Category Archives: Industry News

Case Studies, Industry News, Logistics, Logistics Tech, News

Speedy services drives safety and insurance improvements with VisionTrack’s Video Telematics

Speedy Services, the UK’s leading tools and equipment hire company, has improved road safety, reduced fleet insurance fraud and dramatically cut claims costs using video telematics. Since adopting the VisionTrack solution, the company has reduced road collisions by 35% by gaining complete visibility of collisions, near misses and harsh driving events. Meanwhile, Speedy has successfully defended against all false and exaggerated claims, while cutting the cost of at-fault claims for the business by 40%.

“VisionTrack’s video telematics solution is playing a crucial role within our fleet strategy, protecting staff and other road users as well as targeting reductions in insurance and operational costs,” explains Gareth Jones, Road Risk Manager at Speedy Asset Services ltd. “The quality, accuracy and reliability of the technology means that we have achieved 100% performance in footage use, so we have been able to successfully target our safety-and insurance-related goals.”

A multi-channel DVR system was initially adopted on a fleet of HGVs, providing a five-camera video telematics solution that was connected to the cloud-based IoT platform, Autonomise.ai. Since then, Speedy has installed VisionTrack’s VT2000 connected cameras on all small LCVs and a DVR solution on all new build commercial vehicles. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) technology has also been incorporated for the company’s overnight trunking fleet to help prevent incidents before they arise.

Speedy can view HD video evidence of road incidents within seconds of them occurring through the alert mode on the platform, so the welfare of the driver can be immediately checked, and liability proved in less than five minutes. Rapid liability decisions by the claims team is enabling the company to take swift action regarding at-fault incidents and share details with its insurers on the same day as an incident, achieving greater control over third party costs and reducing claims costs by 40%. An internal rear-facing camera has also allowed Speedy to investigate, verify and where appropriate dispute personal injury claims, as well as ensure employees are following health and safety guidelines.

With any fraudulent claim being made, Speedy can access high quality footage and accurate supporting data of the event. As such, it has reduced these claims by 100% and successfully combated organised scams such as cash for crash. In the past 12 months, at least five claims have been rejected based on the lack of evidence the 3rd party has produced and the false allegation coming through.

Insight from the video telematics solution is also being used by Speedy to better understand driving styles and identify areas of risk as part of its road safety initiative. Being able to review the footage in detail means the company can delegate the most appropriate training to the drivers as well as understand how incidents can be avoided in future. The ADAS solution is also helping Speedy to understand fatigue within the fleet operation and prevent fatigue-related incidents.

“We understood the need for an advanced and scalable video telematics system that safeguards drivers, prevents road collisions and mitigates fleet risk. We have been working closely with VisionTrack – a technology leader that is driving innovation in connected technology and smart transportation – for over two years to take advantage of their unrivalled ambition, expertise, service and support,” concludes Jones.

Simon Marsh, Managing Director of VisionTrack commented: “As Europe’s leading provider of cloud-based video telematics, we have adopted a unique approach that is helping fleet operators such as Speedy Services to tackle some of the most complex challenges they face.

Our solutions unlock a range of benefits by providing visual insight and data to establish how vehicles are being driven, so customers can ensure they are operating in a safe, efficient and socially responsible way.”

Industry News

WSO2 Named a Leader in “API Management Solutions, Q3 2020” Report by Independent Research Firm

 WSO2, the open source API-first integration company, today announced that it has been named by Forrester Research, Inc. as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™: API Management Solutions, Q3 2020 report1 published on August 4, 2020. The report’s findings were based on a 26-criteria evaluation of the 15 software vendors that Forrester identified as the most significant API management solution providers. WSO2 is making a reprint of the report available for download at https://wso2.com/resources/analyst-reports/the-forrester-wave-api-management-solutions-q3-2020.

The Forrester Wave™: API Management Solutions, Q3 2020 report2 observed that, “As API strategies mature, enterprises better understand API business opportunities, and cloud-native application architectures take hold, REST APIs becomes less central and the ability to support a broad base of technology and business innovation will dictate which providers lead the pack. Vendors that provide the right portal strategy, rich and flexible API user engagement, API publishing that goes beyond REST APIs and embraces microservices, and strong ways to build API-based business ecosystems position themselves to successfully deliver a strong foundation for continuous digital transformation to their customers.”

Evaluating WSO2’s API Management Platform

Within the strategy category, WSO2 received scores of 5.0 out of a possible 5.0 in both the  commercial model and planned enhancements criteria. Additionally, within the current offering category, WSO2 received a score of 4.80 in the ecosystems and commercial models criterion, as well as a 4.40 in the product architecture criterion.

“WSO2’s open source solution provides a broad base of feature-function,” The Forrester Wave™: API Management Solutions, Q3 2020 report3 notes. The report4 goes on to observe, “Specifically, it has a flexible and configurable API user portal, a strong start going beyond REST APIs, good investments in combined API-microservices strategy (including important thought leadership on how the two relate), and strong product architecture and deployment options. Key future product priorities include REST API design, more investment in microservices and non-REST APIs, deeper service mesh integration, continuous integration/delivery (CI/CD) enhancements, and API ecosystems and product management. The solution particularly well suits buyers with strategies that combine integration, APIs, and microservices with a desire for the benefits of open source.”

“APIs are the products of the 21st Century. We have invested extensively in the technologies and business models that enable enterprises to capitalise on this fundamental shift in the API economy,” said Asanka Abeysinghe, WSO2 chief evangelist. “We are honored to be named a ‘Leader’ in The Forrester Wave: API Management Solutions, Q3 2020 report. We see it as recognition of how our WSO2 API Management Platform is delivering on our commitment to empowering API-driven digital businesses.”

Visit https://wso2.com to learn more.

Events, Industry News, Procurement, Tech

WSO2 Announces the WSO2 Summit Schedule for 2020

Strategies for building an Integrated API supply chain will lead discussions at WSO2 Summit virtual events taking place in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC in August and September

WSO2, the open source API-first integration company, today announced today announced that following the success of its global summits in 2019, the 2020 WSO2 Summit events in the Americas, EMEA and APAC will return (virtually) to help meet the needs of an ever-evolving digital economy.

In the current global situation, all enterprises are focused on providing seamless digital experiences to consumers. An Integrated API Supply Chain (IASC), the successor to traditional delivery models, is key to achieving this and staying ahead of the competition. APIs have become the products of the century, and integration and security are pivotal to achieving a winning strategy. Join the two consecutive half-day, educational events and:

Learn from experts:

  • Gain business and technical insights into the integrated API supply chain.
  • Combine enterprise integration, API management, and identity solutions.
  • Learn how microservices and cloud-native architecture styles complement delivering digital experiences.

Hear what WSO2 customers say:

  • Review use cases and findings from a range of industries (banking and finance, healthcare, insurance, telecommunications, travel, and data solutions).
  • Understand how open-source technologies provide greater extensibility and flexibility.
  • Learn why and how WSO2 technologies increase productivity, speed time to market, and offers a cost-effective solution.

Agendas are customised for each region, so attendees can gain the relevant information that matters most to them. From open banking, to retail and healthcare, each summit will cover it all—plus provide the opportunity to engage, ask questions, and network throughout the three virtual events.

 

WSO2 Summit Americas: August 26-27, 2020

The event sessions will be held 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. (PDT). Register for the Americas event here. Featured presentations, include:

  • Keynote: The Integrated API Supply Chain – Asanka Abeysinghe, Chief Technology Evangelist, WSO2
  • Keynote: Having the Best Technology Isn’t Everything – Ginger McClendon, Vice President – Engineering, SOMOS, Inc.

 

WSO2 Summit APAC: September 9-10, 2020

The event sessions will be held 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. (SGT). Register for the APAC event here. Featured presentations, include:

  • Keynote: The Integrated API Supply Chain – Selvaratnam Uthaiyashankar, Senior Vice President – Engineering, WSO2
  • Keynote – Sivan Umapathy, CIO, Telekom Malaysia

 

WSO2 Summit EMEA: September 23-24, 2020

The event sessions will be held 9.00 a.m. – 1.00 p.m. (BST). Register for the EMEA event here. Featured presentations, include:

  • Keynote: The Integrated API Supply Chain – Asanka Abeysinghe, Chief Technology Evangelist, WSO2
  • Keynote – Neil Adamson, CIO, Vitality Group

Visit https://wso2.com to learn more.

Case Studies, Industry News, Procurement, Software News

Vodafone drives innovation through supplier collaboration with Vizibl

Multinational telco, Vodafone, recognised that supplier-led innovation was essential to driving business growth in a fast-evolving industry – but a complex global supply chain with activity and data stored across multiple tools, meant the procurement team had limited visibility into active projects, leading to duplication and inconsistent delivery of value.

Vodafone’s size made it hard to implement a standard Proof of Concept (PoC) management process worldwide, resulting in fewer innovation projects and a loss of ideas.

When Vodafone’s new CEO of Procurement, Ninian Wilson, joined in 2016, he was clear Vodafone needed a single place to manage and scale supplier collaboration effectively, track project activity and measure the performance of each supplier partnership, it therefore made the decision to  implement Vizibl’s SC&I platform.

Working with Vizibl, Vodafone achieved a faster and more effective PoC process that not only increased ideas capture, but also increased the conversion of PoCs into fully realised innovation projects, delivering supplier-led innovation back to the business in a much shorter timeframe. The company has seen a 40% reduction in POC duplication globally, resulting in Vodafone expanding the adoption of Vizibl worldwide by committing to onboarding its top 300 suppliers in the future.

Ninian Wilson, CEO of Procurement at Vodafone, says: “Vizibl is giving us a centrally managed platform that helps us provide the structure and reporting tools needed for key proof of concept and supplier innovation projects to flourish.”

Cybersecurity, Industry News, Networks, News, Tech, Technology

The Growing DDoS Landscape and the need for businesses to combat the threat

Anthony Webb, EMEA Vice President at A10 Networks  responds to reports on one of the biggest DDOS attacks ever recorded, alongside the launch of their Q2 2020: State of DDoS Weapons Report.

Last month, news reports highlighted one of the biggest DDoS attacks ever recorded. The attack, which targeted a large European bank, generated 809m packets per second (Mpps). This is a new industry record for a PPS-focused attack which is more than double the size of previous attacks. A10 Networks recently launched its Q2 2020: State of DDoS Weapons Report, based on approximately 10 million unique source addresses tracked by A10 Networks, and the report sheds more light on the loud, distributed nature of DDoS attacks and the key trends and observations that enterprises can learn from when adopting a successful defence.

 

DDoS Botnet Agents 

We’ve previously written about how IoT devices and DDoS attacks are a perfect match. IoT devices such as smart watches, routers and cameras are now commonly infected by malware and under the control of malicious actors who use them to launch flexible DDoS attacks. Our researchers accumulated knowledge of repeatedly used hosts in these attacks, scanning for those that show malware-infected characteristics that deserve to be treated with caution whilst under a DDoS attack.

The report highlighted the top three countries hosting DDoS botnet agents as follows:

  • China 15%
  • Vietnam 12%
  • Taiwan 9%

From the countries above, the top ASNs hosting DDoS botnet agents were:

  • Chungwha Telecoms (Taiwan)
  • China Telecom
  • China Unicom CN
  • VNPT Corp (Vietnam)

 

Malware Proliferation

With IoT devices vulnerable, largely due to devices lacking the necessary built-in security to counter threats, this allows threat actors an opportunity to target these devices, through a collection of remote code execution (RCE) exploits and an ever growing list of default user names and passwords from device vendors, to constantly increase the size and strength of DDoS attacks. Our weapons intelligence system detects hundreds of thousands of events per hour on the internet, providing insights into the top IoT exploits and the attack capabilities.

One of the key report findings highlighted thousands of malware binaries being dropped into systems, in the wake of the different IoT-based attacks and exploits. Among the malware families that were most frequent in attack were the following: Gafgyt family, Dark Nexus and Mirai family. The related binary names from these malwares were arm7, Cloud.x86, mmmmh.x86 respectively.

Digging deeper into the characteristics and behaviour of the binary we saw the most this quarter, “arm7”, we found that attack types came in varied forms including, but not limited to, TCP floods, HTTP floods and UDP floods. To mitigate these attacks a firm understanding of these DDoS weapons needs to be established by understanding and reverse engineering the attack toolkits.

 

Amplified Attacks 

When it comes to large-scale DDoS attacks, amplified reflection is the most effective. An example of this is when the attacker sends volumes of small requests with the spoofed victim’s IP address to internet-exposed servers. The servers reply with large amplified responses to the unwitting victim. These particular servers are targeted because they answer to unauthenticated requests and are running applications or protocols with amplification capabilities.

The most common types of these attacks can use millions of exposed DNS, NTP, SSDP, SNMP, and CLDAP UDP-based services. These attacks have resulted in record-breaking volumetric attacks, such as the recent CLDAP-based AWS attack in Q1 2020, which peaked at 2.3 Tbps and was 70% higher than the previous record holder, the 1.35 Tbps Memcached-based GitHub attack of 2018. Although CLDAP does not make the top 5 list of our Amplification attack weapons in Q2, we did record 15,651 potential CLDAP weapons. This makes it a fraction of the top amplification attack weapon this quarter, i.e., portmap, where for every CLDAP weapon, we have 116 portmap weapons available to attackers. The AWS attack shows that even this fractional attack surface has the potential for generating very large-scale DDoS attacks and the only way to protect against these attacks is to proactively keep track of DDoS weapons and potential exploits.

 

Battling the Landscape 

Every quarter, the findings of our DDoS attack research point to one thing: the need for increased security. Sophisticated DDoS weapons intelligence, combined with real-time threat detection and automated signature extraction, will allow organisations to defend against even the most massive multi-vector DDoS attacks, no matter where they originate. Actionable DDoS weapons intelligence enables a proactive approach to DDoS defences by creating blacklists based on current and accurate feeds of IP addresses of DDoS botnets and available vulnerable servers commonly used for DDoS attacks. DDoS attacks are not going away, and it is time for organisations to match their attackers’ sophistication with a stronger defence, especially as new technology like IoT and 5G continue to gain further momentum.

AI, Digital Transformation, Industry News, IoT

IBM and Verizon Business to Collaborate on 5G and AI Solutions at the Enterprise Edge

Verizon Business (NYSE: VZ) and IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced they are entering into a collaboration to work together on 5G and edge computing innovation to help enable the future of Industry 4.0. The companies plan to combine the high speed and low latency of Verizon’s 5G and Multi-access Edge Compute (MEC) capabilities, IoT devices and sensors at the edge, and IBM’s expertise in AI, hybrid multicloud, edge computing, asset management and connected operations.

Many industrial enterprises are today seeking ways to use edge computing to accelerate access to near real-time, actionable insights into operations to improve productivity and reduce costs. To address this need, the first solutions planned from this collaboration are to be mobile asset tracking and management solutions to help enterprises improve operations, optimise production quality, and help clients enhance worker safety.

For these initial solutions, the two companies plan to leverage Verizon’s wireless networks, including Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband (UWB) network, and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) capabilities, alongside Verizon’s ThingSpace IoT Platform and Critical Asset Sensor solution (CAS). These will be jointly offered with IBM’s market-leading Maximo Monitor with IBM Watson and advanced analytics. The combined solutions could help clients detect, locate, diagnose and respond to system anomalies, monitor asset health and help predict failures in near real-time.

IBM and Verizon are also working on potential combined solutions for 5G and MEC-enabled use cases such as near real-time cognitive automation for the industrial environment. Edge computing’s decentralised architecture brings technology resources closer to where data is generated – i.e., where devices are located in an industrial site – this can help decrease lags in response time and increase processing speeds and reliability. 5G’s low latency, high download speeds and capacity can increase the number of devices that can be supported within the same geographic area, and the ability for organisations to interact with those devices in near real-time, with computing power in the proximity of the device.  This could mean that innovative new applications such as remote control robotics, near real-time cognitive video analysis and plant automation may now be possible.

“The industrial sector is undergoing unprecedented transformation as companies begin to return to full-scale operations, aided by new technology to help reduce costs and increase productivity,” said Bob Lord, Senior Vice President, Cognitive Applications, Blockchain and Ecosystems, IBM. “Through this collaboration, we plan to build upon our longstanding relationship with Verizon to help industrial enterprises capitalise on joint solutions that are designed to be multicloud ready, secured and scalable, from the data center all the way out to the enterprise edge.”

“This collaboration is all about enabling the future of industry in the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” said Tami Erwin, CEO, Verizon Business. “Combining the high speed and low latency of Verizon’s 5G UWB Network and MEC capabilities with IBM’s expertise in enterprise-grade AI and production automation can provide industrial innovation on a massive scale and can help companies increase automation, minimise waste, lower costs, and offer their own clients a better response time and customer experience.”

Verizon and IBM also plan to collaborate on potential joint solutions to address worker safety, predictive maintenance, product quality and production automation.

Awards, Cybersecurity, Industry News, News

Threatscape recognised as the winner of the Microsoft 2020 Global Security and Compliance Partner of the Year

Threatscape, the leading cyber-security service provider, today announced that it has won Security and Compliance Partner of the Year in the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards. The company was honoured among a global field of top Microsoft partners for demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions based on Microsoft technology.

Dermot Williams, CEO of Threatscape commented that “This award is a tremendous accolade for our entire team. We leverage Microsoft technology to deliver security transformation for enterprise clients around the world, and are delighted that Microsoft have recognised the breadth and depth of our services with this award.”

The Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards recognise Microsoft partners that have developed and delivered exceptional Microsoft-based solutions during the past year. Awards were classified in several categories, with honourees chosen from a set of more than 3,300 submitted nominations from more than 100 countries worldwide. Threatscape was recognised for providing outstanding solutions and services in cyber security.

Threatscape has developed consulting methodologies and managed security services tailored to the needs of organisations adopting Microsoft security technologies. One of the projects which led to this award was a comprehensive security transformation for Sisk Group, one of Europe’s oldest and largest construction groups. “Sisk have leveraged the enabling power of digital technology for their agile workforce, and their business success is now driven not only by bricks and sites – but also by clicks and bytes. We are proud that our consultants and managed services have been able to play a part in their journey” commented Dermot Williams.

“It is an honour to recognise the winners and finalists of the 2020 Microsoft Partner of the Year Awards,” said Gavriella Schuster, corporate vice president, One Commercial Partner, Microsoft. “These partners go above and beyond, delivering timely solutions that solve the complex challenges that businesses around the world face – from communicating and collaborating virtually to helping customers realise their full potential with Azure cloud services, and beyond. I am proud to honour and congratulate each winner and finalist.”

About Threatscape
Threatscape is a pure-play cyber security company, and the trusted security partner of enterprise clients with critical IT assets in over 100 countries around the world. It provides solutions, services and 24×7 managed services to secure endpoints, networks and the cloud.

Threatscape is one of very few security specialists with a dedicated Microsoft Security Practice, a specialist team which assists enterprises to design and implement effective cyber security using Microsoft security technology, and provides ongoing managed services to ensure that security can be maintained with minimal client effort. These services encompass information protection, identity protection, endpoint protection, messaging and collaboration, cloud security and more.

To learn more, visit www.threatscape.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Threatscape

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/threatscape

Business Investment, Industry News, Insurance, News

Insuring cryptocurrency: Cardiff Bay-based Coincover fuels growth with latest investment round

The cryptocurrency market is heating up with significant growth in 2020 and a new wave of potential crypto investors ready to join in. But there is just one thing keeping them from taking the plunge – a safety net.

Coincover, on the way to becoming the #1 brand in crypto security and specialising in protecting cryptocurrencies held online, announced it has recently closed a growth funding round as it seeks to meet the growing demand from the cryptocurrency market.

The latest seven-figure equity round was led by Insurtech Gateway with co-investment from the Development Bank of Wales.  Coincover is also backed by a business angel syndicate and funding from the Wales Angel Co-investment Fund.

Coincover was founded in 2018 by David Janczewski, who had spent several years leading The UK Royal Mint’s blockchain-enabled digital gold initiative and providing advice to other blockchain projects. Cardiff Bay-based Coincover is now at the leading edge of the nascent digital asset insurance sector estimated to be worth up to $3BN annually already.

Protected by Coincover is fast becoming the way for a business to demonstrate it has fully compliant crypto offering and is fully covered against the risk of its customer investments being lost or stolen by Coincover‘s unique compliance, security and insurance product offering explicitly built for blockchain infrastructure. And by providing Coincover protection direct to their customers, businesses can offer the world’s first way for consumers to take out protection for their investments, attracting more happy customers and creating an additional revenue stream in the process.

David Janczewski said: “Coincover helps crypto businesses to address the security concerns of the cautious investor and delivers the trust mark they need to stand out in a crowded and wary market. We are the only company in the world with a security product that is backed by Lloyds of London, providing protection from cryptocurrency theft at the individual level and an opportunity to maximise business revenue by enabling our partners to build systems that creates strong trust with their clients.”

Richard Chattock, CEO of the lead investor, Insurtech Gateway added: “Digital assets are growing at an exponential rate globally, and represent the next “blue ocean” for insurance and protection. Innovative solutions like those offered by Coincover are reducing the risks and barriers to digital asset adoption, and we were delighted to continue our support.”

David Blake from the Development Bank of Wales’ tech venture team commented: “We are delighted to support the ambitions of Coincover. This Wales-based company is leading its market sector, and the opportunities for international expansion are very exciting.

“We work closely with our colleagues in Angel Invest Wales to support tech-based ventures and attract further investment from co-investors for businesses in Wales. Insuretech Gateway’s support for Coincover is testament to their global growth potential in the cryptocurrency market.”

David Janczewski continued:

“Coincover is removing the last major barrier to the massmarket adoption of cryptocurrencies. We are already partnering with the world’s leading cryptocurrency solution providers to deliver the safest way into cryptocurrency.  In the age of cryptocurrency vulnerability, businesses have to deal with people’s fear of lost or stolen funds.  The platforms and products that offer the strongest safety guarantees and can ensure the security of their users’ funds are the ones that will come out on top in the next few years. Our partners can build a trusted brand as they can offer complete assurance to their customers. We have seen a huge growth in enquiries since COVID-19 lockdowns began around the world. This investment will allow us to meet this demand and fuel exponential growth.”

Industry News, News

Is your channel business equipped to survive COVID-19?

What steps are you taking to ensure your business stays in good shape during the current crisis?  Peter Olive, CEO, Vortex 6, shares advice on tips to help business leaders.

The current pandemic is forcing firms all over the world to rethink how they do business in 2020 and beyond – the IT channel is no exception.

Channel partners are playing a crucial role during the crisis, ensuring customers’ businesses are fully enabled – in many cases standing up remote workforces almost overnight. Partners have been forced to adapt quickly and some may feel vulnerable during this period of uncertainty.

As a partner, you will have many questions and concerns. Is the budget your customers spend with you likely to be cut? How are we going to be affected by the economic recession? Where should you put your resources? Are there processes that are manual and inefficient that you can automate?  What can you do to ensure your business continues to thrive during COVID-19 and beyond? Here are some approaches to consider:

Planning for the future

It is difficult to make concrete plans when there is so much uncertainty about what form economic recovery will take. But it is important to look at different scenarios and consider what each could mean to your business.

What happens if it is a long recovery? Although a significantly different scenario, if you look at the global financial crisis in 2008, economic recovery took a long time. What type of people do you need? If you must restructure, what does your organization need to look like without affecting your ability to function effectively, particularly once business starts to return to previous levels?

A danger lies in losing people without considering the impact to your partner programmes. What if you let the wrong people go and you fall out of compliance with the partner programme? We have seen several partners relegated from top tier status by a vendor due to this scenario, costing them rebates, discounts and market credibility.

Automate back-end processes

Maintaining compliance with vendor programmes is often a manual and time-consuming activity. By automating that process, it is easier to maintain compliance, as well as keep on top of any special measures that vendors have rolled out to support partners at this time.

For example, many vendors have extended the deadlines for partner programmes, but you must ensure you still meet those requirements at the end of the grace period – you don’t want to end up scrambling to comply.  Also, it makes sense to move employees away from back-end administration tasks and put those resources into the front end, whether that’s into the sales effort, customer success or the way you manage clients.

Adopt an annuity business model

Partners that rely too heavily on new implementations and project-based work may struggle. New projects need budgets to be available and customers that are willing to invest – which in a crisis, they may not. They may also involve physical implementation of the technology and when offices and facilities are locked down, this becomes challenging.

Conversely, partners that have moved to an annuity model will fare much better, as it provides consistency. Month after month, you know what your revenue is. Don’t leave yourself exposed to economic shocks such as the one by relying on project work that can disappear. Accelerate your move to annuity, so that when the next pandemic – or whatever it is – happens, your business is protected.

Look after your customers

During a crisis, you need to go that extra mile for your customers. They will remember the suppliers that were empathetic and treated them fairly during this period. One of the great things to come out of this pandemic is that people are letting their human side show a little bit more and as companies, we need to aim for that somewhat clichéd position of ‘trusted advisor’. We will all be better off in the long-term and enjoy more valuable relationships.

So, in summary: plan for the future, automate where you can, think about increasing your annuity business, improve control, remove risk where you can and continue to provide innovative, supportive services to your customers. It is no more complex than that. These steps should help ensure you come out the other side of this crisis, not just surviving but thriving.

Broadband, Industry News, Networks, News

Fibre Up-Take – Lockdown leads to 99% Increase in High Speed Broadband Sales

High-speed broadband sales nearly doubled in the first three weeks from when COVID-19 social distancing and lockdown measures were implemented, according to MoneySuperMarket research.

The price comparison site’s broadband sales data shows that purchases of the highest speeds (61+ Mbs) for the three weeks from when social distancing measures were introduced on 16th March saw a spike after the government advised working from home where possible.

Percentage increase in sales by speed of broadband from the three weeks up to 16th March and the three weeks following

Sales Period Speed (Mbs)
% change from 24 February – 15 March 2020 to 16 March – 6 April 2020 0-10 11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61+
+60% -20% 0% -33% +34% -49% +99%

 

For the same period in 2019, the sales of high-speed internet dropped by 33%, indicating that this isn’t simply a seasonal trend but one sparked by the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the nationwide lockdown.

When comparing all remaining data – from January to April 2020 – sales of high-speed broadband were up by 146% during this three week period.

Similarly, on a day-to-day basis, there was a 32% average increase in all broadband sales in the three weeks following March 16th compared to the three weeks prior.

Emma Spencer, Senior Channel Manager at MoneySuperMarket, commented:

“Lockdown has had an impact on various aspects of our lives, with many of us now relying on a strong, stable internet connection in order to work from home, stay entertained or keep in touch with family and friends. We’re seeing this reflected in high-speed broadband sales, resulting in a 99% spike following the implementation of social distancing measures.

“It is still possible to switch provider if you find your current connection is running slower than usual, and in the majority of cases an engineer is not required to visit your home to get you up and running. However, there are a number of steps you can also try to boost your speed, such as reducing the number of devices you have connected to your WiFi, ensuring there’s no outside interference from other electronic appliances and making all software is updated.

“If you’re looking into a faster internet speed to cope with increased demand, comparing the best broadband and shopping around will ensure you get the right package for you.”

To find out more and to discover the best high-speed broadband available in your area, visit the MoneySuperMarket website.