Spring 2010North West

BT is at the forefront, providing both the networks and the solutions that will foster

creativity and productivity as businesses in the North West emerge from the recession in 2010.

Research is already showing that firms which have harnessed the power of technology have coped better with the downturn than those that have not. And, in the year ahead, the gap between them may grow as major initiatives such as super-fast broadband – also known as Next Generation Access or NGA – and BT’s 21st Century Network revolutionise the way many businesses operate.

intouchThe latest BT-sponsored Home Business Report by Enterprise Nation reveals that the almost universal availability of broadband has led to a huge surge in the number of home-based businesses and the boom looks to continue in 2010.

Broadband is playing a vital part in the success story of our region and for that to continue, we need to understand its true potential. In this edition, you will find an article that highlights the current position and rollout plan for super-fast broadband in our region and talks about broadband speeds in plain English.

BT is also focusing on developing and supporting people in the region. We have new programmes in place for our BT contact centre employees to receive certification through work training schemes and improved work placement for young people from across the region.

You can read more about broadband, the Home Business Report, and other regional stories in this edition of ‘In Touch’.

Mike Blackburn BT Regional Director

BT Retail has just unveiled BT Infinity, a new fibre broadband service which offers download speeds of up to 40Mb/s from £19.99 per month for consumers.

BT Infinity will benefit all types of web users, as the super-fast speed it offers will transform people’s experience of the internet.

At the same time, BT launched Business Total Broadband Fibre, a new broadband service for businesses that is available from just £30 per month. Besides super-fast download speeds,

this offers the UK’s fastest upstream speeds, allowing businesses far greater interactivity when using the internet.

New and existing BT Total Broadband and BT Business customers in enabled exchange areas are eligible for the up to 40 Mb/s broadband service. Over the next few months the BT Infinity bus will be touring the country giving people the opportunity to see at first hand how the new broadband service can transform online time. On-board the super-powered double-decker will be the latest fibre broadband home and business applications. For further information of dates and venues please visit: www.bt.com/superfamilies – this site will be live from 16 April. For more information on BT Infinity visit: www.bt.com/infinity

Foreword

BT Retail launches ‘super-fast’ broadband

Keeping up to speed with broadband

BT hits one million UK wi-fi hotspots

Home businesses are booming in the North West

Innovative entrepreneurs keep UK spirits high

BT reveals job training and work placement schemes

England 2018 sign BT as Official Communications Partner

Regional Board member profile

BT connects with MediaCityUK

Junior reporters shape BT community initiatives

Floods fail to halt businesses

BT Retail launches ‘super-fast’ broadband

Spring 2010North West

intouchKeeping up to speed with broadband

It is only natural that the newest and fastest services capture the attention and imagination. It is also an unfortunate truth that this can cast a shadow on their existing services.“If some lucky few can get 20Mb or 40Mb, surely I am losing out with only 2Mb?” As with most things, what really counts is having what you need, when you need it, to do what you want. And the truth is, at every level of the market from wholesale to doorstep, that bandwidth is already available – generally at competitive prices and from a range of providers.

New super-fast broadband promises an even better user experience and the ability to use more services at the same time over a single connection.

It is frustrating that we cannot have the latest technologies in place everywhere immediately. But the stark realities of a high-level, intensive investment programme call for a staged approach that encourages widespread early uptake. This process of demand-led growth married with continuous technological improvement has successfully driven broadband market growth for 15 years.

We know that markets alone cannot address all the community’s needs. BT remains committed to reducing digital exclusion and will continue to work with partners in regions, in industry, the Government and the voluntary sector to provide access to broadband services.

The pace of development in broadband is breathtaking. News has barely sunk in that 20Mb broadband is available and we are being dazzled by the launch and rapid rollout of new super-fast broadband with speeds of up to 40Mb. To help you keep your feet in this whirl of development, we take a plain look at what is happening with broadband now.

It is easy to get lost in the complications of the technology, the speed ratings and the details of product specifications. We all want to feel confident in the choices and decisions we make at home, at work and on behalf of our community.

In the UK, we are fortunate to have a fiercely competitive broadband market that has achieved high penetration among organisations and people. There is a thriving ‘broadband mixed economy’ that already offers a choice of broadband services to meet almost every need – whether it’s linking a corporation’s global or national networks, bringing together local communities or providing entertainment and information services to people at home.

Nationally, BT’s plans will see 1.5 million homes with access to super-fast broadband by this summer and some 10 million homes (40%) will have access to new services within three years. In the North West the total number of super-fast broadband lines will be around 709,000 by the end of summer 2011, continuing our tradition of being a leader in the introduction of mass-market broadband technologies.

BT has reached its goal of building a million-strong wi-fi hotspot network, making it the largest in the UK and Ireland. These hotspots – 75,000 of which are here in the North West – are available in homes, independent businesses, high street chains and major city centres.

What is more, in the year ending 31 March 2010, BT wi-fi users are on track to spend more than a billion wi-fi minutes online, owing to the massive growth in UK iPhone traffic. Over the past eight months, BT has signed UK deals to provide O2, Orange and Vodafone iPhone customers with BT Openzone wi-fi access, while five million BT broadband customers have inclusive wi-fi minutes in their contracts to surf, work or make cheaper VoIP calls.

For more information about BT FON visit: www.bt.com.btfon. For BT Openzone visit: www.btopenzone.com. For BT Openzone over the BT Business Hub see: http://tiny.cc/kFCGZ

BT hits one million UK wi-fi hotspots

Spring 2010North West

intouch

The latest Home Business Report, sponsored by BT, reveals that 11 towns and cities in the region are among the UK’s ‘top 100’ home business hotspots. The findings were announced at the first ever Home Business Conference, which was hosted at BT Centre, London in November 2009.

Despite the recession, the report confirms a rapid growth in home businesses, with people turning redundancy into opportunity or seeking more flexibility and control in their working lives. Meanwhile, the widespread availability of advanced yet affordable technology, such as faster broadband, has been a key enabler.

Key highlights for this region are:

• 258,581 home businesses, contributing £26.1 billion to the UK annual economy

• 11 towns and cities are among the UK’s top 100 home business hotspots: Manchester, Liverpool, Warrington, Stockport, Bolton, Preston, Wirral, Blackburn, Blackpool, Wigan and Oldham.

The report also features a local success story. Nadine Hill had the idea for Curl Harmony, her hair care business when in full employment, and started trading from her home when she was made redundant in June 2008. So far, she has manufactured and bottled her products by hand, but business is now so buoyant that she is looking to contract out this process.

Home Business Report 2009 – national highlights:

• There are 2.8 million businesses operating full-time from home − an increase of 300,000 businesses over the past 12 months

• Together, they contribute £284 billion to the annual UK economy

• 32% of respondents said they started their business in the past 12 months

• 89% confirmed they expected turnover to increase in the next 12 months

• 81% stated that technology is critical to the success of their business

• The most popular factors selected for starting businesses from home were lower start-up costs (57%), better work-life balance (52%) and being close to the family (33%).

You can download the report at: www.bt.com/researchandreports

Home businesses are booming in the North West

North West Innovative entrepreneurs keep UK spirits high

A journey of discovery

10Home Business ReportNovember 2009

As well as contacting over 1,230 of our members for the 2009 Home Business Survey we also for the first time ever embarked on a home business roadtrip. Over the course of the week commencing 14th September the Enterprise Nation team journeyed 1,233 miles, filmed 18 home businesses and picked up further data around the five themes reflected in this report. This is what we saw and heard… Now is a great time to startThe mood throughout the week was incredibly upbeat. When Patrick Elliott (CEO

of Business Link in London) opened an event with a question to the audience of ‘Do

you think this is a good time to start a business?’ – a ripple of 200 voices replied a

resounding ‘yes’.

Technology means tradeAll of the businesses filmed are making the most of technology, whether it be Stuart

Mills [www.useyourlocal.com] who is applying the web to the pub world, or Malcolm

Gallagher [www.bizvision.biz] who is communicating his business message through

online videos; produced from a home studio. Many of the craft businesses are using

sites such as Etsy.com and MyEhive.com to sell their products to a national – and

international – audience. Technology is broadening the trade and partnering horizons

of many a small business. Freedom & controlHaving started up, home business owners are finding freedom and flexibility in their

working lives and relishing being in control of their creativity, working environment and

earnings. Compiled by

EnterpriseNation

Two entrepreneurs in the North West, have picked up awards for their innovation and success in the national BT Business ‘Essence of the Entrepreneur’ competition.

Marcus Simmons from iknow-uk, based in Lancashire and Paul Gilbraith from Banner Bags based in Blackburn have demonstrated that the UK’s entrepreneurial spirit is still very much alive, in spite of the recession.

iknow-uk was set up to provide a solution for small accommodation providers to be able to promote themselves and compete with larger hotel organisations. The concept was to set up large accommodation directory websites to gain huge search audiences and sell individual entries at a low cost with great results.

Bannerbags has been trading for just over two years, originally recycling banners seen in Liverpool to promote the Liverpool Capital of Culture. Bags are created largely from the recycled banners and the webbing from recycled car seat belts, ensuring there is very little waste in the production process.

Mike Blackburn, BT Regional Director said: “It is an inspiration to see the great resolve of these two entrepreneurs in the face of tough times. Now, more than ever, businesses need the recognition and support that these awards are able to give them. Technology is helping entrepreneurs diversify, think differently about how they run their businesses and evolve the services they offer in a challenging regional economy.”

Each winner has had the essence of their business captured in a stunning portrait by renowned celebrity photographer Rankin.

Spring 2010North West

intouch

BT have announced new measures to help young people into work, along with initiatives to ensure that those in employment receive certification through work training schemes. The projects have the potential to assist more than 10,000 people and therefore support the aims of the ‘Backing Young Britain’ campaign.

As one of the UK’s largest employers, BT is working closely with Business in the Community (BITC) and many other employers on a new initiative, ‘Work Inspiration’. This scheme will provide approximately 3,000 young people with improved work placements with BT, offering them an insight into the world of work and helping them decide on a career.

As a ‘Work Inspiration’ employer, BT is piloting a range of approaches, including holding its own ‘Big Conversations’ with colleagues across the business in the coming months. And, through a new federated ‘Work Inspiration’ programme,

the company is working to bring young people together with SMEs/entrepreneurs. The first pilot is due to take place this April.

In addition, BT has also launched a major training programme for its contact centre employees (including Warrington contact centre in this region) enabling more than 7,200 of them to undertake accredited learning and receive an apprenticeship certificate. This programme is in addition to BT’s apprenticeship scheme, which recruits hundreds of young people every year, and will see BT become one of the top five private sector providers of Apprenticeship Frameworks.

Peter Connor, Regional Manager, North West said: “We are very keen that young people have the chance to spend time with BT before they embark on their careers. Work placements can help young people decide where their future lies and so this improved scheme has our full support. We are also keen that our employees receive training and so can gain apprenticeship qualifications. We do this because it is good for our business, it is good for our employees and it is good for young people. We are proud to be a ‘Work Inspiration’ employer and proud to support ‘Backing Young Britain.”

BT reveals job training and work placement schemes

England 2018, the organisation leading England’s campaign to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup,™ has announced BT as its Official Communications Partner.

England is one of seven competitors bidding for the tournament. And, of the 12 Candidate Cities selected for inclusion in England’s final submission to FIFA in May, two – Liverpool and Manchester – are here in the North West. FIFA’s decision will be announced in Zurich in December.

As one of the world’s leading providers of communications solutions, BT is ideally placed to offer valuable advice on the services to be included in this May’s submission. And, with millions of people wanting to watch the World Cup at home or on the move, BT can help deliver the necessary communications platforms. BT will also provide the campaign with financial and marketing support.

Mike Blackburn, BT Regional Director, said: “We are absolutely delighted to be the first major consumer partner to support the bid to stage the 2018 FIFA World Cup. BT is passionate about backing national initiatives that have the potential to bring so much enjoyment and business opportunities to our region with two of the candidate cities.”

BT has a strong track record of investing in sport in the UK. We have played an important role in supporting the London 2012 bid and are now the official communications services partner for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. We are also the title sponsor of the BT Paralympic World Cup (hosted in Manchester), the largest annual elite multi-sport disability event in the world, and we were the first commercial partner of the British Paralympic Association in 1989.

England 2018 sign BT as Official Communications Partner

Spring 2010North West

intouchRegional Board member profile

The regional board is made up of senior BT people who work for the different parts of the

business. It comprises managers from our business, consumer, Government and health divisions, as well as representatives from strategy and social responsibility. This means that we are uniquely positioned to work in partnership across the whole of the company, helping BT design solutions to meet the challenges and issues of the region. What is more, it ensures our regional strategy goes hand in hand with sustainable development. In this issue, we focus on one of those members, Sue Webster.

Sue started her career in accountancy, corporate planning and marketing, and since joining BT 10 years ago, she has worked with its largest corporate clients in a development role, as well as in strategic partnering and the incubation of new products and services. She said her main area of expertise is “turning visions into reality and getting things done” – which is no doubt essential to her day job as a Programme Director.

Right now, this involves leading the establishment of Manchester

Communication Academy, where BT is the lead partner. Due to open in September 2010, it’s BT’s first academy, and it aims to develop skills to support the city’s future growth. “I’m required to hold the reins across all elements of the project: marketing, stakeholder management, community engagement, ICT equipment, construction of the building, legal and financial,” explained Sue. “It’s a huge job, but very rewarding.”

Skills development is the biggest challenge the region faces, she believes. “The city’s made the transfer into a more knowledge-based economy exceedingly well,” she said. “But I think skills are what it needs to be focusing on, to ensure its own people provide the workforce of tomorrow rather than it having to rely on migrant workers.”

Sue also sits on various external boards. Besides being a director of the Academy, she is the chairman of Pro Manchester, an influential financial and professional services organisation. Plus she’s a Governor of the Central Manchester Foundation Trust Hospital Board, and chairs their Corporate Citizenship sub-committee. “I’m well known in the city for wearing a number of hats,” she said. “Manchester is a comparatively small community, as opposed to London, and therefore having those relationships and contacts is exceedingly important to getting things done here”.

With all these hats being worn so successfully, does Sue have a guiding philosophy? “I think it would be ‘everything is possible’,” she said. “If someone had said to me a couple of years ago that I would be presiding over the building of a new school, I would have looked at them askance. But having embraced it, it’s very rewarding, and it’s become almost a personal passion. You take a few steps, and before you know it, you’re making things happen.”

Businesses and residents at Manchester’s MediaCityUK will be connected to one of the most advanced communications networks in the world when the project’s first phase is completed in 2011.

In December 2009, BT Business was awarded a five-year contract by Peel Media, the developers and owners of MediaCityUK. Designed around the specific needs of the creative and digital industries, the site already counts the BBC, The University of Salford and Northwest Vision and Media among its occupants, and will comprise more than 20 million metres of optical fibre cable carrying voice, data, high and standard definition video. BT will also provide the £500 million waterside complex with wireless communications services.

Mike Blackburn, BT Regional Director, said: “With speeds of up to 10 gigabits available on the new purpose-built network, this partnership will provide one of the most advanced communications infrastructures of its kind, tailored to meet the specialist needs of the local media community, which demand higher bandwidth in order to thrive during this exciting digital era. It also further demonstrates Greater Manchester’s commitment to driving innovation and enterprise across the region.”

BT connects with MediaCityUK

Spring 2010North West

intouchJunior reporters shape BT community initiatives

BT has received praise for the way its disaster recovery services ensured it was business as usual for a key customer during the recent floods in Cumbria.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) said that it was able to continue operating in the Workington area with limited impact on local farmers. The floods hit at a crucial time, and flooded roads and bridge closures meant that operations were temporarily moved to other RPA sites. However, as far as farmers were concerned, it was ‘business as usual’ and the time and effort invested with BT has led to the RPA’s plans being comprehensive, workable and very effective, during the events.

Meanwhile, Openreach engineers completed their work on a communications tunnel in the flood-hit area in record time. The tunnel, close to Calva Bridge over the River Derwent, carries new communication cables for up to 2,000 homes and businesses in the area. The tunnel was feared to be at risk of collapse. And to add to the challenge, the tunnelling machine had to pass back and forth across the width of the river four times to make sure it was wide enough to accommodate all the necessary cables. More than 200 engineers from across the north of England worked day and night to complete the tunnel and despite the often difficult weather conditions, a job that would normally have taken three months, was finished in just three weeks.

Floods fail to halt businesses

Junior Community Reporters have played a vital role in devising a BT learning initiative

As lead sponsor for the Manchester Communication Academy – one of seven new academies to be established in Manchester by 2010 – BT has been given a unique opportunity to bring about a culture change in the area. It aims to achieve this not just by educating those who attend the Academy, but also by providing training and facilities for everyone in the community.

The two main community areas involved are Harpurhey and Collyhurst, where there are a number of significant challenges around education, employment, qualifications and skills, crime and health. Therefore, ascertaining what the local community wants, expects and needs from the academy programme and BT’s community initiatives has been crucial. However, with so many ‘hard-to-reach’ groups in the area, a novel approach to gathering information was needed.

Working with ‘People’s Voice Media’, which uses blogs, texting, community websites and other new media to enable instant feedback and dialogue between participants, a ‘Community Reporters’ programme was established. This involved training a number of pupils from partner primary schools to undertake interviews with family members, local people and peers, asking searching and difficult questions that would help get under the skin of the community.

The result was a wealth of detail and local intelligence that could not have been collected by conventional means. Headteachers have commented on the huge rise in the confidence and

self-esteem of the pupils involved, and the nature of the learning that will take place within the Academy when it opens, has been actively demonstrated.

Sue Webster, BT Programme Director said: “The project has been successful in terms of communicating a positive message about and raising the profile of the Academy and the numbers of children now expressing an interest in attending. It was a marketing exercise with a difference. The young people have learnt new skills. While the technology has helped them, the real skills have come through an understanding of how to ask questions and how to interact with others. It has developed social skills about communicating, asking questions and listening which need to be taught to young people where there isn’t the norm in their community or family. They’ve been great ambassadors for the Academy and have helped us reach people we would not otherwise have been able to get to. What people have said will help us shape the Academy.’

The second phase of the Community Reporters project is now being launched, building on this success and promoting even closer inter-generational engagement in the community. To see the developments for yourself, please visit: www.manchestercommunicationacademy.com