VoIP News: February 2009

Virgin Media has announced plans to upgrade millions of its customers currently on a 2Mbps service to a faster speed.

Following a fibre upgrade to the capacity of its network, the company can now offer higher broadband speeds as standard to more customers.

This includes the recently well-publicised service up 50Mbps which is being trialled in some areas of the UK.

Moreover, the firm intends to upgrade many customers currently receiving the 2Mbps service to a new line boasting speeds of up to 10Mbps.

Virgin has indicated that this upgrade, claimed to be the biggest service increase of its kind ever conducted in the UK, will take place from May.

Neil Berkett, chief executive of Virgin Media said the upgrade is now possible due to "the power of our next generation network".

He also claimed that the company is "proactively developing the UK's broadband market, driving consumer expectations and the demand for high speed broadband services".

Recent research by regulator Ofcom has indicated that many people often don't actually receive the broadband speeds which are advertised by internet service providers.

Posted on: 2009-02-27, in: Broadband

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Companies deploying VoIP solutions may experience improvement to their levels of customer service, a leading organisation claims.

FrontRange Solutions has suggested that the use of self-service systems in unified communications such as VoIP can bring benefits to customer-facing processes.

By introducing the technology into call centres, routine customer questions can be answered digitally without the need for a physical operator.

Greg Anderson, global general manager for the Goldmine solution at FrontRange, said: "With the current economic climate biting hard in all areas, one way in which voice can make a real difference is increasing the efficiency of IT users across the organisation."

Mr Anderson added that the technology can also be introduced into other areas of the business, such as at the service desk, which could increase each company's overall returns.

Tmcnet.com recently reported that VoIP-enabled call centre technology played a part in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.

Posted on: 2009-02-27, in: General VoIP

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Businesses should invest in appropriate training for employees about the security issues and threats inherent in cheap broadband usage, a leading organisation claims.

Get Safe Online has said that the recession could lead to a rise in cyber criminals who are determined to commit a variety of internet crimes.

The organisation therefore advises firms to ensure that at least one employee is aware of the risks and how to protect the business against them.

Tony Neate, managing director of Get Safe Online, advised every company to implement an appropriate policy to minimise the risk from cyber crime.

"Training in this issue is a big thing. It doesn't matter if you train one member of staff, a thousand members of staff or just yourself," he explained.

Mr Neate said that policies do not have to be overly complicated; rather it is about clarifying which websites or online resources can be used on work communications networks.

Figures released by the Federation of Small Businesses recently indicated that cyber crime costs small companies in the UK on average £800 each per year.

Posted on: 2009-02-26, in: Broadband

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Companies considering the deployment of VoIP are best served to view the technology as "voice plus whatever else you want to do", a leading website claims.

According to ITWorld.com, the positive aspects of VoIP are most easily understood in simple terms meaning that companies should adopt a "back to basics" approach to the service.

Part of this is about understanding that VoIP "adds functionality to voice" meaning that it should be viewed as "voice plus whatever else you want to do".

By doing so, businesses can enjoy the efficiency and cost cutting benefits inherent in the deployment of commercial VoIP.

"What really does matter is that 'voice plus' contributes to the financial benefits every single organisation wants to realise from technology. It enables you to do more with less," the website pointed out.

Michelle Robart, editor of leading technology site TMC, recently said that many businesses still remain unsure about introducing unified communications, despite its clear benefits.

Posted on: 2009-02-26, in: General VoIP

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Communications minister Lord Carter has defended the ambition of recently revealed plans to provide universal broadband to all UK households.

In his interim Digital Britain report, the minister laid out a pledge to ensure all British homes should be able to access broadband of a minimum speed of 2Mbps by 2012.

However, with tests already underway in some areas of the country for broadband up to 100Mbps, some commentators have criticised the ambition of the pledge.

Speaking at the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, Lord Carter said the speed was chosen because it was perceived to be the most achievable.

"The judgement we made was that 2Mbps was the lowest speed which would allow us to deliver most public services at an acceptable user experience."

Lord Carter also explained that it was important for the report to lead to real, tangible government policy, which was why he accepted the task in the first place.

A study conducted by the Communications Management Association (CMA) has revealed that 94 per cent of businesses support the need for a high-speed broadband network in the UK.

Posted on: 2009-02-25, in: Broadband, General VoIP

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