31-Jan-2012 19:44
What's your story?
Let's face it - there's nothing quite like a good story.
Whether you're sitting through a business meeting, attending a presentation, listening to a celebratory address or simply chatting to a mate, ears perk up and minds click into gear whenever the word "story" makes an appearance.
So what is it about 'a story' that so catches our interest?
Read On >>>
27-Jan-2012 12:58
Telecom Solutions R Us… Everyday Tale of Another Happy Chappy…
We pride ourselves on helping our clients solve any ‘problems’ or difficulties they may experience.
Our latest success this past week is the following solution:
A client (and good friend), who owns & runs a rather busy and successful Travel Agency, booked a week’s business trip to Johannesburg, South Africa.
Importantly, David needed a mobile phone whilst in S. Africa to receive the, literally, hundreds of calls received daily from his UK clients.
David's dilemma was that if he simply received his incoming-calls on his UK mobile whilst abroad in Johannesburg, he’d be stung with enormously expensive ‘roaming call’ charges which could cost him many £100’s pounds…
Read On >>>
26-Jan-2012 12:40
Time to Update your Office Telephone System?
Yep, it’s that moment you’ve dreaded... customer or staff complaints have prompted you into the realisation that your Telephone System is sadly well past its sell-by-date...
A horrid moment but to ease your way through a potential minefield our SimplyFone boffins (me!) have created a short & hopefully helpful checklist to help you along the way.
Choosing a new Telephone System or indeed relocating your existing one should not be taken too lightly as your telephones are often the first and main communication between your business and clients & thus any changes merit careful consideration, planning and expertise.
Read On >>>
25-Jan-2012 12:49
What would be the One big thing you would do...
May I ask you:
"What would be the One big thing you would do if you won a £40 million lottery…?"
(please be as selfish, as greedy, as generous, or as tactless & insensitive as you wish...)
23-Jan-2012 15:27
HMRC Tax Returns are Due Soon – Don’t get Stung…
In case you have not yet completed & returned your self-assessment tax return yet, do it now!
HMRC have sent out reminders that the final date to send the forms back by is 31st January.
HMRC say that if it has not been submitted yet, they will only accept it online and any late return will be required to pay a new £100 penalty.
These penalties can add up to a max. £900, so with a tough year ahead for UK businesses make sure you complete your tax return on time!
Complete your tax return online at: www.hmrc.gov.uk/online
18-Jan-2012 20:08
Met. Police Spend £35K+ on Calls to Speaking Clock
Madness!
The Metropolitan Police has apparently spent more than £35,000 on 110,000 calls to the Speaking Clock in the last two years & £200,000 calling directory enquiries according to figures released to the Press Association under the Freedom of Information Act.
At SimplyFone we have a very good solution…
Read On >>>
17-Jan-2012 13:22
Online Shops Must Protect Data or Face Backlash...
When will someone sue an online company for being too lax over their customers’ private details and security of information?
Apparently in the States the online shoe retailer ‘Zappos’ has admitted that hackers have accessed its network, stealing account information from almost 24 million customers.
Read On >>>
13-Jan-2012 12:59
A Warming Tale....
A warming tale (allegedly true) about the bond formed between a little girl and a group of telephone engineers.
A young family moved into a house adjacent to an office block.
One day, a gang of telephone engineers turned up to install cabling networks & phone system.
The family's 5 year old daughter naturally developed an interest in all the busy activity going on next door and began chatting to the telephone engineers.
She hung around and eventually the telephone engineers, with hearts of gold, adopted her as a sort of project mascot.
Read On >>>
12-Jan-2012 15:58
QR Codes-Business Opportunity or Criminal Abuse?
Caution has been urged by Security Experts over the increasing use of QR Codes on smartphones, claiming that they could become a likely target for hackers and malicious users actively seeking to steal your personal data.
The strange black squares that have been cropping up in increasing numbers in magazines and newspapers; on posters, tickets and websites are likely to become even more commonplace in 2012 with many companies utilising them in increasing numbers.
However, presuming they are harmless could be playing into the hands of cyber criminals.
12-Jan-2012 00:44
Can we assist you?
SimplyFone focus on small businesses, SMEs & residential users, which is why we can offer low-cost phone & line rental packages that suit ‘your’ needs.
Why wait, begin saving by switching your phone line today!
• SimplyFone deals are designed specifically for small businesses & home users.
• SimplyFone customer services are among the best in the UK telecom industry.
• When you transfer to us you retain your phone number.
• We are BT Openreach partners & will continue to maintain your phone line.
• SimplyFone phone line &/or line rental transfer is simple, safe and hassle free.
SimplyFone is one of the UK's fastest growing telecoms companies, providing reliable, low-cost business phone services.
SimplyFone's phone tariffs, International call rates & inclusive call plans are amongst the cheapest on the market.
Thousands of small businesses & home users have switched to SimplyFone & continue to recommend their friends, family and business colleagues…
Why not take a look at our Testimonials to see what some of our customers have to say about us.
We are happy to take your call today...
10-Jan-2012 16:47
Fancy £100,000 in cash?
Any views on the news I read in today's The Times about an idea HMRC have thrown out - under advice of the 'Behavioural Insight Team' apparently known in Whitehall as ''the nudge unit'' - that people who complete, return forms & pay tax two months early will qualify for entry into a draw (I think) to win £100,000 cash (no doubt subject to a high tax band) & various little prizes too.
Sounds a bit too Simon Cowelly to me...
What do you think?
Norman
08-Jan-2012 13:08
Facebook Update to Previous Blog....
Update - Friday 6 January, 10:22am: Facebook has responded to this (& similar) article with the following statement:
"Last week we received from external security researchers a set of user credentials that had been harvested by a piece of malware. Our security experts have reviewed the data, and while the majority of the information was out-of-date, we have initiated remedial steps for all affected users to ensure the security of their accounts.
"Thus far, we have not seen the virus propagating on Facebook itself, but have begun working with our external partners to add protections to our anti-virus systems to help users secure their devices. People can protect themselves by never clicking on strange links and reporting any suspicious activity they encounter on Facebook.
"We encourage our users to become fans of the Facebook Security Page for additional security information."
05-Jan-2012 21:29
Worm Steals 45,000 Facebook Login Credentials
Be careful out there people...
A worm previously used to commit financial fraud is now stealing Facebook login credentials, compromising at least 45,000 Facebook accounts with the goals of transmitting malicious links to victims' friends and gaining remote access to corporate networks.
Read On >>>
05-Jan-2012 11:49
Flagged Facebook Photos Offensive or Unattractive?
Last year Facebook determined that the majority of photos its users reported as offensive were not actually offensive. Much of the time, they were just unflattering angles or situations.
We are vain creatures, as it turns out…
The thing is, you don’t necessarily own the rights to a picture someone else takes of you, and Facebook accentuates the awkwardness of that situation.
Read On >>>
22-Dec-2011 17:09
Ok, Own Up…What’s ‘Given you the Hump’?
Ok, Own Up… What’s ‘Given you the Hump’ in 2011?
Frustrations in business or incidents that have ‘given you the hump’ may be loosely defined as ‘recurring events in your business over which you feel you have little or no control’.
Every business suffers frustrations at times & we all suffer accordingly…
From temporary ‘hiccups’ that can hinder the flow of work, to mistakes that may have nasty impacts on the bottom line - and varying degrees of stressful events in between.
As with all of life’s challenge we have choices: the question is really how you deal with them.
Read On >>>
22-Dec-2011 12:38
Some Imponderables from 2011!
These are my imponderables as we move towards 2012:
Feel free to add your own…
Read On >>>
19-Dec-2011 18:10
Seasonal Greetings Google – your friends at BT!
BT sues Google over Android 'patent infringements'.
UK-based telecoms group BT is suing Google in the US over claims that six of its patents have been infringed.
The British company's complaints centre on technologies at the core of Google's Android mobile system, search site, and a wide range of other services.
BT is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against Google's continued use of its innovations.
Read On >>>
16-Dec-2011 15:01
Cheapest International Calls Offer - ever!
Try our www.SimplyTex2Talk.com service today:
We have a Special Chanuka / X'mas / New Year Offer...
Just top-up with £10 & get an extra £2.50 ''free bonus talk-time''
Text SIMPLY to 65656 & receive a free text with instructions.
(Offer ends 01 01 2012)
15-Dec-2011 14:24
UK Consumers are a Nation of Online Shoppers
More consumers in the UK use the internet for shopping than other major countries, a new Ofcom report reveals.
UK consumers watch more TV online, use their mobiles more to go online and play more games on their phones.
The report also reveals that the UK customers are paying lower prices for their communications than many consumers across the world.
Read On >>>
11-Dec-2011 13:23
Email Marketing? Watch Out for ‘Spam’ Triggers
Email marketing has become an increasingly important and powerful tool for marketing and marketers.
Decent email-marketing tactics can allow the smallest companies to create email or Bulk SMS campaigns that are both professional and effective…
There are, however, lots of ‘words’ or terms that will trigger filter warnings and simply divert your (now classified as spam) email directly into the recipient spam or junk folder.
To state the obvious, anything remotely ‘naughty’ or of a sexual or pornographic nature will be blocked and could actually get you into murky water with your service provider.
Read On >>>
08-Dec-2011 18:13
Hate your BlackBerry? You’re in Good Company…
It seems that if you’re considering getting rid of your BlackBerry, you are certainly not alone.
According to a new report from an America-based research firm Enterprise Management Associates, as many as 60% of users at small companies plan to swop their BlackBerry phone over the next year for another platform such as Apple's iPhone or Google's Android.
Read On >>>
01-Dec-2011 16:16
GoogleChrome Overtakes Firefox, Closes on Explorer
Google Inc.'s Chrome internet browser overtook Firefox for the first time globally in November 2011 and it continues to narrow the gap to market leader Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer, web analytics firm StatCounter said on Thursday.
Read On >>
25-Nov-2011 13:12
Email or Social Media - Which Will Triumph?
The headlines were unequivocal - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg had announced that email is dead.
The truth however was a little more prosaic.
At the launch of the social network's new messaging platform, he had said "we don't think a modern messaging system is going to be email", and that the new system was "not email".
Mr Zuckerberg wasn't the first to suggest that email is obsolete, and neither has he been the last.
Read On >>>
24-Nov-2011 11:58
Are You an Old Fuddy-Duddy, a Luddite or Worse...?
Are you an old business Fuddy-Duddy, an angry Luddite or are you up there with the best using new technologies to help promote your product, service or business?
Do you use QR coding on your websites or business cards or promotional literature..?
Any method used to freshen up your websites and keep them high on Google rankings, easily accessible and in the public consciousness has to be an important part of your company marketing & planning.
Read On >>>
22-Nov-2011 18:45
Are Your Clients Upset When They Call Your Office?
I have been involved in the telecoms industry for about 20 years & I have probably attended hundreds of client meetings, advised on the installation of thousands of new lines and telephone-systems for our clients and helped provide other diverse telecoms solutions to many satisfied clients…
However, I remain constantly astonished by some of the rather elementary but so easily corrected gaffes companies still make with their business phone-systems & customer services.
It seems to me that many companies appear to harbour a death-wish! Why do so many companies seem to want to alienate clients & why do so many businesses work so diligently to upset their clientele?
Read On >>>
18-Nov-2011 13:43
Sarcasm...
A great proponent of sarcasm Mark Twain famously quipped about a recently read novel, "Classic, a book which people praise and don't read."
Could his comment be used for some of those 'liking' blogs ad nauseum...?
Any more examples of biting sarcasm?
15-Nov-2011 14:35
One for the purists (and copywriters)....
The English Plural.
We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not.......
Read On >>>
14-Nov-2011 00:22
Eek!BT Increase Prices & Cease Online Bill Savings
As of December 3rd 2011 BT will increase UK daytime calls, will increase line rentals charges & also discontinue discounted deals for paperless bills…
All this makes SimplyFone rates even more competitive – most of our call-rates have no connection or minimum call charges and our residential line rentals remain at £9.79 +vat – an even greater discount over BT and which could save you up to £50 per annum on line rentals alone!
Read On >>>
11-Nov-2011 11:36
Amazon Now Has Voice-Recognition Capability...
Why Have Amazon Bought Voice-Recognition Capability?
Recent news showing that in late September Amazon, on the quiet, bought a voice-recognition (VRC) startup ‘Yap’ has begun new stories that Amazon wants to build a ‘digital personal assistant’ for its own devices.
A decent VRC tool could be very helpful to its business considering Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s own Kindle Fire and Google’s Android services.
Read On >>>
11-Nov-2011 10:55
Today is....
Why do our American colleagues always get things so wrong…
Why must they put months before days?
Today is: 11-11-11 & not as they write it: 11-11-11 !
09-Nov-2011 22:07
Warming End to a Busy Day...
Really busy day today, thankfully - meeting after meeting, sorting and organising...
Now just finished working through the last of my tasks and remaining clients to call back where possible.
The last (residential) client called just now said to me, "You must be the only telecom company that not only has a 'real' 24/7 service, but actually return calls to sort problems at 8.00pm on a Wednesday night - well done!"
Gotta say that felt good to hear!
That's it, I'm done!
07-Nov-2011 13:20
Postal scam email 2011 – PhonepayPlus statement
Statement from PhonepayPlus about the chain email regarding an alleged postal scam being circulated on the internet.
PhonepayPlus appreciates that recipients of the email may want to find out more information about the alleged scam and has therefore issued the following statement:
Read On >>>
07-Nov-2011 00:56
Adidas Websites Go Offline After Hack Attack
Adidas has taken its website content offline after suffering what it described as a "sophisticated, criminal cyber-attack".
The German sportswear maker said it had no evidence that its consumers' data had been impacted, but that it was taking down the affected sites to protect visitors.
Read On >>>
03-Nov-2011 11:37
Be Honest… Are You a Scrooge or Munificent?
Be Honest… Are You Considered a Scrooge or Munificent?
Which word best describes your relationships with your staff and customers as we head towards the Xmas and New Year holiday periods?
The emphasis may be on wining & dining your most valued clients - or perhaps trying to ingratiate yourselves with prospective new clients - at this time of the year... but what do you do for your loyal staff?
In these tougher times, are old-fashioned Xmas Bonuses dead?
Does your company still bother with an office party?
How do you show your staff that you value their input, their loyalty and express appreciation for their hard work over the past year?
Suggestions on a postcard please :)
02-Nov-2011 13:09
PhonepayPlus Fighting Website Infringement
PhonepayPlus, the body that regulates premium rate services (PRS) in the UK, is working with the City of London Police and IFPI, which represents the recording industry worldwide, to proactively prevent online copyright infringement.
Under the arrangement, PhonepayPlus will be informed of named websites that are selling unlicensed music so it can inform the trade bodies representing phone paid services who will then distribute the details to their members.
Read On >>>
30-Oct-2011 19:55
Beluga (FB’s Group Messaging App.) Closing Down
Beluga, the Group Messaging App. that Facebook took over earlier this year in March 2011 is shutting shop.
In a post on Beluga’s blog, the company wrote that, from November 2011 you will no longer be able to send any messages although you will be able to access old messages & stored data until December 15th - after which they will be deleted.
Not really surprising as Facebook launched their own Messenger App. (built by the same people) in late August that included much of the functionality of Beluga.
Read On >>>
26-Oct-2011 14:26
You Just Can’t Get The Staff…
After years of dithering, frightened of change & hyperventilating at the proposed costs, over the last few months the decision has finally had to be taken…
We have a pretty large front-drive to our house and the old ‘crazy-paving’ brickwork inherited when we purchased the house in early 1990’s has really become both an eyesore and quite dangerous.
The crumbling flagstones, circa 1950’s I guess, are now lifting badly due to encroaching tree roots from beyond our property and the holding cement is becoming softer than even the value of the Euro…
Read On >>>
25-Oct-2011 18:31
Is a Skype Security Flaw a Terrorist Threat?
A flagrant security flaw in the popular Skype video chat service may be putting Internet users worldwide at risk.
The serious security breach in the Internet video chat program, which boasts over 500 million users around the globe, means that any evil computer nerd could easily hunt down users’ whereabouts, according to a study co-authored by an NYU-Poly professor.
Read On >>>
24-Oct-2011 11:16
Qaddafi Worth $200+ Billion-World’s Richest Man?
Qaddafi was supposedly worth over $200 billion with assets in bank accounts, real estate and corporate investments around the world.
This staggeringly large estimate is from senior Libyan officials & if, as seems to be legitimate according to the LA Times, would quite incredibly make Muammar Qaddafi 3 x richer than Carlos Slim and 10 x richer than King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia.
The biggest question of course may simply be, “Can we trust anyone at the moment in Libya and indeed who is currently or perhaps more importantly, who will be in charge?"
Read On >>>
17-Oct-2011 18:36
Can BlackBerry’s Reputation Recover?
The recent BlackBerry outage that left millions of its users unable to access BBM and push email lasted just over three days.
Reports are already surfacing that many of their customers and prospective clients may consider switching to an alternative smartphone manufacturer.
Read On >>>
12-Oct-2011 16:53
Ryanair Travellers May Need Strong(er) Bladders!
In their latest wheeze Ryanair’s owner/chairman Michael O'Leary has announced to The Independent in London that Rianair passengers (is that an oxymoron?) may need to tightly clench their thighs on all short-haul flights as the company plans to remove toilets from its planes!
Gives a somewhat fresh impetus to the commonly-heard riposte, “Goodness, what a crap flight!”
Read On >>>
07-Oct-2011 12:12
Is the New iPhone 4s a Disappointment?
Last Tuesday Apple unveiled the new iPhone 4s & apparently rather disappointed many who were hoping for some decent technological advances.
Although not yet officially released, the biggest innovations & improvements are the fresh voice-command capability & vastly improved camera.
However, these are not enormous developments & may not warrant forking out lots of your hard-earned cash for this upgrade…
Read On >>>
03-Oct-2011 18:22
BT Broadband Problems – again!
Oh dear!
BT has confirmed that a "power failure" at a major exchange in Birmingham is causing problems for broadband customers across the UK.
Problems have been reported across the UK including Belfast, Edinburgh, Swansea and London.
…& even worse, many are complaining that BT is simply not answering its helplines.
Read On >>>
27-Sep-2011 14:06
Spam Texts, Unsolicited Messages?
In an attempt to reduce spam text messages and deter unwanted telemarketing, the Indian telecoms regulator has announced plans to cap the number & level of text messages which may be sent from a mobile phone.
Under the new rules no-one, including commercial organisations, will be permitted to send more than 100 texts in a day.
Could this… should this be applied in the UK too?
Read On >>>
26-Sep-2011 16:53
Whatever next? Dead Sea Scrolls in High Resolution
Whatever next? Dead Sea Scrolls in Super High Resolution!
Google, in its commendable project to index, store online and educate the public has now uploaded five of the Dead Sea Scrolls in super high resolution.
The Dead Sea Scrolls were written about 2,500 years ago by a nomadic Jewish desert tribe, and contain certain passages from the Old Testament & other sources…
Read On >>>
19-Sep-2011 10:36
Are you considered ‘Easy’?
So come on… own up… let us know… we can keep a secret…
Just how 'Easy' are you?
Read On >>>
14-Sep-2011 11:01
Auto-Renew Contracts-We the Only Ethical Telco?
“Auto-Renew” Phone Contracts - Are We the Only Ethical Telco?
SimplyFone are one of the very few (or now possibly the only) UK Telecom Call Provider that never ties any client – neither residential nor business – into any time-related contracts..
Whether SimplyFone install the telephones lines, carry your calls & line rentals or simply carry all your calls, we never tie our clients into any ‘contracts’ and allow all clients the freedom to move or transfer away at any given time, without notice and without incurring any penalties or fines...
Wouldn’t it be agreeable if all other Telcos supported our policy?
However, and sadly, this is not the case and most Telephone companies and Broadband suppliers and Mobile companies not only tie subscribers into long’ish contracts but have a policy of automatic contract renewals unless specifically requested otherwise!
Read On >>>
09-Sep-2011 10:40
0800 Numbers - Another happy client...
This morning at 9.03am we received an application from a national 'Energy Company' for a freefone 0800 number to divert to a landline for a new office near Slough...
By 9.23am this morning their new (and pretty memorable) 0800 number was set and active...
Could your business use an 0800 (or any NGN) number?
Read On >>>
09-Sep-2011 10:15
Thought of the Day
Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is a mystery.
Today is a gift.
That's why we call it 'The Present'.
~Eleanor Roosevelt
08-Sep-2011 14:09
More Changes! Local Calls will Require Area Codes
More Changes! Even Local Calls will Require Area Code Dialing
From early next year 2012 some parts of the UK will require residential & business users to dial the area code even for local phone calls…
Ofcom, the Telecoms regulatory body, is introducing changes to increase the supply of numbers in areas where they are now pretty scarce.
Read On >>>
05-Sep-2011 10:16
Mobile phones are Dead-'Long Live the Smart Phone'
Yep, as we all thought, the future is almost upon us...
Within the next few months, the number of smart phones across the US and UK will overtake the number of traditional mobile phones marking an historic change for the wireless industry.
The growth has been rather rapid…
Read On >>>
01-Sep-2011 10:46
Are you Connecting on the Move?
According to a fresh report by the Office for National Statistics nearly 50% of UK internet users are now surfing using their mobile phone data connections…
Read On >>>
28-Aug-2011 17:34
Fascinating - who said history was boring...
The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature isn’t just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500s...
Read on & enjoy >>>
28-Aug-2011 13:41
Switch,Switch,Switch!! BT increasing rates again..
If you're still with BT you only have yourselves to blame…
BT have announced they are increasing call charges for residential customers by up to 5% on 3 December 2011 - their second increase this year.
UK landline calls will go up from 7.6p a minute to 7.95p a minute. Line rental prices will also rise and ‘call-set-up fees’, i.e. one-off connection charges for any call made (not in an incl. call plan) will rise from 12.5p to 13.1p
NOTE: Our SimplyFone call rates to a UK landline in direct comparism are: 1.8p at peak times reducing to just 1.41p at weekend – both for home and business users & we do not normally levy any ‘call-set-up fees’.
Under the changes, the cost of BT line rentals for a residential customer paying by direct debit will rise by 70p to £14.60 a month, clients paying by cheque will see even greater increase!
NOTE: Our SimplyFone line rental rates in direct comparism are: £9.79p +vat and prices are for all clients irrespective of payment method…
26-Aug-2011 13:09
Will your ‘free’ mobile Apps ever make money?
So you've decided your business needs a mobile phone app.
The design is done, the information architect has given it the all clear; it is a thing of beauty.
That just leaves the tiny but rather important matter of how you will make money from it.
If you think pinning a suitable price tag on it and waiting for it to take the various app stores by storm is all that's needed, you could be in for a nasty surprise.
Read On >>>
25-Aug-2011 15:44
Marketing or snoozing...?
Do you promote your company during the 'holiday period'?
During the Summer period between June to September we cease and abstain
from any and all marketing and sales and promotions and meetings and campaigns and appointments and new biz proposals and strategy and business development and tactics and social networking and blogging and .....
Now, as a market leader in our sector, please convince our competitors to follow our lead and fully copy our actions...
Heehee
:-)
25-Aug-2011 12:11
Are you a Power Walker? Want to help the planet?
Wow... could this be feasible?
Apparently US researchers have developed a way to generate electricity from human motion.
Soon, activities: like going for a walk, playing sports or running to catch that elusive bus, may be sufficient to recharge your mobile phone.
Read On >>>
11-Aug-2011 22:51
LinkedIn Share Private User Info in Adverts. Hmmm
LinkedIn users are upset that the company has taken the Facebook approach in regards to online privacy with a recent change to the privacy policy.
Under the guise of providing more privacy control to the user, the social network has automatically opted-in its 100 million users into the social advertising program without informing them of the change beyond a blog post.
Read On >>>
11-Aug-2011 10:02
Have Riots Affected your Business?
With reference to recent 'Riots'...
Are you interested in learning about Legal Issues that may affect your business?
Read On >>>
10-Aug-2011 14:44
Yah boo sucks to you Apple & Blackberry...
Well whatdy'a know...
Just one month before Apple is due to unveil a similar product, Facebook has stolen their thunder by launching an Instant Messaging Service for mobile phones – similar to BlackBerry Messenger.
Read On >>>
09-Aug-2011 20:41
Hackers Attack Blackberry website.... Oh dear!
With reference to the previous blog:
Hackers Attack Blackberry website after RIM Promises Police
Hackers left their mark of dissatisfaction on Blackberry's website after Research In Motion announced that they would help police track down rioters in London...
Read On >>>
09-Aug-2011 20:24
Could mobile phones help police investigations?
According to legal experts the Police may be able to use rioters' mobile phone information to help convict them…
Investigators can apply to see the contents of text and instant messages as well as their location.
Read On >>>
09-Aug-2011 11:29
Chutzpah? Rip-off? Parasite? Or...? You decide...
Apparently a gentleman named Shiraj Haque, known as the 'Curry King of Brick Lane', despite owning a string of properties, four restaurants and a supermarket, lives at the taxpayer's - our - expense in a house meant for low-income families.
Mr Haque lives in the three-storey home in Bethnal Green paying just £135 rent a week even though he owns eight other properties including a £2m home in South Woodford.
Read On >>>
08-Aug-2011 20:05
Q-Tech & boss agree £1.3m 'VAT settlement'
A Glasgow firm and its sole director have agreed to give up almost £1.3m in assets, following allegations of a large-scale VAT fraud.
Read On >>>
02-Aug-2011 16:44
Bubble about to pop–again! Fasten your seatbelt
It would appear that there is widespread concern over investment risks far more complex and unpredictable than even those experienced in 1999-2000 dot-com bubble (and bust).
Over 75% of investment bankers worry that the multi-billion pound valuations of high-profile Internet companies simply are not justified...
Companies creating worry lines around City offices & investment houses include LinkedIn & Zillow, Groupon & Zynga, as well as Facebook, Twitter, Yelp and Foursquare.
Read On >>>
02-Aug-2011 11:46
Is Nothing Sacred? Sun readers 'site Data Stolen!
Thousands of people who entered competitions on The Sun website have been warned that their personal information may have been stolen.
The paper's publisher, News Group, said the data was taken when the site was hacked on 19 July.
Some of the details, including applications for the Miss Scotland contest, have been posted online.
01-Aug-2011 14:32
Is your website & domain name safe?
Lots of small UK businesses woke up this weekend to find their websites had gone down in a legal fight between a domain name company and its founder.
Sites using .gb.com addresses went dark on Saturday, after the former boss of the registry, CentralNIC, took control of the whole extension without warning.
It was unclear where emails sent to .gb.com addresses would arrive.
Read On >>>
28-Jul-2011 15:23
Eek! Do NOT 'take home' those plush hotel towels
Hmmm...
Hotels are about to use RFID chips to keep their linens from checking out with holidaymakers!
To keep robes and towels from checking out, a small but growing number of hotels are starting to use new radio frequency chips to keep track of their inventory.
Read On >>>
28-Jul-2011 14:55
Naive or..? BT Ordered to Block Links to Newzbin2
A High Court judge has ruled that BT must block access to a website which provides links to pirated movies.
Newzbin 2 is a members-only site which aggregates a large amount of the illegally copied material found on Usenet discussion forums.
The landmark case is the first time that an ISP has been ordered to block access to such a site.
It paves the way for other sites to be blocked as part of a major crackdown on piracy.
Read On >>>
27-Jul-2011 22:24
Facebook unveils FB for Business-good timing?
On Tuesday Facebook unveiled a step-by-step online guide aimed at helping small businesses use the social networking site.
The company is billing the new web page, found at Facebook.com/business, as an “online education center” that gives directions on such things as how to set up a profile page, create targeted ads and deals, and interact with customer feedback online.
The timing is interesting, as it comes just a week after Google began shutting off all company profiles on its Google+ social network.
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25-Jul-2011 10:21
Happy birthday
Britain's famous Speaking Clock celebrated its 75th birthday yesterday on July 24, 2011.
Now a national institution and part of Britain's heritage, the Speaking Clock was the first of the pre-recorded information services in the UK, provided through telephones.
Created for people who wanted to know the time and did not have a watch or clock to hand, the clock was initially only available in the London directory area, with the first British Speaking Clock introduced on July 24, 1936.
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21-Jul-2011 15:04
Google Issue Virus Warnings Directly via Website
Google has begun issuing warnings to millions of people that their PC has been infected with a virus.
The malicious code pipes browser traffic through sites that promote the scammers' wares which include fake security programs.
Those hit by the virus will be warned with a message that will appear at the top of searches carried out via Google.
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21-Jul-2011 10:07
Naughty, Naughty TalkTalk! Play Fair Guys….
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld a complaint brought by BT against TalkTalk for exaggerating a ‘savings’ claims it made in a TV advertisement.
The ASA confirmed that TalkTalk had misled viewers of the advert by clearly overstating the savings that customers might achieve.
The regulator said the TV adverts statement that clients could "Save over £140" was "surrounded by numerous question marks" and it was not clear that this was a question rather than a claim.
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20-Jul-2011 10:59
Are you suffering too? Are you becoming ‘SNOBS'?
We might have known…
Wasn’t it simply bound to happen?
Are you suffering from the latest disease to strike horror deep in the hearts of most of us?
Yep… I can, with immense sadness, announce the arrival of the latest complaint to hit the working population.
Read On >>>
19-Jul-2011 09:43
You Wasting Money on Marketing & Advertising too?
Famously, the US retailing tycoon John Wanamaker allegedly said, "I know that 50% of my advertising doesn't work. The problem is; I don't know which 50%."
In truth, Mr. Wanamaker was almost certainly exaggerating…
If accurately analysed, it is probably closer to 1% of our advertising that ever works. However, the response “The problem is; I don't know which ?%", is almost certainly true…
Your company may be spending a fortune on advertising, but how do you know what is truly effective?
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12-Jul-2011 17:33
Phew - Cheque Payments are Safe...
The fairly recently announced plans in 2009 to scrap cheques for bill payments from 2018 have been dropped after the ‘UK Payments Council’ admitted there was no alternative or preferred paper-payment method..
The UK Payments Council, a joint council representing all the major banks, said cheques will continue for as long as people require them.
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11-Jul-2011 11:27
Warning: Don't Download Apps named ‘Sexy Pics’
Phone Hacking - The Next Cyber Attack Frontier…
The phone hacking by the now defunct tabloid ‘News of the World’ was unexceptional by technical standards. Security experts say the scandal portends how the growth of smart-phones will lead to more sophisticated hacking and breaches.
The tactics that tabloid reporters used to eavesdrop on high-profile British targets, and eventually led News Corp. to close down the 167-year-old publication, were remarkably low tech.
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10-Jul-2011 12:22
(Lottery Draw) It could be you’ou…
…but what the heck would you do with £166 million!?
No-one won the £166 million jackpot in Friday's EuroMillions draw.
Two UK tickets did scoop £3.3 million each after matching five numbers & one lucky star.
But honestly, who could possibly want or need £166 million smackers?
Surely winning this colossal sum in an instant could or would destroy lives, ruin relationships and undermine bonds…
Read On >>>
10-Jul-2011 09:44
Oy! Yahoo! What dy’a think you’re doing?
Which? Computing, a leading consumer group has accused Yahoo! of scanning through personal e-mails for information to use to sell advertising.
The world's largest e-mail provider says signing up to its new service means scanning technology will be used to block spam, and eventually to offer adverts relevant to the user.
But Sarah Kidner from watchdog Which? Computing says "This is a blatant intrusion of privacy".
Read On >>>
08-Jul-2011 09:26
No Evidence Driver Mobile Phone Ban Reduce Crashes
Norman’s note: In case you all begin to shout at me, the following report is clearly not discussing whether driving whilst distracted (i.e. using a mobile phone) is dangerous. That is obvious and clear. The study is whether “legislation” helps solve the problem. To that end, I am inclined to agree with the study that perhaps law enforcement should focus elsewhere to improve driving safety.
A comprehensive study on distracted driving has found there is no conclusive evidence that hands-free mobile phone use while driving is any less risky than hand-held mobile phone use.
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07-Jul-2011 22:46
Are you a 'Social Shopper'?
Offline retailers believe that online shopping will not replace a visit to the shops simply because sitting at a computer clicking on links is just not as much fun as hanging out at the shopping centre…
However, a quick glimpse down your local High Street with its closing-down signs, Estate Agency boards, Pound Shops and charity outlets suggest that consumers don't entirely agree.
Now a new phenomenon - dubbed “social shopping” - threatens to incorporate the missing social element in online shopping and possibly destroy even more bricks and mortar stores.
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28-Jun-2011 15:39
Challenges in Business?
Can you describe in just ‘one word’ (and then elucidate if preferred) what you consider to be the key challenge facing businesses in 2011?
I know that no 'one-word' can encompass all, but, hey, give it a bash guys…
May I get the ball rolling with:
‘Resilience’
Read On >>>
28-Jun-2011 10:11
BT Taken to Court by Film Industry
BT is being taken to court by the film industry in a bid to block access to a website which, it says, ‘promotes piracy’ by hosting pirated versions of popular movies.
In a UK legal first, the Motion Picture Association (MPA) has applied for an injunction that would force BT to cut off customers' access to Newzbin.
Read On >>>
23-Jun-2011 14:47
“Every Little Helps” – I don’t think so Te
Tesco Bank has confirmed that some customers are still unable to access their online accounts, several days after the bank said a computer glitch had been fixed.
Tesco's website was hit by technical problems last weekend after the bank updated its computer systems.
It later apologised to customers and said the issue had been sorted.
Read On >>>
23-Jun-2011 14:41
Cyber security scammers hit by FBI
A cyber hacking gang that made more than £45m peddling fake security software has been shut down in a series of raids.
Under authority of the FBI, the raids were carried out in the US, UK and six other countries.
The money was made by selling software that claimed to find security risks on PCs and then asked for cash to fix the non-existent problems.
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20-Jun-2011 13:11
Changes will create more internet domain suffixes.
The global internet body – Icann - has voted to allow the creation of new website domain suffixes, the biggest change for the online world in years.
Internet address names will end with almost any word and be in any language.
Icann will begin taking applications next year, with corporations and cities expected to be among the first.
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20-Jun-2011 13:04
Blackberry shares fall on poor results
Shares in Blackberry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) have fallen by more than a fifth since it announced disappointing results on Thursday.
The company said that it had missed even its lowered expectations and reduced its profit forecasts.
Read On >>>
17-Jun-2011 09:46
Have you lost 500 million clients recently?
Retention of a strong, loyal & satisfied client base can make or break a business.
Skype, the telecoms company, has until recently failed to disclose any details on their churn levels, i.e. the numbers of clients who leave or no longer use their system..
Skype do commonly present their statistic that they have nearly 700 million user accounts and approximately 170 million active users.
This begs the question: Where have these dormant 500+ million accounts gone?
Read On >>>
06-Jun-2011 00:37
Schoolboy Invents Burglar Tricking Doorbell
A schoolboy is on course for a £250,000 windfall after inventing a doorbell that fools burglars into believing somebody is home at an empty property.
Smart Bell, designed by 13-year-old Laurence Rook, dials the homeowner's mobile phone when pressed, allowing them to talk to whoever is outside their front door.
Read On >>>
05-Jun-2011 18:46
Gain an Advantage with a ‘Head Start'...
Gain an advantage over your competitors with a ‘head start’…
Ok, you have a quality product, a fair and competitive service and some decent clients… How can you remain ahead of the chasing pack?
We all recognise that the hard work does not stop simply because we have persuaded our customers to do business with us.
So how can we keep our clients loyal and continue to do business with us?
Read On >>>
03-Jun-2011 09:41
Recent Gmail hack investigated…
The very recent fresh Gmail hacking episode shows that ‘hackers’ have come a long way since the early days of amateurish email Nigerian banking scams.
Yesterday, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that U.S. officials were opening an investigation into Google’s claim that Chinese hackers were responsible.
According to The Associated Press Clinton told reporters the US government viewed the allegations as “very serious”.
Read On >>>
31-May-2011 16:56
Never take for granted your (paying) clients...
The following is an actual exchange of correspondence between a customer and the Irish Railway Company - Larnród Éireann
Read On >>>
27-May-2011 11:12
Work or not to work - that is the question...
C'mon,be honest..
How many of ya will pop past the office or attack emails or complete VAT returns or do paperwork on B. Holiday Monday.
Thought so.
26-May-2011 23:51
Cheap Calls, Free Calls Or Dropped Skype Calls?
Cheap Calls? Free Calls? Or Dropped Calls? Skype woes continue…
Well it seems that Microsoft's $8.5 BILLION purchase of Skype is proving a wonderful(!) investment…
Once again Skype broke down on Thursday - just days after the announcement of that, much scorned, deal to buy Skype, the VoIP service, by Microsoft.
The service collapse for many users (again) around lunchtime on Thursday, crashing the application on many Windows PCs.
24-May-2011 12:09
Sony hacked again? This is getting tedious...
Can you believe it,Sony hacked again? This really is getting tedious…
The Sony Music Japan website has been subject to fresh hacking attacks exposing flaws on databases using SQL injection techniques at website: SonyMusic.co.jp
Thankfully, this time the specific databases did not contain names, passwords, PINs or any personally identifiable information which could have been exposed in the attacks.
Read On >>>
24-May-2011 09:59
Cheap International Calls - want to save money?
Want to save money?
Many thousands still use BT to make international calls and if you are one of them, you are paying too much!
We decided to do a quick comparison, and if you are making international calls either from a landline or a mobile, you could save over 90% by using our cheap calls service.
Read On >>>
17-May-2011 18:31
Going on hols? Lower Roaming Charges with S-Fone
Do you use your UK mobile while you're traveling abroad?
Our Simply Travel SIM card will cut your International roaming costs!
Simply Travel SIM cards support low price, high quality calls to be made from your mobile handset while you're abroad.
You'll pay low rates to make & receive calls and in over 80 countries you can receive calls Free of charge.
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17-May-2011 15:52
Cheap International Calls are welcome, but ....
Cheap International Calls & offers are welcome, but Sainsbury's 1p voucher is an insult…
SimplyFone offer International call rates from less than 1p and these are greeted with approval and used by 10,000’s of satisfied UK clients..
However, Sainsbury’s has been ridiculed by its customers on the supermarket chain's Facebook page after it gave away vouchers at its tills which offered them 1p off their next shop.
Customers described the vouchers which state, 'Enjoy 1p to spend on your next shop' as the "stingiest coupon ever".
Read On >>>
16-May-2011 00:42
Have you suffered from a fake Facebook link?
In the last few months Facebook has become inundated with spammy, fake links promising to lead users through to ‘sites showing anything from how many active visitors you have > unreleased photos of Osama bin Laden's body > to how popular you really are on Social Media.
Read On >>>
15-May-2011 14:19
‘Cloud’ security worries.. again!
Amazon ‘Cloud Servers' Used in Sony PlayStation Network Attack - Hmmmm...
The recently reported hacking & breached security at Sony and access gained to sensitive data for over 77 million subscribers has again raised serious concerns about Cloud-based security issues.
The ‘Sony’ hackers used Amazon's web services cloud to launch the attack - Bloomberg News reported.
Reports are emerging that Amazon’s Web Services cloud- computing unit was used by hackers in last month’s attack against Sony online entertainment systems..
The attackers, using an alias, rented a server from Amazon's EC2 service and started the hacking attack from there.
Read On >>>
12-May-2011 15:13
Phone bills suddenly too high? Tell Ofcom, or....
Ofcom is seeking ways to cut the number of unexpectedly telephone, mobile and broadband high bills..
With money tight, jobs being lost and the economy proving difficult, finally & perhaps long overdue, Ofcom has announced it is taking steps to prevent consumers from receiving unexpectedly high home phone, broadband or mobile bills.
Read On >>>
11-May-2011 23:38
Symantec says Facebook Profile Access 'Leaked'…
Security software maker Symantec has discovered a security flaw in Facebook that inadvertently gives advertisers and other outside parties access to people's accounts.
Facebook said it has fixed the problem and found no evidence that any private information was shared with any outside party.
Read On >>>
10-May-2011 15:31
$8.5bn for Skype? Yikes!!
Microsoft is buying Skype - but the price tag may be raising a few eyebrows and giving investors & bankers indigestion...
There’s been plenty of speculation lately about whether there’s a new tech bubble developing, and today's announcement by Microsoft that it's buying internet telephony business Skype for a whopping $8.5bn (£5.2bn), the biggest deal in the tech giant's history, will do nothing to dispel that speculation.
Read On >>>
10-May-2011 11:25
Business Failures...
Apparently up to fifty percent of new SME businesses will sadly go bust within their first two years.
Why?
Please discuss...
Read On >>>
09-May-2011 10:28
How safe are your Facebook & Twitter updates?
Can you resist the temptation to continually update your friends, family and contact lists with your movements?
Do you let the world know where you are, where you’re going & when?
Read On >>>
08-May-2011 00:39
Choose a Decent Online Password
These days anyone could be watching you, monitoring your every move, waiting to pounce and poach passwords to access your personal data.
“There are new attacks every day, we see something like 90,000 new pieces of malicious codes coming into our labs every day — that’s one every second,” said Graham Cluely, Senior Technology Consultant at the software security company, Sophos.
“The main motive to all of this is to make money,” he added. “They want your email passwords so they can begin to commit identity theft and raid your bank accounts.
Read On >>>
06-May-2011 09:41
Friday's exercise in banality...
Go on then… Friday's exercise in banality:
What is the best Sales Advice you can offer us? (in 15 words or less)
Here's one to start you off:
"Be honest, be prepared, be competitive, be punctual, listen well & always follow up… "
06-May-2011 09:21
Passport Applications - A touch of humour.....
(as received by email...)
Apparently this letter was actually taken from a passport application and a member of staff copied it, as it made her laugh all day...
Subject: Passport Application
Dear Minister,
I'm in the process of renewing my passport but I am a total loss to understand or believe the hoops through which I am being asked to jump.
Read On >>>
05-May-2011 23:24
Is Social Media Valid for SMEs?
We’ve all heard the buzz about Social Media creating a level playing field for smaller businesses but may I raise a question that may not get that much attention…
Can small businesses effectively embrace social media & if yes, how?
Many small businesses try to promote themselves in various ways including social media but time may be a limiting factor…
Read On >>>
03-May-2011 16:32
You lining your pockets at expense of your health?
Are you lining your pocket at the expense of your health?
Too many hours working might be harming your heart…
A new study has found that UK office workers significantly increased their chances of having a heart attack by working more hours than their peers.
The study, conducted by researchers at University College London, found that employees who regularly worked 11-hour days or longer were 67 percent more likely to develop heart disease than those who worked seven or eight-hour days.
A U.S. expert added that many factors could account for the rise in risk among those tied too long to the office.
Read On >>>
01-May-2011 15:58
Blogging in business? You must be joking!
This is a 'guest blog' by a good friend Sarah Arrow, the director of Special Projects for Essex same-day courier company, Arrow Light Haulage
Thanks for your contribution Sarah - Norman Feiner, Managing Director, SimplyFone Ltd
________________
Should you even be blogging at all?
I recently posted a guest blog over at Law Hounds (www.businesslawtips.co.uk/i-am-a-blogger-so-sue-me/ ) on their business
blog, and in it wrote about blogging and being an easy target for legal action when someone takes a dislike to what you have written.
It may seem that blogging is hardly worth the hassle.
I suggest that you keep an eye on the tips blog, it has the potential to be a great resource for bloggers - especially on how to avoid the pitfalls when writing on the internet.
Read On >>>
28-Apr-2011 10:48
Happy 5th Birthday Twitter - Are you Involved?
I recently read an article that mentioned that 21st March 2011 marked Twitters fifth birthday. Yep, 5 years ago on the 21st March, Jack Dorsey supposedly sent the world’s first ever ‘Tweet’ & Twitter was born…
(It would be rather interesting to know who was the first ever ‘recipient’ of that famous tweet but that’s probably another story and a fresh blog)
Twitter has certainly grown up since then.
Read On >>>
21-Apr-2011 10:44
Is your iPhone secretly tracking your location?
Apple devices appear to be tracking their owners' locations and storing data about people's whereabouts without their knowledge, according to a report posted Wednesday on a site called iPhone Tracker.
The unauthorized surveillance started in June 2010, when the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system was released, according to two researchers who say they discovered a hidden tracking file and posted it out of concern for users.
Apple has not responded to the allegations.
(from a CNN report by John D. Sutter)
Read On >>>
14-Apr-2011 18:11
I can’t sell! – Huh, I can?
Many business owners, company founders & creative guys have a negative attitude when it comes to sales and promotion.
I couldn't count all the people I’ve encountered in business who blandly state, “I hate selling & I’m terrible at it...”
So, what exactly is it that gets otherwise excellent business heads and brains thinking that they can’t ‘do’ sales, and worse, actually dislike the process?
Read On >>>
14-Apr-2011 15:25
How Important is Punctuality…?
At meetings with my agents or resellers I try to impress upon them the importance of prompt arrival (even early arrival) to meetings, appointments and sales pitches.
It is recognised that when a meeting is delayed by a late-arrival, especially by an inconsiderate salesman who is trying to promote a product or service, impressions are immediately distorted, frustration is suffered and any chances of success are dramatically reduced…
Read On >>>
14-Apr-2011 11:06
Is anyone listening in on your phone calls?
Are your wireless conversations fully secure from prying ears?
Could there be someone listening to your business or private calls?
Are we just being paranoid or are there justifiable concerns?
Read On >>>
13-Apr-2011 12:14
Does your company need to create a mobile app?
One of the most successful mobile applications - or apps - in the world, the ‘Angry Birds’ game is & has already been downloaded over 100m times and is one piece of a global industry expected to be worth over £20billion by 2015.
Ebay claims 15 million people in 190 countries and in 8 different languages have downloaded its iPhone app thus far…
Globally, every two seconds Ebay makes a sale via its Ebay's app!
So what is an app or mobile application?
Read On >>>
12-Apr-2011 18:41
Oh dear! BT cabling waste found dumped in woodland
Waste including telephone cabling belonging to telecoms giant BT has been found dumped in green & pleasant woodlands near the beautiful Moray village of Brodie.
White bags clearly marked BT and with BT logos had allegedly been thrown into the undergrowth..
Read On >>>
12-Apr-2011 18:30
Have BT got away with poor practice... again?
Have BT got away with poor practice..again?
Not only will British Telecom not now be prosecuted for spying on its fixed broadband users, due to a lack of evidence, but it is also unlikely to face further scrutiny over the matter.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) claims that prosecuting BT and its alleged partner in crime Phorm for collecting data on users’ browsing habits is not ‘in the public interest’ and the CPS is satisfied the pair acted in good faith.
Read On >>>
11-Apr-2011 10:16
Mobile phone users 'overpaying by £200' per year.
Three-quarters of mobile phone subscribers are wasting an average of nearly £200 a year because they are on the wrong contract, research suggests.
People over-estimating how many minutes they would spend on the phone was the main reason, with most using just a quarter of their monthly inclusive allowance.
Researchers concluded that the UK's mobile phone users were wasting nearly £5bn a year on misjudged contracts.
Research by Billmonitor - who studied data from over 28,000 bills from all networks except 3g - suggested that mobile phone users were sending an average of 300 texts a month.
Read On >>>
07-Apr-2011 14:15
Why Compare Broadband Providers?
Why take the time and bother to compare broadband providers?
Surely all broadband providers essentially achieve the same service?
Many mistakenly assume that all providers offer very similar services at approximately the same price.
However, it does makes sense to be aware of what you may be getting before you sign up & agree to a service.
Read On >>>
06-Apr-2011 22:23
Who will win?
Google and Facebook are among a group of 'net' companies htaking the French government to court unhappy with the French government's desire to retain access to data stored by Google, eBay and others…
The legal challenge has been brought by The French Association of Internet Community Services (ASIC) and relates to government plans to keep web users' personal data for a year.
The case will be heard by the State Council, France's highest judicial body.
Read On >>>
03-Apr-2011 17:45
Could your business survive?
If you had to choose two things without which your business couldn't survive, what would they be (and why)?
I'll kick it off with the obvious…:
1.Paying clients
&
2. Goodwill
31-Mar-2011 14:28
PhonepayPlus publishes ‘fit for future’ Codes
honepayPlus publishes its awaited new ‘fit for the future’ Code of Practice.
PhonepayPlus, the UK regulator of premium rate telephone services (PRS), yesterday published its new Code of Practice for the PRS industry.
The new Code, widely consulted on with industry and other stakeholders, marks a significant departure from previous Codes and is designed for the digital age.
The new Code of Practice is built around very clearly defined consumer outcomes, such as pricing transparency, good customer service and respecting consumers’ privacy, especially important in the online age.
Read On >>>
30-Mar-2011 20:22
Experiencing Broadband Problems?
Nowadays, we all pretty much take for granted that we are able to sit comfortably on our leather sofas in leafy Surrey, Yorkshire or Manchester watching exciting Cricket World Cup matches beamed live & uninterrupted from Mumbai, Dhaka & Bangalore or the American Super Bowl Finals live & direct from the US via Satellite communications which support TV and video services…
However, the same cannot be said for Internet services...
Recent tectonic movements causing earthquakes and tsunamis both on land and under seas have brought about the realisation of how easily services and best-laid plans are laid awry.
Read On >>>
27-Mar-2011 14:14
Spammers sought after botnet takedown
Hard drives seized in raids are being analysed for clues to who was behind Rustock
The Rustock botnet, which sent up to 30 billion spam messages per day, might have been run by two or three people.
Early analysis, following raids to knock out the spam network, suggests that it was the work of a small team.
Rustock was made up of about one million hijacked PCs and employed a series of tricks to hide itself from scrutiny for years.
Read On >>
27-Mar-2011 13:14
Are Keywords valuable tools?
If you do just a little research on helping your company to optimise social media activity, blogging, creating online transactions & driving web traffic to your company FaceBook page or websites, perhaps the most valuable factor remains your 'Keywords'.
So you ask, where are ‘keywords’ useful & essential?
Read On >>>
22-Mar-2011 21:04
BT Raising Prices Again!
Once again British Telecom has announced that in April 2011 call charges will be increased by 9%, following a 10% rise, six months ago in October 2010.
At a time of ever increasing hardship, economic stagnation or worse and job losses all around us, over twelve million residential clients will be affected by this BT price increase…
So, it begs the obvious question - why is BT doing this?
Read On >>>
06-Mar-2011 21:39
Cheap calls & hassle-free surfing;Vodafone&Google
Vodafone and Google, two of the world’s biggest names and largest technology companies, both very recently suffered problems.
Vodafone's problems started in the early hours when a gang armed with sledgehammers smashed their way into Vodafone offices in Basingstoke, Hampshire.
Their raid resulted in 100,000’s of Vodafone customers losing voice and data services for almost 12 working hours.
Now a 12 hour outage may have been acceptable in 2000, but in 2011, the massive usage of Social Media platforms and forums spread the information fairly immediately and consumer outrage grew exponentially within minutes.
Read On >>>
06-Mar-2011 00:35
Could we control computers with our 'Eyes'?
For some years computers, games, mobile handsets and now Smartphone technology have been dominated by archaic user interface technology.
The main user devices have been keyboards, controllers, the mouse and even touchscreens…
What could the next generation of user interface technology conceivably look like?
Read On >>>
03-Mar-2011 11:44
How to check for a possible ISDN2e line fault
If your ISDN2e digital lines are playing up there are ways to check for the possible problems.
Unlike a standard analogue phone line you cannot simply plug in a normal telephone to test an ISDN2e digital line.
However there are a few things you can check yourself and hopefully your telephone provider will talk you through a few basic checks and will be equipped with the special ISDN2e test phones if an engineer needs to make a site-visit.
Read On >>
01-Mar-2011 12:57
Mobile Rage? Are you a sufferer or contributor?
The rapid growth of mobile phone technology has made communication and accessibility far easier than ever before…
Inevitably, it's has also driven many towards a gradual reduction in mobile etiquette.
A fairly recent Intel survey in the US seems to confirm that the lack of 'mobile manners' has created a new mode of public rage or should we coin it "Mobile Rage"?
Read On >>>
22-Feb-2011 15:50
Dominated or Liberated? Please let us know...
As we know the uptake and sales of Smartphones has been nothing short of remarkable..
Famously, a major milestone was reached in the last quarter of 2010, with shipments of Smartphones for the first time outshining those of PCs.
However, are we also becoming increasingly dominated by our Smartphones?
How many of us can honestly admit to not continually checking emails, sending 'instant BBM's and assorted messages & texts..
Read On >>>
18-Feb-2011 09:29
Are you giving away too much personal info & data?
Many are, in 2011, rather blasé about passing on lots of personal information.
Information and data that most retailers, Social Media and online networking outfits, banks and credit card providers can do almost anything they wish with - forever, and we can't really stop them.
It is also becoming increasingly tough to delete our accounts - only to deactivate them.
…and in many recent UK surveys the consensus has been that most of us oppose ID cards as an invasion of our privacy, a hit on social freedom…
So why, do we voluntarily give away so much information on sites like Facebook & Twitter...?
Read On >>>
14-Feb-2011 15:58
BT to raise prices, again.....
If there are any residential or business users still on BT for their line rentals and/or phone calls, give me a buzz, hit me with a PM or email me and I will guarantee to reduce your phone bills...
Read On >>>
11-Feb-2011 12:34
Should we worry? AreSmartphone Viruses Increasing?
Recent McAfee reports towards the end of 2010 reveal that as more people use mobile handsets and Smartphones to access the internet, viral attacks on smart-phone devices are increasing and may become more prevalent.
Apparently, malware attacks designed to collect or phish data from iPhones and new tablet computers rose by over 45% in 2010 over 2009.
Read On >>>
10-Feb-2011 18:15
I am not often shocked, but c'mon guys…
Mainly for client payments, certain incoming postal deliveries and specific departments for my business, my business has, for over 10 years, rented several P. O. Boxes directly from the Royal Mail.
I have just received the 2011 invoices from Royal Mail in the post (that's another gripe… our daily postal delivery arrives now at about 4.30pm!!) and am actually shocked to see that the annual rental has increased from last years £62.85p to £95 inclusive (they are vat exempt); a staggering increase of over 51%
Read On >>>
09-Feb-2011 16:40
A new service to disable text & talk when driving?
Would you pay extra for a service to disable texting & talking when driving?
T-Mobile has unveiled a new service in the US called 'Drive Smart Plus' that will automatically hide incoming call & text services if the phone is detected to be moving at speed.
For $4.99 per month, an automatic switch is activated within moments of the phone's GPS feature recognising that the vehicle is travelling faster than 10 miles per hour.
It will disable the phone, send all phone calls to voicemail and receive text messages but turn off all alert sounds & signals.
Read On >>>
08-Feb-2011 23:41
Are you really doing enough?
The myriad online social media tools, 'sites and forums currently available to individuals and businesses to publicise their specific products or services are surprisingly helpful.
The plethora of links including LinkedIn, Ecademy, Facebook, Twitter et al are really useful tools of promotion, advice and collaboration when used correctly…
However, the successful business person instinctively understands that, even (or perhaps increasingly) in 2011, nothing really beats face-to-face networking; 1-2-1's and personal connections to establish and nurture a foundation of trusted relationships that helps build that stream of clients buying whatever you may be selling.
Read On >>>
08-Feb-2011 15:21
Do we all work too hard?
A post I read today about 'acts of kindness to our children' reminded me of a well-published (apocryphal?) story actually related to me by a Rabbi and teacher years ago..
The story goes:
A man returned home from work late again, tired and irritated, to find his 5 yr. old son waiting for him at the door, "Daddy, may I ask you a question?"
"Yeah, sure. What is it?" replied the father. "Daddy, how much money do you make an hour?"
Read On >>>
02-Feb-2011 11:10
Ofcom launch new rules to curb ‘silent calls’
As of the 1st February 2011, the Communications regulator Ofcom, launched new measures to limit the number of silent calls made by call centres to individual households to just one per day.
Companies that breach these new regulations will now face a punitive fine of up to £2 million (a long overdue increase from the previous maximum £50,000 fine).
Read On >>>
01-Feb-2011 09:32
Are clients p***d off when they phone your office?
I have been involved in the telecoms industry for about 20 years & I have probably attended hundreds of client meetings, advised on the installation of thousands of new lines and telephone-systems for our clients and helped provide other diverse telecoms solutions to many satisfied clients…
However, I remain constantly astonished by some of the rather elementary but so easily corrected gaffes companies still make with their business phone-systems & customer services.
It seems to me that many companies appear to harbour a death-wish! Why do so many companies seem to want to alienate clients & why do so many businesses work so diligently to upset their clientele?
Read On >>>
30-Jan-2011 14:55
‘How Can I Help You?’ - A Networking Turn-Off
The most successful networkers understand that the strength of any relationship is based upon the questions asked & the supplementary responses.
In 2011 ‘networking’ may be all-encompassing and opportunities abound to connect…
Whether chatting on the phone, meeting at organised networking events, over a latte & bun at your local coffee shop or a booked 1-2-1, questions should be raised about the other person’s interests, their goals and achievements, their business and industry or, and depending on the trade, product or service, even their personal lives.
However, there remains a distinct skill and art to networking: the ability to be personable without being contrary, to be incisive without seeming pushy, and to show empathy and understanding…
Read On >>>
28-Jan-2011 12:45
Mobile operators forced to offer 12month contracts
Mobile phone providers will be forced to offer 12-month contracts under new EU rules set to be agreed by Ofcom, the UK’s telecommunications regulator.
Read On >>>
28-Jan-2011 11:52
Be honest..Do your Social Networking Efforts Work?
Many of us spend time and expend effort on 'social networking' perhaps in a subtle attempt to help monetise our 'business networking'.
The question is; are you being totally honest with yourselves..?
Read On >>>
27-Jan-2011 15:36
Involved in wholesale or retail jewellery trade?
Are you involved in the wholesale or retail jewellery, luxury, gifts or fancy goods trade?
SimplyFone are happy to refer this client - a packaging and gift box company who will exhibiting at the forthcoming NEC Spring Fair 6th Feb.. http://goo.gl/cjldu
Read On >>>
26-Jan-2011 17:48
The end of credit cards is coming
Credit cards may soon be as outdated as vinyl record (remember them?)
You can already use your iPhone, Droid or BlackBerry to buy a pie at the match, buy a Starbucks latté or give a friend a few quid by Bumping phones.
But by the end of the year you may not even think twice about reaching for your phone to pay at the register instead of fumbling for your credit card.
Read On >>>
25-Jan-2011 14:24
Is twitter getting 'twitty'?
Amongst those I follow on Twitter and whose output is usually pretty lucid, informative & often entertaining, one has just tweeted, (and I copy verbatim): 'Eurghh I just hiccupped and puked in my mouth! EURGHHHHHHHH'
Read On >>
20-Jan-2011 11:15
Ever had that tense feeling?
Ever had that tense feeling?
Do you ever get nervous when you receive that quarterly prompt to calculate your VAT return?
Read On >>>
16-Jan-2011 13:31
Facebook apps can access phone number & addresses
Facebook apps can now access your phone number & home address..
In the past we’ve warned about the importance of keeping an eye on which Facebook apps have access to your account.
In future, that will be all the more important as Facebook has announced that it now lets developers access your phone number and address, if they choose, when you use their apps.
Read On >>>
14-Jan-2011 13:53
Low Cost Calls & Rentals - a Guest Blog :)
Thanks to Anna B. for her Guest Blog:-
I know I’m not alone in feeling as though I’m in the Dark Ages when it comes to figuring out phone services and various calling plans.
I’m truly not a Luddite, but with the plethora of phones, phone cards, calling cards, long distance phone service options, and local phone service options available, how is the average consumer supposed to make an informed decision?
There are times when I find myself longing for the old days, when British Telecom was the only game in town - or the country, for that matter.
Read On >>>
12-Jan-2011 10:56
Ofcom probe new T-Mobile restrictions
A recent T-Mobile decision to reduce customer data allowances on its networks has sparked outrage among its UK subscribers.
Read On >>>
09-Jan-2011 01:30
Predictions for 2011
My predictions for 2011 - what are yours?
Read On >>>
07-Jan-2011 10:53
Put your heart into it...
How can any father forget the emotion experienced the first time he placed his palm over his expectant wife or partner's pregnant tummy and felt or heard the baby's heartbeat.
Quite miraculous to imagine that to sustain the life of this child the ticking heart would need to continue without failure...
Sadly, along life's journey, parts may break down or fail but the working of this ticking heart must remains fully functioning.
Read On >>>
07-Jan-2011 09:58
Grrr!
Is it just me or are there others out there in cyberworld who ignore or actually dislike Blogs, Comments and Posts that mainly consist of video clips and selected YouTube excerpts?
If you have something to say, why not express it by writing the piece rather than…
Ok, rant over, back to work ;-)
04-Jan-2011 20:28
Wow-what can one say? I dare you to remain unmoved
I am not too proud to admit to watching this clip in my office alone and actual tears streaming down my….
http://bit.ly/ibxOln
Read On >>
03-Jan-2011 16:19
Strategies for B2B & B2C service-providers…
Moving into a fresh year of, hopefully successful, sales, marketing & promotion, what will you be doing & what do you consider to be a strategy for the promotion of B2B & B2C service-provider websites?
Read On >>>
03-Jan-2011 11:12
Deal values Facebook 'at $50bn'
Facebook has reportedly raised funds from Goldman Sachs and a Russian investor in a deal that values the social networking site at $50bn.
Read On >>>
29-Dec-2010 20:40
Twitter is just a chat room for......
''Twitter is just a chat room for people who only want to talk to themselves.''
(& as it used to say on my A-level papers)
Please discuss >>
29-Dec-2010 13:41
That time of the year again. What are yr thoughts?
It's review time once again….
We have almost lived through (some would say endured) 2010 & I would enjoy hearing your thoughts on how you thought 2010 was.
Please comment on 2010....
Read On >>>
29-Dec-2010 11:47
Could email prying lead to a 5 year jail sentence?
If you've ever had the urge to check someone else's e-mail, then you've got something in common with Leon Walker, a 33-year-old computer technician from Rochester Hills, Michigan.
But be warned, it may lead to prison time.
Read On >>>
28-Dec-2010 19:02
'Cloud Computing' v 'On-Premise Solutions...
Thoughts on 'Cloud Computing' v 'On-Premise Solutions'
There may be benefits for increasing usage of cloud computing; however there are important factors to take into consideration before any decision is made…
May I suggest some of the following advantages and disadvantages, the pros and cons of deciding whether to move to ‘Cloud Computing’ or continue with ‘On-Premise Solutions’
Read On >>>
24-Dec-2010 10:13
What’s your story?
Let’s face it - there’s nothing quite like a good story.
Whether you’re sitting through a business meeting, attending a presentation, listening to a celebratory address or simply chatting to a mate, ears perk up and minds click into gear whenever the word “story” makes an appearance.
So what is it about ‘a story’ that so catches our interest?
Read On >>>
23-Dec-2010 22:03
Those pesky Israelis are at it again!
In contrast to the efforts of tiny Israel to make contributions to the world so as to better mankind, one has to ask what have those who have strived to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth done other than to create hate and bloodshed?
Very recent Israeli innovations....
Read On >>>
23-Dec-2010 21:49
0800 Numbers - The Facts
When choosing a 0800 Freephone number it is important to know exactly what is involved, what they can offer and how this may benefit your business.
Below are the basic questions we receive online or to our offices regarding 0800’s..
Read On >>>
23-Dec-2010 15:03
Skype - Would you rely on them any longer?
Skype global blackout continues after network fault..
Millions of people around the globe continue to be affected by an outage at the free internet phone service Skype.
The firm said engineers were working to fix the problem which first started at around 2030 GMT on 22 December.
Skype said the fault had been caused by a "software issue" on critical parts of its network.
"We take outages like this really seriously and apologise for the inconvenience," Skype chief Tony Bates told BBC News.
Read On >>>
22-Dec-2010 17:37
Skype problems? There are options available...
VoIP provider Skype appears to be down for millions of users today and cyber-world led by Twitter is simply bursting with comments & complaints.
Many users complain of log-in problems & crashing programs - whether via mobile handsets or PCs. Apparently over 8 million people are unable to use the service at this time & many are looking on Twitter to try to ascertain the exact problem or express their disapproval.
Read On >>>
21-Dec-2010 12:30
Calling family abroad over the holiday period?
Research shows that almost 30% of us plan to make calls to family and friends overseas in the run up to the holiday season and New Year.
Over a quarter will call directly from their home landline phone.. Dialing directly from BT or Virgin Media or TalkTalk may prove very expensive if you have no International call-plan set up.
And for the 8% or so who call directly from their mobiles they may be in for quite a shock when they receive their itemised bills in January 2011.
So how can you take advantage of low cost international call options & reduce your bill?
Read On >>>
20-Dec-2010 23:55
Calls to 0800 numbers ARE free from a UK mobile...
...but calls to 0800 Numbers are already Free from UK mobiles
A recent report from Ofcom, the telecommunications regulator, says that Freephone numbers should be free from all UK mobiles as they are indeed from landlines.
Call charges to Freephone numbers such as 0800 and 0808 are normally paid for by the company owning the number, rather than the person calling the number.
Read on >>
19-Dec-2010 13:48
Do you check your company telephone bills?
This week Romanian authorities reportedly broke a cyber-telecom fraud ring.
Crooks were stealing confidential VoIP data by hacking into company servers.
Read On >>
16-Dec-2010 19:24
Over a million people told to change passwords...
Over a million people told to change passwords after a huge hack
Millions of people who have Yahoo, Twitter and LinkedIn account holders have been advised to change log-in passwords.
A gossip website ‘Gawker’ was recently hacked and the attack harvested over one million passwords…
The names and their passwords were published on the internet.
Read On >>
16-Dec-2010 17:25
Telecoms company repeatedly broke consumer rules
Well done Ofcom for taking a strong stand on 'client 'churning' & mis-selling known as 'slamming'!
A disgraceful activity which gives the industry a bad name...
Read On >>
16-Dec-2010 12:16
Thank you for all of those emails in 2010!
As we approach the end of year 2010, I want to thank all of you for your educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have little chance of recovery.
Read On >>
08-Dec-2010 18:40
Have you got yours yet?
According to a forecast by Informa Telecoms, Smartphones will account for over a quarter of all mobile sales in 2011.
The research firm predicts that over 342 million smartphones (27% of all mobiles) will be sold next year
Read On >>
05-Dec-2010 23:11
Don’t fall for telephone scams…
Nowadays most business and residential phone users are well aware of premium-rate phone numbers that begin with 09xx that could cost up to £1.50 per minute to call & far more from UK mobiles..
However, there are today many telephone scams trying to separate you from your money in one way or another.
Read On >>>
04-Dec-2010 18:51
Are your conversations volatile?
A Texas man has reported he had to have four stitches in his ear after a brand new Droid 2 smartphone exploded in mid conversation.
Aron Embry said he heard a ‘popping noise’ but didn't think much of it until he realised he had sustained minor injuries.
Read On >>
03-Dec-2010 11:32
Home users call an average 176 minutes per month
New research from the regulatory body Ofcom reveals that UK residential phone users make an average of 176 minutes outgoing calls monthly…
The Communications Market usages report - which included Germany, France and the US – showed the UK had ‘one of the highest figures for the countries tested’.
Read On >>>
02-Dec-2010 10:08
SimplyFone Bulk SMS Services
Does your school or company or club or... need to keep staff or mates informed whether to come in, stay away or delay arrival.
Use Bulk SMS to keep in touch.
Our Online Bulk SMS Service has been designed to make SMS texting as easy as possible for businesses, community groups, schools and clubs of all sizes.
Details here: http://bit.ly/g1TvLd
Read On >>>
30-Nov-2010 10:08
Be careful - Fraud that could sting you…
From an article by Sarah Coles
New figures reveal that criminals are taking a new approach when it comes to delving into our bank accounts and ripping us off. Theft through direct debits has surged 228% in the last four years, and now accounts for 10.6% of all ID theft.
So just what is going on, and how can it affect you?
Read On >>>
29-Nov-2010 17:12
Do you fully check Twitter addresses?
Do you fully check Twitter addresses before blindly connecting, tweeting & RT'ing comments!?
Read on >>
28-Nov-2010 22:58
Questions to ask before choosing telecom providers
When searching for a new telecom provider, the following is a list of 11 questions that you should ask before you make the final decision.
These questions mainly pertain to working with an agent or reseller or consultant.
Most of them will also apply if you decide to go directly to the carrier.
Read On >>
28-Nov-2010 21:32
Just curious...
How often do YOU check your Facebook page?
Please comment.
24-Nov-2010 17:17
Google Takes Office to the Cloud.............
Google Takes Office to the Cloud, But Security Concerns Remain
By Keir Thomas, PCWorld
Google has begun testing an intriguing plugin for Microsoft Office. Google Cloud Connect is a devastatingly simple concept: rather than save your files to your computer's hard disk, it allows you to save them to your online Google Docs space.
Read on >>
24-Nov-2010 15:37
Crazy call rates to India - 2p incl. vat!
Crazy rate to call India from any UK landline & mobile - 2p incl. vat (yep - just 2p!)
Click on the right hand side of page to check the low rates to your destination
or look here: http://bit.ly/hvTdiC
24-Nov-2010 15:35
Albert Einstein...
Seen online:
If A is a success in life, then A = X + Y + Z.
Work is X; Y is play and Z is keeping your mouth shut
Attributed to Albert Einstein
22-Nov-2010 09:50
Cheap telephone calls & no contracts?? Nahhhh
Does your home or business telephone provider offer NO time-related contracts; NO connection charges + per second billing & 24hr support?
No? How odd..
SimplyFone do! Look us up & tell your mates: http://goo.gl/2CzYa
18-Nov-2010 16:49
It won't happen to me.. Nah….. No way!
I once heard a fine observation that computer and system data back-up is like wearing a seat belt, 'everyone knows they should do it, but not everybody does'.
SimplyFone data and all computer systems are continually backed-up, & paranoid as I am, I'm forever testing the efficacy of my back-up systems and data recovery, in case, in case, just in case…
Read On >>>
14-Nov-2010 14:29
The SimplyFone Daily
Are you reading the best daily newspaper on the web: 'The SimplyFone Daily' - no??
Subscribe here: http://paper.li/simplyfone & enjoy it every day.
The SimplyFone Daily is a daily newspaper built from all the articles, blog posts, videos and photos shared by the people SimplyFone follows on Twitter.
09-Nov-2010 22:59
Is Zuckerberg's Facebook actually worth money?
With the only income seemingly from 'click through' ads will Facebook's business model continue to work or will it bomb?
At the moment, Facebook's worth may simply be what people will pay for (some would argue) an overhyped product.
If enough 'investors' (pension funds, banks and possibly venture capitalists) believe that there is sufficient advertising revenue available or if the assets (i.e. all of 'our' information) owned by Facebook can be monetised to yield a return, there will be a ramped up price.
Read On >>>
09-Nov-2010 17:13
Are you ready for the thaw?
Are you ready for the thaw? (Tips to grow your business)
With the financial crisis showing signs of improving conditions and confidence finally growing, small businesses should be looking to make up for losses suffered over the past few years.
While some find change and success tough, others seem to be able to breeze through simply because they understand what could make the difference…
So, if you’re a small business, here’s what you could do to lift your future success:
Read On >>>
04-Nov-2010 09:21
Broke Brits are turning to savings..
Recent research shows that cash-strapped Britons are tapping into savings to meet the rising cost of living.
According to ING Direct, savings fell by about 14% during the three months to the end of September 2010, to stand at about £1,771,
Read On >>>
03-Nov-2010 16:02
Ofcom pledges to protect broadband users.
Broadband companies have been warned against breaking rules.
Ofcom made the pledge after instructing TalkTalk & Tiscali to cease charging people for services they were no longer receiving.
According to Ofcom, the two providers - both part of the TalkTalk Group - have generated more than 1,000 complaints in 2010.
They have until December 2nd to comply with the rules or face further heavy
fines.
02-Nov-2010 18:12
Google Voice Is Having Serious Trouble...
Google Voice Is Having Serious Trouble Making Outbound Calls. This Is Bad.
Now you know why it’s so important to use a reliable company like SimplyFone.
If you want to be a phone company you can’t go dead. Ever.
People rely on their mobile phones for everything these days, so when calls aren’t going through it’s a really big deal.
And as far as we can tell, Google Voice is currently having some serious issues.
Read On >>>
02-Nov-2010 13:22
Are there more male than female entrepreneurs?
I recently read a report in a Business Magazine about the dearth of women entrepreneurs involved in technology - & specifically in my industry, telecoms.
The research I scanned (there was pages of it!) basically showed:
The average age of a successful technology company startup founder was 39 (which seems to disprove the myth that technology startups are all by university students or college drop-outs or twenty-something year olds) & there were far more men than women starting new companies.
Read On >>>
28-Oct-2010 12:03
This touched me......
A friend sent me the following email today which touched me & I'd thought I'd share…
______________
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet.
He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help."
There were just a few small coins in the hat.
A man was walking by.
He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat.
Read On >>
27-Oct-2010 10:43
Do you work far too hard?
According to Wikipedia, 'working time' is defined as the period of time that an individual spends at paid occupational labour & Government laws do regulate minimum rest periods, annual holiday allowances and the maximum number of working hours per week or per month.
Read On >>>
26-Oct-2010 16:36
Another great SimplyFone product launched....
Business & Residential phone service provider SimplyFone has added a new unlimited UK & International calls bundle for Residential clients that will ensure home users keep their telephony costs low and predictable.
For just £14.80 +vat per month, SimplyFone’s Simply International & UK Anytime Call plan allows residential customers 2,000 free minutes to UK landline numbers (01, 02, 03 numbers) at any time 24/7, plus 2000 minutes of calls to each of 16 International destinations – a total of 34,000 Free minutes for just £14.80 +vat per month..
Read On >>>>
25-Oct-2010 17:00
Cyber Bullying - Have you ever suffered?
Technology has opened up a new world of possibilities but, by definition, it can also create many problems.
We are aware that with the enormously increased levels of online Social Media, mobiles and fixed-line communications, cyber harassment is on the increase..
Read On >>>
25-Oct-2010 11:55
Claim Back Your Money
Have you recently switched your phone contracts?
You could be owed money?
According to the regulator Ofcom, over the past two years, at least £10m remains owing to about two million people in refunds from old telecom accounts.
The refunds include line rentals paid for in advance or promotional credits offered at the start of contracts.
Read On >>>
19-Oct-2010 14:32
Ouch! Will it hurt you or your business?
We're about 10 weeks away from the VAT rise to 20% & the third change to your business accounts and systems in 3 years or so..
The new 20% rate - effective January 1st 2011 - will apparently raise £12billion for the country, (our) finances and economy, but will it cause pain for you personally and for your business?
Will your business be able to absorb (although I suppose we have little choice) the costs?
Read On >>
18-Oct-2010 17:14
Mobile phones - do you delete data?
A recent survey by Disklabs & highlighted in the Guardian found that more than that more than 50% of second-hand mobile phones being offered on eBay contained personal data including credit card information, account details, PIN numbers &, worryingly, pretty intimate photos & pornographic images..
This problem of data retention has been exacerbated with the advent of many new phone Apps.
Read On >>>
18-Oct-2010 10:02
Does it make sense to register many domain names?
We have over the years - to create and define our authority, autonomy & online control of our company name & domain names - bought, registered & pointed to our main websites many of the available domain names.
However, another 'name' (.xxxxxx) has surfaced & may be applicable to our company..
Should we buy it?
Read On >>>
17-Oct-2010 14:37
Can anyone help?
We know that the English language has evolved and we all know that 'QU' make a 'KW' sound and 'Q' makes a 'K' sound & I know too that 'U' & 'W' are fairly similar letters, but can anyone help me…?
Why do we follow the 'Q' with a 'U'?
What possible reason could there have been?
(other than the very British ideal of confusing foreigners)
13-Oct-2010 11:40
In business - does timing matter?
We all experience, at one time or another, problems.
Whether problems arise in your business, socially; perhaps around a relationship or in general life, you may be left wondering whether things could have been quite different if your timing had been better…
Many in the business world believe that timing is everything.
Let's illustrate this with a few common, everyday situations…
You arrive at the station at 7:07 instead of 7:03 and your train will leave without you.
You miss an important phone call, you could lose a deal.
You hesitate over signing a contract and your competitor may beat you to the punch.
Timing even affects professional sportsmen - delay your cricket stroke and your stumps are uprooted... Mistime a tackle on the pitch and you could be shown the 'red card'…
Performing actions, however insignificant, at the appropriate point in time may have a major impact on your success or otherwise.
It's all in the timing...
Read On >>>
05-Oct-2010 12:01
BT seeks moratorium on internet piracy cases
BT is seeking a moratorium on legal applications to obtain details of its customers who are alleged to have illegally shared files online.
The firm outlined its stance following a high-profile data breach at London law firm ACS:Law last week.
The leak saw thousands of customers' details from various ISPs - including BT-owned PlusNet - published online.
BT said that it wanted a temporary halt on all new and existing applications until a "test case" could be heard.
It was originally to be heard today but was adjourned until 11 January 2011 following a hearing at London's High Court.
"This will be a test case for ISPs," a legal representative of BT told BBC News.
(from website - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-11467347)
Read On >>>
04-Oct-2010 11:07
Logic, simply logic…
Most Monday mornings I get together with many of my SimplyFone staff at 8.45am for an hour or two and we have a quite enlightening meeting to discuss the week, future plans, ideas for increasing business and general stuff.
Today, one of the guys raised something that was deemed problematic.
Nobody had any instructive responses until (why, I have no idea) I suddenly 'saw the light' and offered a rather well-received solution….
At the end of the meeting, I was asked how I'd thought of my answer.
Read On >>>
28-Sep-2010 15:29
Have you fully thought it through.....?
We all understand the importance of creating and managing a brand that reflects the strengths and values of our new businesses.
Surely the first step would be to choose a memorable company name or web domain name through which to launch & further promote the business..
All of the below are legitimate companies who didn't perhaps spend quite enough time considering how their online names might appear!
These, sadly, are not made up
Read On >>>
28-Sep-2010 14:00
What is your 'coolest Brand?'
According to reports, Aston Martin has been named the coolest brand in the UK.
The sports car manufacturer came top in the annual CoolBrands survey with the iPhone in second place.
Read On >>>
27-Sep-2010 12:08
Before we moan at others…
On a road trip holiday round the UK an elderly couple stopped at a roadside restaurant for lunch.
After finishing their meal, they left the restaurant and resumed their trip.
When leaving, the elderly woman unknowingly left her glasses on the table and sadly didn't miss them until they had been driving for about forty minutes.
Read On >>>
20-Sep-2010 11:33
A cheek or what!
The common definition of chutzpah is 'audacity' or 'a damn cheek!'
In elucidation, an old Leo Rosten (Joys of Yiddish) joke about Chutzpa goes:
A Jewish grandmother is sitting on the beach with her beloved grandson when a freak wave sweeps him out to sea, where he is instantly devoured by the ocean.
The distraught woman sinks to her knees, wailing, pleading with God to spare the child's life.
Suddenly, there is a celestial thunderclap and her prayers are answered.
Another wave gathers the boy up from the depths and delivers him safely, miraculously, beside the old lady, at which she turns her eyes heavenwards, and says; "Hey, his cap's missing."
Well, I had my own dose of Chutzpa this morning.
Read On >>>
14-Sep-2010 18:01
Humour is always rather welcome....
A paraprosdokian (from Greek "παρα-", meaning "beyond" and "προσδοκία", meaning "expectation") is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe the first part. It is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect, sometimes producing an anticlimax.
For this reason, it is extremely popular among comedians and satirists.
Many of these are priceless...
Read On >>>
14-Sep-2010 17:31
Should Gamu and family be deported or…?
Apparently the charming & bookies favourite X-Factor contestant Gamu Nhengu & family are living in Scotland using an invalid and out-of-date UK work permit visa.
She may be deported shortly unless permission or an extension to stay is granted at a hearing this Thursday.
The question remains: should she be permitted to stay simply because she has a wonderful voice and is a favourite to win a TV show?
Read On >>>
12-Sep-2010 17:05
So how do you choose?
There are currently many telephone service providers advertising widely in the press, online & by direct mail-shots....
Many appear similar and offer apparently comparable products and services…
So how can you make an informed decision on which one to choose?
Read On >>>
07-Sep-2010 17:49
Credit and debit card problems?
Monthly, our SimplyFone accounts department automatically debit 10,000’s of bank accounts via direct debit mandates & client credit and debit cards for customer payments.
This month a few credit/debit card payments were declined by the relevant issuing providers.
We retried manually and again received a ‘declined’ notice.
Read on >>>
05-Sep-2010 13:16
So come on, own up… Be honest… Are you?
So come on, own up… Be honest… Are you or are you not…?
… a workaholic?
Summer holidays are, for most, almost over now.
So pray tell us: are you or are you not a workaholic?
Whilst you were tanning on the beach, touring, enjoying a cool beer in the sun, sailing on a boat, enjoying a great meal or simply taking time off at home… did you miss your work, your office, the camaraderie & did you worry about work?
Read on >>
03-Sep-2010 16:02
Is your VoiP or indeed mobile or NGN number safe?
In May this year Tesco announced that because its VoIP supplier Freshtel UK has gone belly-up, it is ceasing its entire VoIP (Tesco Internet Phone and Talk Wi-Fi) service..
It gave its clients just 30 days to source an alternative to its Tesco Internet Phone and Talk Wi-Fi services & Tesco VoIP customers are now unable top-up their pre-paid accounts.
Importantly, users of Tesco's dead VoIP service are being told they've lost their personal numbers.
Read on >>
02-Sep-2010 17:38
Move to VoIP or stay with traditional solutions?
To move to VoIP services & Hosted Systems or stay with traditional voice solutions?
Increasingly, companies are looking at VoIP services, including call routing, and these areas are showing fine growth with a few high-profile company successes.
However, for many/most companies - both SMEs and larger organisations (and indeed small businesses and individuals) there are important factors to bear in mind.
If you are looking at VoIP services you must ensure that your bandwidth is of sufficient scale & required quality.
If incorrect bandwidth is deployed, problems will occur.
Read on >>>
31-Aug-2010 17:18
I'm the last guy to offer sales advice, but…
...this week I was requested by some of my agents & re-sellers to give a pep-talk to a group who felt that sales were stagnating and new enquiries slowing down.
Actually, sales volumes have not slowed at all - quite the reverse - but the fresh orders & Application Forms were increasingly sent in by several active agents and re-sellers rather than across the board.
My remit was to give them a buzz, shake 'em up, try to invigorate the guys, and get the old sales juices flowing once more…
Read on >>>
30-Aug-2010 16:13
Are you an entrepreneur?
Could it be that 'fear' would appear to be the principle reason holding back many from becoming self-employed, bosses & entrepreneurs… (& are they all one and the same?)
Read on >>>
22-Aug-2010 07:57
Are women better at financial planning?
When Mike found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Read on (if you dare) >>>
20-Aug-2010 09:40
Can you get out of your landline phone contract?
Many landline providers like BT, TalkTalk, Sky, Orange et al also tie you into nasty time-related contracts and woe betide you if you decide to leave before the end of contract or don't 'give notice' before a roll-over continuation of the contract or don't provide the requisite notice period in writing, fax, email and by pigeon post!
Outrageous!
But there is a solution...
Read on >>>
19-Aug-2010 15:46
Should I or shouldn’t I?
This morning amongst the pile of letters kindly delivered by our long-suffering and ever-complaining postie was a package with seven 2nd class stamps haphazardly attached..
Nothing out of the ordinary you may ask?
Well, the seven 2nd class stamps had been missed (by about two inches) by the computerised franking system & were thus still 'mint'.
My quandary: do/may I re-use them or not?
Read on >>>
19-Aug-2010 11:50
Is there hope for the NHS?
Following Prime Minister David Cameron's new health care proposals for the NHS, The British Medical Association's various departments have finally offered their views.
Not for the faint-hearted ;-) Read on >>>
17-Aug-2010 17:19
Has online blogging liberated you?
As the volume of tweets, posts and blogging increases & social media and online interaction thrives, it may be pertinent to ask the question whether fresh-faced virgin bloggers actually feel more liberated online.
It cannot be disputed that blogging or delivering pithy online posts is far more uncomplicated and perhaps more comfortable than establishing real-life relationships.
Read on >>>>
09-Aug-2010 15:28
Conference Calling made easy.......
Do you or your company spend valuable time, effort and money travelling, both in the UK & overseas, meeting clients and partners?
There are simpler and certainly more cost-effective ways of doing business these days...
Read on >>>
05-Aug-2010 13:19
Google Wave Goodbye
Google have announced that they are stopping Google Wave completely..
In a live b**l-sh***ting session to reporters, Eric Schmidt tried to show the failure of Wave as proof that Google was willing to try new products out & to live dangerously.
Why are most bosses of major corporations so full of it?
Is there a degree course or specialist training for these type of 'gloss over failure speeches'?
Read the full blog >>>
04-Aug-2010 13:51
If your day ain't going so smoothly.....
A mate just emailed this fantastic clip of a ventriloquist called Paul Zerdin
I watched the clip and my laughter brought several guys running to my 4’ x 2’ padded cell…
Read on >>>
02-Aug-2010 16:13
Holidays! What holidays……?
For the past couple of years, with the kids now a little matured and tending to prefer spending Summer holidays with friends rather with their parents, my wife & I have taken our breaks towards the end of the Summer…
There are many benefits and one of them was the ability to enjoy a quieter, lazier, traffic-free and less frenetic London.
Read on >>>
29-Jul-2010 22:20
This got me chuckling....
The Bathtub Test
During a visit to the mental hospital, I asked the director, "How do you determine whether or not a patient should be institutionalised??"
Read on >>>>
29-Jul-2010 17:00
Facebook or Users - Who is more irresponsible?
Noticed an article on mnsbc.com that a chap Ron Bowes, an online security consultant, has posted the personal details of 100 million Facebook users online (Pirate Bay 'site) in a downloadable file....
Apparently, Facebook has downplayed the issue, saying that no private data had been compromised.
OK - my question is: who is more irresponsible or responsible?
Facebook, this chap Ron Bowes or the Facebook Users who randomly supply details - private or otherwise - to the entire world…?
Read on >>>
29-Jul-2010 14:39
Does your website attract hits?
The finest website with the most spectacular design and the prettiest baners will not attract visitors or create new business if people are unaware your website exists.
Companies which specialise in web optimisation, SEO & Google rankings can advise you how to benefit from your ‘site to make potential visitors aware of your products and services.
Read more >>>
29-Jul-2010 11:13
0800 Freephone numbers for your business..
0800 Numbers, 0845 Numbers, 0844 Numbers are our specialty.
If you are after a professional non-geographic number for your business, you're looking in the right place.
SimplyFone provide 1000's of UK companies with a complete range of Non-Geographical Numbers.
All our 0800, 0845, 0844, 0870 & 09xx Numbers are free, so if you're after a free non geographical number just send us an email to: ngn@simplyfone.com or complete an online form...
Read on....
28-Jul-2010 17:31
Twitter - would you pay for it?
Twitter has its uses as do many other sites, applications and services..
As a social network and microblogging service it is probably currently amongst the easiest, simplest and best way to inform share & discover what's happening now.
Read on >>>
28-Jul-2010 13:11
Can Ofcom help?
As most of us know from personal experience, we rarely receive the ‘advertised’ or promised broadband speeds.
Ofcom analysis shows that over 95% of consumers – both business and home users do not get advertised speeds.
More worryingly, analysis also seems to show increasing discrepancies between ISP claims & actual b/band speeds.
Read on >>>>>
27-Jul-2010 23:34
Sales Tips..
Advice on how to successfully 'close sales' provided by a sales mentor some years ago...
The advice remains current, valid and helpful.
Read on >>>>
25-Jul-2010 21:42
Financial Planning - Are women better than men?
Women appear to be far better at financial planning than men.
When Mike found out he was going to inherit a fortune when his sickly father died, he decided he needed a wife with which to share his fortune.
One evening at an investment meeting he spotted the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
Read on...
25-Jul-2010 12:06
Do you own a personal or office digital copier?
Many offices & homes have digital copy machines..
However, advanced technology has opened a dangerous hole in data security.
Be very careful how you dispose of your digital information and your copiers
This is actually rather worrying sad
Read on & be as surprised as I was >>>>>
25-Jul-2010 12:03
Can Grammar be sexist?
An English professor wrote the words: "A woman without her man is nothing" on the chalkboard and asked his students to punctuate it correctly.
All of the males in the class wrote: "A woman, without her man, is nothing."
All the females in the class wrote: "A woman: without her, man is nothing."
So is syntax sexist? Your shout guys...
22-Jul-2010 11:38
BT hikes call charges...
BT has announced a 10 % rise in daytime call rates.
From the beginning of October the cost of connecting a call via BT will rise from 9.9p to 10.9p with charges for each subsequent minute rising from 5.9p to 6.4p!
At the same time residential line rental will be increased by 50p per month to £13.29 per month (£12.04 if clients are on email billing)
Now compare BTs charges to our SimplyFone rates…
Read full blog…
22-Jul-2010 11:17
Memorable Commercial Slogans
What do you consider to be memorable commercial slogans?
Here's a few to whet your appetite:
Intel Inside - Intel
Think outside the box - Apple
Hello Moto - Motorola
I am what I am - Reebok
Read full blog...
22-Jul-2010 11:12
Mobile Phone Security Tips from SimplyFone
Mobile Phone Security.
A lady had her handbag containing her mobile phone, credit card, wallet etc stolen.
Twenty minutes later when she called her husband telling him what had happened, her husband replied, 'I already received your text asking about our PIN number and I replied a little while ago.'
When they rushed down to the bank, the staff told them that all their money had sadly been withdrawn.
Read full blog...
22-Jul-2010 11:07
Too little to late....?
As ever too little to late....
Landline telephone contract fees are to be cut.
The three big landline telephone firms - BT, TalkTalk and Virgin - have agreed to make big cuts to the cost of ending their deals early.
The telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has told them to cut their "early termination" charges by up to 85%.
Read full blog...
