Over the past decade, mobile phones have seen an astronomical rise in popularity. It’s reported that there were 62.86 million mobile users in 2021, with this number expected to surpass 65 million by 2025. Most people can’t go the day (or minute in some cases) without checking their notifications or catching up on social media. With changes coming to ISDN/PSTN network, it’s no wonder people are considering a mobile approach.

As a business, mobility opens a more diverse way of working, something that’s advantageous in today’s changing world. It allows you and your employees to be contacted, wherever and however they need to be. Like always, there are options and it is vital that choose the right solution for you, your employees, and your business.

1. Tariffs can range from PAYG, Standard, Shared, or Aggregated

2. Network – Some networks have different perks or bundles that might fit your way of working better, so it's important to figure these out to make sure you have the most rounded solution.

3. Coverage – There are 4 main network operators in the UK, O2, Vodafone, EE, and Three, luckily, we can offer service on all 4 networks, and we can mix and match the account to make sure you have the right coverage in the right areas – when you need it most.

We are completely network agnostic and can even move you between networks mid-contract. We aim to work with you to find the right solution. Whether that’s an individual plan for each employee or a shared plan where users can all tap into a pot of data, we will find out what works for you and suits the needs of your business and its most valuable asset – its employees.

One thing we find when businesses opt for the mobile approach is that still want to have a “main number” or a Landline number so that they have still have that professional appearance, luckily we can integrate any mobile extension (via an app) into our Cloud Voice solutions, meaning you can have a mixture of office and mobile-based used across your company all using the same phone system to communicate.

Paul Farrell, DB Comms Account Manager, is happy to take some time to review your current plans and make sure you have the best available tariffs or indeed talk to you about any new connections/or integrating with your phone system. Please feel free to use this link to book a meeting and we can start the conversation.

We are delighted to be able to announce that DB Group (Europe) Ltd has joined the Zenergi family.

The acquisition of the business is great news for DB Group and Zenergi. With shared customer service cultures and values, we believe the acquisition will enable customers to benefit from the increased capability of the enhanced group.

DB Group will continue to trade under its own brand as part of the Zenergi Group for the immediate future, with more news to follow as we move into the next phase of this journey to assess how each organisation can benefit from this great opportunity.

Martin Brown, Managing Director of DB Group is staying on to oversee the integration into the wider group, and said;

“We’re delighted that DB Group are joining the Zen family. Both of our organisations share a great passion for our customers and our teams, something that was so important for me in finding a home for DB Group that would enable fantastic opportunities and a continuation of the values we cherish.

Our team has worked very hard over many years to establish DB Group as a trusted advisor to our customers so I’m looking forward to working with the Zenergi team to integrate DB Group with the rest of the group and the positive results this will deliver.”

Graham Cooke, Zenergi CEO commented;

“This represents a superb opportunity for Zenergi to benefit from the addition of an award-winning and very likeminded business, with similar values, ethos, and a real focus on customer service that we hold in such high regard.

The team have clearly been delivering on their promises and the commitment to the Race to Zero, as well the accredited supplier status with the Carbon Trust, which are great examples of how aligned we are. We are all looking forward to welcoming the team, nurturing our first presence in Scotland, and seeing what we can achieve together.

We look forward to welcoming Martin and the team into the Zen family.”

About Zenergi Group Ltd

Zenergi is an energy and environmental consultancy aiming to make a positive difference in the world of energy, and to do so in a manner that is simple, sustainable and achievable. Making a difference to over 4,000 educational facilities and organisations across the United Kingdom, Zenergi is built on the belief that there is a better, brighter way forward for the energy industry. Our long-term ambition for the future of energy is to help customers reach their vision of energy freedom and to invest in building a future that supports those organisations through the transition to Net Zero and tackling the largest challenge of our generation head-on – responding to a changing climate. For more details, please visit https://zenergi.co.uk

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Our Head of DB Comms Liam Bonthron interviewed David McNeil, Director of Digital at SCVO on their Connecting Scotland Project, set up in March 2020.

Could you tell us a little about the history of the Connecting Scotland Project, when did it start and what were the main drivers?

The origins of Connecting Scotland began before the first lockdown in March 2020. There was a realisation that digitally excluded people needing to self-isolate would be cut off from the world and need additional support.

On 19^th March 2020 SCVO, the Scottish Government, and ScotlandIS jointly issued a call to action for volunteers to help tackle the issue. We talked about mobilising an emergency response to find, equip, train, and support everyone in the country who lacked access to digital services.

Who was the project intended to help?

By April, the scale of the challenge became clear and the Scottish Government recognised the need to invest to support digitally excluded people during the lockdown.

Working through partner organisations from across the public and voluntary sector, Connecting Scotland provided digital devices, connectivity, and support to develop digital skills for people who were digitally excluded and on low incomes.

The first phase focused on those who were at risk of isolation due to coronavirus because they were shielding. Subsequent phases targeted families with children, young care leavers, older people, people with disabilities, and residents in care homes.

What were the initial challenges faced by SCVO and its partners?

There were lots of challenges in the early stages, including:

• The ability to secure devices, with very high global demand
• Rolling out internet connections quickly
• The ability to reach people in need while services were not running and people were working from home
• How were these challenges faced?

We working with partners across the public, private and voluntary sectors, we managed to:

• Get priority allocation of devices, liaising directly with manufacturers and distributors
• Secure mobile internet (MiFi) and data packages to get internet connections to people quickly
• Encourage organisations that already worked with vulnerable people to get involved in delivering devices and support to people they knew
• It’s not just about giving someone a device and internet connection, but recognising that digital exclusion and social exclusion go hand-in-hand… and those vulnerable people need support to develop skills and confidence online, and that support is best provided within the context of the issues they faced and what their own personal motivations and aspirations were.

What was the initial target for Connecting Scotland and how has this changed during the course of the project? How many people have benefitted from this project?

Connecting Scotland started with a pilot with 55 devices. The first major investment from the Scottish Government allowed us to reach 9,000 digitally excluded households and we’re on track to reach 60,000 households by the end of 2021.

What sort of benefits does being ‘connected’ bring?

There are a huge number of benefits of being online! Our recent Impact Report sets out how the project has supported people to stay connected with family and friends, participate in learning, secure jobs, engage with health and care services, and much more.

It’s hard to imagine how someone could cope without the internet in a modern world. But that was, and remains, a reality for too many people in Scotland.

What does the future of ‘Connecting Scotland’ look like? Where do you go from here?

The ultimate aim is to help get every citizen in Scotland online. The Scottish Government has committed to reaching 300,000 people with support over the next few years.

With Broadband or Connectivity now being seen as the fourth utility, its availability, speeds, and robustness of service are critical in running a modern-day business.

Most of these businesses are consuming many of their critical applications from the cloud, which is also where they’re storing their data. Using applications like Office 365, Amazon Web Services, and G Suite to name a few – everything from crucial business communications and telephony to file storage to the timesheets system can be hosted, are you? #CloudReady

All of this means that connectivity is a critical enabler for business. To support an ecosystem of cloud-based services and infrastructure, your customer's requirement for robust and well-engineered data services cannot be overlooked.

How can businesses succeed with the cloud:

• Improved Scalability – Pay as you Go Services that can easily flex to meet the changing demands of your business
• Improved availability of service – Cloud services typically has robust backup measures in place to mitigate any service loss, meaning that companies can rest assured there will be no crippling downtime.
• More manageable costs - Most cloud applications are monthly subscription services, meaning that businesses can better manage their costs and only pay for what they need
• Save on maintenance and energy – by moving to the cloud you don’t have to purchase, maintain, or power expensive hardware, systems, or servers
• Increased Productivity – instant access to all your information in one central location which reduces the time to find vital information and offers improved collaboration throughout an organisation
• Be ready for Remote and Flexible working - with applications now optimised for browsers, mobiles, and tablets, it’s much easier for businesses to access their professional applications wherever they are, and on whichever device they have to hand.

Embracing cloud solutions will ultimately allow your business to provide a better service to end customers, whether that’s by delivering more convenient digital experiences or developing compelling products and services. Making your business #CloudReady will be a business enabler resulting in better-connected customers and colleagues.

It is commonly respected that broadband is the 4^th utility, but unlike water, gas and electric your broadband come in many shapes and sizes, the availability of some of the direct commercial products is a postcode lottery. But as business owners, you can be somewhat the master of your premises destiny by installing the best available business broadband or ethernet solution.

Why is connectivity so important!

Almost everyone loves their lives with applications like Spotify, Netflix, Dropbox, Whatsapp all playing a major part in what we do and how we do it. Businesses are no different, our Email, our Applications, our Files, our Marketing, and even our Phone Systems are now online. On both sides of the fence, we use these applications – A LOT – which means a reliable and constant data connection really is a necessity for living in the digital age.

All businesses are digital businesses now. Whether you sell hand-carved tables or professional service services, elements of your business will rely on digital technology to help you produce your solution, deliver your solution, or help you communicate with those that matter most to your business – your colleagues, your customers, and your suppliers (in no specific order).

Increasingly, businesses are consuming many of their critical applications from the cloud, doing so allows businesses to create efficiencies, reduce costs, and engage with new products or working practices, helping to give them a competitive edge over their competitors.

Is your connection ready to support the employees of tomorrow (today).

The reliance on the cloud means that connectivity is a critical enabler for business, the requirement for robust and well-engineered data connectivity cannot be overlooked. Business owners must do their homework when it comes to choosing a suitable provider. One size doesn’t fit all. Businesses should look for a provider that meets their needs by offering a range of cloud-based connectivity services.