ADVERTORIAL
Why network connectivity is
key to driving digital change
Paul Beacham, Senior Manager, Data Networking Portfolios at BT Wholesale
The country has been through
enormous transition but,
as lockdown eases, we’re
witnessing how businesses
have adapted. In many cases,
technology has been adopted en
masse – greatly accelerating digital
transformation projects – and its
use will become the centre of how
many operate moving forward.
While some will have had their
digital journeys kickstarted due to
coronavirus, others will have had a
transformation plan in place that’s
been impacted. ey may have
been forced to look at initiatives
di erently or adopt solutions that
perhaps weren’t being considered
at the beginning of the year; think
mass video collaboration tools
for widespread remote working
or app development to provide
a new route to customers. Either
way, the country is now well on
its journey to an all-IP existence
and, if technology is harnessed in
the right way, there are so many
opportunities for channel partners
(CPs) and their customers.
Another technological step
is also due to take place in 2025
with Openreach’s switch-o of the
Public Switch Telephone Network
(PSTN) and Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN). Our
CPs know this is happening, but
their customers possess a varying
level of awareness so they each
need to be addressed in di erent
ways. CPs should communicate
to customers that the digital
adoption due to coronavirus
represents a good opportunity for
them.
Reliance requires resilience
We’re all expecting more from
technology, now more than ever.
Businesses need their xed line
connections to be resilient and at
the core of everything is reliable,
superfast connectivity, tailored
for their needs and with room to
grow – that’s where BT comes in.
Testament to this is that the BT
network is relied on by partners
who support customers across
a variety of essential industries.
Our CPs support everything from
Critical National Infrastructure
(CNI) providers and local
government organisations, to
those working in fast-moving
consumer goods (FMCG) and
banking, sectors that demand
resilience, availability and security
from their network. Furthermore,
it’s the network of choice for the
Emergency Services Network, and
we even run the UK’s 999 service,
which has never gone o ine.
Unrivalled network reliability
and security
BT places reliability and security
at the heart of its network. With
security built into each connection
and with the network maintained
to the highest standards, it is
the only UK network that o ers
99.999% availability. What’s
more, the network has proven
it can handle the uctuating
demands caused by remote
working and evening activity all
with room to spare; during the
lockdown, network daytime tra c
increased to around 7.5Tb/s from
5Tb/s, nowhere near the evening
peak of 17.5Tb/s. In fact, the
network has been engineered to
never go above 50% utilisation.
We don’t rest on our laurels,
however, and we continue to
invest heavily into the network;
£3.7 billion annually. Among
many upgrades, we’re building
extra capacity where we know
xed line demand will increase
as remote working becomes a
more permanent setup. Ensuring
the complete availability of
bandwidth is crucial following a
time of heavy disruption for the
country and when businesses are
beginning to nd their feet once
more.
Accessing the network
Not only does BT have the
most reliable network, we also
design and deliver the widest
portfolio of resilient end-to-end
access solutions that ensures
that reliability reaches businesses
wherever and however they access
the network. Furthermore, we also
understand that there is no ‘one
size ts all’. Each solution comes
with its own bene ts that can
enhance operations, and they’re all
backed with the exibility to scale.
We’ve made access to our
network easy through our
portfolio, automating processes
which speed up installation and
delivery lead times and putting
partners in control with end-toend
self-serve functionality. is
ensures that our partners can get
setup on our network simply so
that they can start generating
revenue faster.
Backed by experts
Supporting CPs stretches beyond
our network. BT Wholesale
also has a 1,700 strong team of
dedicated experts, as well as a
Managed Services o ering that
can be used to deliver projects on
time and in budget, whilst helping
to ensure maximum value is being
driven from technology.
Furthermore, our network is
actively protected and monitored
by more than 3,000 security
experts and 40,000 devices,
in place to defend against the
4,000 cyberattacks made against
the network daily. Bolstering
this, we also have an ecosystem
consisting of 300 security vendors
and partners. All of these factors
combine to enable businesses to
embrace digital change without
compromising the safety of data
or reputation.
Knowing what’s important
We know that sustainability is
of huge importance to CPs, and
we’re proud that our ongoing
commitment to climate action
is re ected in our ranking as the
number 1 sustainability leader in
the FTSE 100. Moving forward,
we’ve pledged to become a net
zero carbon emissions business by
2045 and, already, 100% of the
electricity we purchase from UK
suppliers is from renewable energy
sources. Showing how far we’ve
come already, since 2016/17,
we’ve reduced the carbon intensity
of our operations by 42%.
Ultimately, as companies place
more reliance on technology to
operate in this new environment,
it’s vital that all e orts are
underpinned by superfast, reliable
connectivity, delivered and
supported with expertise. When
the foundations are set, companies
are able to take advantage of the
many digital opportunities that
are presenting themselves as the
country becomes more connected.
e BT network provides peace
of mind and, backed by a team
of experts, it’s the perfect partner
to encourage performance and
growth.
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