This week has been awash with mobility stories, but a couple have really shown how mobile strategies are positively impacting our everyday lives. EE announced bold plans to launch a 400Mbps 4G LTE network at Wembley Stadium in 2016 with the aim of making it the “world’s most connected stadium”. This trend for connected sporting experiences is growing exponentially, and follows hot on the heels of the World Cup being the most hi-tech yet, and Cisco’s work with Manchester’s Etihad Stadium. Similarly, the ever-present London cab firm Adison Lee announced that it is rolling out free 4G across its entire fleet, helping passengers stay connected on their journey. Mobility is literally going mobile!
This week we take a look at the key industry announcements, along with the latest news:
- TalkTalk has laid down the gauntlet by launching a cut-price £4 broadband contract for small firms with less than 20 employees. TalkTalk claims its network is built for an 8pm peak, when most users are at home either streaming video or checking Facebook, and as such have spare bandwidth during the day. Their research indicated that only half of British businesses feel they are currently getting value for money from their ISP, and more than one fifth are looking to switch providers.
- Virgin Media has cut a whopping 20% off its travel and expenses costs after rolling out Cisco unified communications; linking its 200 UK offices with video conferencing and instant messaging. The approach is also saving employees up to five hours a week in travel time, meaning they’re more engaged and have a better work/life balance.
- Better yet, Richard Branson announced this week that Virgin staff in the UK and the US will be allowed to take as much holiday as they like, whenever they want. Taking cues from Netflix, who pioneered the policy in 2010, the approach is expected to boost both productivity and morale. Received wisdom may suggest such a policy would encourage skiving – but flexible working requires trust. Would this work for your company?
Let us know your thoughts on this week’s mobility news roundup. Are you a small business paying over the odds for your broadband? Would you consider letting your staff control their own holiday allowance? Let us know by commenting below or tweeting me personally at @GrahamFranklin or Cisco at @CiscoUKI.
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