber, Matthew)
83..of Ruling Related U.K. Proceeding by PCI Pal (U.S.) Inc. re57 Order on Motion for Extension of Time,(Morrow, John)
https://www.pacermonitor.com/case/41847299/Semafone_Limited
Updates and Commentary on Civil Procedure, by Gordon Exall, Barrister, Kings Chambers, Leeds, Manchester & Birmingham. 4-5 Gray's Inn Square, London.
AN EXPERT SHOULD HAVE EXPERTISE IN THE ISSUE THEY ARE GIVING EVIDENCE ON: THEY CAN’T SIMPLY TEACH THEMSELVES FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE CASE
There are some important observations on expert evidence in the judgment of Mrs Justice Bacon in Sycurio Ltd v PCI-Pal PLC & Anor [2023] EWHC 2161 (Pat). An expert must give evidence within the scope of their expertise. To assert expertise because they have read up on the issues for the purpose of the action is wholly insufficient.
https://www.civillitigationbrief.com/2023/09/27/an-expert-should-have-expertise-in-the-issue-they-are-giving-evidence-on-they-cant-simply-teach-themselves-for-the-purpose-of-the-case/
Lucretuis
Thanks again for the spot on summery.
Strange that Mrs Penn was preferred as an expert rather than star of the show Craig Robinson,
who had previously provided experience to Sycurio
Friday, March 17, 2023
Att: 2 6 pgs Affidavit Appendix B - PCI Pal 4.3(D) disclosure,
https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/41847299/Semafone_Limited
----------------------
80..MOTION to Seal Document by PCI Pal (U.S.) Inc.. Responses due by 9/28/2023 (Morrow, John)
It will be interesting to read the responses to the claim construction order. Could be another nail in the coffin.
Lucretuis
More great digging. As you say it will be interesting to see what's in the Sycurio press release.
Wrong footed by Proctor?
So pleased for Geoff Forsyth, and all at Pcip
----------------------------------------
This Patent has now been granted today
Intention to grant shortly after 11th September 2023
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum/Document/ApplicationNumber/GB2216879.3/14bc1a93-b690-4ffe-89c6-609b4a9c6354/GB2611432-20230810-Letter%20%20Intention%20to%20Grant.pdf
GB2611432 - Processing sensitive information over voip
Case Details
Application Number GB2216879.3
Application Source Form 1
Publication Number GB2611432
Status Granted
Filing Date 11 October 2017
Lodged Date 11 November 2022
Publication Date 05 April 2023
Grant Date Grant of Patent (Notification under Section 18(4)):
26 September 2023
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum/Case/PublicationNumber/GB2611432
Lucretuis
Great research again.
Couple of bits of interest
Connie G. Penn ( LINKEDIN )
PCI DSS Subject Matter Expert
Post Office Ltd
May 2007 - Mar 2012 4 years 11 months
I managed the programme to achieve PCI compliance at Post Office. This included initially evaluating the status of compliance & gaps with PCI DSS across all payment channels, including the Internet & call centres at Royal Mail, delivering PCI DSS Compliance for 30,411 Points of Sale across 11,000+ Post Office branches December 2010. Post Office was the first to use encryption to de-scope the PoS and reduce the CDE. With 30,411 points of sale to protect amid the financial crisis in 2008
-----------------------------------------------
Careline Services
Careline is a trusted supplier of multi-channel customer and
prospect management services to some of the UK’s most
reputable brands including
Post Office Financial Services
https://web.archive.org/web/20120216160811/http://www.careline-services.co.uk/downloads/careline-brochure.pdf
-----------------------
Careline Services
Delivery Partners
Eckoh Technologies
Eckoh Technologies
Eckoh designs, builds, hosts and manages automated and speech solutions on behalf of CSL and our clients using advanced IVR and speech recognition technologies.
https://web.archive.org/web/20070818224646/http://www.careline-services.co.uk/delivery_partners.asp
Home page
https://web.archive.org/web/20060831081611/http://www.careline-services.co.uk/
Lucretuis
One year after the Ultra license agreement. This was filed
Telephone call processing
GB2533139A
Case Details
Application Number GB1422064.4
Application Source Form 1
Publication Number GB2533139
Status Terminated before grant
Filing Date 11 December 2014
Publication Date 15 June 2016
Not In Force Date 13 October 2021
Application Title Telephone call processing
Address for Service BOULT WADE TENNANT LLP
Salisbury Square House
8 Salisbury Square
LONDON
EC4Y 8AP
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 12269312001]
Applicant / Proprietor ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11189859002]
Inventors CRAIG SHILLING, ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11354339001]
TOM DAVIES, ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11354347001]
DARREN SULLIVAN, ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11354354001]
JAMES SUMNER, ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11354370001]
ROBERT WRAY, ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11354388001]
ROBERT BATES, ULTRA COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED
The Granary
Cams Hall Estate
FAREHAM
Hampshire
PO26 8UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 11354396001]
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum/Case/PublicationNumber/GB2533139
--------------------------------------
Telephone Call Processing
US20170332153A1
Status
Abandoned
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20170332153A1/en?oq=gb2533139
----------------------------------------
Telephone call processing
EP3231165B1
Status
Not-in-force
https://patents.google.com/patent/EP3231165B1/en?oq=gb2533139
----------------
Telephone call processing
WO2016092320A1
2016-06-16
Publication of WO2016092320A1
https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2016092320A1/en?oq=gb2533139
Lucretuis
Managed to find the Ultra Communications site 2008
The Press Release could be the Newsletter
Enter your e-mail address to receive our newsletter
----------------
One of Ultra's Clients
Careline Services
--------------------------------
This is what's on the News, tab
New office for Ultra Communications
Ultra are pleased to announce their move into their new head office in Hampshire.
This will be the new home for our teams and we will be inviting our clients and contacts to visit over the coming months to meet the staff and see the operation in full.
New client AMF Connect joins Ultra
Entrepreneur Phil Foster and his company AMF Connect has joined Ultra. AMF are a specialised lead provider in the finance industry and were looking for an industry leading Predictive dialler without a massive capital outlay.
AMF has already expanded and doubled in size using the Ultra systems and now uses Ultra’s inbound, call blending and call transfer solutions in addition to the predictive dialling, within their centre.
Phil has already introduced another client to Ultra and quoted: ‘You do not need to look anywhere else, I have done the research and they are the best that you can find in comparison to any other dialler’ – Phil Foster MD AMF.
Ultra is pleased to be working in partnership with AMF Connect and welcomes them.
https://web.archive.org/web/20080828221254/http://www.ultraasp.net/Default.aspx
Hope this link works
BABBLE CLOUD (UC) LIMITED
23 Apr 2009 Full accounts made up to 30 June 2008
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05043644/filing-history?page=3
----------------------------------------------
Amazing, the amount of pages for an "Expert Report" for the Eckoh case. Not exactly Dentons
Non-Patent Citations (17)
"Expert Report of Concepta Gabrielle Penn on Behalf of the Claimant", Semafone, Claimant, and Eckoh PLC, Eckoh UK Limited and Whitbread Group PLC, Defendants, (Dec. 23, 2014), 56 pgs.
"Expert Report of Concepta Gabrielle Penn on Behalf of the Claimant", Semafone, Claimant, and Eckoh PLC, Eckoh UK Limited and Whitbread Group PLC, Defendants, (Feb. 6, 2015), 36 pgs.
"Further Reply Report of Concepta Gabrielle Penn on Behalf of the Claimant", Semafone, Claimant, and Eckoh PLC, Eckoh UK Limited and Whitbread Group PLC, Defendants, (Mar. 9, 2015), 5 pgs.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US9858573B2/en?assignee=semafone&oq=semafone
Lucretuis
Thanks, for the great research and putting everything in order, and answering NoCheddar's question.
No luck finding the press release. You must have seen this?
23 Apr 2009 Full accounts made up to 30 June 2008
https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/document-api-images-live.ch.gov.uk/docs/Mtcm1tb_xw-m91s6wZ6P73jo0SKlK5e2KGvfTRxZCus/application-pdf?X-Amz
--------------------------------------------
Ultra Communications
Wayback machine, March 2014 is the first capture
https://web.archive.org/web/20140302201620/http://ultracomms.com/
Media Coverage
Some articles that may add some colour
Publication: CallCentreHelper.com
Title of article: 'Technology Toolkit – PCI compliant card payment handling'
Author: Michael Gray, Ultra Communications
Publication: CCR Magazine
-----------
Title of article: 'Does Your Dialler Guarantee Compliance?'
Author: Darren Sullivan, Ultra Communications
Publication: CCR Magazine
--------
Title of article: 'The Perfect Collections Call'
Author: Robert Bates, Ultra Communications
Publication: Comms Dealer
-------------
Title of article: ‘Ultra Adds Value to Cloud Service’
Author: Editorial
Publication: CCR Magazine
-----------
Title of article: ‘New ContactBabel Report Reveals Growing Interest in Cloud Contact Centre Services’
Author: Editorial
Publication: Contact-centres.com
---------------
Title of article: ‘Ultra Communications - On Cloud Nine with Strong Growth in Revenues’
Author: Editorial
Publication: The UK Contact Centre Decision-Makers' Guide
------------
Title of article: ‘Getting More from Legacy Systems Using Cloud Services’
Author: Michael Gray, Ultra Communications
Publication: The Inner Circle Guide to Cloud-Based Contact Centre Solutions
------------
Title of article: ‘Can your Cloud Partner Monitor Performance in Real Time?’
Author: Michael Gray, Ultra Communications
Publication: Realex Payments
----------
Title of article: ‘Ultra and Realex Payments Team-up to Showcase Live Cloud Contact Centre’
Author: Editorial
Publication: Government Technology
---------------
Title of article: ‘The Cloud – The Future for Customer Service?’
Author: Robert Bates, Ultra Communications
Publication: Contact Center World
---------------
Title of article: ‘Ultra Communications Strengthens its Cloud Contact Centre Team’
Author: Editorial
Publication: Credit, Collections & Risk
---------
Title of article: ‘The Cloud – The Future for Diallers?’
Author: Robert Bates, Ultra Communications
Publication: Sunday Telegraph
----------------
Title of article: ‘Sky’s The Limit’
Author: Robert Bates, Ultra Communications
Publication: Paymenteye
-----------------
Title of article: ‘Realex Payments Partner with Ultra Communications’
Author: Editorial
https://web.archive.org/web/20140516150952/http://www.ultracomms.com/Press/MediaCoverage.aspx
Hi NoCheddar
Three of the four inventors of Sycurio's patent (see my post below) have a request for production of documents and a list of questions. The purpose of the depositions is to obtain evidence that is relevant to the patties' claims
and defenses in the North Carolina Action.
---------------------------------------------------
Vladimir Jirasek, has from today disappeared from the Sycurio leadership page
https://sycurio.com/people/vladimir-jirasek
Senior leadership team.
https://sycurio.com/about/executive
---------------------------------------------------------------------
From the wayback machine
Vladimir Jirasek
Vlad has a wealth of knowledge and experience in cyber security, information technology, and digital transformation. He has led and advised on security and compliance initiatives across many industry sectors and worked at leading brands including WorldPay, Tesco, Dixons and T-Mobile - using his expertise to ensure organizations closely align their technology stack with their business strategies.
As Founder & CEO of Foresight Cyber Ltd, he has created and leads a powerful and agile technology team that designs and builds practical in-house solutions that deliver a wide range of cyber services to financial institutions, national critical infrastructure agencies, manufacturing and R&D enterprises.
An accomplished public speaker, author and book editor, Vlad is also a CISSP, CCSP, a Fellow of the British Computer Society and Cloud Security Alliance UK co-chair. He has an MSc in IT and Business Administration from Silesian University, Czech Republic.
http://web.archive.org/web/20230330051411/https://sycurio.com/people/vladimir-jirasek
Great 36 page read. Then go to 15 June Exhibit A
Thursday, September 21, 2023
Exhibit A - Letter of Request + Annex,
36 pages
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday, June 15, 2023
70...Exhibit A - 2022.12.19 Defendant PCI PAL (U.S) Inc.'s Invalidity Contentions
Page 19
B. All Asserted Claims of the Patents-in-Suit are Invalid Under 35 U.S.C. § 102(f).
https://www.pacermonitor.com/case/41847299/Semafone_Limited
Thursday, September 21, 2023
82..Unopposed MOTION for Issuance of Letters Rogatory by PCI Pal (U.S.) Inc.. Responses due by 10/5/2023 (Morrow, John)
Att: 1 Exhibit A - Letter of Request + Annex,
Att: 2 Exhibit B - PCI Stipulation Regarding Letters Rogatory
https://www.pacermonitor.com/case/41847299/Semafone_Limited
-----------------------------------------
US8750471B2
Signal detection and blocking for voice processing equipment
Inventors
TEW ANDREW PETER WILLIAM [GB]; JACKSON DAVID [GB]; CRITCHLEY TIMOTHY [GB]; COOPER-DRIVER RICHARD CHARLES [GB]
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/patent/search/family/039571074/publication/US8750471B2?q=pn%3DUS8750471
YALE MIDCO 1 LIMITED
21 Sep 2023 Full accounts made up to 31 December 2022
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13451666
---------------------------------------------------------------
YALE MIDCO 2 LIMITED
21 Sep 2023 Full accounts made up to 31 December 2022
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13451657
SYCURIO LIMITED
21 Sep 2023 Group of companies' accounts made up to 31 December 2022
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/06963868/filing-history
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
YALE MIDCO 3 LIMITED
21 Sep 2023 Full accounts made up to 31 December 2022
https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/13451660/filing-history
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Confirmed and expected announcements from the finnCap tech universe.
05/10/23...PCI-PAL PLC...FY23 Results
https://www.finncap.com/tech-hub/calendar?
GB2616023 - Secure call processing via proxy
Applicant / Proprietor SYCURIO LIMITED
Pannell House
Park Street
Guildford, Surrey
GU1 4HN
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 13299748001]
Inventors GARY E. BARNETT
5 Portrush Ct
Brentwood
Tennessee
37027
United States of America
[ADP Number 13562186001]
THOMAS BALDWIN
31 Fairmile
Fleet
Hampshire
GU52 7UT
United Kingdom
[ADP Number 12220448002]
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum/Case/PublicationNumber/GB2616023
-------------------------------------
GB2616023 - Secure call processing via proxy
Citations
Processing sensitive information by a contact centre
Page bookmark GB2548413 (A) - Processing sensitive information by a contact centre
Inventor(s): GEOFF FORSYTH [GB]; JAMES BARHAM [GB] +
Applicant(s): PCI-PAL (U K ) LTD [GB] +
PROCESSING SENSITIVE INFORMATION OVER VOIP
Page bookmark WO2019073216 (A1) - PROCESSING SENSITIVE INFORMATION OVER VOIP
Inventor(s): FORSYTH GEOFF [GB]; BRANCO CÉSAR [GB]; THORPE JAMES [GB] +
Applicant(s): PCI PAL U K LTD [GB] +
System and method for secure transmission of data signals
Page bookmark GB2539721 (A) - System and method for secure transmission of data signals
Inventor(s): COLIN PHILIP WESTLAKE [GB] +
Applicant(s): SYNTEC HOLDINGS LTD [GB] +
--------------------------------------
Eckoh PLC
15th Dec 2021 Acquisition of Syntec Holdings and Launch of
https://www.lse.co.uk/rns/ECK/acquisition-of-syntec-holdings-and-launch-of-abb-qcpuk9ficrzk135.html
Lucretuis
The only bit I would add to your excellent summary, would be this bit at the bottom of page 7 "Sycurio’s new position makes no sense, and arose" (down to "among other reasons")
Friday, June 23, 2023
75..MOTION for Reconsideration re Order on Motion for Leave to File, [Motion and Supporting Brief for Reconsideration of the Court's June 22, 2023, Text Order, and in the Alternative, for Leave to File Supplemental Claim Construction Brief] by PCI Pal (U.S.) Inc.. Responses due by 7/7/2023 (Morrow, John)
Claim language, I remembered the word "directly" being used in one of the US papers ( taken a while to find it)
Page 24
1059–60 (Fed. Cir. 2009) (rejecting construction that “improperly narrowed” a claim term and
noting the “claim limitation does not state directly monitoring current. Rather, it simply reads
‘monitoring the current . . . .’”); Amgen Inc. v. Hoechst Marion Roussel, Inc., 314 F.3d 1313, 1326
(Fed. Cir. 2003) (warning against the “danger of improperly importing a limitation . . . not
appearing in the claim”); Evolusion Concepts, Inc. v. HOC Events, Inc., 22 F.4th 1361, 1366 (Fed.
Cir. 2022) (declining to “rea[d] additional limitations . . . not required by [the claim] language”).
Thursday, June 08, 2023
69..Reply Claim Construction Brief by Sycurio, Inc.(Werber, Matthew)
https://www.pacermonitor.com/case/41847299/Semafone_Limited?showRecaptcha=true
Lucretuis
Craig Robinson, has been worth every penny, so far.
------------------------------
Have you read this?
GB2473376, exam report.
Van Volkenburg
All of 6, this is the last bit of 6.
Is this the answer that we should have heard?
6.
However, verification entity to identify verification success or failure as in claims 1 and 8. However, verification is well known in the art, and would be obvious in any system which relates to a transaction between two users. The application of such teachings into the above documented would be obvious to a person skilled in the art rendering claims 1 & 8 obvious. The features of the remaining claims are trivial features and/or are well known in the art. Thus this document renders obvious claims 1-14.
https://www.ipo.gov.uk/p-ipsum/Document/ApplicationNumber/GB1020894.0/GV4ZF5OL1GXOLRC/GB2473376-20111121-Exam%20report%20%20Search%20%20exam.pdf