Keeping data secure

O2 has apologised for a data glitch which resulted in mobile numbers being forwarded to outside parties.  Essentially the glitch meant that web site owners could see the telephone number of mobile users who had browsed their sites, raising questions of data security.

The problem only arose for a short period in January and has now been fixed.  O2 do say that in certain circumstances mobile numbers will continue to be shared with trusted parties to enable special services such as downloads or age verification.  This limited sharing is standard across all mobile networks.  O2 have already flagged up the problem with The Information Commissioner’s Office as well as Ofcom.

This incident has highlighted a vital issue surrounding the collection and sharing of information.  Without going too far into the strictures imposed by the Information Commissioner’s Office, those collecting and using data in whatever fashion may think it prudent to undertake a review of their data collection and storage processes.

Just looking at one simple example, that of data collection, storage and manipulation via a virtual switchboard.  We are all used to the 1471 service which lets us see the telephone number of the last caller.  Many of us are also familiar with caller display.  Virtual switchboards go one step further in allowing us to treat calls according to the caller’s telephone number.  So, for example, if used as part of a business continuity plan, your virtual switchboard may be programmed to route calls from key employees or suppliers or even to provide individual message responses dependant on the caller.

Similarly, when using call recording and storage via a virtual switchboard one of the elements of data retained is the caller’s number, provided it is not withheld.  Whilst this number is a vital element in subsequent searching for all messages from a single caller, the fact that you are storing their number is not always something that the caller gleans from a “your call may be recorded” message.

As with any data storage, the key element is that what you store is necessary to enable you to serve your clients better and that the data storage is secure.   This means that any data transfer outside the office should be by way of encrypted or secure means.  Call recording via a Callagenix virtual switchboard service provides secure recording and storage.  There will always be times when telephone numbers have to be identified or passed on to third parties, simply to enable the required service to function.  Keeping secure control of those times and of your data means you can act in your customers best interests  whilst providing the service which they require.

Telephone stress

Humans are social animals and the telephone is a vital tool in helping us to communicate across the globe.  And you can never have too much of a good thing so the invention of the smart phone has brought us nothing but good. 

So runs the mantra but according to researchers at the University of Worcester, smart phones can actually be a cause of anxiety and stress.  That insistent buzz is a call to keep on top of messages and e-mails.  This causes stress which bizarrely is only intensified when there is a quiet spell.  This leads to users obsessively checking their phones, wasting valuable time and increasing stress further.

In fact, 37% of adults and 60% of teenagers who own smart phones have admitted to being addicted to them.  So much so that some users admit to feeling phantom vibrations which make them think that they have received a message and trigger them into checking their phones.  Users then become obsessive and upset when messages stop arriving leading to the Warwick University study author, Richard Balding, commentating that “So many people have smartphones now that the effect they are having on their lives and the amount of time they are spending on them is, to be honest, quite scary.”

Actually, there is nothing new in the telephone being the cause of anxiety and stress, particularly in work situations.  In a way it is our very familiarity with the phone which makes it so hard to use properly.  Businesses expect new staff members to instantly be familiar with the phone and to use it with confidence. 

However there is a world of difference between chatting with friends and conducting a business conversation.  Whilst devices such as virtual switchboards have taken some of the pressure off transferring calls, it is still important that employees are trained in the use of the telephone; as a minimum following the three fold approach of knowing what to say, how to say it and who to refer to in case of difficulty.  Using call recording and storage will help with training making it easy for calls to be revisited and telephone techniques refined.  For smaller businesses, the use of a virtual assistant service can also remove the pressure of answering calls whilst engaged on other tasks.

With stress being one of the primary causes of employee absenteeism it is up to businesses to ensure that the telephone is not one of the trigger points.  So training in telephone techniques should include both the use of the telephone within the office as well as the use of smartphones.  Suggestions such as a ban on out of hours e-mails, smart phone free periods and training people not to check for messages have all been put forward as ways to help to relieve this stress and put the telephone back in its rightful place as a handy communication tool.

The 4G saga continues

We have previously reported on the continuing saga of the transition to 4G mobile coverage and the perceived effects of delays on the UK’s competitiveness. Responding to previous consultations, Ofcom has set out new proposals alongside a ten week consultation period.

The aim of these proposals is to provide 4G coverage for 98% of the UK population as well as institute measures to encourage competition between providers. The proposed enhanced level of coverage will bring mobile and broadband services to areas of the UK which presently have no service, at the same time bringing broadband to areas which will appreciate it most rather than areas which simply suit the operator.

One fact which stands out from the Ofcom announcement is that demand within Western Europe for mobile data is estimated to increase by 500% in the next five years. Ofcom say that the demand is “being fuelled by smartphones and mobile broadband data services such as video streaming, email, messenger services, online mapping and social networking”.

Certainly for businesses which have already embraced, or are thinking of embracing, the advantages of internet telephony, the lack of signal in certain areas is one which seems inconceivable given the progress of the internet itself. Using services such as call forwarding, caller divert and specialist UK and international telephone numbers a business can now place itself anywhere in the world and still seem to be providing a local service. For example, using a package such as Calling Spain allows a UK business to be run from Spain. With the UK telephone number being diverted automatically to Spain and an optional voicemail service, your caller need not know that you are enjoying a period of Spanish sunshine whilst running your UK business.

Using another example, the use of a China Toll Free Service brings 1.3billion potential customers to your reach with the use of a single phone number. With the calls being routed to your office anywhere in the world or even on a “follow the sun” basis, you no longer need to have an office in China to do business with China.

With such a truly global telephone network at our feet, the fact that there remain certain areas of the UK which are out of reach save for landlines seems inconceivable. These latest Ofcom proposals are expected to lead to an auction of 4G services in Q4 of 2012 and hopefully will lead to the UK moving to the forefront of the communication race.