Aug 5, 2020 | Blog, News
I don’t know about you, after all of the recent doom and gloom, we could use a holiday right now. It’s also our third birthday this month and we’d like to celebrate in style.
But, we don’t want to pat ourselves on the back or any of that nonsense. Instead, we want to give you something that 2020 has taken away from us. And that something is a free getaway.
That’s right, we’re paying for all our clients to go abroad at any time in the next 2 years. And, you even get to choose the destination from a list of European hotspots. Here’s how it works…
Clients of Nxcoms, pack your bags
Provided you’re a client of ours, we’ll pay for you to stay at 3 or 4-star accommodation across Europe. From Barcelona to Istanbul, the choice is yours. Once you’ve selected a destination, you’ll be presented with a list of luxury hotels each equipped to make your stay special.
Our offer covers the standard packages, excluding local taxes, flights and transfers, but if you do fancy upgrading rooms or adding a few extra days for a reduced cost, feel free to treat yourself during the booking process.
Once you arrive, simply say your name and it’s as if you booked through traditional methods. Only this time it’s on us.
What’s the catch?
We know. You’re probably thinking there’s got to be something in the small print. But, there’s not. It really is this simple. We’ll give you an activation code which you then use to register. There is a small fee to pay to cover the local taxes in the country you are going to, and then you have 24 months to book your holiday. You’ll be presented with a range of hotels, all located in the area of your choice and with a range of amenities.
How can we do this? Well, most hotels and resorts have at least one vacancy at any one time. So, to make the most of their rooms, they work with companies like us to refer guests. They get tourism, and you get a holiday. It’s a win-win!
You’re also free to take another adult and up to two children under the age of 12. So spread the wanderlust by inviting a loved one or treating a close friend. Better yet, upgrade your room and take the whole family.
Oh, and don’t worry if you don’t fancy traveling just yet as you’ve got up to two years to decide on your holiday dates.
Sign me up
If you’re interested in the offer and are an Nxcoms client, get in touch with us at sales@nxcoms.co.uk. We’ll be able to answer any questions you might have too. A full list of terms and conditions can be found here.
Not yet a client of Nxcoms? You can still hitch a ride on the holiday express. All you need to do is speak to a member of the team about our services on 0161 711 1100.
As always, remember that we’re here to keep you connected – whether that’s with the latest voice technology or by enhancing your broadband services. If you’d like to find out more about what we offer, get in touch today.
Jul 27, 2020 | Blog, Connectivity, News
Demand for internet access on sites has been steadily rising for years. Before, only a handful of site managers would be equipped with some level of connectivity. Now, as programmes become more demanding and site employees require more information and collaboration, connectivity is vital.
Everything from office equipment to cameras and 3D mapping devices need to move freely around your site. By limiting their connectivity, your team works less effectively and you risk not being compliant with current security standards.
So, to help you get to grips with it, we’ve provided a complete guide to connectivity and its role on modern construction sites.
Keep teams connected
If you’re in charge of operations for a construction site, you need to be able to check in with various projects – occasionally across multiple locations – to ensure that work is being carried out on time and within budget. Architects, contractors and clients all require updates and information too. And you may need to provide immediate access to plans and surveys. If not, everything could grind to a halt.
The same is true of technical and health and safety information. If your site workers can’t read relevant documentation, you’re acting unethically. And if they make a claim, on your head be it. There’s also the issue of supplier management, geolocation and workflow…
Trouble is, construction sites are still at the mercy of carriers and infrastructure providers. Which means whenever there’s downtime, client relationships suffer, on-site safety is threatened and so is the success of the project. Only by realising the true value of connection, and the role it plays in the smooth exchange of information on-site, will you realistically address all of the above challenges.
Ensure systems are secure
Even if communication between teams isn’t your number one priority, it’s likely that site security is. CCTV alone requires a stable connection in order to keep your site under constant surveillance. But it isn’t just your standard CCTV that you’ll need. In fact, there’s two forms of security most sites offer – physical and operational.
Operational is the human-enforced measures of protection, for example having guards on-site 24/7. Physical security though, which includes intruder detection and access control systems, requires a stable internet connection in order to truly protect the site. Which in most cases, is a stakeholder requirement.
Speaking of protecting the site, only by investing in construction connectivity can you safely support risk assessment and hazard identification technologies. This ensures that firstly, you’re not at risk of a claim and secondly, you’re protecting your assets from damage. How? By enhancing your processes so that you can run more comprehensive security measures.
Enjoy cloud-based software
Virtual desktops and cloud computing allow for more than quality connection however. They enhance your facilities so that you’re able evolve your site development into something more dynamic. Where before, a site manager may be shackled to their desk in order to monitor progress. Now, they’re able to update schedules, perform time entry and generate reports from the field with their mobile devices.
Whether you’re in need of a project management solution or an ERP system that can help you to better manage your resources, only by embracing cloud technology are you able to utilise them. Of course, with cloud relying on a stable internet connection, there’s no use shopping for software unless you’re confident you’ll remain fully connected while on-site.
Likewise, tethering your smartphone to these devices won’t be enough to sustain your team, rendering a project management tool useless. Instead you need a solution that isn’t hampered by data restrictions, network coverage and the inability to transfer data internally. Plus it will need to be protected from on-site activity, while flexible enough (in terms of its contract) to marry up to your project time constraints.
Often site managers will be forced to travel around overseeing various locations – some with very poor connection. This is where eSIMs come in. eSIMs allow any mobile data device to connect to any provider in the UK or abroad. So, whether you don’t know who the best provider is for the area you’re in or simply move around a lot, our eSIM product will always connect to the carrier with the strongest signal – no matter where you are.
How Nxcoms can help
In need of a better connection but don’t know where to start? Give us a shout. At Nxcoms, we understand that in order for you to deliver a project to the timeframe outlined and meet the demands of your clients, you need access to reliable internet speeds with increased bandwidth potential. And we have just the thing…
In fact, as experts in connectivity, our team have supported construction leaders with exactly that. Not only are we able to recommend solutions which are tailored to your project, but also your sector. So, whether you’re hoping to get a direct broadband connection established or looking to protect it with a private APN, we’ve got you covered.
If you’d be interested in learning more about connectivity options for construction sites, get in touch with us on info@nxcoms.co.uk or by calling 0161 711 1100.
Jun 29, 2020 | Blog, Cloud, Connectivity, News
If lockdown has taught us anything, it’s that it pays to be flexible. With a little ingenuity and agility, remote working has allowed many to carry on with business as usual. Even those previously skeptical of working from home policies are now – understandably – converts.
But with more reaping the benefits, we believe that when lockdown eases, individuals will not just seek out opportunities to work from home but wherever it suits them.
Here, we explore how you can enable your team to do just that…
Keep connected with dedicated broadband
Now, it’s all well and good having a PC upstairs but if your employee’s presence on a Zoom conference is little more than a blur, you’re not exactly running at full capacity. Trouble is, most home set-ups have standard wireless connection meaning that full capacity isn’t always possible. That’s where a dedicated second broadband line comes in. No longer will you have to contend with the kids for connection while they’re playing games or watching videos. There are some circumstances where a second broadband connection isn’t available. But, if this is what’s stopping you from staying connected, we’ll provide a 4G router instead.
Ensure security with remote desktops
Back to your employee’s computers for a second… ask yourself, do you want your data stored on them? And, we’re not accusing your team of corporate espionage. Your employee’s devices are much easier to hack into than what you have in the office. After all, they’ll likely have varying levels of cybersecurity – and, in some cases, none at all. Remote desktops reduce your data exposure instantly. Your employees simply log into their computers, then into a portal that securely gives them access to their work computer. The result? All their files are now within reach and your data remains under lock and key – regardless of where they are or what their internet connection is like.
Free up resources with cloud software
If installing remote desktops has helped strengthen your team, why stop there? You’ve only just dipped your toe into the cloud water. Cloud is much more convenient – and cost-effective – for businesses. The way it’s delivered, in comparison to hardware, means that your usage often determines your bill. So if you’ve battened down the hatches these past few months, cloud allows you to minimise your infrastructure costs and dedicate money elsewhere. What’s more, data will be more secure, users will have even greater flexibility, and you’ll effectively be future-proofing your business all at the same time.
How we can help
At Nxcoms, we’re passionate about getting you back on track. Our experts are capable of not only setting up any of the above solutions, but also ensuring that they actually make a difference in your workplace – wherever that may be. Simply get in touch with a member of our team on 0161 711 1100, or email info@nxcoms.co.uk today.
Jun 15, 2020 | Blog, Data, News
Why is business broadband more expensive? Many small business owners ask us when comparing a business broadband line to a residential one.There are a number of factors which can affect this, but here’s some of the main reasons to consider:
Quality not Quantity
Unlike home broadband which is designed to be as cheap as possible to the end user, a business broadband line is more about quality and reliability. After all, no business owner would want their company to lose internet access at a critical part of the day, or for it to slow down when there are more households online. So a business broadband line, first and foremost, is always about delivering good quality and higher reliability to the business customer. This does mean however, that the price of a connection is higher than for a home broadband.
Higher support levels
When things go wrong, as they invariably do, a business customer wants them resolving as soon as possible. Whilst it might be ok for a home broadband user to be without the internet for a day, a business user would potentially loose thousands of pounds in lost revenue, and their company could just grind to a halt. So the support level for a business broadband line is usually higher in order to ensure a business user has their problems fixed quickly. Support levels for business users are usually same day or next day depending on the care level you pay for, whereas a home broadband would just have a basic level of support.
Fixed IP address
Many businesses have servers and other devices they need to access from outside of their premises. Therefore in order to access these devices reliably every time, they need a fixed public IP address. Home users generally dont have servers at home that they need to access from outside, but businesses usually need to access their email, files, work from other locations etc. So they need to connect to the same IP address every single time.
Prioritised Traffic
A lot of business broadband connections offer prioritised traffic. This could mean that voice traffic, video calls, emails, etc take precedence over web browsing or playing music. By shaping the traffic on the broadband you provide a much better experience for the customer, especially if you are making telephone calls over a broadband connection using VoIP.
Do the Maths
As yourself – could your business afford to be offline for more than a day? How much business revenue would you lose if your broadband is down? Having a slightly more expensive broadband that gave you a higher quality, more reliable connection soon seems to be a good investment when considering what would happen if you had an unreliable one. So for a business user its important to have a better quality connection that doesnt go wrong, but if it does there is always someone on hand to fix the fault quickly and efficiently.
Choosing the right supplier
Here at Nxcoms, we pride ourselves on giving our business customers the best quality and most reliable broadband possible. If things go wrong we understand the implications this may have on your business so we strive to get problems rectified in a quick and efficient manner. All our clients have a named contact who can address their issues and ensure that their broadband is working at its optimum level. If you are currently finding your broadband is not reliable or not fast enough for your needs, then why not contact us for help?
May 28, 2020 | Blog, Data, News
Why is your broadband slow? A lot of people have been asking that question recently as they have adjusted to working from home during the Covid-19 crisis. Here we hope to answer a few of the reasons why you may be experiencing slow broadband.
The reasons for a slow broadband connection can be divided into internal issues, such as wi-fi or router, and external issues such as a fault with your supplier. So here’s a run down of the things you should check if you are experiencing a slow internet connection.
Internal Issues
Wi-Fi issues
If you use wi-fi to connect to the internet, you may find that the speed of your connection isnt the actual problem, but instead its the speed of your wi-fi. The weaker the signal, the slower the wi-fi speed, so its important to get a stronger signal as possible. Your computer, tablet or phone will usually give you a graphical indication of the wi-fi strength so you can move your device around to get the best response. The most ideal location of your router is in a central location above head height with a clear line of sight to your device. However whilst this might be possible in an open plan office, you cant always do this in a home environment. So try placing your broadband router as high as possible, if its on the floor then try putting it on a table or shelf for example.
If you are in a different room to your wi-fi router, then you may benefit from a signal booster. There are many wi-fi signal boosters that can plug straight into a UK mains socket and they are easy to set up, usually with the push of a button.
Old or out of date router
If you have an old router then this may also be a cause of a less than optimum internet connection. From time to time, broadband providers usually send updates to routers to improve their efficiency and also to keep up with any new technologies on the line. You may find that an old router which hasn’t been updated just cant keep up with newer broadband specifications which have been released. So a newer router may help you keep current and make the most out of the speed available to you.
Electrical Interference
Electrical interference can seriously affect a broadband connection, either with the router or with the telephone line it connects through. Usually where you have an electrical transformer you can get inference. So try to keep your router away from power supplies or large electrical appliances. Placing your router directly on top of a desktop PC isnt ideal as the PC will have a large internal power supply to convert the mains electrical AC power, into a low voltage DC power supply for the computer to use. So try to keep sources of electrical interference away from your broadband router and telephone line.
Other Devices
Other devices connected to your phone line may have a fault, resulting in a poor broadband connection. For example if you have an analogue telephone or fax machine connected to the broadband line any faults with those devices could be the cause of a slow connection. Usually a broadband line test will give you an indication of a fault of this nature, but if you are able to do so, try disconnecting anything else which is using that particular telephone line.
External Issues
Once you have checked all the possible internal issues, then it may be time to call your internet provider and check for external problems. Your broadband provider can usually run a diagnostic test to check faults, and if a problem is discovered, they will send out an engineer to fix it.
Fault with the copper telephone line
Your broadband line usually runs on a copper telephone line, and unfortunately copper can develop faults from time to time. Whether its simply down to the age of the copper cable, or there has been damage or water ingress, a less than perfect line will produce a slow or dropping broadband connection. Contact your internet provider to check if there is a fault on your telephone line.
Service provider faults
Similarly, there may be a fault not on your telephone line, but elsewhere in your supplier’s network. A service provider fault will probably be well known to the internet supplier, as they have systems in place to alert them to such things. Again if you contact your internet provider they will usually be able to tell you if they have a service fault.
Distance from the street cabinet
Unfortunately this is one of those problems that is physically impossible to change – the distance of your home or office to the nearest green street cabinet. As your broadband is supplied over a copper cable, the length of the cable determines the quality of the signal, the longer the cable the greater the electrical resistance, and therefore the slower the speed of the broadband. So if you are located far away from the green street cabinet, its unlikely that you will ever get a fast internet connection. To check this, you can use the BT broadband availability checker, which will tell you the expected speed you should be achieving. The checker can be found by going to https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL you can check your actual speed by going to https://speedtest.btwholesale.com and if the two are vastly different you should report it to your service provider.
Highly contended broadband connection
This particular problem is down to how your broadband provider manages their network. Your broadband provider’s network is similar to a motorway in many respects – they have a certain amount of bandwidth (motorway lanes) which they divide up for their users (cars) to use. The bigger the bandwidth (more motorway lanes) the more users (cars) can use it. The problem occurs when they are trying to cram too many users (cars) into a limited space. So just like a motorway at rush hour, if there are too many users on the network than the network can handle, everything grinds to a halt.
Why should they do this in the first place? Well its to cut costs of course, the more users they can cram onto their network, then they don’t have to charge the users as much to use it. So you will find that the cheaper broadband providers have the most contended network, and therefore more prone to users grinding to a slow pace. The only way to solve this is to move to a better (and probably more expensive) broadband provider. As a rule of thumb, if you are paying less than £25 per month for your broadband connection, then you are likely to be on a highly contended network.
Faster speeds not available in your area
Finally, it may just be a case of your area doesn’t have fast broadband available to you. Most premises in the UK are served by FTTC (fibre to the cabinet) broadband, but there are some locations which still only have ADSL broadband which is much slower. Often rural areas or heavily industrialised areas have ADSL broadband only and so they can never achieve speeds above 20Mbs. To check what speeds are available to you in your area, then use the BT availability checker at https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL and enter your phone number.
Need help?
Here at nxcoms we are always on hand to help, so if you are having issues with a slow internet connection, please give us a call on 0161 711 1100 and we’ll do our best to assist!
Apr 17, 2020 | Blog, News
As we enter the 4th week of lockdown and into another 3 week extension of the current UK restrictions, many businesses are getting used to the new way of working. What may have been temporary measures a few weeks ago, is now fast becoming the new norm!
So, as we prepare for an extended lockdown and more home working, what are the best options for running your business communications?
Computers in the cloud
You may have heard of cloud computing before, and many of us were using some elements of cloud computing such as software services like Office 365 or Xero accounts software. However, with many people unable to access their computers in the office, how do you operate your business when you are used to saving things on the office server?
There are a couple of ways you can get round this, firstly as many people have done, you can use a VPN connection to connect back to your office to access the files on your network. However the more users you have doing this, the slower your connection will be and soon you could grind to a snails pace when trying to access your files. A second way of accessing your office computers might be to use a remote access program such as Teamviewer, but this can also be very slow at times, especially if your internet connection isnt that great! A much better way would be to host your computers in the cloud.
Many people don’t realise it, but you can not only run all your Windows Servers in the cloud, but you can also run Windows Desktop computers in the cloud too! This can enable you to access your files much quicker by remotely connecting to your desktop PC in a data centre. Hosted desktops are ideal if you want to access the same computer from any device, or from any location in the world, and you can pickup your work from wherever you left off!
Hosted phone systems
When you are absent from your office, how do you access your phones and answer calls? Well many businesses have just set diverts on their phone systems to go to their home numbers or mobiles. The only problem with this is you can’t easily transfer calls or communicate with a colleague, and often you can’t usually accept more than one call at a time. A hosted phone system is essentially a telephone system that operates in the cloud, so much like cloud computing you can access your phone system from anywhere with an internet connection.
With a hosted phone system, not only can you operate your phones across multiple locations, but you also can operate on multiple devices too! So you may have a deskphone, or a cordless, or a softphone app running on your mobile device. All of them operate in the same way and allow you to make and receive calls just as if you were in the office. Whats more, you’re not paying any call charges for diverting your calls. So having an extension in each staff member’s home is easy, and they operate as internal extensions – just as they would if there were all in the office!
Trouble with your broadband?
Working from home, streaming videos, making zoom calls, whilst the kids are all watching youtube or tiktok… it all adds up, and some people have found that their broadband just isnt fast enough to handle everything all at once. Ideally you would have a separate broadband line for business use, so that it doesn’t get affected by anything else running in the household. However, due to the lockdown its not possible to get a new broadband line installed for the foreseeable future. So what can you do?
Well, its not a problem if you use a mobile data connection! If you use a 4G router with an eSIM installed, you can automatically connect to the strongest mobile network in your area which gives the best speed. Connecting via a cable or using wireless is just the same as connecting to your home broadband, but with the advantage of not needing to plug into a telephone line. Even better is the fact that you can get this connection within 24 hours, and it will give you similar speeds that you currently get from a standard broadband connection.
How can we help?
Nxcoms has always prided itself on enabling its business customers to work from any location and on any device, so we have many years of experience helping businesses communicate over the internet.
Why not give us a call on 0161 711 1100 and tell us what is causing you problems during the lockdown and we are sure we’ll have the right solution for you!
