Procurement Strategy
As an accredited supplier of the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, we received an up yesterday announcing that due to high demand the Gigabit Broadband Voucher will be reduced from £3000 to £2500. This change comes in to effect at 17:00 on the 26th of November and the new terms shall not be applied retrospectively. Meaning you still have a window of opportunity to order your new Gigabit Broadband and still receive maximum funding - act fast.
Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said:
“Access to good broadband is vital for small businesses across the UK, and with the clock ticking on this scheme, it’s important small businesses don’t delay if they want to apply for funding.”
The Government Broadband Voucher Scheme may just have been a victim of its own success. Originally the broadband scheme was funded to the tune of £67 million, which was expected to run out in 2021. Due to the initial popularity, the Government have already issues more than 7000 vouchers. The GBVS team now anticipate the fund being depleted in late 2019 or early in 2020 - over a year ahead of the intended end date.
Margot James MP, UK Minister for Digital, said:
“Our modern Industrial Strategy is clear on the importance of connectivity, as we build a full fibre Britain that is fit for the future. These vouchers provide practical and immediate help to firms struggling with slow broadband speeds. I encourage small businesses around the UK to apply now.”
With these changes being made, the Government now expects the GBVS to help an additional 1000 businesses become Gigabit ready. DB Group can offer honest, impartial advice with no obligations, let's start the conversation, give us a call today on 0330 058 3405.
The growth of the cloud
The number of businesses relying on cloud storage solutions has rapidly increased in the last five years, with half of all IT spend going on cloud storage during 2018.[1] The trend is set to continue with use of and reliance on cloud-based systems increasing in the coming years.
Cloud solutions can be found for almost all strands of your business, typically hosting IT infrastructure and applications like telephony, email and CRM.
The importance of staying connected
Of course, the cloud can only enable a business to function more efficiently and cost-effectively, if the internet connection is 100% reliable. An unreliable internet connection is no longer just a matter of downtime on emails – but it can jeopardise many business processes, putting all an organisation’s cloud-stored data under threat.
Many businesses spend time and money investigating the correct software packages and hosted services to ensure optimum productivity for their company. This investment can be undermined when a business chooses a cheap, unreliable broadband product that cannot support these cloud-based services.
Ensure your connection won’t fail
Generally, SMEs operate with a basic (ADSL) or fibre (FTTC) broadband connection. These connection types are often highly contended, meaning they slow down at peak times of the day. They nearly always come with a loose service level agreement (SLA), often covering the provider in the event of an outage.
There are lots of data connectivity options to choose from, ideally depending on size and budget an Ethernet service will be dedicated 1:1 contentions and typically have a SLA stating a 7 hour fix, often these can be supplied with a range of failover solutions. For the budget conscious among us there are several converged or assured options across ADSL / VDSL circuits, which could deliver the required service levels and quality, within your budget.
Take our advice
However, complex your situation we can help you find the right solution. Review your connection options now, and you still have time to take advantage of the Government Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme, where you can claim up to £3000.00 towards the cost of a new Gigabit Connection. Gives us a call on 0330 058 3405 to speak to one of our specialists.
[1] 2018. Four Trends In Cloud Computing CIOs Should Prepare For In 2019. 5th July. Forbes. [Online]. [1 November 2018]. Available from: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/07/05/four-trends-in-cloud-computing-cios-should-prepare-for-in-2019/#4ba5d26e4dc2
Online Systems
It’s a safe bet that your business uses multiple methods of communication every single day. From email and instant messaging to phone system calls and video, customers of today expect to be able to contact you in a way and at a time that suits them. In order to thrive, your business, has to give your staff the communication tools to help them be responsive, adaptable and reliable.
For many businesses, the good old trusty telephone is still the predominant method of communication with customers, however if your phone system isn’t smart, you could be throwing away customers, reputation and money, a troublesome trio for any business.
So how can you make sure your communications model is future fit and enables you to be responsive, mobile, adaptive, and at the forefront of your industry?
A move away from the way things were
Many businesses still operate a with traditional PBX Phone System, typically running over Analogue or ISDN phonelines, these types of lines are scheduled to be switched off in 2025. PBX Phone Systems used to be fit for purpose when they first came into use, however in an evolving world these legacy systems have become inflexible, expensive to upgrade and in the main, their features and functionalities do not embrace todays demand for mobile and remote working.
How will Hosted Voice / Unified Communications help my business?
Here are just a few of the ways that a Hosted Voice / Unified Communications systems will help you save money and grow your business:
Only pay for what you need
Hosted Voice / Unified Communications are hosted remotely, and you pick and choose the services you require, and pay for only those.
Work smarter, anywhere
Hosted Voice / Unified Communications allows your employees access to all the communication tools they have in the office - wherever they are and whenever they need to.
Expand internationally - at the touch of a button
Need contact details in another country? Get it simply and quickly, with your Hosted Voice / Unified Communications - having a physical office or equipment in another country is a necessity of the past.
Open up to collaboration
You can now integrate multiple communications and collaboration services into a single solution, enabling you to deliver the seamless experiences that your employees and your customers increasingly expect.
Keep up productivity
Hosted Voice / Unified Communications solutions are built with features and infrastructure specifically designed to limit any downtime and ensure you are online 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Let your team focus on what they’re supposed to
Because we manage and maintain your Hosted Voice / Unified Communications solution on your behalf, your IT team are free to focus on their area of expertise.
Hosted Voice / Unified Communications transforms your business making it truly fit for the future, contact one of the DB Group experts on 01506 848 848 to discuss how Hosted Voice / Unified Communications can help you make money, instead of wasting it.
