You may have read recently that Zoom is going to start offering video conferencing hardware, as-a-service - meaning companies can pay monthly to rent state-of-the art equipment for only a small fraction of the cost to buy it. Companies benefit from the latest technology, completely supported, without a full fledged investment into devices that will no doubt be out-dated in a few years; and Zoom benefits by bringing its services to the office as people just as people start working from home less.

Even as lockdown measures are eased and retail businesses re-open, the B2B world remains sceptical about a return to the office. Most office-based businesses expect to be fully or partly working from home for some time, and as such there will be a continued increase in demand for remote working and digital collaboration technology in months if not years to come.

If you are working from home for the foreseeable future, you may be evaluating your internet connectivity choices — opting for ‘fibre’ if your provider offers it in your area. But if you have already upgraded to ‘fibre’ and it still isn’t as fast as the lightening-quick connection you have in the office, this is why.

While many people have enjoyed working from home over the past few months, there is a broad recognition that a completely home-based workforce can’t compare to one that has the ability to collaborate in-person. The serendipitous consequences of accidentally overhearing something you needed to know, or the unintended collaboration that occurs simply by sitting next to someone (even 2m apart), have value – a value that will no doubt end up quantified through an increasing number of studies like this one as we get more data from lockdown.

As the coronavirus pandemic comes under control in the UK, companies across the country are re-opening for business. Those that have been functioning with skeletal staff, are beginning to operate with a fuller workforce.  And businesses that require a physical presence, such as moving companies and construction companies, are now allowed to visit sites.

As lockdown measures are gradually eased, one thing is clear - people that can work from home, will be working from home for the foreseeable future. But what if you theoretically can work from home, but can't practically, due to a poor broadband connection? I recently had a video meeting with someone who was working in their utility room because it offered the best WiFi signal in the house (despite the visual interference from laundry baskets). 

With the impact of coronavirus being felt by businesses across the UK, we know that many of you are concerned about how your business and staff will be affected. This is a list of information, resources and places to go for support.  

No matter where you live on earth, it is safe to say coronavirus has affected your life. As we find ourselves forced to stay at home, change the way we work and think carefully about how we get food, it is hard to ignore the lessons that COVID-19 is helping us to learn. The gravest of which is to value our elders, each other and life as we know it.

London based cloud communications company, VTSL, has achieved certification to the internationally recognised ISO 27001 standard, establishing it as one of the leaders in its field.

As many of you experienced, Friday, January 31^st felt more like Friday the 13^th, with a host of services and internet connectivity failures. VTSL’s own network was affected, thanks to a dual fibre break in Gamma’s network, and BT suffered a major outage as well.  Which bodes the question, why does a network outage for one carrier often affect other providers, and even seemingly unrelated services?