Many ISPs were caught out in 2010 when demand for World Cup streaming exceeded expectations causing massive problems with limited available bandwidth for business critical applications.

England’s involvement in Euro 2012, plus the Olympics being held in London, mean that broadband demand is sure to be higher than usual and, particularly if you are on a consumer broadband network, you could suffer with slow speeds or, worse still, a lack of connectivity.

What are your broadband options?

The first option is to consider a business-grade broadband product. This will mean lower contention ratios (fewer people sharing your line) and priority for business critical data. This will tend to be more expensive than a consumer product but should prove to be more reliable.

The next step is FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet). This takes advantage of BT’s faster fibre network to deliver better upload and download speeds. It is only available in around 25% of exchanges currently but the network is extending quickly.

Better still is EFM (Ethernet First Mile). This uses a combination of copper and fibre cabling but is a dedicated product. This means that no-one else shares your line and speeds can be guaranteed for upload and download.

Finally there is Ethernet Leased Lines. These are dedicated fibre lines offering higher guaranteed speeds. These range from 2MB right up to 1GB.

With each step up the broadband ladder there is increased speed and reliability. Dedicated services are managed and come with strict SLAs.

Comparing the options

If data is critical to your business you should choose the highest level of broadband speed you can afford. Whilst dedicated services are considered expensive, prices are falling with increased availability and competition. This brings them within the reach of many medium sized businesses who will really see the benefit.

Spending more on your data connectivity will bring tangible rewards in terms of increased productivity. It may also see you trading normally through the busy times when the Euro 2012 football kicks off or when the Olympic marquee events are being held.

Kitchen Company – free calls between sites

Estate Agents – £4,892 annual saving

Converging both your voice and internet connections onto a single network can deliver cost savings and assured service quality. We have a diverse portfolio of ADSL broadband, fibre optic broadband, EFM (Ethernet First Mile) and fibre optic Ethernet, meaning we have the right data solution to meet the needs of any size of business. 

We offer the ideal platform for migrating to IP telephony, opening up your business to the numerous benefits that IP telephony brings, allowing you to reduce your supplier and network management costs by getting rid of your legacy voice infrastructure. 

Purchasing an end-to-end service from a single and trusted supplier means any problems are fixed fast. 

Next generation broadband 

Next generation broadband offers a premium high speed connectivity service for businesses that demand high availability and high capacity services.  It can be provided as a dedicated connection with speeds up to 1Gbps. It is also flexible, with extra bandwidth which can be added at any time. 

Our dedicated service, which is fully managed and monitored, is backed up by an impressive Service Level Agreement and guaranteed time-to-fix, meaning you can get on with running your business with peace of mind. 

Our broadband benefits 

• Flexible tariffs with generous usage allowances and the option to purchase more
• Low contention network designed exclusively for business users
• Specialist products for IP telephony with assured bandwidth
• Enhanced maintenance option allowing you to upgrade for a faster fix time if data is critical to your business

As broadband evolves, the cost of faster connections is coming down, meaning that enhanced and guaranteed services are now within reach of small and medium sized businesses. A faster data connection = better productivity, so if your current business is stuck in the internet slow lane get in touch to see how our solutions could help.

There are many reasons why your current supplier might not be working out, the main ones of which are:

• Prices too high – you could be signed in to a fixed price plan at a time of falling call costs
• Lack of service – customer service failings leaving you high and dry

These could leave you wanting to change provider but how do you go about it?

Changing business phone providers

First thing is to get alternative quotations to make sure that you are going to be getting a better deal by moving. This needs to include current rates and tariffs and also factor in any buy out that may be applicable on your current contract.

Beware hidden charges which you will often find in the small print – often deals which look very cheap have a sting in the tail. At 21C our pricing is open and transparent. The prices we quote are the prices you pay.

Do some research on the companies providing quotations to make sure that their level of service is better than you currently receive. Look for testimonials and experiences of current customers.

Once you have decided on a new phone provider they should guide you what to do next so that the transfer process goes smoothly and there is no loss of service.

Problems with switching phone suppliers

There is always the possibility of problems when switching between suppliers. This can arise because your current supplier is deliberately awkward or simply because the transfer process does not work smoothly 100% of the time. However, transferring is becoming easier as Ofcom impose new regulations to help customers.

Potential problems can be off putting, but they are likely to be short lived and once the transfer happens you can expect a much smoother and cheaper service. Short term pain for long term gain.

The majority of customers don’t experience any problems when switching their phone service leaving them better off straight away.

To discuss changing your phone provider and to see what we can offer your business call 01332 418 689.

Fibre to the cabinet refers to BT’s next generation network which offers faster download and upload speeds via fibre optic cabling. FTTC brings more capacity by connecting your local exchange to the nearest “cabinet” by fibre optic cables instead of copper.

This brings faster speeds to your local cabinet which will usually be within 300m of your premises. The last part of the journey is made via your existing copper cable but, because it is just a short hop, there is little loss of speed meaning that download of 40mbps and upload of 10mbps are achievable.

Because existing cables are used into your premises, the cost of fibre to the cabinet is very reasonable. There is usually a small connection charge, plus the cost of a new router which will better handle the FTTC service.

After this the monthly charge depends upon your usage. There are a variety of packages available and each provider will have their own variations making direct comparison difficult.

Enhanced care levels and SLAs are available in support of your new service for a small extra charge.

To see if FTTC is available in your area or to discuss pricing please contact us.

Other data solutions

At 21C we offer a range of data services to cover all bases. From simple ADSL broadband through to Ethernet Leased Lines.

We can put together the correct package for your business requirements which can cover a single office or multiple locations nationwide. Utilising any or all of our core data products, working together to provide the optimum business data solution.

A review of your current data products may be advisable, particularly in light of the new, faster products coming to market in recent months. We can undertake this free of charge and provide a report detailing the options available and how they could help your business.

“The internet contributes to 8.3% of the UK economy, a bigger share than for any of the other G20 major countries, a new study suggests.

The “internet economy” was worth £121bn in 2010, more than £2,000 per person, researchers at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) said.

That made it bigger than the healthcare, construction or education sectors.

The UK also carries out far more retail online than any other major economy.

Some 13.5% of all purchases were done over the internet in 2010, according to BCG, and this is projected to rise to 23% by 2016.”

Whilst these figures are specifically for online retail, it’s obvious that internet usage as a whole is increasing and many consumers and businesses looking for products and services will turn to the internet as their first option to find a supplier.

Is your business online yet?

Despite these figures and the obvious benefits of being online there are still too many businesses that remain sceptical and don’t yet have their own website.

This could be down to concerns about cost or a lack of knowledge relating to just how easy it is to have a new website designed and built. Or a feeling that an online presence will not generate much interest or business.

Reasons to get your business online

The first is credibility. People expect all businesses to have a website and an associated email address. Using hotmail and btconnect style addresses as your main email address lacks credibility.

Then you have the opportunities an online presence provides. More enquiries and leads and the ability to take orders 24/7.

Getting a slice of the pie

A website is just the first part of the process. In order to gain your slice of the pie you need to attract visitors and turn them into customers. This part of the process is generally done by search engine optimisation/marketing (SEO/SEM).

This is the hardest, most time-consuming and costliest part of the process but we offer a number of packages to suit your budget and requirements.

From start to finish

Our job is to get your business online with the minimum of fuss and provide you with a total solution including your domain name, website hosting, website design and build and SEO/SEM. Visit our business website section for more information.

One option to make your business broadband more reliable is to have a 3G failover. In its basic form this involves a specialist router which takes a 3G sim card or 3G USB dongle which kicks in should your main broadband be lost.

Your 3G connection should be on contract to ensure it works when it’s needed and there are a range of mobile broadband tariffs available to cater for this.

We can supply and configure all of the component parts of a basic 3G failover solution – broadband, router, 3G connection. Contact us for pricing.

Beyond business broadband

Larger companies, and even small companies with heavy data reliance, may want a bigger and better solution than is offered by standard ADSL broadband. We offer a range of data products which can be taken on their own or as part of a package to provide a complete data solution.

Options include:

• EFM (Ethernet First Mile)
• Ethernet Leased Lines
• MPLS VPN

Again, all of the necessary hardware is provided which we configure and install for you. Extra options, such as a 3G failover solution, can be built into our proposal.

Benefits of using 21C data solutions

Basically we save you time and money! Taking your data requirements on board we pull together a complete solution that addresses them fully. This may involve a lot of infrastructure and indeed a number of providers but that need not worry you. You only deal with 21C Telecom throughout the initial process and beyond.

Whatever you need in terms of data for your business, be that straightforward broadband for your branch network or a complex solution for your main data centre, we provide a seamless end product which will be delivered on time and on budget.

Case Study – TGI Friday’s

For our client TGI Friday’s we provisioned a leased line solutions to their Luton HQ and Data Centre. A dedicated circuit providing a wealth of bandwidth and uncontended transfer speeds for data exchange.

We delivered an MPLS Data Network to 46 stores (due to rise to 62 by 2015) including ADSL provision. An IP VPN (secure private network) was delivered via standard ADSL lines to the stores.

We also implemented a 3G failover solution providing essential back up for all data communication. Each store can continue to take payments and operate business as usual regardless of fixed line faults or service disruptions.

Whilst we do offer a business website design and build service with an up-front cost, we also cater for those companies looking to spread the cost and get online as quickly, easily (and cheaply!) as possible.

To this end we have 2 packages with no up-front fees but a higher monthly hosting charge.

Package 1 – Up to 5 pages

5 pages should be enough for the average small business. For instance you could have a Home page, About page, Contact page (with contact form, map and details), plus a Products and/or Services page.

Included within the package is the following:

• .co.uk domain name of your choice (subject to availability)
• monthly website hosting
• 5 page website designed and built
• initial SEO (optimisation) of on-page content and META tags
• Google Analytics statistics package
• initial submission to major search engines

The monthly cost for this package is £30 plus VAT with no up-front fees.

Package 2 – Up to 10 pages

For those companies looking for a few more pages. For instance a Staff page, details of individual Products, Calculators etc.

You get everything included in Package 1 with an extra 5 pages designed and built.

The monthly cost for this package is £45 plus VAT with no up-front fees.

Bespoke business website design

If neither of the above options fit the bill but you would still like a package with no up-front fees please contact us with your website requirements and we can put together a bespoke package for you.

This might be an e-commerce site, blog site or need some specialist programming behind the scenes. Whatever you need please get in touch for a free quotation for a cost effective web presence.

However, technology moves on apace and the number of different ways you can connect a single office or multiple offices is increasing all of the time with new products and services being added regularly.

It is even possible to mix and match the different aspects of a solution (for instance putting a physical phone system on to SIP trunks to route calls via the internet) giving an even greater number of permutations.

Finding the best solution for your office

With 21C Telecom you are not tied to a single solution. We provide a number of different products and services which will help your office streamline its communications and reduce costs.

Some of the solutions on offer include:

• Traditional office phone systems
• VoIP and IP office phones
• Hosted phone systems
• Unified Communications

Each has its own featureset and advantages and the best deal for your business will depend upon the number of users, number of offices, and required functionality.

We can provide a costed comparison between the different options following a review of your current systems and how they could be improved.

Making your business more flexible

One of the reasons for the number of office phone products available increasing rapidly is the desire of employers to give their staff more freedom in how they work and where they work. A more flexible approach to working practices leads to happier and more productive employees.

New technology, particularly cloud based products, make flexible working easier to achieve and they are within the financial scope of small businesses as well as large.

Take Vodafone’s One Net Express as an example. The basic tariff is only £35 plus VAT and gives you a landline number which rings on your mobile as well as a host of phone system features. It is ideal for home offices but is expandable so the same product can be used by offices of up to 20 users.

As an alternative, Horizon Unified Communications solution gives you more of an office based hosted system with the option to add mobile connectivity within it. As a hosted solution it can span multiple sites without the need for any specialist hardware in any of them, giving you free inter-office calls which can span counties or even countries.

Complete Office Solutions

Whatever the recommended solution for your office, we can provide a complete solution, not just telephony. So if you need installation and maintenance for a physical system we can provide it. If you need a dedicated data solution with guaranteed speeds to support your IP phone system and/or hosted products we can implement that for you too.

Our support does not stop once the sale is made. We have dedicated account managers and customer service teams that will ensure you remain satisfied throughout the life of the initial contract and beyond.

The services offered from our Pride Park base include:

• Mobile phones and devices
• Landline – systems, rental, calls
• VoIP and hosted solutions
• Data  – ADSL broadband, EFM, leased lines
• Tracking – vehicle and mobile phone
• Web – design, build and SEO

Our dedicated team of communications experts work hard to match the right combination of products to deliver real savings for your business as well as giving you more flexible ways of working, driving your productivity.

Voice and data special offers…

We have a special focus on reducing landline bills for every business in Derby. Our team are out and about collecting bills to analyse so that we can show you just how much you could save.

If you are currently with BT you could be saving over 40% on your call charges!

But it’s not just landline calls where we can save your business money. Our business mobile deals are hard to beat too. Plus we can put together packages of telecoms products which you won’t find through any other supplier.

Faster connection = better communication

We hear the same complaint daily from businesses we visit to review their telecoms - “our broadband is too slow”. Broadband which doesn’t deliver the anticipated speed can slow your business right down.

As well as business-grade broadband we also offer guaranteed broadband services. This means that you have your own line delivering a guaranteed minimum upload and download speed. This is ideal for new communication technologies such as VoIP and hosted services.

Contact our Pride Park Team

If your business is based in or around Derby and you’d like one of our team to visit you to offer some help (or to save you some money!) please use the contact details below:

21C Telecom Ltd
17 Brunel Parkway
Pride Park
Derby
DE24 8HR

TEL: 01332 418 680