Broadband Speeds Are Slower Than Advertised: Are you Paying for a "Fast Speed"?

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A group of 50MPs have said that the way broadband speeds are advertised is misleading and should be changed. 

It's hard to miss internet providers' broadband adverts that showcase super fast speeds at a low costs, however only 10% of customers can obtain the fastest advertised speed. The British Infrastructure Group want greater powers to enable consumers and businesses to hold providers to account. 

The Advertising Standards Authority, who deal with all advertising complains, are aware of the concerns and would consider taking further action they said in a recent statement. 

The British Infrastructure Group said in a statement: "Our position on broadband speed claims in ads is based on extensive work undertaken in recent years, including a full public consultation on new guidance."

The group was set up by former Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps, who said consumers had "very few rights and protections" they can turn to if they are poorly treated by their internet service provider.

"Consumers must be given the power to hold their internet service provider to account when they let them down or outright mislead them into signing a contract that makes promises that bear no resemblance to the later reality. Consumers also need the power to leave contracts if they are found to have been misled."

It was found that other industries are forced to compensate customers for errors, including airlines and banks, and there's no reason why internet providers should be exempt. 

The group highlighted that there was no minimum level of compensation if customers received a poor service. Ofcom has asked fixed-line internet service providers to sign up to a voluntary code of practice, which requires them to provide consumers with more information and advice on maximum broadband speeds - but the key work is voluntary. It will be interesting to see if the British Infrastructure Group can turn that into a mandatory sign-up.

Are you are business own who feels that you're not getting the best broadband deal? Get in touch with 360ict to enjoy reliable, effective email and internet connectivity with secure cloud server rental available to give you 24-hour access and uptime.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website. 

UK Digital Businesses Play Essential Role in Economy Growth

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A study conducted by Tech City UK has revealed that digital technology businesses are playing an essential role in the UK economy's growth. The innovation that this sector is generating is profound with businesses transforming the employment landscape, driving productivity and reimagining traditional industries.

The key findings to note from the report are:

1. Digital technology industries are a key contributor to the UK's economy, growing faster in turnover, GVA and productivity than the rest of the economy.
2. Digital technologies are influencing businesses beyond the technology industry.
3. The digital technology economy are creating well paid employment opportunities, three times faster that the rest of the economy, across the UK.
4. Digital technology businesses are supporting growth across UK cities.

In partnership with Nesta, Tech City UK analysed nationwide data to understand the impact of the digital economy on wider business trends. The report found that the areas with the highest cluster of digital technology companies were benefitting from better employment rates, turnover and average salaries. The report also noted that there has been a surge in digital technology communities with almost 180,000 individuals across the country taking part in Meetups. Networks and face-to-face contact have helped these tech hub areas grow nationally and now the sector has over 1300 active groups in the UK.

Prime minister David Cameron commented: “Britain’s world leading tech sector gives us a competitive edge that is not just transforming our daily lives but also our economy. Tech is transforming the way we do all kinds of business.”

Eileen Burbidge, Tech City UK chair  added: “The UK’s credentials as a home for digital excellence have been well established, and now Tech Nation 2016 provides a new level of insight into the impressive productivity of our digital economy – driving growth across all sectors and regions of the country.”

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000. 

NHS Hospitals in England to get Free Wi-Fi

Healthy Secretary, Jeremy Hunts, announces free wi-fi will be provided in all NHS buildings in England in an attempt to improve services. 

Currently, hospitals either charge for wi-fi or have no access at all. With the wi-fi upgrade it means patients can use devices to go online to keep in touch with family and friends or watch TV while they wait. 

This announcement is just one part of the government’s plan to make the NHS “digital and paperless” by 2020.

Mr Hunt said: "Everyone using the NHS expects it to be a world leader in digital healthcare and free wi-fi is an essential part of making that a reality. It will give patients and staff the ability to access the services they need as well as freeing up clinical time and reducing overall costs."

The move is a recommendation from a government commissioned report on improving the use of online technology in the health service. The money for the service will be taken from a £1 billion technology fund. 

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website. 

Why India Invests in the UK

Image Credit: Indian Express

A few weeks ago China’s President made a visit to the UK to discuss the improvement of trade between the two countries, and now India’s Prime Minister, Mr Modi, has met with David Cameron to discuss bilateral deals worth around £10 billion. Is Mr Cameron making a point that the UK would be better off outside of the EU, where these kinds of deals would be much easier to accomplish without all the EU red tape? 

Mr Cameron believes that these are countries with whom Britain should do far more business, but with previous plans, like doubling trade with India between 2010 and 2015, failing, what makes this trip any different?

India is emerging as the strongest economy out of the Bric nations, Brazil, Russia, India and China,  and is growing at 7% per year. 

Earlier this year the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) released a report confirming that India is now the third-largest source of foreign direct investment into the UK, which increased to 64% in 2014. The UK India Business Council estimated that the total value of Indian investment in the UK totalled at £1.89 billion by the end of 2014s financial year, and 110,000 people are now employed by Indian companies. 

Talking to the BBC, Alpesh Patel of Praefinium Partners, said “that the ease of doing business in the UK, as well as the English language and familiarity with UK institutions, also makes the UK an attractive proposition for Indian investors.” But this works both ways, by 2015 the UK had invested £14.5 billion in India according to CBI, making the UK the largest foreign investor.  

With Mr Modi’s trip dubbed a success, more investment in the UK can only be a good thing. But should UK based companies now look outside of the EU, to countries like India, if they want to grow their business internationally?

What to expect from Theresa May’s new Surveillance Bill AKA Spy Bill

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Yesterday Home Secretary Theresa May revealed her plans to fight crime and terror through a new surveillance law. The law will track the internet activity of everyone in the UK and all data will be stored for at least a year by service providers. This will allow the police and intelligence officers to check what sites people have visited anytime and without a warrant.

This bill will bring Britain in to the “digital age” according to May, as it will make “provision for the retention of internet connection records (ICRs) in order for law enforcement to identify the communications service to which a device has connected. This will restore capabilities that have been lost as a result of changes in the way people communicate.”

May hopes to bring together all the powers already available to law enforcements and intelligence agencies to obtain communications. This will also allow the state to hack devices and run operations to sweep up large amounts of data through the internet. This is the exact activity that was uncovered by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

So other than keeping a log of everyones browser activities, what else can we expect from the controversial Spy Bill:

• A panel of judges will have the power to block spying operations
• It will be a criminal offence to “knowingly or recklessly obtaining communications data from a telecommunications operator without lawful authority”
• Local councils will retain some investigatory powers
• The Wilson doctrine - preventing surveillance of Parliamentarians' communications - to be written into law
• Journalistic sources can’t be accessed without authorisation of a judge
• UK companies will be expected to help agencies hack devices and acquire information

Some have hailed the bill as a necessity to protect against crime, but others have warned about the unforgivable intrusion on the UK citizens personal information. Where do you stand?

Will Russia Commit The Ultimate Hack?

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Russia’s relationship with the rest of the Western world has been tense for quite a long time and recently they’ve done nothing easy concerns. A report from the New York Times states that Russia could be developing plans to sever key internet communications, which has sparked fresh worries and unrest throughout Europe and North America. 

The article reports that there has been a spike in Russian naval activity near the locations of undersea cables. Various military sources are concerned that Russia could sever these connections in future wars. The cables are vital to the internet’s daily running and carry huge amounts of data between continents. 

There are many thousands of miles of these cables under the world’s ocean, some in incredibly hard to reach areas. Would this be the ultimate hack? Is it even possible to bring down a country’s internet communications? 

Speaking to the BBC, Keir Giles from think tank Chatham House said “I very much doubt that anyone would think of cutting off the US. It is only going to work in locations where the internet geography is going to create a vulnerability in communications.” There are simply too many connections going in and out of the US to bring down the country’s entire system, however Mr Giles added that there are parts of the world where Russia could be successful.

There has been no evidence so far of any cable cutting, but there is major concern that Russia plans to halt internet communications in the future knowing that the West’s governments, economies and citizens are dependent on it. 

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Yet another cyber attack hits the headlines, this time TalkTalk are on the chopping block

Image credit: BT

It has been quiet on the cyber attack front over the last few weeks, but we knew that was too good to be true. The hackers are back and this time they’ve taken no prisoners, they have accessed the personal information of around 4 million TalkTalk customers.

The cyber attack, which took place on Wednesday, was a “significant and sustained” attack on TalkTalk’s website, and as result a criminal investigation has now been launched by the Metropolitan Police Cyber Crime Unit.

The company admits that there is a chance that not only names, home addresses and dates of birth have been accessed, but also phone numbers, email addresses, back account information and credit card numbers could be the in the hands of the hackers.

Talking to the media last night, TalkTalk CEO Dido Harding said the company “constantly updates its systems” against the “rapidly evolving threat of cyber crime.” However, this isn’t the first attack on TalkTalk, they have had a few security scares over the last year but this is the first attack to do some serious damage.

If you’re a TalkTalk customer it’s good to know that TV, broadband, mobile and phone services were not affected, but the attack will have had a major impact on the company as a whole. Stock prices are already down 10% and it’s going to be really difficult for TalkTalk to restore it’s dented reputation.

Ms Harding added: "It's too early to know exactly what data has been attacked and what has been stolen.”
"Potentially it could affect all of our customers, which is why we are contacting them all by email and we will also write to them as well.”

It’s going to be a long hard slog to reassure customers that they can provide a secure and robust system. These next few days will prove crucial for the company if they hope to make a comeback from one of the worst cyber crimes to ever hit the UK.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Microsoft Unveils Enterprise Class Devices

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Last week Microsoft unveiled the new Surface tablet and Surface Book, a high-end hybrid laptop, aimed at being the only devices professionals need at work and home. 

Microsoft says that both devices have enough battery life to last the working day, are thin and light with high specs and a sleek finish. Microsoft also boasts that the new Surface devices are up to 50% faster than the MacBook Air and Pro.

We like many of the new improvements including a screen that has very precise detection of touch with pen input. The Surface Book is a powerful machine with an Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce graphics card and the screen can be detached so it can used as a tablet or flipped so it sits on top of the keyboard.

The Surface Pro 4 will be the first to run Windows 10, which will include Windows Hello and MDM support. According to Principal analyst from Ovum, Richard Edwards, these additions should appeals to enterprises’ need to simplify management and security.

With flexi working slowly becoming the norm, Microsoft is hoping that these machines will appeal to professionals who want to use a device in and outside the office. 

Edwards says Microsoft is looking to "displace the MacBook Air, which it sees as the target device favoured by the young and trendy people who like to be super mobile but still want that laptop experience".

Gartner research director Roberta Cozza highlights that capturing this market is essential if the Surface is to gain popularity within business. Enterprises are starting to listen to their staff on what devices to purchase, especially when they’re to be used at home as well and in the office. 

"They are building a portfolio that many professional users will like," she said.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Calais Crisis Costing UK Businesses Millions

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Over the last few weeks drivers have faced huge delays at the Channel tunnel due to the migrant crisis in Calais. So far the UK and French governments haven’t found a solution to the number of migrants now arriving at the port. This has had a huge impact on British businesses as they are being forced to find alternative ways of transporting their goods over the Channel. 

Many companies have had to use aircrafts to transfers essential goods, but even though it is a quick-fix solution, it will cost a lot more money in the long run. 

The Freight Transport Association (FTA) believes the Calais crisis is costing the UK £250m a day in lost trade. The Guardian stated that the study, which was commissioned by Dove economics consultancy Oxera “calculated the annual value of goods in the 2.2m freight vehicles travelling via Dover and Calais to be £89bn, a figure quoted by the FTA as the yearly worth of UK trade.”

What's even more troubling is the fact that the figure could be higher still: Dover claims freight traffic has expanded "considerably" since the study and that it only takes into account ferries, which represent 63% of Channel crossings. The real figure could be as much as £160bn, which would equate to £440m a day in lost trade.

The owner of Lincolnshire-based Denby Transport told ITV News his own company has lost "tens of thousands" of pounds and Welsh haulage firm MCL Logistics told the BBC that it is facing a bill of £100,000 a month. Rolls-Royce, the British carmaker, spoke to The Financial Times and said that the crisis had caused huge delays to incoming car parts: “We have experienced disruption to our production. It’s a challenge, it’s disruptive and we’d rather it wasn’t happening.”

The costs calculated don’t even take in to the consideration the strain on public services. The BBC says Operation Stack has so far cost Kent Police around £700,000, while the Government has said it will spend up to £7m improving security around the tunnel to deal with migrants attempting to illegally enter the UK.

The government is also deciding whether more ferry capacity can be added to different crossing in the UK, including Hull, Portsmouth and Plymouth. However the FTA said the governments needs to come up with long term solutions: “It is an additional cost for hauliers to drive to other ports. If the truck drives another 40 or 50 miles then that adds to costs.”


360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Encrypted Communication Apps Could Be Banned in the UK

Over the past few weeks the press has been warning that WhatsApp and all other encrypted communication applications could be banned in the UK. But why would the government ban these extremely popular communication applications? 

In 2012, Home Secretary Theresa May proposed a new communications data bill called Data Retention and Investigatory Powers Bill, which would compel technology companies to track, record and store mobile phone and web usage from their users. It has become known as the “Snooper’s Charter” but aspects of the bill have been deemed “inconsistent with EU law” - most notably Article Eight of European Convention of Human Rights, which concerns an individual’s right to privacy.

WhatsApp, iMessage, SnapChat and other popular messaging services use end-to-end encryption to keep texts and multimedia safe from prying eyes. David Cameron had hoped to outlaw this level of privacy to help law enforcement services track and monitor potential terrorist threats.

Many technology companies have spoken out against the measures and refuse to remove the end-to-end encryption from their services. Apple CEO, Tim Cook, said that Apple has “never worked with any government agency from any country to create a backdoor in any of our products or services ... and we never will."

Out of the 55,772 readers of the bill, 49,079 voted against the changes proposed that meant providers, phone companies and technology firms store a record of all online activity. This would include everything from Google searches to Facebook conversations and SnapChat videos, which could be accessed at anytime by law enforcement agencies. 

Here at 360ict we understand the need to protect the country from potential threats, but do you think this bill takes it a step too far? Let us know your thoughts.

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

StartUp Britain, A Nationwide Tour Designed To Inspire Would-Be Entrepreneurs

A national campaign that aims to inspire new start-up businesses has embarked on a tour of the North. 

StartUp Britain is a campaign by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, which harnesses the expertise of Britain’s leading businesspeople to celebrate, inspire and accelerate enterprise in the UK. 

The 1966 Routemaster bus will tour 25 locations around England, Wales and Scotland to offer advice from the country’s best business mentors, start-up experts, business IT support professionals and employees from headline sponsors Sage to aspiring entrepreneurs. 

Yesterday in Newcastle mentors from the North East’s Entrepreneurs’ Forum spoke with members of the public about business ideas and of their own experiences, which highlighted that connecting budding entrepreneurs to local organisations can help them to get started in the business world. 

According to the StartUp Britain website, the campaign was founded by eight entrepreneurs and launched on 28 March 2011 by the Prime Minister, with the full support of the Chancellor and HM Government, although it is completely funded by private-sector sponsors. The campaign is now run by the Centre for Entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurs' think tank, enabling them to communicate better policies for entrepreneurs to Government.

“We are truly passionate about promoting entrepreneurship and its benefits to our economy and we do this by highlighting the myriad of support that is available to those who wish to start or grow a business, galvanising support where we see a demand and by acting as a voice for small businesses to Government.”

We think this is an excellent event and we urge potential entrepreneurs from across the UK to attend, you’ll never know what valuable information you might receive! And if anything, it’s a good chance to network with some of the best business minds around.

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

What Does A Tory Majority Government Mean For Small Businesses?

The UK has been up in arms over the Conservative win, however it might not be all bad: their small business manifesto has been welcomed by many entrepreneurs as well as the promise of a stable government. Here’s what SMEs across the UK can expect to happen over the next five years:

The Conservatives have won the 2015 General Election and are forming a single party government. Not only is this result a surprise, it has been received with mixed reviews and a minority have taken to the streets to protest. Business owners, however, have high hopes for the next five years. Conservatives have repeatedly described SMEs as “the lifeblood of the economy."

The Conservative’s small business manifesto pledges to increase the number of startups to 600,000 a year by 2020. Business owners will also be hoping that unnecessary, time consuming and costly regulations and paper work will be slashed under the full Tory government. So far the Conservatives have pledged to reduce such regulations and save businesses £10bn over the next five years.

Many employers want greater flexibility in hiring and firing decisions, with a reduced risk of being taken to an employment tribunal. The previously overruled Beecroft report looks likely to be implemented now that the Liberal Democrats can’t stand in the way. It suggests a shakeup of employment legislation and the proposal to allow employers to make no-fault dismissals.

Europe. The in/out referendum. It’s an issue that divides SMEs: Many business owners who have offices or clients in Europe are worried that changes to the UK’s EU membership will make it harder to access the European market. Change and uncertainty on this level is unnerving for everyone involved.

Late payment remains a big issue for businesses. The Conservatives have promised to strengthen the prompt payment code and improve transparency. The Tories have also pledged to invest £100bn in infrastructure during this parliament with high profile projects such as HS2 and proposed airport expansion in the South East.

Business owners can expect George Osborne to implement a bunch of new changes in regard to tax, including increases in personal allowances, national insurance holidays, a cut in corporation tax and a freeze on VAT. There’s also a plan to review business rates.

UK business owners impact jobs, exports, investment and tax revenues and are crucial to our nation’s success. For our country’s economy to grow, SMEs will play a big part in making that happen therefore further financial assistance should become available.

On the whole it seems that a Conservative win will massively benefit business owners, but as always with politics, we shall wait and see whether they can deliver on any of their promises.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or contact us via our website.

Skype for Business Heralds New Era For Communication

This week Microsoft launched a preview of Skype for Business with a clear message: this is just the beginning. Microsoft is preparing for the future of “smart living” with the idea that Skype will be available on any device, anywhere, and users will be able to share date, translate calls and have two-way annotated meetings.

Skype for Business will unify Lync and Skype: according to Microsoft “over 100 million people now use Microsoft Lync to communicate for work, with 79 percent of U.S. enterprises currently using or planning to deploy Lync for telephony.” Combine that with Skype’s 50 billion minutes of traffic every month, and Skype for Business will surely become the preferred choice for business-to-business and business-to-consumer communications. 

Through this collaboration users will be able to place calls and start conferences over old school landline connections with a traditional phone number. This is great news; previously this functionality would require businesses to have a Lync Server set-up and pay a separate PTSN service from a third-party. Microsoft is now working with Vodafone (and other companies) to make the transitions between VoIP and landline calls easier in Office 365. 

Lync Room Systems is also getting an update to become Skype Room Systems, an initiative to supplement physical meeting spaces with Skype technology. Skype for Business will integrate all of Lync’s features into a Skype-style interface, which will allow Lync users to connect to anyone using a Skype user name. All of the productivity-boosting communication tools will still be available and enhanced. 

If your business isn’t using Office 365 currently, now is the time to start thinking about incorporating it into your company. Earlier this week Microsoft unveiled the technical preview of the Skype for Business client, which gives customers an opportunity to trial Skype for Business and begin preparing for deployment. If you have any questions about Office 365, or are interested in Skype for Business (the new service will begin rolling out next month), get in touch today for more information about how we can help you improve your business communication services with Office 365.  

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website. 

Will 5G Revolutionize Your Business In 2020?

One of the main highlights at this year’s Mobile Congress World in Barcelona was 5G. 5G is the next development in mobile technology, but will 5G improve the way businesses are run or is it all just hype?

Commercial 5G is expected to arrive around 2020, with full deployment towards the middle of that decade. But what can businesses actually expect from 5G, will it really be worth making the switch from 4G?

• It’s going to be ridiculously fast: we’re talking downloading an entire film in a second or video calling a client without any of the time delays or glitches.
• Smarter technology: devices will have to become smarter in order to successfully run 5G. But we’re talking more than just smartphones and laptops, this includes everything from printers to washing machines. 
• Increase in capacity: businesses will be able to connect all electronics to 5G, making the management of offices that much simpler. 
• It won’t break: a network that “won’t break”? Improving reliability issues is one of the main pros of 5G. 

There are many significant issues that telco providers are currently addressing: one of the main issues according to Business Spectator is that “the success of 5G will have more to do with connected systems than the 5G technology as such. 5G will involve a range of industry sectors and can only be successful if the applications are built in partnership and in collaboration with those sectors.” This means that new business models will have to be introduced. 

One thing is certain. The capabilities of 5G will add a whole new dimension to what the mobile industry is all about, and how businesses will have to adapt to be able to run and use this new technology.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.