Read our views on a range of current topics and events http://www.simplyfone.com ...another successful hosted VoIP set up. Client pleased and effusive in praise. Thanks to all our staff for helping a frustrated client by simplifying procedures. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/410/another_successful_hosted_VoIP_set_up.htm We recently received a call from a company requiring a London 020xx number active within 24 hours. We offered a range of numbers, & the client’s chosen number was active within 2 hours… Could we help your business? Do contact us on 020 3191 9988 or email: fb@simplyfone.com http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/409/Do_you_need_a_new_telephone_number.htm Well... what a roller-coaster 48+ hours. You’d think that most business folk would remember that it’s an Easter Bank Holiday weekend, it is Passover tomorrow night till 7th April, and that tel. systems may need sorting; ivr responses may require tweaking; appointments booking; new lines & broadband ordered and Hosted VoIP set-ups completed. But nope - as ever, the last 48+ hours have been manic, and the last 24 hours have been exhilarating. Thankfully now at 5.25pm we are just about there: clients very happy indeed, suppliers organised, agents’ orders processed, and Norman’s a happy bunny. Well done and many, many thanks again to our amazing staff: Customer Service folk at Front Desk; brilliant techies at Ops Dept and all at Sales Thanks one and all. N http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/408/Well_what_a_rollercoaster_48_hours.htm Best 16p’s value advertising – ever! A decent sized client - a London property company - today contacted us stating that they’re rather upset at us (strongly implying our inefficiency) because an 0845xx ending x111 was requested ceased in May 2016 but they’ve just received our March 2018 invoice for 16p including vat for usages pertaining to this 0845… & requesting we cease this number immediately & cancel the invoice/credit them 16p! READ ON.... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/407/Best_16ps_value_advertising__ever.htm (From an idea and comment on another post) COMPLIANCE is relevant not only to my business - telecoms field but to all sales-related and service industries. Ensure you always follow all the rules and regulations and the specific industry codes, and be fully compliant to cover your backs… just in case. I just had quite a nifty idea (having thought about this during a boring client-conversation 5 minutes ago….). The difference between COMPLIANT & (and a resulting) COMPLAINT, is simply the order of two specific letters ‘I’ & ‘A’ Moral: Think of ‘yourself and your company and your position’ (the ‘I’) before closing any deal and be fully compliant putting the ‘I’ first, to ensure that your complIant sale/work/agreement will not suddenly bite you on yer bum and turn into an unneeded and unwanted complAint… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/406/The_difference_between_COMPLIANT_AND_and_a_resulting_COMPLAINT.htm Are you considering #VoIP? Possible indicators to migrate your business telecoms to VoIP technology You may have heard that traditional ISDN services are slowly being phased out in favour of new technology. Whilst the idea of making a transfer from landline to VoIP may appear daunting you may want to consider the following options: http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/405/Are_you_considering_Hosted_VoIP_telecom_services.htm FREE* INTERNATIONAL CALLS! We have successfully created a new way to make free* International calls from some landline providers. Read on: http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/404/FREE_International_Calls_from_your_landline.htm New Product: Return of FREE* International Calls from your landline using your landline inclusive call-plan that include calls to all "0870xx" numbers... (*check the inclusive call-plan with your landline provider) Is your destination included? Amazing FREE CALLS today... FREE International Calls: Dial: 0870 635 4404 (& at the prompt dial your International number#) ALGERIA ANDORRA ANGOLA ANGOLA MOBILE ARGENTINA ARGENTINA MOBILE ARUBA AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA MOBILE AUSTRIA AUSTRIA MOBILE BAHAMAS BAHAMAS MOBILE BAHRAIN BANGLADESH BANGLADESH MOBILE BELGIUM BELGIUM MOBILE BERMUDA BERMUDA MOBILE BHUTAN BHUTAN MOBILE BOTSWANA BRAZIL BRAZIL MOBILE BRUNEI BRUNEI MOBILE BULGARIA BULGARIA MOBILE BULGARIA SOFIA CAMBODIA CAMBODIA MOBILE CAMEROON CANADA CANADA MOBILE CHILE CHILE MOBILE CHINA CHINA MOBILE CHRISTMAS ISL COCOS ISL COLOMBIA COLOMBIA MOBILE COSTA RICA COSTA RICA MOBILE CROATIA CROATIA MOBILE CYPRUS CYPRUS MOBILE CZECH REPUBLIC CZECH REPUBLIC MOBILE DENMARK DENMARK MOBILE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC DOMINICAN REPUBLIC MOBILE EGYPT EGYPT MOBILE ESTONIA FAROE ISL FAROE ISL MOBILE FINLAND FINLAND MOBILE FRANCE FRANCE MOBILE FRENCH GUIANA FRENCH GUIANA MOBILE GERMANY GERMANY MOBILE GIBRALTAR GREECE GREECE MOBILE GUADELOUPE GUADELOUPE MOBILE GUAM HONG KONG HONG KONG MOBILE HUNGARY HUNGARY MOBILE ICELAND ICELAND MOBILE INDIA INDIA MOBILE INDONESIA INDONESIA MOBILE IRAN IRELAND IRELAND MOBILE ISRAEL ISRAEL MOBILE ITALY ITALY MOBILE JAPAN JAPAN MOBILE KAZAKHSTAN KAZAKHSTAN MOBILE KOREA SOUTH KOREA SOUTH MOBILE KUWAIT KUWAIT MOBILE LAOS LAOS MOBILE LEBANON LIECHTENSTEIN LITHUANIA LITHUANIA MOBILE LUXEMBOURG LUXEMBOURG MOBILE MACAO MACAU MOBILE MALAYSIA MALAYSIA MOBILE MALTA MALTA MOBILE MARTINIQUE MARTINIQUE MOBILE MAURITIUS MAURITIUS MOBILE MAYOTTE MAYOTTE MOBILE MEXICO MEXICO MOBILE MONACO MONGOLIA MONGOLIA MOBILE MOROCCO MOZAMBIQUE MYANMAR MOBILE NAMIBIA NAMIBIA MOBILE NEPAL NETHERLANDS NETHERLANDS MOBILE NEW ZEALAND NEW ZEALAND MOBILE NIGERIA NIGERIA MOBILE NORWAY NORWAY MOBILE PAKISTAN PAKISTAN MOBILE PANAMA PARAGUAY PARAGUAY MOBILE PERU PERU MOBILE PHILIPPINES POLAND POLAND MOBILE PORTUGAL PORTUGAL MOBILE PUERTO RICO REUNION REUNION MOBILE RODRIGUES ISL ROMANIA ROMANIA MOBILE RUSSIA RUSSIA MOBILE SAMOA AMERICAN SAMOA AMERICAN MOBILE SAN MARINO SAUDI ARABIA SINGAPORE SINGAPORE MOBILE SLOVAKIA SLOVAKIA MOBILE SLOVENIA SLOVENIA MOBILE SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH AFRICA MOBILE SPAIN SPAIN CANARY ISL SPAIN MOBILE SWAZILAND SWEDEN SWEDEN MOBILE SWITZERLAND SYRIA SYRIA MOBILE TAIWAN TAIWAN MOBILE THAILAND THAILAND MOBILE TRINIDAD & TOBAGO TURKEY TURKMENISTAN UKRAINE URUGUAY USA USA MOBILE UZBEKISTAN UZBEKISTAN MOBILE VANUATU VENEZUELA VENEZUELA MOBILE VIETNAM VIETNAM MOBILE ZAMBIA ZIMBABWE http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/403/Return_of_the_FREE_International_Calls_from_your_landline.htm My thoughts on a possible Openreach split & the resulting consequences - whether advantageous or otherwise - are of little consequence to the industry decision makers; however, what I can judge and comment upon, as both a wholesale and retail client, is that over the past year or so, the quality of service, the ineptitude, the inability to offer value for money, and the non-caring attitude of Openreach staff – whether engineers or office staff or online portal operators, has sunk to new lows… Rarely have I experienced a company to be so devoid of initiative, so poor in application and so lacking in basic etiquette & rectitude. Whether Openreach are forced to become a distinct company or permitted to remain within the BT family, what is certain is they must improve dramatically in all areas…and swiftly. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/402/Ofcom_orders_BT_to_legally_split_from_Openreach.htm Starting a #business outside London increases chance of survival, eBay reports – where would YOU start a #biz? http:// goo.gl/M1AlnS http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/401/Starting_a_business.htm POT, KETTLE, BLACK? (Email, as just received...) :( Dear business owner of simplyfone How is it posible that your website is having so many errors? Yes, most of the people share their anger and frustration once they get my email. Now, I will show you the number of broken links, pages that returned 4XX status code upon request, images with no ALT text, page with no meta description tag, not having an unique meta description, having too long title, etc., found in your simplyfon I have large professional team who can fix all the above issues immediately at an affordable price. I guarantee you will see a drastic change in your Google search ranking once these are fixed. If this is something you are intersted in, then allow me to send you a no obligation audit report. Best Regard, Ethan Lim Marketing Consultant http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/400/Oh_dear_A_marketing_nightmare.htm Greece bankrupt? Just my uneducated take on their woes.. I think some folk may have forgotten that Greece (partly) brought this upon themselves… In 2009 Greece announced that it had (naughtily) been understating its deficit figures for many years - alarm bells went off re the liquidity & profitability of Greek finances. Two international bailouts for Greece followed, totalling over 240 billion euros. Although this ‘debt’ short-term eased the stress, the Greek economic did not improve; rather It shrank by a by a quarter over five years + unemployment increased to 25%. Taxes collected are still amazingly (& illegally) low, the black economy is thriving & dominant. Indeed the difficulties we hear/read about banks shutting & ATMs limiting withdrawals to just 60euros p/day does not really affect many, other than the old and pensioned, because most transactions are already paid for in ‘readies’… Indeed one wonders where the large supermarkets are now actually storing/banking their daily takings. Definitely not to the banks, so where is all this cash being spirited to…? Anyway, bottom line is that the politicians (& Greek voters) may be blaming everyone but themselves – but the Greek government, politicians, businessmen and non-tax paying citizens themselves must remain answerable to the wider community… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/399/Greece_bankrupt_Just_my_uneducated_take_on_their_woes.htm When you make a telephone call to a service number - beginning 08, 09 or 118 - it’s not always clear how much it will cost. From 1st July 2015 this will change. Until now you may have noticed information like this: “Calls cost 20p per minute from a BT landline. Other landlines may vary and calls from mobiles may cost considerably more.” This makes it tough to know actual costs. From 1 July 2015, the cost of calling service numbers will be made up of two parts: • An ‘access charge’: This part of the call charge goes to your phone provider. • A ‘service charge’: This is the rest of the call charge. The organisation you are calling decides this, and they will advise the cost. These rules will apply to all consumer calls to 084, 087, 09 & 118 numbers. The changes do not affect calls made to ordinary landline 01, 02, 03 or mobile 07 numbers. Neither do they affect calls made from payphones, International calls, or calls to the UK when roaming overseas. For further information if required, please email: ofcomhelp@simply-fone.com http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/398/08_09_118_Numbers__New_Rules_Clearer_Charges.htm Freephone - Free will mean free Many organisations use Freephone numbers - starting 0800 or 0808 – for people to contact them. Historically, these calls have generally been free when dialled from a landline, but mobile users are usually charged for calling them. From 1st July 2015 all numbers starting 0800 or 0808 will become free for consumers to call from mobile phones, as they are from landlines. This change only affects 0800 or 0808 numbers. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/397/Freephone__Free_will_mean_free.htm CW have said that the new mobile offering, operate on the Three network, would ''not compete'' with any current network partners... Hmmm... wonder how long the major mobile networks will promote and sell their plans from CW & Dixon stores? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/396/Carphone_Warehouse_has_launched_its_new_mobile_network_named_iD.htm April 21st Google made changes to its algorithms to favour mobile-friendly websites. Check your site here: https://www.google. com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/395/Check_your_website_to_see_if_Google_friendly.htm Business Broadband? ‘Cheap’ May Prove ‘Dear’… Are you considering upgrading your business broadband? What do you consider the most important consideration for your new broadband connection? Be honest now… Is it ‘cost’, and do you expect to pay the low prices offered for home use broadband? Increasingly businesses run VoIP and cloud based applications and therefore your choice of broadband connection & broadband provider is essential. Any nasty glitch in the service may have an enormous knock-on effect on company productivity and possibly customer relationships. Ask any business owner what happens if & when the Internet connection crashes, when the VoIP phones fail… and when staff can’t access and watch their reaction; the impact could be devastating. A stable, quality broadband connection is a critical aspect of the business. So why indeed are so many business owners & decision makers applying home-user ideas to business-critical communications? Home users are bombarded with bundled package offers including voice, line rentals, TV & mobile and the broadband is often included almost as a loss leader as part of that package. This bundled approach is increasingly being adopted in the business marketplace too. Providers are bundling voice services with Internet connection. Indeed SIP trunks are being marketed as a free add-on to the Internet connection and some providers are increasingly subsidising broadband connections to sell higher value cloud and voice services. Speed is another consideration that many organisations tend to overlook - not all broadband services are the same. While the concept of the rural broadband division is now widely recognised, the reality is that two close areas in the same town can experience rather different broadband experiences. As an example, one street in Milton Keynes boasts superfast broadband on one side, and a poor 1Mb on the other. Relocate your business, without thought, on the wrong side of the street and plans to use VoIP or Cloud applications, or any broadband-based services may be seriously affected. So, be aware, in 2015 a resilient broadband service will not cost your business a fortune, but it will certainly cost more than a domestic broadband connection. Invest in an enterprise level service that is designed to support VoIP and cloud-based services that now underpin agile UK businesses. For your broadband requirements and other telecom solutions, call us on 020 3191 9988 or 0800 6 191919 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/394/Business_Broadband_Cheap_May_Prove_Dear.htm BT has begun its entry back into the UK mobile market. BT is focusing on multi-play bundles and aggressive pricing with 4G SIM-only deals that offer significant discounts to existing BT broadband customers from just £5. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/393/BT_to_Offer_LowCost_from_5_SIMonly_Mobile_Tariffs.htm UK Mobile Operators to Cap Excessive Stolen Mobile Bills. Five operators including EE, O2, Three, Virgin and Vodafone have voluntarily agreed to cap stolen or missing mobile phone bills at £100 - provided a report is received by them or the police within 24 hours… A new code of practice created by the Mobile Broadband Group, has stipulated measures to protect consumers from unexpectedly high bills. These include transparent pricing & billing; subscriber alerts when reaching &/or breaching agreed data limits; information on roaming charges and how to bar unauthorised calls to premium numbers and app. purchases. In our opinion, these measures do not go far enough, but they are a start and any help & advice to consumers must be applauded… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/392/UK_Mobile_Operators_to_Cap_Excessive_Stolen_Mobile_Bills.htm Nuisance calls, Silent calls and unwanted Texts face a Government clampdown from 6 April. Furthermore, companies may be hit by fines of up to £500,000. The Government says under current rules, many companies making nuisance calls escape fines because there isn't enough evidence to suggest they caused the level of harm required by law. The Government has also confirmed that it will introduce measures to hold board level executives responsible for nuisance calls and texts and it's looking to bring in a compulsory Caller Line Identification (CLI) so that all marketing callers will have to display their telephone numbers. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/391/Nuisance_calls_Silent_calls_and_Unwanted_Texts.htm Three network to buy O2 for over £10bn? Telefonica has announced that it is in talks with the operator of the Three network Hutchison Whampoa to sell O2 for £10.25bn. If this cash deal is successful, the combined group would become Britain’s largest mobile operator… Britain’s mobile telecoms market is currently dominated by four providers; O2, Three, Vodafone and EE, but pressures have been building to consolidate these operations. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/390/Three_network_to_buy_O2_for_over_10bn.htm As of 3rd January 2015 all BT clients are now charged for its previously-free 1571 (1571 service answers calls when you're away from the phone or on another call) answer-call service, and Caller Display services (Privacy with Caller Display allows you to view incoming call numbers) at £1.75 per month each. NOTE: SimplyFone still charge £1.32 per month (incl. vat) for all BT Features… Alongside charging for 1571 and Caller Display, the telecoms giant is hiking some of its other charges. Key changes include: Line rental: This is up to £15.99p from £15.45 per month. NOTE: SimplyFone still charge Line rentals at £11.74 per month (incl. vat) Daytime calls to UK landline numbers: Up from 8.41p p/min to 8.95p p/min. NOTE: SimplyFone charge 1.87p (incl. vat) …and where charged/if charged, SimplyFone connection charges are onlyt 1.6p :) (Data from: moneysavingexpert.com) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/389/BT_have_increased_telephone_charges_again.htm Are you and your office staff alienated, uncomfortable or nervous when thinking of buying new telephone systems, change telecom providers or move to cloud computing? Technology can present all manner of challenges to users: specifications, functionality, modifications & change at an ever-increasing pace - not to mention the jargon used... Help is at hand: Call us today for a no-nonsense, impartial conversation in plain English & let us help you reduce your telecom spend & seamlessly move into 2015… Call: 020 3191 9988 or 0800 619 2626 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/388/Are_you_one_of_those_bamboozled_by_new_technologies.htm CAT5 Cat 5 is the slowpoke of the bunch. It can handle 10/100 Mbps speeds (Fast Ethernet) at up to 100 MHz bandwidth. That's a lot of numbers, but what it means is "slow and obsolete". New installations don't even use it, and it's on its way out, sadly...that's sadly for the cable, not for you. For the savvy cable connoisseur there are newer, better, faster, stronger options out there. That's why we at SimplyFone try not to install Cat 5 cable… CAT5e Cat 5e (Cat 5 enhanced) is currently the most commonly used in new installations. It’s designed to greatly reduce crosstalk. If you just read that and then nodded while slowly saying "Yeah...crosstalk..." don't worry, that's why you're here: to learn! It basically means the Cat 5e is better at keeping signals on different circuits or channels from interfering with each other. A step above Cat 5, it can handle 1000 Mbps speeds (gigabit Ethernet) at 100 MHz. CAT6 Category 6 is a major improvement over Cat 5e. It's suitable for up to 10 gigabit Ethernet at 250 MHz. Cat 6 cable has an internal separator that isolates pairs from one another. For those who want to "future-proof" their residential or commercial network as much as possible without a significant cost increase, Cat 6 is a great choice. Hopefully, this brief guide helped you get to know your Cat cables. If you require further assistance, or indeed any cabling jobs, please feel free to call us at 020 3191 9988. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/387/What_Is_The_Difference_Between_Cat_5_Cat_5e_and_Cat_6_Cable.htm TalkTalk home phone customers will be hit by line rental price hikes, along with a number of other price rises, from 1 December. TalkTalk Line rentals will cost £16.70p per month. Our SimplyFone line rentals remain at just £9.79p +vat = £11.74 per month. Furthermore, SimplyFone have no time-related contracts allowing you freedom of choice at any time… You know it makes sense… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/386/Line_Rental_bargains.htm Do we all spend far too much time checking, reading, playing & interacting with our mobile phones? Shouldn’t we all, for the sake of our own sanity, our families’ & kids’ welfare, and interpersonal relationships, try to wean ourselves off much of our technological baggage and return to the peace & quiet of being alone with ourselves and others…? My swift memory check of Apple products - impressive as it is - includes iPod, iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad, iMac, iLife, iWork, iBook, iTunes, iCloud. Shouldn’t we allow more time for the only “i” that really matters to us? Discuss… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/385/Impressive_Apple_lists_of_products_yet.htm By-election tomorrow in Clacton & the parties appear a little panicked… My take is that one shouldn’t underestimate general populist sentiment, but Clacton (& several other beach towns around the Kent coast too where Der Fuehrer Farage himself will seek election) is one of the most UKIP-oriented areas in the UK. Horribly deprived areas, very little employment, locals slumming it in caravan-type homes and dilapidated houses that were originally built as sort of beach huts. Add in to this mix, poorly-educated folk, a perception (unsure if true…) of foreign benefit migrants descending upon their area, anger and resentment with UK politicians, the wealthy and anyone ‘slightly different’, & you have a recipe for a UKIPian paradise… They’ll win this seat, plus a few more in similar areas, but will not make headway, create waves, or cause panic come the General Election… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/384/Byelection_in_Clacton.htm Fools guide to the new Vehicle Tax System from 01/10/14 From 1st October 2014 the DVLA will replace the traditional tax disc with a new electronic system. Owners will no longer be required to display a paper tax disc in their windscreen & will instead tax their vehicle online; with a car’s status as taxed, untaxed or SORN recorded on a database linked to the registration. From 1 November 2014, owners will be able to pay monthly by Direct Debit on a 12 month basis at a 5% surcharge – reduced from the current 10% surcharge If you have a tax disc on your windscreen with any remaining months after the 1st October you can remove & tear it up… DVLA will carry out automatic checks via its electronic database. If you have not made SORN or taxed your car an automatic penalty of £80 will apply. The Police will also check via [NPRC] number plate recognition cameras and you could face a £1000 fine if you are caught on the road without tax. You can check the tax status of any vehicle by visiting the DVLA website. This can also be used to check rentals too. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/383/Fools_guide_to_the_new_Vehicle_Tax_System_from_011014.htm OK, done it – consulted, negotiated, argued, pleaded and have finally just, some moments ago, ordered and upgraded my mobile handset and contract. Yep, I have finally requested an upgrade to a freshly baked iPhone… Having been, for years, an avid, loyal Blackberry user, several handset system crashes over the weekend convinced me to join the ranks of ex-Blackberry folk and move into the New World. As a Vodafone client of almost 20 years, (20 years-cor!), I bargained ‘em down to a excellent, low-cost inclusive package. So, goodbye old world, welcome... new world, and let’s see if the iPhone hype is real or overblown… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/382/goodbye_old_world_welcome_new_world.htm ''Consumers hit as landline and TV bills soar while inflation falls'' - Sunday Times - Ali Hussain Published: 31 August 2014 Before reading (edited) article below, please remember that SimplyFones residential landline rentals remain at £9.79 +vat; and business rental rates remain £10.20p +vat Our call charges to UK landlines (outside inclusive plans) are just 1.8p +vat peak times with a 1p connection fee (if even applicable…) - a massive saving... :) [Sunday Times article edited for brevity…] Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/381/Dont_be_a_twit.htm Most telecom providers’ contracts include complex service agreements. Be forewarned and forearmed or else you may pay dearly… Although every service or business is unique, there may be basic scenarios to remember including some of the following Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/380/Your_new_telephone_contracts_should_include.htm This short story is fictional. However, the impact that this work will have on its readers is very real. Enjoy! The Power of Purpose Elizabeth Silance Ballard There was a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her fifth grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, as a little boy named Teddy Stallard. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/379/Get_your_Tissues_Ready_AND_Read.htm Just read on a blog: “Rich people use debt to leverage investments and grow cash flows. Poor people use debt to buy things that make rich people richer.” Worthy quote to remember people… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/378/Worthy_quote_to_remember_people.htm Allegedly, Margaret Hodge (Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee)'s family company pays just 0.01pc tax on £2.1bn of business generated in the UK leading to accusations of hypocrisy… I do hope we don't all fall into the journalistic trap. Tax avoidance & tax evasion are not similar bedfellows; although admittedly once an individual (or a company) enjoys the fruits of decent planning, clever accounting & fine advice to avoid (and save) tax, the 'advantages' of legal tax avoidance can often rather easily lead to tax evasion... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/377/Tax_avoidance_or_tax_evasion.htm The increased introduction and wide use of new technologies have apparently reduced levels of politeness and civil behavior. A recent Saga - the insurance and travel company – survey, has shown that over 20% of adults say they answer their phones whilst chatting with friends; 22% confess to increased swearing and 19% admit they carry on using/playing/talking on their phone while paying for goods in shops and supermarkets. A high percentage also admits to keeping & using their phones at the dinner table and not lowering mobile phone volumes down on public transport. Are the British becoming a rude nation? Your comments would be appreciated… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/376/Are_the_British_becoming_a_rude_nation.htm (A comment I posted on a private business group regarding possibly unappreciated work...) Your sentiments are prevalent in most commercial and business environments, and ubiquitous to all walks of life. Who amongst us cannot share a situation wherein we’ve worked overtime to help someone, when we’ve gone ‘the extra mile’ - often without recompense - to do a ‘better task/job/effort’, and without recognition, without even a token thank you, and without acceptance. Such is life, and I’m sure most amongst us are also guilty of same…but hey, if you’ve enjoyed (at least at times) the performance, if you feel a modicum of job-satisfaction, if you feel sufficiently remunerated & it helps pay the bills, perhaps, just perhaps, it makes it all just a touch rewarding… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/375/Are_you_appreciated_at_work.htm it's nearly that time of year again.. :) Calls to Israel 0.5p (half a penny) incl. vat – from any landline, dial: 0843 015 4404 http://www.simplyfone.com/international-calls/ISRAEL.htm Calls to Egypt 3p incl vat dial: 0844 988 4404 http://www.simplyfone.com/international-calls/EGYPT.htm http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/374/Yippee_its_Passover_again.htm The government is planning to make it easier to fine firms that hound members of the public with nuisance calls. Currently, they can be punished only if unsolicited calls cause "substantial damage" to householders. Ministers will also consult on imposing heftier fines. Some consumer groups say the measures do not go far enough. The Information Commissioner's Office received 120,310 complaints about "unsolicited marketing calls" from April-November 2013. It is illegal for companies to call domestic numbers registered with the Telephone Preference Service (TPS). The rules do not apply when people consent to their details being used for marketing purposes. Firms which flout the TPS rules can currently be fined up to £500,000 by the Information Commissioner's Office. Those which break media regulator Ofcom rules on silent and abandoned calls face fines of up to £2m. Critics say the system is not working because rules on enforcement are skewed in favour of rogue firms. The Telephone Preference Service runs a register that allows people to opt out of any unsolicited sales or marketing calls. Individuals can register free of charge by visiting the website. Or they can call 0845 070 0707. It takes 28 days for registration to become effective. Mobile phone numbers can also be registered, although this will not prevent unsolicited text messages. It is a legal requirement that all organisations - including charities, voluntary organisations and political parties - do not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS unless they have the individual's consent to do so. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/373/The_End_of_Unrequested_Nuisance_Calls.htm When a company decides to invest in new technology it is easy to lose sight of the business case for implementation - with expensive consequences. Recent surveys show that less than 20% of new projects hit expected targets. Our experience in the telecoms market provides plenty of examples of this kind of problem. An example is the Life Insurance Company that wanted to increase sales. It initiated a project to provide its salespeople with VoIP phones & a hosted solution to enable easier access to Head Office and faster quotes. The salespeople enjoyed the new technology and the substantial savings in time. However, there was no significant increase in sales… This is a classic example of a single-minded focus on goal - introduce new technology and tailored software - rather than the business benefits of a project - improving productivity. So remember, by all means employ & implement new technologies but don’t lose sight of the main purpose… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/372/Stay_Focused.htm SimplyFone are now delivering Internet telephony solutions to the UK SME market. Using our own VoIP network which provides the backbone of a range of services such as hosted VoIP telephony systems, unified communications technology, SIP trunking (VoIP 'telephone lines') & global telephone numbers for over 40 countries, as well as a range of call plans. Our state-of-the-art, resilient infrastructure is optimised for Voice over IP delivery, ensuring quality, reliability and scalability. SimplyFone is committed to delivering the most innovative and feature-rich Internet telephony solutions available. Call us on 020 3191 9988 to discuss your requirements… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/371/SimplyFone_are_now_delivering_Internet_Telephony_Solutions.htm Many people purchase new VOIP telephone systems & find, to their dismay, that it doesn’t work properly. VoIP telephone systems & VoIP services generally are not at fault; the technology itself is excellent and is normally carrier-grade in terms of reliability. Unfortunately however, many companies and residential users do not enjoy sufficient Internet capacity and access to support these systems, & thus phone call quality may suffer... Some ill-advised companies route several phones over a single broadband service, and to exacerbate their woes, they may be use the same broadband connection both for calls & data traffic, like web browsing and email. Typical complaints received include phone-calls cutting out, one-way speech and horrid line-echo. If your company is experiencing VoIP problems, and you would enjoy free, experienced and independent advice - please contact us on 020 3191 9988 or email us on voip@simplyfone.com http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/370/Is_your_VoIP_telephone_service_disappointing.htm Three mobile is no longer to offer unlimited tethering on new 3G and 4G all-you-can-eat data plans. But perhaps in an effort to make up for the company will allow 0800 to be free! New contracts to be introduced today include data allowances from 500MB up to all-you-can-eat, with 50 mins or up to all-you-can-eat minutes, and unlimited texts. Tethering on 500MB, 1GB and 2GB plans can account for 100 percent of the data used, but on the all-you-can-eat plans tethering is now to be capped at 2GB. Additional tethering allowance is to be sold at an additional cost. This may be big news for customers hoping to sign up to one of Three's all-you-can-eat contracts, which up to now permitted as much 3G and 4G downloading as a user wanted -- from multiple connected (tethered) devices, such as laptops and tablets, if they wished. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/369/Three_Mobile_ends_unlimited_tethering_but_allows_free_0800_calls.htm SlickLogin, an Israeli security startup that uses smartphones and high-frequency sounds for identity verification on Web sites, has been bought by Google.. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/368/Clever_those_Israeli_chaps_SlickLogin_acquired_by_Google.htm Business Telephone Etiquette Tips 3: When returning to the ‘caller’, remember to thank them for waiting on hold. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/367/Business_Telephone_Etiquette_Tips_3.htm Business Telephone Etiquette Tips 2: Ask the caller permission before putting them on ‘hold’. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/366/Business_Telephone_Etiquette_Tips_2.htm Business Telephone Etiquette Tips: Make sure you speak clearly, slowly, and are smiling as you answer the phone. Smile - it shows, even over the phone. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/365/Business_Telephone_Etiquette_Tips.htm Cisco has found that 99% of mobile malware attacks last year were targeted at Android devices. Android device owners were attacked by hackers specializing in malware, which stands for malicious software. The software used gain access to the Android phones included phishing viruses, which rob data from the user's phone. Social media tracking and automated directions to malware ads were also prevalent. But Cisco has reported the most common type of malware attack occurred when a phone user was unknowingly re-directed to a third-party, unofficial app store. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/364/Android_Devices_Open_to_Malware_Attacks.htm Genius! If you buy a 1st Class airline ticket, you can stroll into the fanciest VIP airport lounge and grab whatever you want, because once you're inside that VIP lounge, anything you want is free - including food… A Chinese gentleman recently took advantage of the free perks of airport lounges. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/363/Simply_Brilliant_Enjoy_Free_Meals_for_12_Months.htm In advance of tomorrow Friday, January 31 – ’Happy Chinese New Year 2014 Year of the Horse’ to our 1000’s of satisfied Chinese/UK clients. Contact all your friends & family with calls from any UK landline to China, l/l and mobile, for just (half-a-penny) 0.05p including vat. Simply Dial: 08430154404 - http://goo.gl/UOCuvl http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/362/Happy_Chinese_New_Year_2014_Year_of_the_Horse.htm Good new for landline, mobile & broadband users who are often exasperated by unexpected price rises. Many providers promise prices when selling contracts, but subsequently increase their charges, often with little warning. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/361/Telecoms_Customers_May_Transfer_Without_Penalties_Ofcom.htm A faulty telephone line or a malfunctioning business telephone system leading to an interrupted service can prove rather stressful… Let us help remove the, often heartbreaking, hassle of dealing with BT Helpdesks (we can hear you sighing from here…) and organising BT Openreach engineer repair visits. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/360/Unhappy_trying_to_clear_a_faulty_telephone_issue.htm When many of our business clients first inquire about transferring their telephone calls & line rentals they are rather pleasantly surprised to learn that SimplyFone have NO time-related contracts. This allows all of our clients the freedom to move at any given time without notice and without incurring any penalties. Sadly, this is far from the industry norm. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/359/No_more_landline_phone_contracts__ever.htm Email below just rec from BT Tradesplace.. had no idea it was still active tbh... ''Important news about your Tradespace site Dear Sir/Madam As a user and valued customer we wanted to inform you that the BT Tradespace service will be closed down on 28th November 2013 and no longer accessible. Please ensure that any content or copy that you need from this site is copied or saved as this data will be removed and not retrievable after this date. With the social media landscape heavily changing over the last 6 years, our detailed review of Tradespace has shown how we must adapt so that we can best serve our customers now and in the future.'' http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/358/The_demise_of_BT_Tradesplace.htm At long last Ofcom is acting to support UK mobile users - yes, that means you and me - angered that mobile phone or broadband providers were permitted to raise prices in mid-contract. Under new rules, all clients locked into long-term mobile deals, & until now at the mercy of their network provider raising prices mid-term for the flimsiest of reasons including paper billing & International calls, will be given an option to break their contracts. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/357/About_time_too_The_end_of_midcontract_price_rises.htm As business people you all understand that working out how & what to charge for products, goods and services remains a perpetual challenge. Too high a price and you may alienate clients; too low a price may put at risk your profitability. A continual conundrum and one exacerbated perhaps by the difficult economic conditions we are experiencing… For businesses selling goods or providing a product it may be fairly simple to calculate the sales cost; using purchase price + overheads + profit to arrive at a final sales figure. And for most professionals the tried & tested model is to charge a client for time/per hour. The disadvantage to this last system is that from a client’s view, charging per hour may not appear terribly transparent. After all, the client will not be sitting in your office, watching staff, so they will have very little idea how efficient your practice may or may not be… So are there alternatives to a ‘pay per hour’ system of charging? May I suggest a few other billing options? 1. Contingent Fees – typically to be used when a transaction will take place. The professional will only get paid if and when the deal happens. 2. Define Outcome – Get paid upon results. For example, winning a vat refund for a client or achieving specific & agreed sales figures means you will receive a percentage of that amount. 3. Fixed Quotes – Calculate time, overheads, wages and tender for work or job. 4. Mixed Charges – pay per hour &/or pricing per job 5. Ongoing Charge – for longer contracts or protracted works, weekly or monthly billing may be a fine way to show transparency & help your (and clients) cash flow. In any event, remember that although some lateral thinking may be needed, options are available to help you and your business expand and succeed. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/356/Are_you_pricing_correctly.htm A client just left me a ‘WhatsApp’ message which is actually quite sweet…: There was a business executive who was deep in debt and could see no way out.... Creditors were closing in on him. Suppliers were demanding payment. He sat on the park bench, head in hands, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy. Suddenly an old man appeared before him. ”I can see that something is troubling you,” he said. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/355/Positive_Thinking__Nice_Tale.htm Pick up the Phone & Make that Call… Is it a generational issue? Many over 40’s still do use the office desk phone – yep, I know, it sounds remarkable to some – as the optimum method to call & remain in contact with valued clients or engender sales… Furthermore, and perhaps an education issue, but they retain the ability to phone and hold conversation with clients, suppliers, providers, offices and senior staff without feeling intimidated. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/354/Pick_up_the_Phone_AND_Make_that_Call.htm Yippee - help may be at hand, finally… BT may unleash a UK-wide plan to enable our phones to display incoming overseas call-numbers. The consumer chaps at Which? estimate that us Brits receive 700+ million unwanted sales calls every month – many from overseas. Most exchanges support a UK Caller Display Feature, but they lack the technology to do the same for incoming foreign numbers. Yep, a good idea, and about blooming time too I say… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/353/About_Time_Too_BT_to_Help_Block_Unwanted_ColdCalls.htm When a client, or a supplier, or a customer service representative puts you ‘on hold’, remember, they can hear everything you're saying… and that means ‘everything!’ http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/352/Telecom_Tip_of_the_Day_for_Business_and_Home_Users.htm US’s Microsoft has bought Finland’s Nokia mobile phone business and patents division in a €5.4bn deal… Thoughts anyone? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/351/Nokia_bought_by_Microsoft.htm Travellers and passengers on UK planes, boats and trains could soon be given access to superfast broadband. Communications regulator Ofcom is proposing to license a new satellite system for aircraft, ships and trains. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/350/Excellent_news_Planes_trains_and_ships_could_enjoy_Fast_Broadband.htm Ofcom to simplify landline, broadband switching process UK regulator Ofcom has announced new measures to help consumers change landline and broadband providers. Ofcom research shows that, in cases where the customer has to contact their existing company to request a change, the resulting process can be significantly more difficult for consumers to follow. To resolve this problem, Ofcom has decided that, in the future, consumers will only need to follow a single switching process. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/349/It_will_soon_be_even_easier_to_switch_to_us.htm lans to make calls to 0800 numbers free from mobile phones could be derailed after an industry backlash, by the UK mobile providers and others, against proposals made by the regulator to abolish ‘rip-off’ charges. Ofcom wants to push ahead with proposals to make calling non-geographic numbers - such as those starting with 0800, 084x and 087x - free from mobiles, despite growing criticism that consumers are confused about what calls cost. The jury is out, we wait to see… But in the meantime: SimplyFone continue to be a leading supplier of many permissible NGNs (non-geographic numbers) including 0800s, 020 3, 0161, 08xx etc If interested to set one up for free for your business or charity or organisation, call us on 020 3191 9988 or view our website… http:// www.simplyfone. com/ non_geographic_numbers.php http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/348/Opposition_over_plans_to_drop_charges_to_0800_numbers.htm The Government has announced legislation that, from next summer, will bar customer help lines from charging more than the basic rate of a phone call for questions or complaints. Under the new regs., 084x and 087x numbers for customer inquiries and complaints will become illegal. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/347/Premium_Rate_Customer_Service_Numbers_May_be_Banned.htm Fairly recently a story was aired on TV and in print, reporting that a UK mobile phone customer was, incorrectly it turned out of course, sent a couple of telephone bills amounting to over £19,000. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/346/Can_we_help_you.htm Whoa.... 's gonna be a grand weekend! A client (who wanted to say "thanks guys" for SimplyFone supplying & installing a telephone system at about 40% less than his next best quote) has just had delivered a bottle of Aberlour A'Bunadh batch no#45; & bottle of Aberlour 16 yr old + a snazzy whisky tasting-glass!! Checked ‘em out online and they are seriously good and seriously dear… Yippeee... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/345/s_gonna_be_a_grand_weekend.htm OK - it's that time of the year for me; mobile upgrade imminent. What are your views? iPhone v Samsung Galaxy v Blackberry or….? Currently a Blackberry fan on a very cheap but fully inclusive Vodafone package.. Await your advice people… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/344/Mobile_Upgrade_ImminentWhat_are_your_views.htm OK, be honest now... What would happen to your work, your business & your livelihood (& social life) if the internet was turned off for a week? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/343/OK_be_honest_now.htm Call family and friends in the States for just half a penny (0.5p) incl vat... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/342/Call_family_AND_friends_in_the_States_for_just_half_a_penny_05p_incl_vat.htm Have you checked how much you’re paying for your business or indeed home telephone line rentals? Every day SimplyFone help residential and business clients reduce their telecom costs… Why? Coz it’s what we do best! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/341/Check_carefully_folks.htm Be honest now… you can tell me… no one will know… …when was the last time you checked your business telephone bill? I mean really check the rates, line rental fees and your plans or add-on charges? Do you even have the time or energy to analyse this info? Well, if you don’t, and you can’t, it may be worth sending your itemised bills to us, SimplyFone, for a fast and free, no-commitment check. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/340/Reduce_Telephone_Charges_the_SimplyFone_Way.htm Dinosaur that I am, I can still remember a time, in the office and in business, when talking - whether by phone or in person - was the only way to communicate. The 1990s brought email services & things have never been the same. Apart from afflicting serious damage to the postal services, email simplified, at first, the onerous task of communication… Well, time moves inexorably forward, and just a couple of decades later you hear continual gripes regarding overflowing email in-boxes & unmanageable spam/junk levels. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/339/Never_Forget_the_Value_of_FacetoFace_and_VoicetoVoice_Communication.htm Efficient telecommunications & working systems are vital for the effective operation of modern business, and telecom costs are a significant item of expenditure. For continued success, it remains essential that your business is operating at maximum efficiency but lowest possible cost. SimplyFone will provide a free and confidential assessment of your current telecom arrangements and will benchmark your current rates and rental charges against our rates… If there is scope for savings – as we are certain there will be, we provide a free & no obligation proposal showing these savings. SimplyFone has been established as a market leader over many years and most of our new business is still gained from satisfied client referrals. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/338/Is_your_business_in_decent_shape.htm Noooooooo........ I think I’m losing the will to live :( Simply trying to cancel my various Barclaycard Credit Cards (including apparently an ‘Egg’ credit card that I had no idea I even had) with sufficient combined credit to settle the Cypriot fiscal woes & Cards that haven’t been used for about 5 years but for which I periodically receive letters enticing me to beg, steal & borrow loads, on credit, with % cashbacks and wonderful free gifts that will push me into debt.. Tried to ‘cancel’ (not apply) these Barclaycards and I’m being passed from pillar to post – from UK accents > Pakistan > US > UK accents once more; supplying long-forgotten intimate personal info including stuff that probably changed when Noah floated his Ark. Finally over the last hurdle & have ‘succeeded’, only to be transferred to a New York-accented lady suffering severe sinusitis & heavier breathing than a naughty nuisance call, who is desperately trying to ‘sell’ me (I actually feel sorry for her now) another Barclaycard with all the trimmings… Oh dear! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/337/Life_used_to_be_soooo_simple.htm The stock markets & shares are hitting fresh highs & lots of private investor money is moving daily into equity based funds. With much of the media talking-up world markets is this new money simply following the ‘herd mentality’, or will it (again) be a case of ‘what goes up must come down’ & a lot of people will sadly get rather burnt on the way down? The topic has been discussed ad nauseam in most of the papers and few (especially the so-called ‘experts’) have any real idea on future market trends. However, with the amazing rises we are seeing, and without any real fundamentals pushing markets and valuations higher, is it time for ‘small investors, to take profits and exit the market, to evaluate & adjust their portfolios for safety and apply strict stop-losses, to pile in again with more cash or just take a long-term view, lie back and watch what happens? Hmmm… I wish I knew the answers! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/336/Time_to_Exit_the_Stock_Markets.htm I have just used the resources & ‘part-tracking’ services of one UK online company (and also called them directly offline as they had a web-published Freefone 0800) & after ascertaining exactly which ‘part number’ I needed, I then further researched prices and availability online and bought/ordered the unit from another UK online website at a far lower price… On the one hand I feel a bit soiled as I’ve ‘used’ Company A, but on the other hand feel rather chuffed that I’ve saved quite a lot of £$£$£ using Company B! So… Is this unethical behaviour & I’m a bit naughty or am I simply utilising the web – as perhaps it should be used - to (my) great advantage? Answers on a postcard please…. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/335/Is_this_unethical_behaviour.htm PhonepayPlus, the UK regulator of premium rate telephone services (PRS), today released its proposals to protect consumers from aggressive and misleading online marketing. This follows a 100% rise in complaints related to online promotions of PRS. PhonepayPlus receives around 350 complaints a month about digital marketing and has taken robust action against the PRS providers involved. In 2012 the regulator imposed fines totalling £1.38 million against 10 companies that used misleading promotions. The regulator is also taking action to stop these problems before they happen. PhonepayPlus is particularly concerned about how some PRS providers use affiliate marketers. The regulator recognises that many affiliate marketers provide a valuable marketing service. However, some techniques used by some of these affiliates in the push to drive traffic and earn commission are inherently misleading, including promises of free content which in fact have costs attached and the chance to win non-existent prizes. Young people who have grown up with free web content can be particularly vulnerable, expecting to find content like films, game codes and live sports for free online. A typical misleading promotion lures users by offering a paid for service, such as a subscription only sporting event, for free if a survey is filled in. As part of the survey the user is asked for their phone number which, unknown to the user, can give permission to charge for services at a premium rate to their phone bill. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/334/PhonepayPlus_launches_digital_marketing_consultation.htm Following a ‘discussion’ with a long-standing client please let me know… Are you the haggling type? Do you/can you haggle with your suppliers and/or your customers, or is haggling a non-no for you? Answers on a postcard… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/333/Are_you_the_haggling_type.htm Sending & receiving faxes may still a useful mode of communication for many businesses… Some documents cannot be transferred or diverted quickly and efficiently by other means. However, you no longer require bulky, space-hungry and expensive fax machines. SimplyFone have for some time been offering a service to anyone - you do not even need to be a client of ours - to help keep your business efficient, productive and environmentally friendly with the help of a smart fax2email service. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/332/Are_you_using_free_SimplyFone_Fax2Email_services.htm But equally stressful are the pretty large bills that can surprise you following a theft or loss & sadly there remains poor protection against fraudulent & often expensive calls made on your phone… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/331/Ever_lost_or_had_a_mobile_phone_stolen_Stressful_isnt_it.htm A Smartphone for those living with visual impairment has apparently been developed in India. The product is based upon an innovative 'touch screen' which is capable of elevating and depressing the contents it receives to transform them into 'touchable' patterns. Could this unique idea convert the incoming text into Braille patterns enabling the blind and visually impaired to read SMSs and emails on their phone? What a wonderful idea if indeed possible. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/330/A_Smartphone_for_the_Visually_Impaired__Interesting.htm A new survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has confirmed that the number of self-employed workers rose by 367,000 between the years 2008 and 2012. A high proportion of the increase, about 60%, was in the year 2011 > 2012 & interestingly too, the number of self-employed aged 50+ has increased by 84% since 2008. Good or bad? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/329/Increased_SelfEmployed_Figures__helpful_or_otherwise.htm What creates (your) 'client loyalty'? There's no doubt that loyal clients often become colleagues, are the highest spenders, the best payers and the ones least likely to be swayed solely by price - if they ever even request a price review. But what creates that 'loyalty'? I always swipe my Tesco Clubcard but in all honesty, I only use/like it because Tesco is local to me and is an easy option. If Sainsbury’s or another were closer, my loyalty would be shared... Any thoughts? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/328/Brand_Loyalty.htm Read a decent quote today: 'An effective salesperson seeks to understand the needs, concerns and situation of the customer. An amateur sells products, the professional sells solutions.' http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/327/Decent_Quote.htm So, let us know... Has the snow disrupted your business or are you simply getting on with it and ignoring it? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/326/So_let_us_know.htm Warning: Apparently a number of Gmail and Google Apps accounts (from email systems running on Google Business Apps) were hacked into over the last few days… You may have received email(s) from known client email addresses, as we have this morning. It could be spam - so do not enter ‘your’ email address as requested... & if your company email system runs on Google Business Apps be sure to monitor your account too & add fresh levels of authentication... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/325/Possible_problem_with_Gmail_and_Google_Apps_accounts.htm Sad 2013 'Telecoms Fact': Fewer people worldwide have access to sanitary toilet conditions compared to owning a mobile phone. Oh dear! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/324/Sad_2013_Telecoms_Fact.htm Allow us to explain 'Fiscal Cliff' by showing a preferred perspective. Lesson #1: * U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000 * Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000 * New debt: $1,650,000,000,000 * National debt: $14,271,000,000,000 * Recent budget cuts: $38,500,000,000 Let's now remove 8 zeros and pretend it's a household budget: * Annual family income: $21,700 * Money the family spent: $38,200 * New debt on the credit card: $16,500 * Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710 * Total budget cuts so far: $385 Are you beginning to understand? ____________ Lesson #2: Here's another way to look at the 'Debt Ceiling': Let's say, you return home from work and find that there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings. What do you think you should do? Raise the ceilings, or remove the sh*t? Hope that proves our point! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/323/US_Fiscal_Cliff_AND_Debt_Ceiling_Explanation.htm One of my sons has fairly recently – and rather successfully - begun a new business advising and promoting Medical Health & related Insurances, targeting both the residential & corporate sectors. He has naturally asked ‘Dad’ for a little advice & I’ve passed on a few tips gained from over 30 years as a self-employed businessman & employer… Below are just a few quite obvious tips that may ease your path to business success too - I certainly hope so: 1) Pricing When you’re starting out in business - or if you run a small company - it’s very easy to set your prices too low. Many, if not most, business-newbies & small business owners worry that either they won’t gain any new clients if they charge too much, or they won’t make enough turnover, so they often charge too little, or reduce their commissions or include ‘extras’ for new clients. Don’t - this is eating into your profit! Remember, do remain competitive; do sell hard, but don’t price so low that your profits are minimal or non-existent.. 2) Expenses To reduce your tax liabilities and ensure you keep as much of your hard-earned cash as possible, remember to keep and file all receipts for any & all business costs and expenses you’ve incurred for your business. 3) Cash Flow Ensure you get paid promptly and don’t extend credit terms. Many businessmen are far, far too nice to their clients in this area. Late payments remain unchased & are ignored. The first rule to remember is that without sufficient money coming in to pay your bills, your business will not survive. Certainly talk to late-paying clients, but if all fails, it may even be better - difficult I know - to just stop supplying repeat offenders. Follow the above as your 2013 New Year’s business resolutions and put yourself back in control. It may prove hugely beneficial for you and your business in the long run. Good luck! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/322/Starting_a_biz_in_2013.htm We very recently won the contract to carry calls and line rentals, for a Berkshire-based Building Company, for x 5 lines. Their current provider (not BT) decided to ‘hit’ them for early exit & penalty fees, even though they'd been clients - seemingly without contract - for over 14 years… [& with just 9 weeks to go anyway...] of penalty fees of £1950 +vat! This is on billing of about £150’ish per month! We advised the client (without taking liability) that it's pure bul*sh*t and they should fight their corner as this company is quite well-known for being unfairly ‘’hard’’… The resulting letter is brilliant - we love it! Although the English ain’t the best, it’s an absolute masterpiece of strong understatement and penetrating rhetoric, I reckon. We may just print it off, stick it in a frame & use it as a dart board... :) Have a read and a chuckle & let us know what you think... ______ "3rd January 2013 Dear Sir/Madam Customer Ref: xxxxxxx I am writing with regard to termination fees recently charged to the above accounts. After 14 years with xxxxxx we have decided to change telephone provider. This is for a number of reasons not relevant to xxxxxx When I ordered my new provider SimplyFone to take over the lines, I suddenly received phone calls from xxxxxx intimidating me with special offers to stay with xxxxxx - offers which were not going to be offered to other customers until the New Year. They further informed me that each line on the two above accounts would be charged £150 per line cancellation fee. I was shocked. The operator told me that my contract renewed for one year in August 2011, and in August 2012 I was sent a letter in the post saying if I did not cancel ‘the contract automatically renews for one year’. I never received this letter. All your communication is by email or an average of five tele-sales calls a week offering me broadband at a rip-off price. Why the letter now? I then received emails to info@xxxxx.co.uk with the £150 demand per line. Further emails followed with even more surprises demanding in bold, intimidating numbers £450 per line and £300 per line for each account on the respective accounts. Can’t make up your minds of how much to take advantage? £150? £300? No, let’s make it £450. Actually your final demand and charge has now reached £1950 + vat. So, is this how xxxxxx treats customers who have been customers for 14 years and never missed a payment? Why would anyone in their right mind cancel a contract which would be an average of ten times cheaper just to leave dormant and pay the line rental? Extortion comes to mind. I suggest xxxxxx send me some proof of the contract they claim I signed and any proof of the letters sent to me regarding this account. I also recommend that a very sensible cancellation charge is suggested if it is in fact required contractually as xxxxxxxxxxx has no money or assets and it would be a shame for xxxxxx to spend so much money going to court for nothing. The content of the response received from xxxxxx will determine to whom I forward it; Trading Standards, Office of Fair Trading, Which? and The Times Newspaper come to mind. Oh, and a copy to my solicitors who have already offered you free advice by saying you should look at the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. I look forward to your early response on this matter. Yours truly," http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/321/A_masterpiece_of_strong_understatement_AND_penetrating_rhetoric.htm Millions of BT and TalkTalk customers will be hit by price hikes this month. However the 'Good News' is: SimplyFone’s line rentals remain at £9.79p +vat p/month for new residential clients & £10.20p +vat p/month for new business clients… Oh, and SimplyFone have no time-related contracts - ever… allowing all clients full freedom of action, whenever they wish. BT is increasing line rental & call prices for the fourth time in 26 months from this Saturday by 6%. TalkTalk customers saw their line rental charge jump 45p p/month; from £14.50 p/month to £14.95/month on 1 January 2013 Sky increased prices by 18% in December 2012; from £12.25 p/month to £14.50 p/month. Virgin Media customers will also see their line rental increase from £13.90/month to £14.99/month, from 1 February 2013. …and remember if you're in a time-related contract you may have to pay an exit penalty to switch. BT price increases include: • Line rental rising to £15.45 p/month -- SimplyFone cost: £11.75 • Call connection fee (per call 13.87p for all chargeable calls -- SimplyFone cost: 1.1p • Daytime calls now 8.41p p/min -- SimplyFone are 1.8p http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/320/Beat_BT_Sky_TalkTalk_and_Virgin_Media_price_rises.htm Recent independent surveys of 500 UK businesses have shown that almost 2/3rds of UK businesses don’t fully and effectively back up their corporate data. In fact the survey shows that many businesses only use desktop storage, portable USB sticks and CD media (which are easy to lose or suffer damage) to backup their important data. Almost all the companies understood the damaging - possibly destructive - effects lost data could have on their businesses, but nevertheless, many are backing up critical business data only to external hard-drives, which are designed for consumer desktop storage. Just 10% of SMEs confirmed that they used networked storage devices providing robust storage with inbuilt redundancy and scalability; meaning that if their backup failed, data could be restored to a specific point in time. For a relatively small annual cost, speak to an IT expert, set up stable networked storage & sleep easy in the knowledge that even if business remains tight in 2013, at least you won’t lose data that could threaten your entire business… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/319/Data_Loss_Worries_Set_up_Secure_Storage_Back_Up.htm If you’re one of those (some would say lucky ones who will escape the house, noise, kids, visiting family, in-laws, poor TV shows and even more food) people working over the forthcoming holidays, we may be able to help you remain relaxed… If customers need to contact you or if a problem arises or you need to stay in touch, this period need not result in over a week of communications black-out. Allow SimplyFone to present a few solutions to help our telephone clients - business & residential - maintain customer support, whilst enjoying your festive break. Re-direct your incoming calls: Either divert your incoming calls using SimplyFone ‘Caller Divert’ (just £1.10p +vat per month-no contracts) to direct calls to the appropriate people/number over the holiday period. There are 3 settings: divert all calls; divert unanswered calls & divert calls when lines are busy. Or, leave a simple voicemail directing callers to a mobile number. Or you could use a more detailed IVR call handling solution to route enquiries automatically to the correct person. Home-working: Consider well - will you be receiving many calls or actually be busy? Do your workers really need to be in the office to stay productive? No? So why not let them work from home for a few days, but remembering to supply the requisite tools to remain in touch and productive. Best to ensure too, that your home-workers are fully connected to your networks both on landline & mobiles, as necessary. Leave the hard work to us, your telephone provider: Having a telephone provider like SimplyFone that operates 24 hours a day can give you maximum peace of mind & security. Making sure your networks are fine and your technology is operating as required, means that you can relax; safe in the knowledge that if anything does unhappily goes awry, reliable support is on hand to offer support. So allow SimplyFone to help over this holiday period. The flexibility of being able to work from anywhere, with any device, and still be able to access the tools needed to do a job, means queries can be properly directed and dealt with quickly. Nobody wants to work over the holidays - but if something urgent crops up, it’s important to be set up to deal with it swiftly and with minimum fuss. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/318/Working_over_the_festive_period__can_we_help_you.htm With the increased availability & speed of broadband connections, mobile phone usage & various (addictive) networking websites, has you & your family's early morning routine changed? I recently heard an excellent speaker call "sleep" - 'network deprivation' & it really got me thinking… Our habits and routines and indeed family life is constantly changing and evolving... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/317/Has_Technology_Changed_Family_Life_AND_Routine.htm I’ve been running my own businesses since the early 80’s and there have been many quite remarkable advances in that time. From wonderful new technologies to the way we interact socially in business and from office computerisation to the newer methods to promote our goods, products and services to our receptive markets. Most innovations have been effective, efficient and valuable & businesses have benefitted immensely. However, there’s one area which I feel has sharply declined; namely the ‘Corporate Gift market’… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/316/Wheres_my_Corporate_Prezzie.htm Our Director Norman Feiner was honoured to write a blog for Suzan St Maur on her excellent & helpful 'site "How To Write Better" - Hope you enjoy the post... Comments appreciated http://howtowritebetter.net/happy-chanukah-festival-of-lights/ http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/315/Happy_Chanukah_Festival_of_Lights.htm OK, do you gamble? Are you a gambler? I’m pretty sure most of you will answer, ‘No’! But actually, if you think about it, almost all of us do gamble – constantly. We "bet" against ourselves almost every day. We all suffer from an innate fear of failure & most avoid taking on fresh challenges and grabbing the opportunities to accomplish. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/314/Are_you_a_Gambler.htm SimplyFone install and provide lines, calls and rentals to many UK companies so we understand the stresses of expanding or moving your telephone systems and lines… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/313/Expanding_or_moving_offices_AND_need_telecom_advice.htm Recent telecom usage and billing audits show that our business clients can save over 50% on their monthly bills & 35% on line rentals by bringing their fixed-line business telecom usage to SimplyFone. What are the benefits of SimplyFone? • All calls are charged per second billing • Extremely low call rates - both UK & International calls • Line Rentals from £9.79 +vat per month • A range of inclusive price plans • Benefit from one bill & one point of contact - always • No time-related contracts - ever, so clients have freedom to act as they wish It’s easy for both new and existing SimplyFone customers to benefit from these features and savings, simply contact us today on: 0800 619 2626 to find out how easy it is to transfer to us and begin reducing your costs immediately. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/312/SimplyFone_business_users_save_in_excess_of_50_on_monthly_telephone_bills.htm Skype has shut down its password reset tool after a nasty security hole was found allowing hackers to access user accounts just with an email address. The flaw was first posted on a Russian forum about 8 weeks ago explaining that any of the applications over 600 million users could be hacked using the email address tied to their Skype account. Until Skype’s reaction the hacker would then be able to lock the original user out of their account by resetting their password. Microsoft, the company that owns the software application, has released a statement saying, "We have had reports of a new security vulnerability issue. As a precautionary step we have temporarily disabled password reset as we continue to investigate the issue further. We apologise for the inconvenience but user experience and safety is our first priority." This is not the first time that holes in Skype’s security have been exposed. Earlier this year a flaw was revealed that allowed hackers to lookup anyone’s IP address and thus discover the city or country in which they are using the service. As we have warned previously… be careful out there people! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/311/Security_flaw_exposed_on_Skype_password_reset_tool.htm हैप्पी दीवाली - Wishing all SimplyFone clients who celebrate a very happy, sweet, colourful, joyous Diwali 2012 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/310/.htm Happy Divali - wanna call India for just 1p a minute? Of course you do! Just dial 0844 862 4404 from any landline or visit our website below... http://www.simplyfone.com/international-calls/INDIA.htm http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/309/Happy_Divali.htm Compliments are in order. After a few weeks of competitive fighting, SimplyFone has won a solid, Blue Chip FTSE new client. Importantly, persistence has paid dividends as this initial enquiry was passed to two agents - experienced in negotiating with larger organisations - and both said, ''no chance; no way, Jose''. So our Director N.F. took on the challenge personally & thankfully proved 'em all wrong! Yippee... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/308/Persistence_May_Be_the_Key.htm Without having the proven facts to condemn or absolve Mr. Saville, there is no doubting that his alleged sexual proclivities have concentrated the minds of many. There has been much media & water-cooler comment discussing sexual harassment in the workplace, at home and in schools. And it would appear that some have a ‘story to tell’ and it may not just be the BBC and other well-known institutions with some rather unsavoury characters at work. So, how can we recognise bullying or harassment suffered by others & indeed how can we properly investigate any fresh claims today? How would this impact on your client/friend/pupil confidentiality and would you/could you report ‘private’ chats & comments? It certainly appears from media stories & anecdotal evidence that there may be far greater bullying and harassment around than we thought... Is your company guilty? Are you perhaps guilty – even unwittingly? Hmmm… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/307/Jimmy_Saville_Syndrome_Hmmm.htm Despite much of the current hype surrounding iPhones and Android devices, many SME sized business users still love their BlackBerry mobiles. For some people, it doesn’t matter how much buzz Apple’s devices get; they’re still die-hard BlackBerry users. Despite Research in Motion’s eroding market share (& valuation) and rotten press the company still makes a phone that many say is simple to use and better for business tasks like typing emails. Here are why we think that many small businesses still prefer BlackBerry... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/306/iPhone_5_schmiPhone_5_Nope_I_still_love_my_Blackberry.htm Message to all of our SimplyTravelSim roaming SIM users on the US East Coast. Please stay safe. We are thinking of you all. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/305/SimplyTravelSim_roaming_SIM_users_on_the_US_East_Coast.htm Ofcom, the telecoms regulator is to investigate companies that raise prices after a customer has signed a long-term contract. There are very real concerns that customers seem to be at the mercy of fixed-line, mobile phone & broadband companies that raise call charges once a customer is locked into a contract. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/304/Ofcom_set_to_investigate_midcontract_telecom_price_rises.htm The four Goldberg brothers, Lowell, Norman, Hiram, and Max, invented and developed the first automobile air-conditioner unit. On July 17, 1946, the temperature in Detroit was a boiling 97 degrees. The four brothers walked into old man Henry Ford's office and sweet-talked his secretary into telling him that four gentlemen were there with the most exciting innovation in the auto industry since the electric starter. Henry was curious and invited them into his office. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/303/Amazing_invention_by_the_Goldberg_brothers.htm Most people know what their business overheads and expenses are over a given period. But... Wouldn’t you love to reduce your overheads? Why not take a look at all aspects of your business from telecoms spend to utilities, from stationery to carrier services, from advertising to SEO & PPC & SM costs.... I guarantee you'll get your business healthier by checking the simple things first... It's so easy to get free comparative quotes for most fixed & variable expenses from lots of providers. So go on... What are you waiting for? (for a free telecom - line rentals and call cost analysis, call us free on 0800 619 2626) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/302/Want_to_survive_AND_grow_your_business.htm The Mayonnaise Jar and the Two Pints of Beer  When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two pints of beer. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly, and the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed again that it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up the rest of the space. He asked once more if the jar was full, and his students responded with a unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two pint glasses of beer from under the table and poured the contents of both into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the grains of sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - your family, children, health, friends and your favourite passions; things that, if everything else was lost and only they remained, would still make your life full.” The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else - the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.” “Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children, take time to get medical checkups, take your partner out to dinner and play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the leaky tap. Take care of the golf balls first - the things that really matter. Set your priorities, because the rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem to be, that there’s always room for a couple of beers with a friend.” - Author Unknown http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/301/The_Mayonnaise_Jar_and_the_Two_Pints_of_Beer.htm What fine ingenuity & business initiative. It appears that a company of South Australian vintners from the Barossa Valley area which primarily produces Pinot Blanc, Pino Noir and Pinot Grigio wines, has developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an anti-diuretic. The new wine is expected to reduce the number of trips older people often have to make to the toilet during the night. It could also have a target market selling to younger folk who may have a weakness in a sensitive area. Apparently the new wine will be marketed as: PINO MORE http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/300/New_Australian_wine__targeted_at_senior_citizens.htm I was discussing ethics and loyalty with a client recently because he had found out that one of his agents had been selling a competitor's services behind his back and on company time. His upset was greater over the loss of trust and lack of ethics than the actual monetary damage that he'd experienced... Anyway, after a good chat, he emailed me this joke that his wife sent him to cheer him up. It's an oldie but a good'un and actually raises more questions than... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/299/Can_you_really_trust_your_staff_employees_partners_AND_professional_advisors.htm Nearly one million UK SMEs (small & medium-sized enterprises) are owed over £36.4 billion, according to the Bacs Payment Scheme. Apparently the July 2012 research showed average amount owed to each SME is £36,000, and over 33% say that late bill-payments could tip them into bankruptcy. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/298/Is_Your_Business_Suffering_LatePayment_Syndrome_Too.htm SimplyFone have a popular telecoms product called HOMECARD which allows any client by means of an (020xx or 0800xx) access number + unique PIN no# to make a call from just about anywhere in the world > anywhere at rather low rates and have that call billed/itemised to their residential or business monthly SimplyFone bill. To cut a long story short, a client called regarding an issue they had and when we checked their bill, we noticed that this client had loyally been using this service for over 10 years. So far, so good.. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/297/How_Not_To_Do_Business.htm News is emerging that UK Mobile operator Everything Everywhere is expected shortly to unveil the UK's first fourth generation (4G) phone service… So what is 4G? At the moment most smart phones use 3G (or even 2G) to access data including the internet; 4G is simply the next step (the fourth generation) of data use, making downloading data much faster. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/296/So_what_is_4G.htm Wow - the power of collective complaints... Well done all of you. Santander has staged an about-turn and will no longer withdraw its "free banking forever" account from 230,000 small business customers. The original decision, first revealed in late July, upset some customers who thought the bank was reneging on an unbreakable promise to them. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/295/Wow__the_power_of_collective_complaints.htm A big, fat, warm thank you this morning to BT... Thank you BT for helping convince even more UK residential and business clients to move over to SimplyFone for both line rentals and calls… Why you ask? Well, just read the Daily Mail article below... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/294/A_big_fat_warm_thank_you_this_morning_to_BT.htm Norman's back at his desk folks - since before 8am this morning - after my break(s) - albeit away again this Thursday until next Tuesday’ish. Fit, tanned and raring to go once more, although modern technology really doesn't allow the 2012 boss to actually escape - ever! Hands up all those fellow-addicts who immediately answer the phone, respond to emails and enquiries - whether by the pool or beach or hiking or on the loo or..... I'm really (and quite sadly) fully guilty on all charges Your Honour :( http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/293/An_Addicts_Sad_Tale.htm Many companies spent fortunes as Olympic Sponsors promoting their 'brands' including Adidas... The one area that wasn't 'sponsored' but left open to competition was the athletes' footwear. Adidas – as one of the Official Team GB Sponsors – has obviously dominated Olympic clothing, but brilliant marketing by their biggest competitor Nike grabbed most of the limelight with their crazy coloured shoes, trainers & spikes… Neon yellows, lime-greens, crazy purples have proven that it’s not just the money spent, but ideas well-thought through… So, although not a sponsor spending silly money, but wonderfully positive publicity created with shoes that most of the athletics world, fashion mags and newspapers are really excited about… Well done ''brand'' Nike! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/292/Well_done_brand_Nike.htm Did you notice the rather poor quality television coverage of the recent Men’s Olympic Cycling Road Races? Well, it seems that it was 'your fault' all along. In a classic ‘pass the buck’ blame game, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has blamed you guys, yep the spectators, for twitchy thumbs & sending far too many Tweets and Text messages! Reuters reported an unnamed Olympic official who maintained the sheer volume of data traffic generated by the million+ spectators on the Cycling routes prevented cyclists’ GPS units from phoning home. That left the TV broadcasters without accurate tracking of riders’ positions, which in turn left the BBC apologising for what it described as “appalling” coverage of the event. Reuters quotes the official as requesting, “If it's not an urgent, urgent one, please kind of take it easy”. Oh dear… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/291/What_In_2012_IOC_asks_Olympic_spectators_to_cut_back_on_Texts_and_Tweets.htm Unless you are one of the few Olympic sponsors you may find yourself sued or even prosecuted for using the Games as a marketing opportunity. The Olympic logo was protected by law in 1995 and the London Olympic Games & Paralympic Games Act 2006 is the legislation for this year’s Games and includes rules to protect the commercial sponsors of the Games. Q) So what can we not do? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/290/Are_you_Aware_of_the_London_Olympics_Trading_Rules.htm With the 'cash economy' in the news... Unsure what the exact problem is… Cash economy, black economy or all transactions by cheque, d/d or credit card payments alike: taxes & vat are surely straightforward legal issues - not issues of morality… You, I, MPs, professionals, those working in cash economies or on the books must pay exactly what the tax laws calculate you owe, on time and with honesty – no more and certainly no less… Seems pretty simple to me, no? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/289/Do_you_work_for_Cash.htm Is there anything better on a hot summer's day than a large glass of fresh, chilled Copella Cloudy Apple Juice.. Mmmmm... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/288/Its_hot_out_there.htm Recent articles have advised & warned of the demise of the ‘landline’ telephone service… Hmmm… Here at SimplyFone we are not quite in agreement just yet… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/287/Are_They_Really_Dead.htm Thousands of mobile users across the UK have been unable to send or receive calls or texts after O2's network crashed... Many may also have problems using data services. The mobile firm said that it had begun experiencing issues "at lunchtime" but was unable to explain the exact cause. GiffGaff and Tesco Mobile subscribers - who also make use of O2's masts - have also been affected. A statement on the O2's website said: "Those customers affected will have difficulty making or receiving calls, sending texts or using data. Our engineers are dealing with the problem as a priority and we hope to restore full service as soon as possible." O2 have around 23 million customers in the UK. How many will they have after this far-too-long outage?! Hmmm… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/286/O2_Clients_Still_Having_Network_Issues.htm Read the reports of Bob Diamond resigning (although in his arrogance Diamond calls it "stepping down"…) and further read that he earned £20million last year… Am thus surprised to read (and I quote from BBC report): "It is not yet known what severance payments Bob Diamond will receive" Am I living in a parallel universe to these Gordon Gekko chaps? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/285/Gekko_rules_ok.htm As promised, the new regulations reducing mobile data whilst travelling overseas in Europe are now active… These have been set in place in an attempt to prevent the very real problems many European travellers have suffered upon return home, when they receive enormous bills for roaming data, data applications, using maps… Data should now cost no more than 70 cents (about 56p) per megabyte - far less than the previous rates. Meanwhile, calls will be capped at 29cents or about 23p per minute +vat. From 2014, consumers will also be able to choose a different operator abroad in the EU from the one they use at home. Our SimplyTravelSim however still remsins a far cheaper option with free roaming in many countries and very low outgoing rates & mobile data charges. If you’re travelling on holidays or business, please check our rates first to ensure a stress-free trip & reduced bills. Orders can be placed online at: www.simplytravelsim.com http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/284/Reduced_Mobile_Charges_Active.htm IP Office v8 is the latest version of Avayas unified communications (UC) solution for SMEs (small & medium sized enterprises). IP Office v8 comes with a number of new features and considerations such as: one-X Portal: a web based presence and Instant Messaging service Microsoft Outlook Plugin: allowing the user to communicate with his contact lists without leaving the Outlook window & without needing to bring up other separate client application iPhone and Android smartphone clients Twinning: Mobile workers can also make their home or mobile phone ring whenever they receive a call to their office phone. SimplyFone are able to install & offer discounts on Avaya IP Office & all Panasonic systems. For more information call us on: 020 31919 555 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/283/Avaya_Updated_IP_Office_v8_Solution_Available.htm Went today, for business, at midday, to Central London for a meeting in a government office, run (and I use the word advisedly) by civil servants. The old building - newly refurbished - is quite splendid, security in/out tighter than Heathrow customs (with similar machines checking me & the contents of my pockets - albeit I was permitted to keep my belt & shoes on), the location terrific and the facilities quite excellent. So far so good… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/282/Rant_of_the_Day.htm Telecoms regulator Ofcom last week announced fresh proposals to meet the growing demand for "fast data services” for businesses, as well as ISPs and consumers. The new publication, entitled ‘The Business Connectivity Market Review', takes a looks at the wholesale market for leased lines, currently worth around £2bn. BT is the largest leased line service provider at the moment and the Ofcom proposals include the maintenance and extension of "existing regulations” on the telecoms company. However, in London, BT faces tougher competition from other providers, so it's proposed that regulation is lighter for the company in the UK capital. The suggested measure will help to ensure healthy competition in the telecoms market, as well as reduce monopolisation, something which some of the other large telecoms companies have complained about. SimplyFone are leased line service providers too and can help your business survive and succeed in today’s market… Please call us for free telecoms solutions advice on: Freefone 0800 619 2626 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/281/Ofcom_Announce_Measures_to_Boost_Business_Telecoms.htm Passengers on the London Underground may shortly be able to make mobile phone calls and access their email messages… Negotiations are almost agreed to install mobile and broadband connectivity across the entire Tube network. The deal would include London Underground trains, as well as the Tube stations, which are already scheduled to receive wi-fi access later this year. Once that roll-out is completed and running smoothly there are plans to offer specialist features designed to help commuters get around the capital; similar to facilities now available at some bus stops whereby users can find out how long they have to wait by sending text messages requesting information or by pointing smartphones at printed codes. The welcome news follows plans to install wireless broadband access at tube stations, announced earlier this year. The service will apparently launch at eighty London stations by July, starting with Oxford Circus, Stratford, Liverpool Street, Leicester Square and King’s Cross. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/280/Mobile_AND_Broadband_Coverage_on_The_London_Tube_Finally_a_Reality.htm OK footie fans - Euro 2012 is almost upon us & at our SimplyFone offices we are all really excited to see some thrilling matches and sublime goals… We only wish we could be there to soak up the atmosphere & enjoy the ambiance. However, is any of your family or friends travelling to Poland or Ukraine to watch the matches and cheer on their trams? Don’t forget that it is now really cheap to keep in touch with them from any UK landline or mobile… and there’s no registration needed or contracts to set up… Calls from any UK landline to Poland: from 0.5p (half-a-penny) including vat - dial 0843 015 4404 & at the prompt dial the Polish number http://www.simplyfone.com/internationalcalls/POLAND.htm Calls from any UK landline (no registration needed) to Ukraine: from 5p including vat - dial 0845 545 4404 & at the prompt dial the Ukrainian number http://www.simplyfone.com/internationalcalls/UKRAINE.htm So what are you waiting for… Here we go ... here we go ... here we go ... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/279/Euro_2012___Here_we_go__here_we_go__here_we_go.htm T-Mobile owner Deutsche Telekom has launched the first online marketplace for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication technologies, providing manufacturers and dealers with a global distribution channel for their hardware, software and industry apps. M2M enables devices to communicate with each other directly and without human intervention, using wireless sensors and the internet. Often referred to as the "Internet of Things," it is used to automate management, monitoring and data collection, as well as to provide services through devices. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/278/Now_this_is_Interesting_Deutsche_Telekom_Launches_Marketplace_for_Internet_of_Things.htm Late Thursday, Facebook suffered a series of service disruptions which left many people unable to use the social network. Computer problems meant that the site was unreachable for some people for almost two hours. Sporadic disruptions were reported by many people and even those who could get through said pages were taking a long time to load. "Facebook is acting like its stock. It keeps going down," quipped one Twitter user. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/277/Facebook_is_Acting_Like_its_Stock_It_Keeps_Going_Down.htm Even if the next iPhone has a mobile wallet app and a Near Field Communication chip inside, we don't expect contactless payments to suddenly explode in usage - if the experience in the US is replicated here… Despite its influence in the smartphone realm, Apple is only one small part of a complex world of wireless financial transactions that involves banks, credit card processors, smartphones on several operating systems, merchants and NFC payment terminals. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/276/Will_Mobile_Payments_prove_Popular_in_UK.htm BT have announced that it is on track to meet its commitment to have 500,000 wi-fi hotspots across the capital in time for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The company has also confirmed it will be the sole provider of public wi-fi on the Olympic Park. Access is free for BT broadband customers and included in contracts for millions of Android, iOS and other smartphone devices through BT agreements with UK and international network providers. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/275/BT_Claim_to_Have_500000_WiFi_Hotspots_for_Olympic_Games.htm This afternoon I had to frequent a well-known high street electrical chain (wouldn’t be fair to name but a clue is their name which is similar to several Indian dishes & starts with a C) and the ‘salesman’ (and I use that word rather advisedly) - apparently the ‘head’ of that specific department - was so poorly trained and so lacking in product knowledge that I literally & very rudely; so if he reads this… if he can read English, I apologise; laughed in his face… One often & disparagingly reads about poor, laughable & inadequate customer services, but when it hits you squarely in the face, it is excruciatingly annoying. Just back in my office and need a strong cuppa just to cool down & that’s in a non air-conditioned office! Hey people… any examples to share with us? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/274/Thats_It_I_Give_Up.htm Recent High Street deaths & significant store closures include Woolworths, T.J. Hughes, Oddbins, Habitat, Zavvi, Thorntons, Game, Jane Norman, Moben Kitchens, Carpetright, Argos in deep poo & a host of independent stores lost… and now we hear that Clinton Cards are forced into administration… Can the High Street survive? In its current form I think not. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/273/Can_The_High_Street_Survive.htm Finally, after thousands of householders and small businessmen have kept Post Offices busy over the past weeks buying and stockpiling stamps, the proposed rise in the cost of stamps has come into force. A first-class stamp has risen from 46p > 60p & a second-class stamp now costs 50p after increasing from 36p. Have you or your business bought 1000’s of stamps to enable you to benefit from a simple way to save money for a long time to come? I know we have! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/272/Stamps__Did_You_Stock_Up.htm A serious bug in its Hotmail webmail has forced Microsoft to move swiftly. The nasty bug allowed hackers to ‘reset’ Hotmail passwords thus locking-out the account holders &, even worse, allowing access to their inboxes. Computer Security Monitors discovered the bug in April and warned Microsoft… Utilising the online Firefox ‘add-on tools’, hackers found a back-entry way to tinker with the data moving between users & Hotmail servers. However, the opportunity went viral & was abused by many hackers. Indeed, reports showed that hackers were offering their services to crack open Hotmail accounts for just £10. Remember - keep your passwords safe; keep them difficult to break and if possible change them periodically too. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/271/Hotmail_Password_Bug____DeBugged.htm Yep, have you considered Bulk SMS/Text Marketing for your business? Seemingly many B2B businesses are missing out on the advantages of SMS marketing and the powerful links it may provide. Users relate that SMS messaging has far greater reach & acceptance than any other B2B marketing medium. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/270/Ever_Tried_SMS_Marketing_For_Your_Biz.htm Look out your window and watch the heavy rains fall… Many parts of the world survive & thrive on levels of rain that are a tiny proportion of the rain levels we’ve all experienced in the last weeks - indeed seemingly since the UK ‘hose-pipe bans’ were set in place… Apparently, and to no one’s real surprise, the Environment Agency has today issued eight new flood warnings in South-West England drought areas. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/269/What_the__Drought_Status_You_Say.htm Industry insiders report that Google is proposing a consumer service offering free cloud-based storage for personal photos & other online content. The service, which could be named ‘Google Drive’, may offer 5GB (gigabytes) free storage with greater storage available for a monthly fee. This would create tough competition to other popular cloud services including Dropbox and Microsoft's ‘SkyDrive’. Reports indicate that Google Drive will work with image search technology to support a variety of document types & formats - including PDF files and photographs. Could this mean a further market shake-up in the offing? Hmmm... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/268/Google_Drive__Free_Cloud_Storage_Offer.htm BT’s killer RABIT foils copper cable thieves... Copper BT cable thieves were forced to flee the scene last month after police were alerted instantly during trials of a new security system launched nationwide today. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/267/Copper_Cable_Theft__a_Solution.htm Apparently today in 1976, Apple co-founder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake in Apple for around $800. It would now be worth $58,065,210,000.00 (and the quarterly dividend would be worth $248,181,946, or about a $billion a year) Hmmm... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/266/Ouch_and_you_think_YOU_are_having_a_bad_day.htm Looking through (some of) the published info & released figures/revenues/profits (sic) of Instagram and just cannot see how, where... Am I out of my depth here? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/265/Am_I_missing_something.htm Economists at the Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) say, "every Bank Holiday costs UK economy £2.3bn in lost productivity". We say money well-spent & great ROI when you see your staff return invigorated, rested, on fire & raring to go once more! Discuss :) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/263/Money_Wasted_or_Money_WellSpent.htm Whether you're off or working, enjoy a great Easter & a restful Pesach everyone! For us, it's business as usual on the Bank Holidays, so be in contact if you need us :) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/262/Happy_Bank_Holidays.htm Calls to (freephone) 0800 numbers could be free from UK mobiles in a bid to tackle confusion over the costs. Most 0800 phone calls currently cost mobile callers about 20p per minute. But, under Ofcom proposals, these could soon be free from mobiles too… SimplyFone already provide an option: Our mobile-override service, has been available for some years, - http://www.simplyfone.com/mobile_override.php - & supports free calls (and massively reduced International calls) from any registered UK mobile for 1000’s of our clients… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/261/Free_0800_Calls_from_Mobiles.htm Whilst everyone is hoping for superfast speeds from the UK's best athletes at the London Olympics, experts are warning that internet speeds may not keep pace. Already hailed as the "Twitter Games", many are predicting a deluge of data as events get under way. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/260/London_2012_Olympic_Games_Internet_Speeds_May_Suffer.htm In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot. And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she was often called Amazon Dot Com. And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why dost thou travel so far from town to town with thy goods when thou canst trade without ever leaving thy tent? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/259/How_the_Internet_Began_By_the_Ancient_Hebrews.htm Studies suggest that free mobile apps applying third-party services to display advertising consume considerably more battery life. Researchers used a special tool to monitor energy use by several apps on Android and Windows Mobile handsets. Findings suggested that in one case 75% of an app's energy consumption was spent on powering advertisements. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/258/Free_Mobile_Apps_a_Drain_on_Your_Handset.htm Are you ‘Self-Employed’ or a ‘Business Owner’? Well, which are you? Oh… I hear you shyly ask, “What’s the difference”? Well, to my mind, a true ‘business owner’ controls, manages and supervises his businesses, but the day-to-day operations are done by others; be they employed directly by the ‘business owner’, work contracted out or delegated... So how do you get to be a Business Owner? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/257/Are_you_SelfEmployed_or_a_Business_Owner.htm The power of online marketing? SimplyFone have a corporate presence of lotsa 'sales' or commercial 'search-style' websites, some paid for, most freebies... and I've always wondered at the efficacy of this media to engender sales, product interest or simply direction to my own company websites. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/256/The_power_of_online_marketing.htm The following are all true, recorded answers to quiz questions - so brew a coffee, put your feet up, relax and enjoy :) Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/255/Brew_a_coffee_put_your_feet_up_relax_and_enjoy.htm I believe it was Adam Smith's who said that the market - by what he called an 'invisible hand' - was able to transform self-interest into collective gain. Rather like our expectations & hopes that we receive the best possible care from nurses, teachers & workers, so we have a right to expect the best input from management of large companies. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/254/Business_and_Management_Integrity.htm 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. Her natural beauty took his breath away. "I may look like just an ordinary man," he said to her, but in just a few years, my father will die, and I'll inherit £20 million." Impressed, the woman obtained his business card and three days later, she became his stepmother. Women are so much better at financial planning than men. Norman http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/253/Women_are_Far_More_Astute_When_it_Comes_to_Financial_Planning.htm As most reading this blog online are only too aware, Social Networking sites abound… Overall, the undoubted winner, both in user-numbers, turnover and profits, is Facebook, with Twitter the peoples’ champion in the ‘instant news and fast updates’ category. Linkedin remains a popular business network & job-searching site and Google+, which appears to be the social network we all join & then wonder what the heck we are doing there and what to do on it next.., is desperately trying to get a foothold on that auspicious ladder. There appears to be a fresh-faced challenger on the block now too, Pinterest, a visual network where members share images & feelings & thoughts, apparently still mainly the fairer sex, on a virtual pin-board. However, have you ever stopped to consider why & how, you & I, are so willing to provide information, give away so much personal data & post private musings for free? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/252/Are_You_Making_Someone_Else_Very_Wealthy_Indeed.htm Apparently the UK's Competition Commission has proposed that cuts to the cost of landline calls to mobiles should happen a little quicker… Ofcom ruled last year that the fees charged by mobile operators for calls on its network should fall by 80% over the next four years. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/251/Reduced_Rates_to_Mobiles_on_Their_Way.htm The BBC have reported that Twitter has admitted copying entire address books from smartphones and storing the data on its servers - often without customers' knowledge. Access to the address book is enabled when users click on the "Find Friends" feature on smartphone apps. The practice came to light when an applications developer in Singapore noticed that his contacts had been copied from his iPhone address book without his consent by a social network called Path... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/250/Is_your_Private_Data_Really_Secure_Hmmm.htm Just received the latest 2012/2013 Barnet BT 'phone book' & it begs the questions: 1. who the heck still uses the 'Phone Book'? 2. who is actually paying for it - surely the dearth of ads in it means it's a loss-leader? 3. what a waste of paper for a (supposedly) green and environmentally-friendly company? 4. if it's still popular... why is it getting thinner & smaller? & 5. if it's for the benefit of those without 'net access or more probably, for the 'elderly' amongst us.. why the heck is it printed in a point size that had me reaching for an magnifying glass just to recognise the letters... ? Wow - this surely needs a major rethink? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/249/Relevant_or_Not_in_2012.htm Some Hertfordshire-based BT business & residential clients suffered annoying outages, once again, late last week following further thefts of & damage to underground telecoms cabling. Even more annoyingly, BT’s responses and customer service advice or explanations to enquiring clients has sadly been less than coherent. One business client complained bitterly that his business was without broadband and phone lines for nearly two days & he received very little help or advice. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/248/Cable_thieves_Create_BT_Outage__Again.htm ho would have believed it? According to recent data issued late January 2012, text messaging or SMSs saw a pretty sharp decline over the Xmas and New Year periods - normally the busiest time of year for sending social texts. So could the humble SMS text message really be dying out? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/247/Will_Texting_Survive.htm As we have argued for a long time.... unethical landline telephone and internet providers who randomly switch customers to their services without their consent (and often their knowledge) - a process known as 'slamming' - are being targeted by Ofcom... The telecoms regulator Ofcom says that an estimated 520,000 UK households were 'slammed' last year. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/246/Slammers__Watch_Out__Ofcoms_Watching_You.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/245/Whats_your_story.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/244/Telecom_Solutions_R_Us_Everyday_Tale_of_Another_Happy_Chappy.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/243/Time_to_Update_your_Office_Telephone_System.htm 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...) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/242/What_would_be_the_One_big_thing_you_would_do.htm 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 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/241/HMRC_Tax_Returns_are_Due_Soon__Dont_get_Stung.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/240/Met_Police_Spend_35K_on_Calls_to_Speaking_Clock.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/239/Online_Shops_Must_Protect_Data_or_Face_Backlash.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/238/A_Warming_Tale.htm 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. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/237/QR_CodesBusiness_Opportunity_or_Criminal_Abuse.htm 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... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/236/Can_we_assist_you.htm 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 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/235/Fancy_100000_in_cash.htm 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." http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/234/Facebook_Update_to_Previous_Blog.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/233/Worm_Steals_45000_Facebook_Login_Credentials.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/232/Flagged_Facebook_Photos_Offensive_or_Unattractive.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/231/Ok_Own_UpWhats_Given_you_the_Hump.htm These are my imponderables as we move towards 2012: Feel free to add your own… Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/230/Some_Imponderables_from_2011.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/229/Seasonal_Greetings_Google__your_friends_at_BT.htm 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) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/228/Cheapest_International_Calls_Offer__ever.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/227/UK_Consumers_are_a_Nation_of_Online_Shoppers.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/226/Email_Marketing_Watch_Out_for_Spam_Triggers.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/225/Hate_your_BlackBerry_Youre_in_Good_Company.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/224/GoogleChrome_Overtakes_Firefox_Closes_on_Explorer.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/223/Email_or_Social_Media__Which_Will_Triumph.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/222/Are_You_an_Old_FuddyDuddy_a_Luddite_or_Worse.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/221/Are_Your_Clients_Upset_When_They_Call_Your_Office.htm 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? http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/220/Sarcasm.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/219/One_for_the_purists_and_copywriters.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/218/EekBT_Increase_Prices_AND_Cease_Online_Bill_Savings.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/217/Amazon_Now_Has_VoiceRecognition_Capability.htm 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 ! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/215/Today_is.htm 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! http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/214/Warming_End_to_a_Busy_Day.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/213/Postal_scam_email_2011__PhonepayPlus_statement.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/212/Adidas_Websites_Go_Offline_After_Hack_Attack.htm 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 :) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/211/Be_Honest_Are_You_a_Scrooge_or_Munificent.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/210/PhonepayPlus_Fighting_Website_Infringement.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/209/Beluga_FBs_Group_Messaging_App_Closing_Down.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/208/You_Just_Cant_Get_The_Staff.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/207/Is_a_Skype_Security_Flaw_a_Terrorist_Threat.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/206/Qaddafi_Worth_200_BillionWorlds_Richest_Man.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/205/Can_BlackBerrys_Reputation_Recover.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/204/Ryanair_Travellers_May_Need_Stronger_Bladders.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/203/Is_the_New_iPhone_4s_a_Disappointment.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/202/BT_Broadband_Problems__again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/201/Spam_Texts_Unsolicited_Messages.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/200/Whatever_next_Dead_Sea_Scrolls_in_High_Resolution.htm So come on… own up… let us know… we can keep a secret… Just how 'Easy' are you? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/199/Are_you_considered_Easy.htm “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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/198/AutoRenew_ContractsWe_the_Only_Ethical_Telco.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/197/0800_Numbers__Another_happy_client.htm Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why we call it 'The Present'. ~Eleanor Roosevelt http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/196/Thought_of_the_Day.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/195/More_Changes_Local_Calls_will_Require_Area_Codes.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/194/Mobile_phones_are_DeadLong_Live_the_Smart_Phone.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/193/Are_you_Connecting_on_the_Move.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/192/Fascinating__who_said_history_was_boring.htm 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… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/191/SwitchSwitchSwitch_BT_increasing_rates_again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/190/Will_your_free_mobile_Apps_ever_make_money.htm 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 :-) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/189/Marketing_or_snoozing.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/188/Are_you_a_Power_Walker_Want_to_help_the_planet.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/187/LinkedIn_Share_Private_User_Info_in_Adverts_Hmmm.htm With reference to recent 'Riots'... Are you interested in learning about Legal Issues that may affect your business? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/186/Have_Riots_Affected_your_Business.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/185/Yah_boo_sucks_to_you_Apple_AND_Blackberry.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/184/Hackers_Attack_Blackberry_website__Oh_dear.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/183/Could_mobile_phones_help_police_investigations.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/182/Chutzpah_Ripoff_Parasite_Or__You_decide.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/181/QTech_AND_boss_agree_13m_VAT_settlement.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/180/Bubble_about_to_popagain__Fasten_your_seatbelt.htm 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. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/179/Is_Nothing_Sacred_Sun_readers_site_Data_Stolen.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/178/Is_your_website_AND_domain_name_safe.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/177/Eek_Do_NOT_take_home_those_plush_hotel_towels.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/176/Naive_or_BT_Ordered_to_Block_Links_to_Newzbin2.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/175/Facebook_unveils_FB_for_Businessgood_timing.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/174/Happy_birthday.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/173/Google_Issue_Virus_Warnings_Directly_via_Website.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/172/Naughty_Naughty_TalkTalk___Play_Fair_Guys.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/171/Are_you_suffering_too_Are_you_becoming_SNOBS.htm 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? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/170/You_Wasting_Money_on_Marketing_AND_Advertising_too.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/168/Phew__Cheque_Payments_are_Safe.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/167/Warning_Dont_Download_Apps_named_Sexy_Pics.htm …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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/166/Lottery_Draw_It_could_be_youou.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/165/Oy_Yahoo_What_dya_think_youre_doing.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/164/No_Evidence_Driver_Mobile_Phone_Ban_Reduce_Crashes.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/163/Are_you_a_Social_Shopper.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/162/Challenges_in_Business.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/161/BT_Taken_to_Court_by_Film_Industry.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/160/Every_Little_Helps__I_dont_think_so_Te.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/159/Cyber_security_scammers_hit_by_FBI.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/158/Changes_will_create_more_internet_domain_suffixes.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/157/Blackberry_shares_fall_on_poor_results.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/156/Have_you_lost_500_million_clients_recently.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/155/Schoolboy_Invents_Burglar_Tricking_Doorbell.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/154/Gain_an_Advantage_with_a_Head_Start.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/153/Recent_Gmail_hack_investigated.htm The following is an actual exchange of correspondence between a customer and the Irish Railway Company - Larnród Éireann Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/152/Never_take_for_granted_your_paying_clients.htm 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. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/151/Work_or_not_to_work__that_is_the_question.htm 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. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/150/Cheap_Calls_Free_Calls_Or_Dropped_Skype_Calls.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/149/Sony_hacked_again_This_is_getting_tedious.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/148/Cheap_International_Calls__want_to_save_money.htm 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. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/147/Going_on_hols_Lower_Roaming_Charges_with_SFone.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/146/Cheap_International_Calls_are_welcome_but.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/145/Have_you_suffered_from_a_fake_Facebook_link.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/144/Cloud_security_worries_again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/143/Phone_bills_suddenly_too_high_Tell_Ofcom_or.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/142/Symantec_says_Facebook_Profile_Access_Leaked.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/141/85bn_for_Skype_Yikes.htm Apparently up to fifty percent of new SME businesses will sadly go bust within their first two years. Why? Please discuss... Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/140/Business_Failures.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/139/How_safe_are_your_Facebook_AND_Twitter_updates.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/138/Choose_a_Decent_Online_Password.htm 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… " http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/137/Fridays_exercise_in_banality.htm (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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/136/Passport_Applications__A_touch_of_humour.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/135/Is_Social_Media_Valid_for_SMEs.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/134/You_lining_your_pockets_at_expense_of_your_health.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/133/Blogging_in_business_You_must_be_joking.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/132/Happy_5th_Birthday_Twitter__Are_you_Involved.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/131/Is_your_iPhone_secretly_tracking_your_location.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/130/I_cant_sell__Huh_I_can.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/129/How_Important_is_Punctuality.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/128/Is_anyone_listening_in_on_your_phone_calls.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/127/Does_your_company_need_to_create_a_mobile_app.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/126/Oh_dear_BT_cabling_waste_found_dumped_in_woodland.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/125/Have_BT_got_away_with_poor_practice__again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/124/Mobile_phone_users_overpaying_by_200_per_year.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/123/Why_Compare_Broadband_Providers.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/122/Who_will_win.htm 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 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/121/Could_your_business_survive.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/120/PhonepayPlus_publishes_fit_for_future_Codes.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/119/Experiencing_Broadband_Problems.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/118/Spammers_sought_after_botnet_takedown.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/117/Are_Keywords_valuable_tools.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/116/BT_Raising_Prices_Again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/115/Cheap_calls_AND_hasslefree_surfingVodafoneGoogle.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/114/Could_we_control_computers_with_our_Eyes.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/113/How_to_check_for_a_possible_ISDN2e_line_fault.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/112/Mobile_Rage_Are_you_a_sufferer_or_contributor.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/111/Dominated_or_Liberated_Please_let_us_know.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/110/Are_you_giving_away_too_much_personal_info_AND_data.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/109/BT_to_raise_prices_again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/108/Should_we_worry_AreSmartphone_Viruses_Increasing.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/107/I_am_not_often_shocked_but_cmon_guys.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/106/A_new_service_to_disable_text_AND_talk_when_driving.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/105/Are_you_really_doing_enough.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/104/Do_we_all_work_too_hard.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/103/Ofcom_launch_new_rules_to_curb_silent_calls.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/102/Are_clients_pd_off_when_they_phone_your_office.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/101/How_Can_I_Help_You__A_Networking_TurnOff.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/100/Mobile_operators_forced_to_offer_12month_contracts.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/99/Be_honestDo_your_Social_Networking_Efforts_Work.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/98/Involved_in_wholesale_or_retail_jewellery_trade.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/97/The_end_of_credit_cards_is_coming.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/96/Is_twitter_getting_twitty.htm Ever had that tense feeling? Do you ever get nervous when you receive that quarterly prompt to calculate your VAT return? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/95/Ever_had_that_tense_feeling.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/94/Facebook_apps_can_access_phone_number_AND_addresses.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/93/Low_Cost_Calls_AND_Rentals__a_Guest_Blog.htm A recent T-Mobile decision to reduce customer data allowances on its networks has sparked outrage among its UK subscribers. Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/92/Ofcom_probe_new_TMobile_restrictions.htm My predictions for 2011 - what are yours? Read On >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/91/Predictions_for_2011.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/90/Put_your_heart_into_it.htm 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 ;-) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/89/Grrr.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/88/Wowwhat_can_one_say_I_dare_you_to_remain_unmoved.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/87/Strategies_for_B2B_AND_B2C_serviceproviders.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/86/Deal_values_Facebook_at_50bn.htm ''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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/85/Twitter_is_just_a_chat_room_for.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/84/That_time_of_the_year_again_What_are_yr_thoughts.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/83/Could_email_prying_lead_to_a_5_year_jail_sentence.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/82/Cloud_Computing_v_OnPremise_Solutions.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/81/Whats_your_story.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/80/Those_pesky_Israelis_are_at_it_again.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/79/0800_Numbers__The_Facts.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/78/Skype__Would_you_rely_on_them_any_longer.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/77/Skype_problems_There_are_options_available.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/76/Calling_family_abroad_over_the_holiday_period.htm ...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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/75/Calls_to_0800_numbers_ARE_free_from_a_UK_mobile.htm This week Romanian authorities reportedly broke a cyber-telecom fraud ring. Crooks were stealing confidential VoIP data by hacking into company servers. Read On >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/74/Do_you_check_your_company_telephone_bills.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/73/Over_a_million_people_told_to_change_passwords.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/72/Telecoms_company_repeatedly_broke_consumer_rules.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/71/Thank_you_for_all_of_those_emails_in_2010.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/70/Have_you_got_yours_yet.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/69/Dont_fall_for_telephone_scams.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/68/Are_your_conversations_volatile.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/67/Home_users_call_an_average_176_minutes_per_month.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/66/SimplyFone_Bulk_SMS_Services.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/65/Be_careful__Fraud_that_could_sting_you.htm Do you fully check Twitter addresses before blindly connecting, tweeting & RT'ing comments!? Read on >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/64/Do_you_fully_check_Twitter_addresses.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/63/Questions_to_ask_before_choosing_telecom_providers.htm Just curious... How often do YOU check your Facebook page? Please comment. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/62/FaceBook.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/61/Google_Takes_Office_to_the_Cloud.htm 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 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/60/Crazy_call_rates_to_India__2p_incl_vat.htm 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 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/59/Albert_Einstein.htm 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 http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/58/Cheap_telephone_calls_AND_no_contracts__Nahhhh.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/57/It_wont_happen_to_me_Nah_No_way.htm 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. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/56/The_SimplyFone_Daily.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/55/Is_Zuckerbergs_Facebook_actually_worth_money.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/54/Are_you_ready_for_the_thaw.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/53/Broke_Brits_are_turning_to_savings.htm 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. http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/52/Ofcom_pledges_to_protect_broadband_users.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/51/Google_Voice_Is_Having_Serious_Trouble.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/50/Are_there_more_male_than_female_entrepreneurs.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/49/This_touched_me.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/48/Do_you_work_far_too_hard.htm 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 >>>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/47/Another_great_SimplyFone_product_launched.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/46/Cyber_Bullying__Have_you_ever_suffered.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/45/Claim_Back_Your_Money.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/44/Ouch_Will_it_hurt_you_or_your_business.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/43/Mobile_phones__do_you_delete_data.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/42/Does_it_make_sense_to_register_many_domain_names.htm 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) http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/41/Can_anyone_help.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/40/In_business__does_timing_matter.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/39/BT_seeks_moratorium_on_internet_piracy_cases.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/38/Logic_simply_logic.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/37/Have_you_fully_thought_it_through.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/36/What_is_your_coolest_Brand.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/35/Before_we_moan_at_others.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/34/A_cheek_or_what.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/33/Humour_is_always_rather_welcome.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/32/Should_Gamu_and_family_be_deported_or.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/31/So_how_do_you_choose.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/30/Credit_and_debit_card_problems.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/29/So_come_on_own_up__Be_honest__Are_you.htm 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 >> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/28/Is_your_VoiP_or_indeed_mobile_or_NGN_number_safe.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/27/Move_to_VoIP_or_stay_with_traditional_solutions.htm ...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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/26/Im_the_last_guy_to_offer_sales_advice_but.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/25/Are_you_an_entrepreneur.htm 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) >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/24/Are_women_better_at_financial_planning.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/23/Can_you_get_out_of_your_landline_phone_contract.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/22/Should_I_or_shouldnt_I.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/21/Is_there_hope_for_the_NHS.htm 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 >>>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/20/Has_online_blogging_liberated_you.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/19/Conference_Calling_made_easy.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/17/Google_Wave_Goodbye.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/16/If_your_day_aint_going_so_smoothly.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/15/Holidays__What_holidays.htm 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 >>>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/14/This_got_me_chuckling.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/13/Facebook_or_Users__Who_is_more_irresponsible.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/12/Does_your_website_attract_hits.htm 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.... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/11/0800_Freephone_numbers_for_your_business.htm 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 >>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/10/Twitter__would_you_pay_for_it.htm 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 >>>>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/9/Can_Ofcom_help.htm Advice on how to successfully 'close sales' provided by a sales mentor some years ago... The advice remains current, valid and helpful. Read on >>>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/8/Sales_Tips.htm 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... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/7/Financial_Planning__Are_women_better_than_men.htm 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 >>>>> http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/6/Do_you_own_a_personal_or_office_digital_copier.htm 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... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/5/Can_Grammar_be_sexist.htm 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… http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/4/BT_hikes_call_charges.htm 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... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/3/Memorable_Commercial_Slogans.htm 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... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/2/Mobile_Phone_Security_Tips_from_SimplyFone.htm 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... http://www.simplyfone.com/blogs/1/Too_little_to_late.htm