By January, roaming across the two networks should be seamless. It should also be possible from October onwards to be able to connect calls over the internet via your Broadband router.

No doubt, official announcements will be made in due course but if you are based in for example, North Norfolk and your mobile contract with Vodafone is up for renewal, it may be worth contacting Auditel for a detailed review before committing to a new 24 month contract.

Link to article:

http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/07/05/241834/apple-says-tests-confirm-iphone-4-has-best-wireless-performance.htm

I was thinking of getting an iphone but have put on hold – it’s a expensive device so I may stay with my Blackberry. If you are offered a ‘free’ iphone; remember it has to be paid for somehow so the cost may be built into your contract – the question is how?

1. Be there
2. Give to Get
3. Look good (visual impressions are so important)
4. Be Interested (be a good listener)
5. Business cards – look upon them as a tool. They should have enough white space on them for people to make notes on them about you
6. You are only selling yourself
7. FUKIT – Follow Up, Keep In Touch

Alistair had some great anecdotes and I’ve now realised that to spice up my round the table presentations at networking meetings, I must tell them that I play bass guitar in a rock band as let’s face it, utility bills can be a bit dull at times!

Alistair’s website: www.amtvmedia.co.uk

Business Network: www.business-network-south-manchester.co.uk

Twisted Lick rock band website: www.twistedlick.com

Just finished finalising a 160 site electricity contract for a housing association client; found out this morning that not only does the acceptance form have to be signed but every page of the 10 page schedule. Unfortunately, the forms cannot be faxed as the purple coloured boxes on the form come out black so has to be printed, signed and posted.

Spent two to three hours pulling off copy bills from various energy supplier websites to carry out this quarter’s post audit for a multi-site construction company client; why has the Head Office supply not billed since last September?! Sent email to account manager and will no doubt have to chase up.

Stopped for lunch and the TV news. Growing annoyance at BBC’s announcement that they plan to close 6Music as it’s my favourite radio station to have on whilst trawling through copy bills and producing post audit reports (otherwise tedious work!)

Nice to have a week in the office; next week very busy out meeting clients and suppliers so where has this week gone?

Took a call from a colleague who was asking about making the leap from PC to MAC, I having done so about 6 months ago.

4:50pm – that’s enough spreadsheets; must get out for a walk; enjoy the Peak District landscape and clear my head.

5:35pm – back at the desk refreshed, get a bit more done before dinner (surprise! – Ellie’s school won the netball competition, despite not having played since last September!)

Time to fine tune what to say at tomorrow’s networking meeting presentation and update my blog!

When it comes to getting round to reviewing non-core expenditure such as in energy and telecommunications, how many FDs have a plan and what resources are available to achieve it? Should they be talking to Auditel as their outsourced specialists to help achieve their New Year’s goals?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/28/new-years-resolutions-doomed-failure

The BT Business One Plan should not be confused with the BT Business Plan and is not as straightforward as comparing just call costs. Auditel’s unparalleled expertise in comparing telecoms tariffs is just one of the benefits enjoyed by our clients.

This is just one of the areas of energy efficiency in which Auditel can assist in offering advice as companies realise that effective procurement is not the only means of reducing energy costs.

http://www.utilityweek.co.uk/news/uk/electricity/environment-agency-reduces-vol.php

It is being reported that the income from this tax may be used to fund providing Broadband in rural areas.

It may surprise some business users to know that Auditel have come across unlikely locations, even a major rail terminal, without ADSL Broadband and that we have then been engaged to source the most cost effective leased line. As data then becomes a more significant cost, it’s worth checking Broadband coverage before taking on new premises.

The BBC website reported:

UK mobile phone operators would welcome consolidation in the sector said lawyer Chris Watson, of CMS McKenna, adding firms saw the current levels of competition as “ruinous” because of how low they had to keep prices to win customers.

There was very little prospect of the deal being approved by regulators without some alterations, he added, and said “alarm bells will be ringing” about price increases.

Customers on existing contracts would not see their tariffs changed, he said.

“But when your contract comes up for renewal you may well find the price is more expensive.”

The problem that a lot of companies have is in not having the expertise to properly analyse their best option when a mobile contract comes up for renewal. Auditel have a number of analysis tools at their disposal which can cut through the sales gloss and project the real costs and potential savings.

The full BBC article can be found at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8243226.stm

From April 2010, any organisation who had at least one half hourly electricity meter in 2008, settled on the half hourly market will be required to make an information disclosure. Organisations consuming over 6,000MWh per annum qualify for CRC and must register as a participant.

So how do I know if I have a half hourly meter?

You should be receiving a letter from the Environment Agency about the ‘Carbon Reduction Commitment’. Information packs are being sent out in September 2009. The type of meter can be determined from your electricity bill but if you would like help with this process, please contact Auditel.

What do I need to do now?

Assuming that you fall beneath the 6,000Mwh threshold, for your information disclosure, you will need to have a record of electricity consumption in the 2008 calendar year. Above 3,000Mwh/annum, you will need to have a list of half hourly meter reference numbers as well as electricity consumption. Auditel are currently assisting clients with this as they gather electricity data as part of their bill checking process.

If your organisation is above the 6,000Mwh threshold, you must register as a full participant.

What happens next?

The Environment Agency will be writing to organisations from September 2009 with further guidance. The registration window is from April 2010 to September 2010.

Our advice is not to leave it until 2010 before starting to gather 2008 consumption data as it will be  easier to obtain now than later.The Environment Agency are recommending that “If you are the highest parent organisation or primary member (the organisation taking responsibility for CRC compliance for your group), you should be thinking about your organisational structure and arranging for electricity consumption data to be forwarded to you from all your UK undertakings.”