Jola Cloud Solutions' Blog

Design agencies with up to 20 employees located both on business parks and in city centres are turning to Jola for their connectivity. They use powerful machines and software such as the Adobe Creative Suite to create materials in PDF to be emailed to clients for review and when approved send large print-ready files and specifications to the printers. Some use cloud proofing software such as RedPen to allow clients to log into their design work and mark up any changes in the proofing process. To do all of this they need a fast and reliable Internet circuit.

Private dentists have several computers all networked so each dentist can access patient records. Receptionists access notes from patient records too to make appointments which generate automatic text reminders. Many cosmetic dentists now offer a range of services including clear braces where photos, x-rays and patient details are emailed to US headquarters to produce braces which are then sent back to UK dentists to fit and refit regularly throughout the treatment plan.

Many chartered accountants that use broadband to access client files, email information and to submit tax returns are struggling with the following issues:

• The service is often too slow
• The service is not secure.
• There is no agreed fixed time when the service goes down.

Trade suppliers use the Internet like many of us for email, researching projects on the web and for accessing the corporate network. Slow and unreliable Internet can cause a delay in communications and hinder productivity.

Engineering firms located in areas where broadband is slow and unreliable are struggling to communicate and share company information. One local engineering company was recently purchased by a Chinese company who needed access to the corporate network so something had to be done.

Here are 5 easy steps to getting your hands on £3000 to increase the speed of your connectivity but hurry because the scheme finishes in March 2016.

1. Is your company situated in a qualifying area? Type your postcode into www.connectionvouchers.co.uk.
2. Check that your company complies with the criteria at www.connectionvouchers.co.uk/whos-eligible/
3. Select a registered supplier. Note that not all registered suppliers have the relevant experience so choose carefully.
4. Get a quote to upgrade your connection to the Internet. Even if you have chosen a supplier its best to get at least two quotes for comparison.
5. Your chosen supplier should know how optimise the deal to your advantage and be able to handle all the paperwork for you.

Jola partners primarily with IT Support companies.

Something we hear from our Partners fairly regularly is “we don’t like salespeople and neither do our customers”.

Our Partners are technical experts and their customers know this. Consequently whenever there is a decision to be made on connectivity or telecommunications, research* shows that nearly half of them defer to their IT Support supplier. The smaller and less IT literate they are the more likely they are to treat their IT supplier as a trusted advisor.

Resellers risk their business for Government cash.

The voucher scheme

The Government has expanded and simplified its voucher scheme, which is great news for small businesses and telecoms resellers, who can now claim back up to £3000 on the installation of an Internet leased line. The end customer has to be in one of the 22 eligible cities and meet fairly broad criteria. The reseller needs to be registered on the scheme, which runs until April 2015.

There is little value in having great commissions paid on time if you cannot win the contract in the first place. There is also no point in partnering with a supplier for connectivity and telephony if niggles and downtime end up costing you money and jeopardising the relationship with your customer.

A recent Swan Independent Research survey into SME communications suggests that SMEs are falling behind in their Internet connectivity simply because they are not aware of what’s available.