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This blog has often highlighted the woeful state of the UK’s Broadband network, given that so many systems are now inter-connected, so it was good to hear this week about BT’s trial of a one gigabit network.
Firstly, for all those that don’t know what a gigabit is, it’s around 125 Mb of data transfer flow. The fastest Broadband available at the moment is in reality between 100 Mb and 120 Mb, so 1 Gb is pretty fast.
And these speeds rely on fibre optic networks, which come in two basic types. The fastest is what is known as a FTTH network. This stands for fibre-to-the-home, whereas the slower network is known as fibre-to-the-cabinet, or FTTC.
The trial, which will take place throughout 40 rural market towns in Suffolk, will utilise fibre-to-the-home technology, allowing the very fast speeds to be achieved.
BT trumpeted the launch of the trial, saying it was being welcomed by the Government and would help in creating the ‘best’ broadband network in Europe by 2015. Many experts see this as a somewhat tall order, given that Ofcom’s recent report revealed that only 1% of the country’s homes currently have superfast Broadband. And that there are still areas in the UK where Broadband is still not possible, or viable.
The trial begins in Suffolk late next year, with just four years to go before the current Government has to make good on its promise to deliver the fastest European Broadband.
The project is enthusiastically backed by Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt who is due to release more information about how the country will develop its superfast Broadband network. He is unveiling a strategy by which he will show “...how we can do even more to boost broadband roll-out - by stimulating competition and creating an environment in which business can flourish by removing barriers and cutting costs.”
And to back-up the words, the Government says it will also put its hand in its pocket by the tune of nearly £900 million to help service providers establish superfast broadband links in the rural areas of the UK.
BT reckons that with the funds currently available, it will be able to provide fibre-optic networks for around 66% of the country. Should the Government be able to provide the extra funding as stated by Secretary Hunt, says BT, it can extend fibre optic coverage to around 90% of the country.
So, fibre optics is waiting in the wings which is, according to most commentators, about time and it needs to be rapidly introduced if it is help play its part in leading the UK economy out of the doldrums.
Monday, 27 December 2010
BT Trials One Gigabit Network
Tuesday, 21 December 2010
Phone System Falls on Deaf Ears
A phone system con in the US shows the ingenuity of many scam artists who see a chance to use a situation to their advantage.
This particular phone system con centred on a US initiative which allowed the hard of hearing to make free calls. Unfortunately, it quickly began to be exploited by con artists who could prey on vulnerable shop traders and small businesses. And it was a con perpetrated by international crooks, not the home grown variety.
It worked like this. The phone system operated on the basis that the deaf and hard of hearing could make use of operators to make their calls on their behalf. So, using the internet, the people using the free system would type their words into a AT&T, or MCI interface, and the telephone company’s operator would then place the call and read out the words. It was simple and ingenious, and allowed a great people to fully exploit the telephone in a way that they had never been done before.
But a problem quickly developed. Those on the prowl for new cons quickly realised that by having a telephone operator make the call, it gave the person receiving the call a greater sense of security and comfort.
So, a con artist ringing from say Nigeria could effectively have an ‘actor’ – the telephone company operator – read out a request, sometimes bizarre – in the knowledge that it would sound genuine to the recipient. There was one case when a dress shop in the middle of America received an urgent order for a number of wedding dresses to be delivered to Lagos, Nigeria. To the shop owner, it was welcome business – totalling nearly $6,000 – but it was only the fact that the caller was using stolen credit cards – they tried six different cards before giving up – that alerted the shop owner to the trick.
Had of course the con artist rang directly, the shop owner would have been able to pick-up the fact that the caller was immediately from out of the country and based thousands of miles away. A trader instinctively picks up much information from a caller by accent, intonation, use of vocabulary and, in the end, whether the purchase sounds genuine. But by using the relay operators as they are called, that first line of defense is taken down.
What was worst of course, the calls were all free.
It just goes to show that a phone system, like anything out in the ether, is open to abuse by those who know how to work the con.
This particular phone system con centred on a US initiative which allowed the hard of hearing to make free calls. Unfortunately, it quickly began to be exploited by con artists who could prey on vulnerable shop traders and small businesses. And it was a con perpetrated by international crooks, not the home grown variety.
It worked like this. The phone system operated on the basis that the deaf and hard of hearing could make use of operators to make their calls on their behalf. So, using the internet, the people using the free system would type their words into a AT&T, or MCI interface, and the telephone company’s operator would then place the call and read out the words. It was simple and ingenious, and allowed a great people to fully exploit the telephone in a way that they had never been done before.
But a problem quickly developed. Those on the prowl for new cons quickly realised that by having a telephone operator make the call, it gave the person receiving the call a greater sense of security and comfort.
So, a con artist ringing from say Nigeria could effectively have an ‘actor’ – the telephone company operator – read out a request, sometimes bizarre – in the knowledge that it would sound genuine to the recipient. There was one case when a dress shop in the middle of America received an urgent order for a number of wedding dresses to be delivered to Lagos, Nigeria. To the shop owner, it was welcome business – totalling nearly $6,000 – but it was only the fact that the caller was using stolen credit cards – they tried six different cards before giving up – that alerted the shop owner to the trick.
Had of course the con artist rang directly, the shop owner would have been able to pick-up the fact that the caller was immediately from out of the country and based thousands of miles away. A trader instinctively picks up much information from a caller by accent, intonation, use of vocabulary and, in the end, whether the purchase sounds genuine. But by using the relay operators as they are called, that first line of defense is taken down.
What was worst of course, the calls were all free.
It just goes to show that a phone system, like anything out in the ether, is open to abuse by those who know how to work the con.
Thursday, 16 December 2010
Premium Rate Number Scams
Experts warning that the number of premium rate numbers scams are on the increase and they are advising what to look out for, how most of the scams work and how you can protect your business.
We recently featured a major premium rate number scam in a recent blog in which Scotland Yard tracked down a gang of con artists. This gang were earning millions by stealing mobile phones and then ringing premium rate numbers in Eastern Europe that they themselves had set up.
And this is just one case in many that are coming to light.
But how might the scam be worked when it comes to companies? The con is simple, but effective. A person at their desk, or on the road, gets a message that asks for an immediate callback. Most company executives handle hundreds of calls a day, so a sneaky message asking for a quick callback is nothing unusual. The message is usually very plausible, just informing you of a lost call, or a booking that needs confirmation.
In many fast-paced businesses, the natural reaction is to call straight back. Few can resist such messages, as it might mean a missed sales opportunity, or some vital detail of a booking that needs arranging and ticking off. And it might also come via a fax, detailing the same sort of request and asking for a fax back.
Of course, the scammers are playing with human nature and once the targeted executive calls the number, they realise – eventually – that’s it’s a con, but not before having spent pounds on connecting to the number and then pounds for every minute finding out that it’s just a trick call. The fax is even more effective for the scammers, because its machine-to-machine with no human interaction. And the fax machine to which you’ve sent your reply will be on its slowest speed, ensuring that the scammer gets the greatest possible return for the time spent faxing.
So how to protect your business against such tactics? The best thing is to get your staff to think about the number they are calling. It might be fair to assume that anyone trying to legitimately got hold of an executive, will not be using a landline, or fax number starting with 09, or 070. And although most would smell a rat with 09, be very careful with 070 numbers.
These are legitimately used as ‘follow-me’ numbers. It allows people who use them to be contacted wherever they happen to be at the time of the call. Very useful for people who spend their working day on the road, but because they are similar to mobile numbers, people don’t always see the difference. Just for the record, 09 numbers can cost up to £1.50 a minute and 070 fifty pence a minute.
So, the safest way to avoid being conned by scammers, is get the likely recipients of such calls to think about the number asking for a return call. Who, in their experience, rings the company and therefore which call, in their experience, needs returning.
A bit of care and attention could save companies a fortune.
We recently featured a major premium rate number scam in a recent blog in which Scotland Yard tracked down a gang of con artists. This gang were earning millions by stealing mobile phones and then ringing premium rate numbers in Eastern Europe that they themselves had set up.
And this is just one case in many that are coming to light.
But how might the scam be worked when it comes to companies? The con is simple, but effective. A person at their desk, or on the road, gets a message that asks for an immediate callback. Most company executives handle hundreds of calls a day, so a sneaky message asking for a quick callback is nothing unusual. The message is usually very plausible, just informing you of a lost call, or a booking that needs confirmation.
In many fast-paced businesses, the natural reaction is to call straight back. Few can resist such messages, as it might mean a missed sales opportunity, or some vital detail of a booking that needs arranging and ticking off. And it might also come via a fax, detailing the same sort of request and asking for a fax back.
Of course, the scammers are playing with human nature and once the targeted executive calls the number, they realise – eventually – that’s it’s a con, but not before having spent pounds on connecting to the number and then pounds for every minute finding out that it’s just a trick call. The fax is even more effective for the scammers, because its machine-to-machine with no human interaction. And the fax machine to which you’ve sent your reply will be on its slowest speed, ensuring that the scammer gets the greatest possible return for the time spent faxing.
So how to protect your business against such tactics? The best thing is to get your staff to think about the number they are calling. It might be fair to assume that anyone trying to legitimately got hold of an executive, will not be using a landline, or fax number starting with 09, or 070. And although most would smell a rat with 09, be very careful with 070 numbers.
These are legitimately used as ‘follow-me’ numbers. It allows people who use them to be contacted wherever they happen to be at the time of the call. Very useful for people who spend their working day on the road, but because they are similar to mobile numbers, people don’t always see the difference. Just for the record, 09 numbers can cost up to £1.50 a minute and 070 fifty pence a minute.
So, the safest way to avoid being conned by scammers, is get the likely recipients of such calls to think about the number asking for a return call. Who, in their experience, rings the company and therefore which call, in their experience, needs returning.
A bit of care and attention could save companies a fortune.
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Driving your business via the switchboard
From the time that the telephone was invented, the switchboard was the next inevitable step. The earliest switchboards relied on the caller talking to the operator and asking to be “put through” and even when automatic switching of calls came in the switchboard still had its proud place within our offices.
Films of the 1940s and 1950s often had plots which relied on the switchboard operator and many twists and turns came with the words “putting you through now caller”. The earliest switchboard operators were teenage boys, but they proved a little too cheeky for some callers and so were mainly replaced by women right up until fairly recent times.
With growing technology came the ability to automatically switch calls within an individual exchange and then regionally, nationally and finally internationally. The first steps in this area were taken in the early 1900s. Within businesses the first Direct Dial exchanges came in during the 1960s. It is therefore almost surprising that fifty years on many companies still rely on manual switchboards and operators.
The comparatively recent growth of the internet and IT technology is finally starting to change how we use our switchboards. Virtual switchboards, where the switching technology is all on the internet, have expanded the range of features offered by a physical switchboard and at a fraction of the cost. Not only can callers “press one for IT, 2 for sales etc” virtual switchboards allow them to say the name of the person or department they want and be put through. Some virtual switchboards even work by asking the caller to explain their problem and putting them through to a department based on certain keywords within the explanation.
But virtual switchboards have become so much more than merely putting a caller through. Incorporating caller recognition within the switchboard package allows businesses to automatically treat callers in different ways. For example, an online retailer could link caller telephone number with caller recognition and play the caller an individual message when they phone advising the up to date status of their order. Alternatively, callers from certain telephone exchanges could be advised of a promotional offer or put through to a nominated call centre team which understands their individual circumstances. For example, with the recent floods in Cornwall, an insurance company might prioritise and switch calls from a set exchange to a disaster team.
Once a business embraces a virtual switchboards the possibilities for business development become clear and the switchboard can become a key member of the team and help in driving business forward.
Films of the 1940s and 1950s often had plots which relied on the switchboard operator and many twists and turns came with the words “putting you through now caller”. The earliest switchboard operators were teenage boys, but they proved a little too cheeky for some callers and so were mainly replaced by women right up until fairly recent times.
With growing technology came the ability to automatically switch calls within an individual exchange and then regionally, nationally and finally internationally. The first steps in this area were taken in the early 1900s. Within businesses the first Direct Dial exchanges came in during the 1960s. It is therefore almost surprising that fifty years on many companies still rely on manual switchboards and operators.
The comparatively recent growth of the internet and IT technology is finally starting to change how we use our switchboards. Virtual switchboards, where the switching technology is all on the internet, have expanded the range of features offered by a physical switchboard and at a fraction of the cost. Not only can callers “press one for IT, 2 for sales etc” virtual switchboards allow them to say the name of the person or department they want and be put through. Some virtual switchboards even work by asking the caller to explain their problem and putting them through to a department based on certain keywords within the explanation.
But virtual switchboards have become so much more than merely putting a caller through. Incorporating caller recognition within the switchboard package allows businesses to automatically treat callers in different ways. For example, an online retailer could link caller telephone number with caller recognition and play the caller an individual message when they phone advising the up to date status of their order. Alternatively, callers from certain telephone exchanges could be advised of a promotional offer or put through to a nominated call centre team which understands their individual circumstances. For example, with the recent floods in Cornwall, an insurance company might prioritise and switch calls from a set exchange to a disaster team.
Once a business embraces a virtual switchboards the possibilities for business development become clear and the switchboard can become a key member of the team and help in driving business forward.
Friday, 3 December 2010
When is telemarketing not telemarketing
The rise of interactive media and multi-channel marketing campaigns has led to wariness on the part of many people when they are telephoned or stopped in the street and asked for their opinion. Whilst some are still happy to give their opinions on every subject, many now see surveys as being a backhand way to get marketing information which will lead to endless sales calls.
This blurring of the lines between market research and telemarketing has lead to the US market research industry ditching a $15m a year campaign to try and get better acceptance of market research. Instead they are going back to basics to win the public over.
The US industry market research bodies are coming to an acceptance that market research needs to become more focused with fewer and shorter questions and better interview techniques. Even once those issues have been addressed, the need to distinguish between market research and telemarketing is a problem that will take a fair bit of unravelling.
The UK is not immune from this blurring of the lines. People have become cynical having been telephoned to take part in a “confidential” survey and then found that their details have been passed on to multiple organisations all of whom then contact with a sales pitch. Because of this many people refuse to answer surveys, leading to results from genuine research being skewed.
One way of avoiding receiving unwanted marketing calls is to register with the telephone preference service (TPS). This is available for all individuals, sole traders and partnerships and there is also a separate version for businesses. Whilst this will stop many telemarketing calls, there are two notable exceptions. The first is for callers from abroad calling on behalf of overseas companies. These are not subject to the TPS, however overseas companies calling on behalf of UK companies are.
The second exception is companies involved in Market Research who are still allowed to call TPS registered numbers. Some businesses are therefore exploiting this loophole by disguising sales calls under the guise of research and consumers should be wary of these.
When it comes to complaining about unwanted telephone calls, the complaint lines are confusing. The TPS service has an on line form which you can complete. However, their web site says that they only pass on information to the Information commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO website tells you to complain first to the TPS and then if that is not successful the ICO will consider whether to take the complaint up on your behalf. In some instances, a complaint to the trading standards authority might be the best way of approaching a complaint as they keep records of companies which breach the rules.
This blurring of the lines between market research and telemarketing has lead to the US market research industry ditching a $15m a year campaign to try and get better acceptance of market research. Instead they are going back to basics to win the public over.
The US industry market research bodies are coming to an acceptance that market research needs to become more focused with fewer and shorter questions and better interview techniques. Even once those issues have been addressed, the need to distinguish between market research and telemarketing is a problem that will take a fair bit of unravelling.
The UK is not immune from this blurring of the lines. People have become cynical having been telephoned to take part in a “confidential” survey and then found that their details have been passed on to multiple organisations all of whom then contact with a sales pitch. Because of this many people refuse to answer surveys, leading to results from genuine research being skewed.
One way of avoiding receiving unwanted marketing calls is to register with the telephone preference service (TPS). This is available for all individuals, sole traders and partnerships and there is also a separate version for businesses. Whilst this will stop many telemarketing calls, there are two notable exceptions. The first is for callers from abroad calling on behalf of overseas companies. These are not subject to the TPS, however overseas companies calling on behalf of UK companies are.
The second exception is companies involved in Market Research who are still allowed to call TPS registered numbers. Some businesses are therefore exploiting this loophole by disguising sales calls under the guise of research and consumers should be wary of these.
When it comes to complaining about unwanted telephone calls, the complaint lines are confusing. The TPS service has an on line form which you can complete. However, their web site says that they only pass on information to the Information commissioner’s Office (ICO). The ICO website tells you to complain first to the TPS and then if that is not successful the ICO will consider whether to take the complaint up on your behalf. In some instances, a complaint to the trading standards authority might be the best way of approaching a complaint as they keep records of companies which breach the rules.
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