Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

If you supply business communications or IT support to SMEs, you may have an experienced an uplift in the number of requests for recommendations to faster, more reliable connectivity. Jola has a leased line quoting tool which allows suppliers to enter a postcode and receive quotes for leased lines from multiple carriers, but why should you sign up?

Retailers traditionally used broadband in the office for email and web surfing but as technology has advanced so have their requirements.

Developments in technology

International retailers have upgraded their broadband connections to complex MPLS data networks to allow for financial transactions to be processed securely and quickly using transaction processing houses. National retailers such as corner shops chains have followed suit and bars and restaurant chains have taken this a step further introducing EpoS streaming video to create atmosphere or to display point of sale advertising. Leading fashion retailers are rolling out ERP systems to manage collect, store and interpret data from product planning, marketing and sales and inventory management.

Fuelled by high demand and the recent expansion of the Government’s voucher scheme, Internet connectivity is becoming a core product for voice and data resellers and a conduit to sell cloud solutions.

Many resellers and dealers have traditionally steered clear of internet connectivity because of thin margins, provisioning issues and support overheads. With the recent introduction of FTTC, Ethernet and Government incentives this is changing.

Think of the best salesperson you know and the best interviewer on TV. Is there any trait they have in common? 

1. They empathise well

The one thing that stands out for me is empathy. The ability to understand the point of view of the person you are talking to - to be able to say what they are thinking. When you demonstrate this ability you build rapport and people start to trust you.

With some people empathy is instinctive, even genetic. They naturally ask questions rather than talk about themselves and are genuinely interested in other people. For others it is something to learn and develop.

At first sight Fibre to the Cabinet and Ethernet First Mile seem to be very similar products at vastly different prices. BTWholesale (BTW) launched EFM at the beginning of 2010 and almost exactly a year later Talk Talk Business (TTB) announced that they had enabled just under 2000 exchanges for their version of the product. At the same time BTW rolled out FTTC, starting with a handful of exchanges in early 2010 but quickly accelerating their roll out.

So you run your own IT Support business, you are proud of the service you deliver and that you win new business mainly via recommendations. You are happy with your existing product range so why consider expanding it?

Charities such as Macmillan have embraced the Internet to help them launch fund raising campaigns. Sites such as Facebook with their JustGiving app have been instrumental in promoting sponsorship for sporting events such as the marathon, coffee mornings and nights in where friends are encouraged to donate. Some companies have taken this a step further by introducing a nominate element such as the ice bucket challenge where friends nominated other friends to pour a bucket of iced water over their heads and donate to charitable causes. The end result has been a rise in donations and in awareness about the charity.

In the SME sector we are seeing unprecedented demand for faster, more reliable connectivity.

My colleagues and I have spent a lot of time recently talking and writing about Ethernet, the challenges and opportunities. It is absolutely true that SMEs’ appetite for more and better quality bandwidth is insatiable. It stands to reason that when an organisation starts to consume more and more mission-critical services from the cloud that they will be more receptive to spending more on connecting to the cloud.

Demand for faster, more reliable internet connectivity is on the increase in the SME market but even the most competitive leased line prices fall outside the reach of some. This is changing with the availability of FTTC Ethernet.