Business & Technology
NSSLGlobal backs Royal Norwegian Naval Academy row
NSSLGlobal is supplying satellite communications equipment for a 1,000-mile rowing expedition by four graduating Royal Norwegian Naval Academy officers. The voyage will raise funds for the Norwegian aid group Fritt Ukraina.
Under the banner Row for Ukraine, the crew plans to row from Bergen to London. NSSLGlobal will provide satellite phones for welfare, support and emergency communications, as well as mobile satellite systems for email and short video updates during the crossing.
It will also install the equipment, train the crew to use it, and provide support before, during and after the voyage. The company is also contributing funds to the charity effort.
The four officers are Frikk Ekeberg, Erik Gulbrandsen, Aleksander Skogly-Jensen and Henrik Listhaug. By the time they depart, they will have graduated from cadets to officers at the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy.
They are due to cross one of the most demanding stretches of sea in a 7.4-metre D12 ocean rowing boat with two open rowing positions and two small cabins. The setup allows two crew members to row while the other two rest, maintaining a continuous 24-hour watch.
Safety focus
The communications package reflects the risks of a North Sea crossing in a small craft. The onboard systems are intended to help the crew stay connected in an emergency and maintain contact with supporters during the expedition.
Sally-anne Ray, group CEO of NSSLGlobal, outlined the company’s role in the voyage.
“At NSSLGlobal we are very proud to support these intrepid graduating officers of the Royal Norwegian Naval Academy for a cause that means so much to us all. Safety at sea is all-important, and having satellite phones and data devices onboard gives the crew the connectivity they need for emergencies and to stay in touch with their supporters,” Ray said.
NSSLGlobal has backed the project from an early stage. Its support included introducing the Norwegian team to the leader of the Royal Navy’s HMS Oardacious team, who brought experience from two trans-Atlantic rows.
The company has longstanding operations in maritime and government communications, as well as a workforce in Norway through its Oslo office. Its Norwegian presence includes technical work and research and development, and its main shareholder is Norwegian investment company Arendals Fossekompani.
Ukraine fundraising
Money raised above the costs of the expedition will go to Fritt Ukraina’s work supporting the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade. The organisation provides equipment and other aid to Ukrainians defending the country.
Fritt Ukraina said the voyage carries both a fundraising purpose and broader symbolic weight.
“As a maritime nation, Norway has an important role in working closely with Ukraine and the United Kingdom to develop defense capabilities in the Black Sea. It is highly inspiring to see that NSSLGlobal is now supporting Row 4 Ukraine’s important voyage across the sea to London-a strong symbol of the resilience we must demonstrate together in the Nordic region. At the same time, it highlights the expertise Norway possesses and can contribute to this shared defense effort. This work also helps strengthen the long-term ties between Norway and Ukraine,” said Natalia Golis, managing director of Fritt Ukraina.
The four officers specialise in marine engineering, weapons technology and logistics. According to the organisers, their training at the academy is expected to be central to operating under sustained pressure during the crossing.
The expedition also comes against a backdrop of close naval ties between Norway and the UK. Both countries are founding members of NATO and have strengthened cooperation through joint naval activity and defence agreements, with regular training by British forces in Norway and growing attention on security in the High North.
For NSSLGlobal, the project also aligns with the part of its business focused on shipboard communications and support systems used by vessels ranging from patrol ships to aircraft carriers. In this case, that work is being applied on a much smaller platform, where reliable contact with shore may prove critical.
All funds raised above expedition costs will support Fritt Ukraina’s deliveries of equipment and assistance to the Ukrainian 36th Marine Brigade.
The two retail units in Bicester’s Sheep Street have been listed together, along with storage accommodation and three self contained flats.
Bicester Toys and Thorntons chocolate shop represent “long-standing” retail occupiers according to estate agency Carter Jonas with a combined rental income of £91,260 per annum across the properties.
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Indeed, the toy shop is a popular destination in the town with a 4.1 star rating based on over 60 Google Reviews.
Mr Cowell visited the shop in February this year, reportedly to buy Lego for his son.
The TV star is known for his appearances as a talent show judge, starring on the X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and American Idol over the years.
He now lives in Oxfordshire with his fiancée, Lauren Silverman, as well as his child, Eric.
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A fellow shopper at Bicester Toys described him as “very friendly”.
Andy Rumney said: “He was also very happy to chat to us about our four year old Shih-Poo called Tilly as he’s a huge dog lover, and they had their dog with them which was a lovely German Shepherd.
“He was also very happy happy to chat to the staff in the shop as apparently he’s in there a lot buying Lego for his son.”
Atos has compiled the 2026-27 Premier League fixture list, continuing a role it has held since the league’s launch in 1992.
The latest schedule extends a long-running arrangement under which Atos has supported the planning of 13,166 Premier League matches involving 51 clubs across 34 seasons.
Producing the fixture list begins at the start of the year and typically takes about six months. Computer systems generate an initial schedule, which specialists then revise against league rules and operational constraints.
Those rules limit long runs of home or away matches and aim to balance home and away games across any five-match sequence. Clubs are also not supposed to start or finish a season with two home games or two away games.
Beyond those rules, the schedule must account for local rivalries, policing capacity and transport pressures. Planning also seeks to reduce travel demands for supporters during periods such as Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.
Even small changes can affect a wider set of matches, requiring further adjustments elsewhere in the calendar. This year’s list also placed greater emphasis on player welfare and the need for recovery time between matches in an increasingly crowded football schedule.
Glenn Thompson, Fixture-List Compiler at Atos UK&I, has compiled the Premier League fixtures for more than 30 years. He said the work can narrow to a final manual review after the technology has processed large numbers of possible outcomes.
“There are pinch points in the process where it can become stressful, culminating in several days in a room manually checking for any issues that may have cropped up. The whole process is complex, involving many different data points. Ultimately, you can’t satisfy everyone, and it is a compromise across all clubs without favouring any one club,” Thompson said.
Sports work
Atos has maintained a Sports and Major Events division for more than 30 years. It also works with football bodies outside the Premier League, including UEFA’s national team competitions and CONMEBOL’s domestic club competitions in South America.
The group operates in 54 countries and employs about 56,000 people. It reported annual revenue of about EUR €7.2 billion at its go-forward perimeter.
Michael Herron, Head of Atos UK&I, linked the annual fixture release to the start of the new football season for supporters.
“For millions of fans, the release of the Premier League fixture list is when a new season really comes to life. We’re proud to support the Premier League and are looking forward to another exciting season ahead,” Herron said.
Established in 1972, Sevenoaks Sound and Vision is one of the largest independent Hi-Fi and Home Cinema retailers in the UK.
The company set up shop in Oxford on Banbury Road, but closed down recently.
Their website describes themselves as “a unique, first-class experience.”
“All of this is supported by a custom installation service which specialises in the creation and installation of bespoke home entertainment systems to suit all budgets.”
The company still has stores in Bristol, Bromley, Cambridge, Chelsea, Cheltenham, Epsom, Guildford, London, Leeds, Manchester, Norwich, Nottingham, Reading, Tunbridge Wells, Witham, and Yeovil.
They also have their flagship store in Seven Oaks, near Kent, and are opening a new store in Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham.
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