The latest Top 10 list of business mobile phones has been compiled based on December’s dispatch figures.

Continuing its good run of success is Nokia’s C2-01. It’s been a while since Nokia claimed top spot (May 2011 in fact) but their C series of phones are very popular with the C1-01 also making an appearance at number 5.

Nokia have 4 entries this month. After the C2-01 and the C1-01 which have already been mentioned they also have the E6 in fourth place and the perennial favourite, the 6303i, bringing up the rear in 10^th.

A new entry at 2 is the HTC Wildfire S. This Android-powered phone packs a lot in for its very modest price tag making it a winner with savvy businesses.

Down from top spot last month is the Apple iPhone 4S, although sales figures were still very good. December is a bumper month for phone sales as mobiles remain high on many people’s Christmas lists.

No Top 10 list would be complete without a tradesman’s phone, and this month at number 6 comes the Samsung B2100. In a similar vein is the Motorola ES400 at 8, this rugged phone also has a barcode scanner and is very much in favour with our transport sector clients.

Remaining at 7 is the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro. It looks like this is bucking the usual trend for Sony handsets and is continuing to be popular!

The last place in the list, at number 9, is for the BlackBerry Curve 8520. Not a good month for RIM, the manufacturers behind the BlackBerry brand, with a single entry only at a lowly position.

The Top 10 business mobiles for December 2011:

1. (2) Nokia C2-01
2. (-) HTC Wildfire S
3. (1) Apple iPhone 4S
4. (-) Nokia E6
5. (-) Nokia C1-01
6. (-) Samsung B2100
7. (7) Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro
8. (6) Motorola ES400
9. (3) BlackBerry 8520 Curve
10. (4) Nokia 6303i

Don’t forget, as an independent business mobile dealer we can supply you with any UK handset on your network of choice. Contact us for pricing and a free quotation.

The figures are in for last month’s mobile phone sales and we’ve compiled them into a Top 10 as usual.

The new number 1 is no surprise, the much vaunted iPhone 4S is on the wish list for a lot of business users as well as consumers! After this there is a real mixture of handsets covering the whole spectrum of business mobiles from simple talk and text phones through to high-end SmartPhones.

At 2 is the Nokia C2-01. Whilst this looks like a basic phone at first glance it is a 3G handset and does handle email and web browsing. As an inexpensive business phone it fits the bill and, being a Nokia, it is likely to be durable and trouble free to operate.

Third in the list is the first of four BlackBerry phones, the 8520 Curve. Again this is a well-priced phone rather than being feature-packed, but for many business users this is the entry-level BlackBerry.

At 4 is Nokia’s second phone, the 6303i. Very similar in many respects to the C2-01 and an old favourite in our Top 10 lists. It’s not a phone that is going to be fashionable any time soon but as a business tool it does the job.

BlackBerry’s 2^nd entry is at 5, the 9780 Bold. A better handset than the 8520 it is also more expensive which makes it slightly less popular amongst savvy business users.

At 6 is the Motorola ES400. This is very much a specialist handset and is used by a lot of transport and logistics companies for its barcode reading and signature capture software.

Seventh position is occupied by the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro. It’s not too often we see Sony Ericsson in the list, but this handset has a good spec at a reasonable price, hence its appearance.

No Top 10 list is complete without a “tough” phone. This month’s is no exception with the JCB Tradesman phone making it in at number 8.

Finally to round out the list are the BlackBerry 9300 Curve and the 9800 Bold. BlackBerry remains popular amongst business users, primarily for its email capabilities.

The full Top 10 business mobiles for November 2011:

1. Apple iPhone 4S
2. Nokia C2-01
3. BlackBerry 8520 Curve
4. Nokia 6303i
5. BlackBerry 9780 Bold
6. Motorola ES400
7. Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro
8. JCB Tradesman
9. BlackBerry 9300 Curve
10. BlackBerry 9800

 

As we approach the end of 2011 it is time to look forward to what 2012 is going to bring for your business. Outside of the retail sector many businesses will have time to attend to some housekeeping as business slows down approaching Christmas and the New Year.

This time could be used to look at all of your business outgoings and formulate a plan to reduce them or at least review them to ensure you have the best tariffs available for each of your different services.

One area in which businesses can save a lot of money is mobile communications. Telecoms technology is moving at such a pace that it is possible your current handsets are obsolete and newer mobile devices could help improve the way you work and drive the productivity of your employees.

Business mobile tariffs are also changing constantly offering you the opportunity to better match a tariff to your actual usage. By doing this you can eliminate either unused allowances that you are paying for or overspend on usage outside of bundled allowances.

Including business changes

During 2011 your business may have changed – more or fewer employees, different ways of working, new IT systems – all of these need to be factored in to a business mobile review. At the same time you need to consider likely changes in 2012 to ensure the chosen tariff will meet your requirements going forward.

New unified communications products such as Vodafone One Net can also be considered, particularly if your landline systems are also approaching end of life. A review encompassing all of your telecoms is available to ensure you optimise the different communication strands to achieve the best cost/benefit balance to maximise productivity and profit.

Implementing new devices into your organisation need not be disruptive and we are available for technical help and support in getting your new mobile devices up and running smoothly.

We have considerable expertise with the most popular business phones. This includes BlackBerry (and their data solutions – BIS, BES, BES Express), iPhone, and the latest SmartPhones. You will also benefit from your own account manager and a customer service team that are available when you need them.

 

We have compiled our Top 10 business mobile phones for October 2011 and there are some interesting results.

At the top of the list is the LG E900 Optimus 7 handset. We sent out a number of these for a large client who was specifically after Windows Phone 7 mobiles. This operating system is favoured by some server administrators and is also becoming more popular amongst consumers. Nokia's tie up with Microsoft and their release of 2 new SmartPhones powered by this OS will see its popularity grow.

The iPhone 4 remains as popular as ever. The new iPhone 4S is selling well too - Apple have reported it being their best ever iPhone launch.

BlackBerry have three handsets in the Top 10 and their Curve range, the 9300 3G and 8520 occupy the third and fourth places. The more expensive 9900 Bold completes the list at 10.

At numbers 5 and 6 are two of Samsung's tough phones, the B2710 and B2100. Ideal for workmen or those that tend to drop or damage their phones during the course of their work.

Nokia have the phones at 7 and 8. The Nokia 6303i, a regular in the list, and the C1-01. Finally, at number 9 is the HTC Wildfire, a great value SmartPhone running the Android OS.

The full list is as follows:

1. LG E900 Optimus 7
2. Apple iPhone 4
3. BlackBerry 9300 Curve
4. BlackBerry 8520 Curve
5. Samsung B2710
6. Samsung B2100
7. Nokia 6303i
8. Nokia C1-01
9. HTC Wildfire
10. BlackBerry 9900 Bold

Choose the best business mobile for your business

As independent mobile phone providers we can supply any handset available in the UK on a wide range of business tariffs. Contact us for more information.

From a single handset to several hundred we value every enquiry and work hard to save you money and improve your communications.

We've added two new pages to the Business Mobile World website today. Both deal with mobile devices which are in demand for our business users.

BlackBerry Business Mobiles

"BlackBerry are the original business mobile phone. Their focus on the business market has never wavered, even though they are now finding increasing numbers of consumers using them.

This business-orientated approach means that their handsets have everything you need to carry out your work whilst away from the office as if you were still there."

Business iPhone and iPad

"Both iPhone and iPad have revolutionised their particular sectors with Apple leading the way in producing smart mobile devices which appeal to consumers. Now more businesses are seeing the benefits too.

Their ease of use disguises a lot of the features they offer which could help drive your business to new heights. Let us help you discover the many business benefits that can be yielded by using iPhones and iPads in your company."

An independent business mobile service

As independent mobile dealers we can provide any handsets you need and mix and match them to the different roles in your company. We also supply other mobile devices in addition to phones as well as accessories such as hands-free kits.

With us you can compare prices between networks and decide which one offers your business the best deal in terms of price, coverage and equipment.

The Business Mobile World website is changing regularly as technology in the mobile sector changes too. Whilst the focus is still very much mobile phones, many businesses are looking at SmartPhones and tablets to drive their business forward through the use of new technology, enabling flexible working.

We will shortly be adding new pages/sections for:

• BlackBerry phones and Playbook

• iPhone and iPad

SmartPhones and Tablets

For businesses looking to integrate their mobile devices with their office systems smart devices are the order of the day. The two big players here are Apple and RIM.

Apple's iPhone was a revolution, and, whilst most manufacturers now have devices of a similar capability, Apple's smartphone remains sought after. Up against it RIM's BlackBerry remains strong, with a loyal following amongst business users.

For tablets the big name is iPad. Although the new BlackBerry Playbook has only just been released there are already plenty of people looking to get hold of it and blanket advertising coverage is going to drive sales further.

Other manufacturers have very good devices - particularly Samsung with their Galaxy range. Which one is going to be best for your business?

At Business Mobile World we can supply a mixture of devices to give you the best options for your business. We ensure they will work together and offer you the most cost effective data tariffs based on your actual usage. We also have a dedicated IT team for set up and ongoing problem resolution.

Whether you want a single device or a hundred or more we can advise you regarding the best way forward. Get in touch for a free business mobile review.

Top 10 business mobiles April 2011

It's been so busy here that we forgot to post the Top 10 business mobiles for April 2011. As usual the list is compiled based on despatch figures across all of our websites during the month in question.

Amongst the top 3 for April there's no change with the BlackBerry 8520, Nokia 6303i and Apple iPhone 4 remaining in the same three positions as March.

After that there are three new entries (positions in brackets) - Nokia 2330 (4), HTC Desire HD (6) and BlackBerry 9780 Bold (7) and the final four phones are regulars amongs the Top 10 these days - the Samsung M110 (5), BlackBerry 9800 Torch (8), BlackBerry 9300 Curve (9) and Motorola Defy (10).

Top 10 business mobiles May 2011

May's Top 10 business mobile phones offers a new number 1, the Nokia 2323. After that Apple's iPhone 4 continues its strong run with the runners up spot. In third is a new entry, the Nokia C1-01.

BlackBerry's 8520 drops to fourth position, just ahead of their 9800 Torch handset. Samsung have their sole representation at 6 with their rugged M110. Another rugged phone, the smart Motorola Defy, remains in the list for the fourth month running.

Nokia's 6303i drops out of the top four for the first time this year at 8. The list is rounded out at 9 and 10 with two new entries, the HTC Wildfire S and the Nokia 2730.

Tablet sales strong

Whilst they are not included in the Top 10 mobile phone list, tablets are now becoming strong sellers with figures increasing month on month. The iPad and now iPad 2 are very much the big players but the BlackBerry Playbook will offer strong competition amongst our business users.

BlackBerry mobile phones have always been thought of as primarily business devices, but have been gaining popularity amongst mainstream consumers, particularly 18-25 year olds. Is a BlackBerry mobile still the best for business?

Whilst BlackBerry very much dominated the business mobile market for many years, in recent times just about every manufacturer has brought out SmartPhones with at least comparable specs and features, and many of them have left the average BlackBerry behind.

RIM's attempts at touchscreens (the Storm and the Torch) have received very mixed reviews, to say the least, and their high end phones struggle to compete against the best from Apple, HTC and others.

Where BlackBerry have done well is in the middle market with affordable models such as the Curve 8520 and Curve 9300 3G (pictured above). These are very affordable handsets which still provide the best of BlackBerry's email and messaging service, which is the main reason to buy one. Unlike more expensive phones, these two can be obtained on lower tariffs free of charge making them ideal for small business users seeking to keep costs down.

Whilst they may not be feature packed, a lot of the "missing" features are not needed by the average business user so why pay for them?

For larger business users the attraction of BlackBerry is the control they have over their company mobile phones. By using a BES server their IT department can enforce strict security policies which protect business data. Should a BlackBerry be lost or stolen the device can be wiped remotely.

Whilst a BES server has a host of corporate features ideal for large companies it can be expensive due to licensing per user. Smaller businesses can still access BlackBerry email via BIS or BES Express, both of which are free of licensing costs.

BlackBerry's data compression remains the best on the market meaning that the amount of data you are consuming is reduced considerably. This makes them ideal for travellers overseas who can keep on top of emails with minimum extra costs.

For a comparison between BlackBerry and other manufacturers handsets get in touch to see the tariffs we can offer you, whether you want a single BlackBerry mobile or a hundred plus.

Nokia, still the largest mobile phone manufacturer by volume, is moving away from its own Symbian Operating System which will be transferred to Accenture to maintain it. This will enable it to concentrate on its partnership with Microsoft and the Windows Phone 7 OS which will be included with its new SmartPhones at some point in the future.

Symbian is not considered by many as a competitor for Android, iOS and BlackBerry OS which has led Nokia to ally itself with Microsoft in a bid to regain some of its lost market share. Whether these two giants combined might can make a dent in their competitors is yet to be seen and doubts about their ability to compete has led to Nokia's market valuation sliding in recent months.

Whilst the mobile news is generally dominated by Android and iOS and their seemingly unstoppable rise, Symbian remains the largest OS worldwide and is used by other manufacturers as well as Nokia. We haven't seen the end of it quite yet.

Lower-end phones will still be running it for some time to come and, for many users, it will serve them well, providing the functions they need. For more advanced users there is a wide choice of SmartPhone handsets, available free of charge on a range of tariffs running a number of different operating systems.

Whilst consumers may shun Windows Phone 7 in favour of Android there will be many business users who will find the full integration with their current Microsoft-powered IT infrastructure attractive. Ally this to Nokia's solid and reliable handsets and it COULD be a winning combination for some businesses.

At Business Mobile World we can advise you regarding the latest SmartPhones and operating systems and how they could help your business perform better.  

For the many business users who prefer to have a BlackBerry phone rather than an iPhone or Android phone the Curve 3G 9300 could fit the bill.

Released late 2010 it is a fairly standard looking BlackBerry when compared to the 9800 Torch with its full QWERTY keyboard and 2.4 inch screen. Some of the features and spec include:

• 256MB RAM
• Storage up to 32GB via microSD card
• 3G and Wi-Fi
• 2MP Camera
• BlackBerry OS 5
• Push Email
• GPS with A-GPS support
• Organizer

It is a step up from the BlackBerry 8520, which is only a 2G phone, but it is still available free of charge on most of our business mobile contracts. For instance, you could take out a Vodafone Business Essentials tariff at £25 per month and receive the following:

• 500 mobile minutes
• 3000 landline minutes
• 250 texts
• 500MB of data

Higher tariffs are available for users who need more mobile minutes and the BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300 is also available in multiple units on a range of shared minute packages for businesses with more than one mobile phone. Larger users can also mix and match handsets, for instance taking a range of 9300s, 8520s and 9800s for different employee types.

Higher tariffs include extra mobile minutes and include a 750 minute tariff at £30, 1,000 minutes at £35 and 2,000 minutes at £50. These also include the free landline calls and texts, plus data allowances increase for the larger tariffs. Contact us for full details.

Quotations are subject to VAT and 24 month contracts.

 

 

For the second time this year, and the second month in succession, the BlackBerry Curve 8520 has topped the list of Top 10 business mobiles. This is based upon despatch figures for the month across our range of websites.

BlackBerry remains a popular choice for business users, particularly for those who consider email a major part of their business needs. The BlackBerry 8520 has the following specification:

• 2.4" screen
• Full QWERTY keyboard
• Up to 32GB storage
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
• 2MP camera with video
• 512MHz processor
• Organiser

The 8520 is one of three BlackBerrys in the list, the other two being the BlackBerry 9300 Curve (5) and the BlackBerry 9800 Torch (10).

Nokia have four phones in the Top 10, with the 6303i being their highest entrant at number 2. This phone is ideal for talk and text users and does have plenty of other features for those looking for email or internet on a "light usage" basis.

Other notable mobiles in the Top 10 include the Apple iPhone 4, which ranks highly for the third month in succession. The iPhone 5 is rumoured to be coming June or July. More news on specification, release date and pricing will follow once known.

The Motorola Defy makes its second appearance. This is a very highly thought of SmartPhone which is gaining good reviews.

Finally the list is completed with a perrenial favourite, the Samsung M110 rugged phone. Ideal for workmen and those in tough industries, or even just accident prone business users! If you drop your phone a lot this one could be for you.

 

BlackBerry mobiles have always been thought of as "business phones". In SmartPhone terms they are the only phones thought of specifically for business users first as their rivals are very much consumer models used by businesses. The only other phones made specifically for business are the rugged phones designed for workmen and tradesmen.

Newer BlackBerry phones have very much been aimed at broadening their appeal into the consumer market and there is evidence that this has succeeded with a large proportion of younger users carrying their devices. So are they still good for business?

Our customers certainly think so, with BlackBerry phones having 2 or 3 (or more) entries in our top sellers list every month. This is largely driven by their email service which is still highly thought of by many users.

They are also fairly reliable, with few visits to our repairs department in comparison with other SmartPhone handsets. Reliability is an overlooked feature by many businesses but think about it - you don't want to miss an important call, or even any call, because your handset is "playing up".

There are now enough different styles of BlackBerry handset so that you can choose one that fits with your usage, whether that be a touchscreen or QWERTY keyboard (or both with the BlackBerry Torch!) Are there any disadvantages to using BlackBerry?

The main disadvantage is the cost of certain tariffs. BlackBerry data is still charged at a higher rate than "standard" data even though it is the same thing! The iPhone also suffers the same fate on certain business mobile tariffs. So you can get a similar handset that will do most of the functions of a BlackBerry on a slightly reduced tariff in some circumstances.

However if you choose the right combination of tariff and handset the BlackBerry solution will serve your business well.

Another perceived disadvantage is the number of apps available for BlackBerry phones. This is certainly dwarfed by those for the iPhone. However BlackBerry apps tend to be business-centric so you are likely to find a good selection of serious business apps at BlackBerry World.

With the BlackBerry Playbook tablet they are looking at ways of increasing the number of apps you can run from a BlackBerry device with potential for running Android apps via special software. This type of innovation is likely to come to their phones in the future if it proves successful on the Playbook and it is practicable.

So if you are thinking about BlackBerry for your business take a closer look at the latest models and how they compare to other SmartPhones in terms of features and usability. As well as their handsets offering a range of different features there are also a variety of price tags so they are affordable for single users and small businesses.

Contact us for a quote for 1 BlackBerry or 100+. We can also advise regarding BlackBerry email solutions for your business including BIS, BES and BES Express. If we feel your business would be better suited to an alternative device we can help you there too having access to all UK handsets.

 

The words BlackBerry and email are synonomous. BlackBerry mobiles are often purchased because of their email capabilities, which requires a special data plan with many networks.

For individual users these handsets are often sold on special "BlackBerry Tariffs" which include data usage. Often the charge for BlackBerry data is higher than that for other handsets.

For business users with multiple BlackBerry phones there are different email solutions to consider.

BlackBerry BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service)

This does not require any hardware or special equipment and is the standard solution for small businesses and individuals. Allows users to access web-based POP3, IMAP, and Outlook Web App (not via Exchange ActiveSync) email accounts without connecting through a server. It is the cheapest and easiest BlackBerry email package.

BlackBerry BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server)

The BlackBerry BES service connects to messaging and collaboration software on enterprise networks. It redirects emails (push email) and synchronizes contacts and calendar information between servers, desktops, and mobile devices. It contains advanced security features for corporate environments and is the most expensive of the BlackBerry email solutions. It is normally the domain of the IT department to set it up and look after it and requires licences for all users.

BlackBerry BES Express

Sitting somewhere between the other two it contains many, but not all, of the features of BlackBerry BES (often now referred to as "full" BES now there is a reduced version). It is free of charge, subject to a data plan. The download does need to be installed, or hosted, on a server.

For advice on implementation and installation of the various BlackBerry email solutions contact us. We can also assist with choosing BlackBerry phones and getting the right tariff for your business.

 

Would you like a free mobile phone for your business? We have a range of mobiles available free of charge on a variety of tariffs. Our basic business tariff starts at £25 and includes the following:

• 500 mobile minutes
• 3,000 landline minutes
• 250 texts
• 500MB of data

This includes a free mobile handset. You could choose from the following:

• BlackBerry Curve 8520
• HTC Wildfire
• Nokia X6
• Sony Ericsson Elm

For business users looking for more mobile minutes the tariffs rise as follows:

• 750 mobile minutes - £30
• 1,000 mobile minutes - £35 (data increased to 750MB)
• 1,250 mobile minutes - £40 (data increased to 750MB)
• 2,000 mobile minutes - £45 (data increased to 1GB)

All of these tariffs include texts, data and landline minutes as above. They are on the Vodafone network and subject to 24 months contract.

With higher tariffs the choice of free business mobile available becomes greater. This brings in the likes of the BlackBerry 9800 Torch, Apple iPhone, HTC Desire HD and a host of other SmartPhones.

Large business mobile tariffs

For business users looking for more than one handset contact us to get the best deals. We can supply multiple free handsets, either the same or a range of different ones to suit different tastes and jobs.

We can cater for SMEs with 5 or more mobiles and corporate mobile users with several hundred handsets. The greater the number of handsets the more value we can bring to your business in terms of cost reductions and communication improvements.

As well as Vodafone business mobile tariffs we also offer Orange and O2 contracts. We can help you with upgrades and with solving problems with your existing mobile dealer.

For a free no obligation discussion on your business mobile needs call 0115 944 8977 or complete our online enquiry form.

We have recently written about the iPad 2 tablet device (iPad2 - could taking a tablet be good for your business?) and how it could benefit your business. However, there are already many rival tablets on the market and more in the pipeline.

One of the most eagerly anticipated is the BlackBerry PlayBook. It was announced a few months ago and the features it claims could make it a serious player. Reviews have been very good from the people who have had the device to look at.

With BlackBerry's reputation as a manufacturer for business users the BlackBerry PlayBook might be the best choice for your business looking for a mobile tablet device.

However, BlackBerry's new tablet, like many of their recent phones, also offers a rich, multimedia experience suited to non-business consumers. With HD video, HD display, stereo sound and support for Flash (unlike the iPad). It also has built-in support for HTML 5 and no-compromise rendering of text, graphics and video.

The screen size is 7" (multi-touch LCD display, 1024 x 600 resolution), and it weighs in at a lightweight 400g. Like the iPad 2 it offers two cameras - a 3 MP high-definition forward-facing camera and a 5 MP high-definition rear-facing camera.

Add to this codec support for superior media playback, creation and video calling, 1080p HD video; H.264, MPEG4, WMV HDMI video output and Micro USB and Micro HDMI ports. It's powerful too - with 1 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB RAM and symmetric multi-processing. It offers multi-processing for true multitasking.

For existing BlackBerry phone users it enables you to wirelessly connect to your BlackBerry smartphone for real time access to email, calendar, address book, task list and BBM. It also offers excellent connectivity - 3G network access using your BlackBerry smartphone as a modem, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.

Business users also get:

Out-of-the-box compatibility with BlackBerry Enterprise Server

Seamless pairing for a secure window into your BlackBerry smartphone

Corporate data access

Secure and manageable

You will have access to all of the BlackBerry World apps, many of which are business focussed, and there are also rumours that it might be possible to run up to 130,000 Android apps on the PlayBook at some point in the future.

As yet there is no official UK release date (or pricing) for the BlackBerry PlayBook but we are expecting it very soon. We have already seen many business users integrate the iPad into their business and expect to see many others looking at adding the PlayBook to their network of mobile devices.

SmartPhones are all the rage and make up a large proportion of our sales. Two of the latest models which are highly rated are the Nokia N8 and the BlackBerry Torch 9800. More details below......

Nokia N8

Running the Symbian operating system with a 680MHz processor this smart looking phone offers the following features:

• 3.5" AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
• 16GB internal storage expandable up to 32GB
• 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 12MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Xenon flash
• Push Email
• GPS with A-GPS support
• TV-out via HDMI
• Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF)

These are just some of the features of this stylish phone offering business users the best of both business funtionality and leisure usage.

BlackBerry Torch 9800

This BlackBerry is unlike the others as it comes with a 3.2" touchscreen which slides up to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. In fact there aren't many phones which operate in a similar manner. Could it be a groundbreaker, paving the way for similar phones from other manufacturers?

For the business user with regular email use the BlackBerry email software combined with a full keyboard make this one a potential winner. Initial feedback from our customers is good. Here's some of the other features:

• 4GB storage expandable up to 32GB
• 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity
• 5MP camera
• BlackBerry OS 6.0 with 624MHz processor
• Push email
• GPS with A-GPS support
• BlackBerry Maps
• Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and organizer

The BlackBerry Torch 9800 stands out with its (almost) unique design and it will certainly suit some users to a tee.

At Business Mobile World we offer a full range of SmartPhones combined with a range of tariffs from the major networks to help your business save money and improve your way of working at the same time.

We have compiled our latest Top 10 business mobile handsets list for January 2011. This is based on our despatch figures across all of our websites.

The iPhone 4 has been deposed from top spot this month, slipping to number 5, with the Samsung M110 making a leap to the number one. This is one of Samsung's rugged phones, being rubberised making it shockproof as well as splashproof and dustproof. They are extremely reliable as well as tough and, being a basic talk and text phone, their is little to go wrong internally.

Another talk and text phone is at number 2, the ever reliable Nokia 6303i. This has been making the list for month after month and remains a usable business phone without too many bells and whistles. We don't see many of these being sent back for repair or having problems.

At number 3 is the new BlackBerry 9800 Torch. With a touchscreen and a slide out QWERTY keyboard it offers the best of both worlds and initial feedback is that it is a very good phone. The other BlackBerry entrant in the Top 10 is the Curve 8520, which, like the 6303i, is a favourite month after month.

The main selling point of the 8520 is the features it packs in for the price. This one is affordable on even the cheapest of business mobile tariffs and remains popular with our customers.

Basic Nokia handsets fill out most of the remaining places in the Top 10 with the other Samsung rugged phone, the B2100 bringing up the rear at 10.

As we always say, as independent business mobile dealers we are able to supply any handset your business requires as well as tablets such as the iPad. Our aim is always to reduce your costs whilst streamlining your communications at the same time.

All businesses are welcome to apply regardless of size or location. From tradesmen with one phone to large organisations with one hundred plus mobiles. We cater for everyone and provide the same level of excellent customer service to all of our customers.

 

At Business Mobile World we concentrate on delivering business tariffs and contracts. For businesses with 5+ handsets this option normally works out better for them and we can save them some money. However, where a business just wants one or two phones we struggle to compete with consumer tariffs and offers.

This is particularly noticeable on the latest SmartPhones where the high cost of the phones, which we have to fund out of our commission, means that the tariffs on which we can provide the handset free of charge are uncompetitive, particularly when you have to add VAT at 20% on top.

As a result we are now offering single handset users a range of the best deals on the latest SmartPhone handsets via consumer contracts rather than business. The current phones which we have highlighted are:

• HTC Desire HD
• Nokia N8
• BlackBerry Torch 9800
• Samsung Galaxy S
• Apple iPhone 4

However, this is not a complete list, you can find all of the latest handsets by visiting our consumer mobile deals page and clicking on the Android image.

As well as great SmartPhones with low prices you can also benefit from free gifts. These include:

• TVs
• Laptops
• Games Systems
• Tablet PCs
• Cashback

Signing up online is easy and many of the SmartPhones are available for free next day delivery.

For those looking for business mobile contracts we can still offer you them for single handsets, just complete our online enquiry form for your free quote.

As with the iPhone the iPad seems to be leading a revolution. All of the major phone and computer manufacturers appear to be interested in bringing out their own tablets with some available now and some announced as "coming soon".

Bridging the gap between a mobile phone and a laptop the tablet would appear to have little appeal to business users, outside of a few niche markets. That might be about to change now as RIM, the company behind BlackBerry, announce their PlayBook will be available in 2011, squarely aimed at business users.

As with BlackBerry mobile phones the new PlayBook will run on its own operating system specifically developed for tablet computing, BlackBerry Tablet OS. This is especially web friendly and supports both Adobe’s newest Flash standard, as well as HTML5. This is in contrast to the iPads lack of Flash support, which is one of its main drawbacks.

Where Apple lead the way by a considerable margin is in the apps department. There are so many already available that it will be near impossible for others to ever catch up. However RIM are making it as easy as possible for developers to create new apps for their new OS and to port across existing apps.

Business focussed apps would be a differential for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, particularly if there are large enough numbers produced.

Whilst only a prototype model has yet been seen by anyone outside of RIM they already have a full spec for the finished product, some of which includes:

• 7 inch 1024 x 600 multi-touch screen
• 1GHz dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM
• Two cameras (front and back) with HD video and video calling
• Ability to connect to BlackBerry smartphone

Expected release date for the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is thought to be Q1 2011 for the US market with the UK getting them in Q2.

A radio report heard this morning detailed how the police force are making use of BlackBerry mobiles to save officers time whilst out and about and enable them to do more "beat" work and less desk-based administration.

The BlackBerry phones can access police databases and also enable officers to fill in paperwork and transmit it back to the station. This is helping them save money and increase police presence on the streets.

This example of taking advantage of the advanced functionality of BlackBerry business mobiles shows that improvements in employee communications can deliver real benefits in terms of time-saving and cost reduction.

Communication improvement is a core feature of a free review from Business Mobile World. As well as looking at reducing your business mobile tariff where possible we also look to the latest handsets and what they can offer your business.

New features, and particularly new apps, are appearing all of the time. Many are aimed at business users and helping employees whilst out and about in the course of their work. BlackBerry apps are particularly focused towards business users as this remains their core user-base.

BlackBerry phones do not have to be expensive either, there are reasonably priced options for small businesses and light users. The BlackBerry Curve 8520 provides most of the features of the more expensive models (particularly the excellent BlackBerry email service) and is available free of charge on most business tariffs.

For a free BlackBerry business mobile quotation get in touch with us via phone or email.

The best selling business mobiles across our range of websites has been compiled for August 2010. As usual a strong showing from Nokia with half of the entries. They also have the best seller for August in the shape of the Nokia 1208.

In second place is another Nokia, the 2700. Both of these Nokia phones are sturdy workhorses for business users, offering talk and text without the frills.

The first SmartPhone in the list is the BlackBerry 8520. This has the excellent BlackBerry email service plus a range of other features and packs them all in at a price which business users like. One of the best value for money phones we offer.

Samsung have two entries in the list with both of their heavy duty phones. The Samsung M110 is at 4 and the B2100 at 6. These rubberised phones are shockproof, splashproof and dustproof, making them ideal for all sort of tradesmen including builders, plumbers etc.

Sandwiched in between them is the Nokia 6303, a regular in our Top 10 list offering excellent services in a neat handset, ideal for your average business users.

At 7 is the iPhone. We have lumped together all of the different variants in compiling our figures. Unfortunately the iPhone handsets are still too expensive for mass usage amongst business mobile users. It is also questionable what extra value they add for the average business user over a standard, and less expensive, SmartPhone.

Two more entries for Nokia at 8 and 10 - the Nokia 2730 and 2323. In between at 9 is the BlackBerry 9700.

You can see a full list of Top 10's for the past 15 months in one page - Top 10 Business Mobiles.

 

The new BlackBerry Torch 9800 looks like it is due to come to the UK in October. When you take a look at all of the features on offer it looks like they have tried to cram in just about everything into a single handset.

It has a touchscreen AND a slide out QWERTY keyboard, enhanced browsing with multi-touch and pinch to zoom, enhanced multimedia functions - it looks like it is trying to appeal to just about everyone. But is it good value for your business?

The simple answer is likely to be NO. With all of these features it is going to be a seriously expensive phone which means an extremely large contract to obtain it free of charge. How many of the features do you actually need? How many are going to genuinely useful to your business?

You also have the age old problem of the more things that are included the more that can go wrong! This particularly applies to the slider mechanism which often fails with heavy usage.

Having said all of that we still expect plenty of people to want one. We have a lot of BlackBerry users amongst our customer base and they will want to try BlackBerry's newest phone for themselves.

Getting the best business mobile deal is achieved by focusing on the features you actually need and obtaining handsets that do what you want without any frills. This means that you can choose the best tariff for your actual usage without worrying about having to pay for expensive phones.

At Business Mobile World we are not restricted in handset choice as we have a number of suppliers who offer unlocked mobiles which can be used on any network. You can mix and match handsets, choosing mobiles depending upon people's different roles in the business.

If you want a contract for 5 mobile phones, each of them different, that is no problem. We also cater for businesses looking for dozens of the same phone, keeping plenty of standard handsets in stock for next day delivery.

A simple review can show you the best business mobile deal for your usage, just contact us to find out more.

 

Research in Motion (RIM) are the Canadian company best known for their BlackBerry range of smartphone handsets. They were founded in 1994 and launched the first BlackBerry mobile in 1999. Since then the BlackBerry has gone from strength to strength.

Very much a corporate device, BlackBerries are best known for their push email, giving you instant access to emails anywhere in the world on your phone. Whilst many other handset manufacturers have made phones with similar capabilities they have been unable to topple the BlackBerry as the ultimate business phone.

Where BlackBerries come into their own is when multiple phones are used by a company. All of these phones can be synched with the business server using the BlackBerry software that has been fine tuned over the years to deliver maximum business benefit.

A BlackBerry smartphone offers a range of other features as well as the standard phone features. The latest BlackBerry handsets are mini-computers in your hand giving you access to the internet, documents and a range of business related applications.

This range of features does mean that there are circumstances where a BlackBerry user, particularly new users, will need help with setting up their phone and ongoing support to get the most from their new smartphone. This is an inclusive service for all business users taking out BlackBerry contracts with us.

For larger companies we also offer a BlackBerry server installation service. We travel the UK installing BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Servers) and ensuring BlackBerry handsets are set up correctly to provide all of the features required by your business.

We offer a full range of BlackBerry mobile handsets. Currently we are despatching a large number of BlackBerry Curve 8520 mobiles to business users. This particular handset offers all of the BlackBerry email features but is very reasonably priced meaning that companies looking for a volume of handsets can get them without tying themselves to a long or expensive contract.

All other BlackBerry handsets available in the UK can be ordered and we offer a range of tariffs that allow you to have the handset free of charge. Many tariffs also have inclusive data bundles - very important if you are going to be a heavy email user.

With regards to BlackBerry email usage, it is possible to change your settings so that you do not download a full copy of each email, just the headers. This allows you to see who sent the email and what it's about without downloading large amounts of data. If the email's of interest you can download the full version to your phone at the touch of a button.

For a free no obligation quotation for BlackBerry business mobiles just get in touch with us.

 

The figures are in for the Top 10 business mobiles for July 2010 based upon despatch figures across our telecoms group.

BlackBerry handset's dominance from June, with three of the top six, has been broken and Nokia return to their usual prominent position with six of the top 10 business mobiles. This includes the number one phone, the Nokia 2730.

This is a fairly standard talk and text phone ideal for business users. Reliable and easy to use it remains popular appearing in each of the last three months Top 10 list.

Second in the list is the ultra tough Samsung B2100. This rubberised phone is ideal for those that need their handsets to work in difficult environments. Shockproof, dustproof and splashproof it can take a few knocks and come back in full working order.

In third place is the ever reliable Nokia 6303, in the list for the eighth successive month, with the Nokia E52 coming in at 4.

BlackBerry's only entry this month is the BlackBerry Curve 8520 which appears at number five. This handset remains popular with businesses thanks to its price relative to its features. It packs a lot in for little money.

Other notable entries are the Apple iPhone at seven. The iPhone has been missing the last couple of months but bounces back with the release of the iPhone 4. And the Acer Tempo F900 at eight. This one has never appeared before, in fact Acer have never appeared before, and its ranking may be due to a specific customer request which this phone fulfills.

The three remaining business mobile handsets are the Nokia 2700 at number six, the Nokia 3720 at nine, and the Nokia X6 at number 10.

For a full list going back to June 2009 visit the 21c business phones Top 10 business mobiles page.

At Business Mobile World one of our key aims when talking to businesses is to reduce their bills. Saving money on your tariff, and therefore your monthly spend, is obvious and quantifiable. We have some examples of savings we have made for business mobile customers already on our website.

You can see from these examples that savings of hundreds of pounds a month, or several thousand pounds over the course of a year are often achievable. This makes for very happy customers.

Not so obvious are the savings your business could make by improving its communications. Getting new handsets which function in exactly the way you need them to and offer additional services which could be useful will save every one of your employees time. Time is money, so the saying goes.

We find that heavy email users tend to want BlackBerry phones and we can help with both the handsets and the setting up of BlackBerry email, BIS, BES and other email solutions.

These benefits are long term and in addition to savings which can be made on your contract terms. When it comes to taking out a new contract or renewing your current one we will be looking at a balance of both options to deliver the maximum savings to your business.

The business telecoms market is ever changing, particularly with the merger of Orange and T-Mobile in the UK. This means that new tariffs are becoming available and inclusive terms can differ wildly between networks.

That's why utilising the services of a broker to find your business the best deal and save you the most money makes sense. Our knowledge of the latest mobile phone technology can point you in the direction of the best handsets for the way your business uses them.

At the same time we can help with mobile data usage, via a dongle or laptop with integrated sim card, and also advise on the full range of telecoms products we offer including landlines, fixed broadband, tracking and more.

Although originally set up as a specialist supplier of business mobiles, over the years we have expanded our range of products and services to include a variety of business telecoms. It can make sense for businesses to place more than one of their telecoms products with us for a number of reasons:

• Cost savings - by taking out more than one product savings can be passed onto the customer
• Reduced administration - everything on one bill
• Better problem resolution - no more grey areas between suppliers or buck passing when problems occur
• Enhanced customer service - no call centres to ring or expensive numbers to dial
• Dedicated account manager - your account is pro-actively managed

We already have many clients taking multiple services from us. Some signed up initially for mobile phones and, impressed by our service, have subsequently taken advantage of our great landline and broadband packages. Just some of the services we offer......

• Business mobile phones - including BlackBerry
• Landline telephony - lines, calls and hardware
• Broadband
• VoIP - phone systems and call cost reduction
• Device and vehicle tracking
• Mobile Broadband - via dongle

We are currently promoting an innovative phone system which incorporates a sim card allowing calls to mobiles to be routed via the mobile network and thus coming out of your inclusive minutes. Making free calls to mobiles can seriously reduce your landline bills, allowing the system to pay for itself quickly. At the same time you improve your communications with the enhanced features a VoIP phone system can offer your business.

The main problem in consolidating your business telecom services is usually contract renewal dates. This makes transferring all of your services in one go difficult. Instead you can transfer the next due service, test out our customer service and our cost savings, and, if you are happy with our services, transfer more services as they become due.

Despatch figures for May are now in and the Top 10 business mobile handsets have been compiled. Only three manufacturers have made it into the list and there are no surprises they are Nokia, RIM (BlackBerry) and Samsung.

The number one business mobile for May 2010 is the Samsung M110. This tough phone is ideal for hard workers being shock, water and dust proof. It returns to the top spot after a three month absence, although it never seems to leave the Top 10.

BlackBerry have three mobiles in the Top 10. The first is the BlackBerry Curve 8520 at number 2. Always popular due to the cost effective nature of the handset this one appeals to savvy business users.

Nokia occupy the next three places with solid talk and text phones being the 6303, 2330 and the 6300. Reliable business phones these have mass appeal for businesses of all types looking for no nonsense mobile phones.

At six is the BlackBerry 9700 (the new BlackBerry Bold), and seven is the Nokia E52, a business mobile smartphone. At eight is the Nokia 2700 and nine is the final BlackBerry in the list, the BlackBerry 8900 (the new BlackBerry curve). Rounding out the Top 10 is the Nokia 2730.

No surprises this month with many of the usual suspects making the list. Expect to see many of them return when next month's figures are announced.

As SmartPhones continue to sell by the bucketload and increase their market share month on month it brings another factor into the equation when buying your business mobiles - the operating system.

There are currently several different Operating Systems for mobile phones on the market including:

• Windows Mobile
• Android
• Symbian
• BlackBerry OS
• iPhone OS
• Maemo
• Bada

The OS making the headlines at the moment is Android, an open source operating system developed by Google. This features on a number of phones from a range of different manufacturers including HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG.

Being open source means that anyone is free to develop applications for the Android operating system meaning that the number of apps available is increasing daily. These can be obtained from the Android market which contains many free (and paid for) applications making your business life easier.

One factor in the choice of business SmartPhone is the need to sync it with your existing server for email usage. Many IT workers find it easier to get the Windows Mobile OS up and running with a Windows server leading them to recommend this OS. However all operating systems should be capable of delivering push email for business users.

The range of applications available could be another factor, particularly if you rely upon particular applications which make your life easier when out and about. Also familiarity will play a role - once you get used to a particular OS it can be a pain to transfer to another. Even if they largely work the same and provide the same features their GUIs (Graphical User Interface) can be radically different leading to confusion and a steep learning curve.

For SmartPhone advice get in touch with us and we will guide you through the various options, getting you both the best handset for your usage in combination with the best business mobile tariff.

 

Whilst Nokia always show up well in our Top 10 business mobile phone lists, April proved to be an even more successful month than usual for them with 6 entries, including all of the top 5!

At number 1 was the Nokia 1209. A no frills handset this one has not been seen before in any of our lists so it's a bit of a shock to see it go straight into the top spot. However fulfilling an order for a single large company can skew the figures a bit so don't expect it to retain its crown next month!

The Nokia 6303 shows up at number 2. Rarely out of the top 5 and the deposed number 1 business mobile handset from February and March. At 3 is the Nokia 2323 retaining its top 10 slot from March.

New entries at 4 and 5 for the Nokia E52 and Nokia 2600. And another Nokia E-series phone, the E55, rounds off the top 10.

In between are the usual suspects. Two BlackBerry phones in the form of the 8520 (6) and 8900 (9), the hard wearing Samsung M110 (7) and the Apple iPhone (all variants) at number 8.

No major surprises in the list overall in terms of manufacturers. Sony, LG and HTC are noticeable by their absences. May's top 10 business mobile phones will be provided here around the 2nd June.

The latest business mobile despatch figures are in for March 2010. From these we have compiled a Top 10 business mobile phones.

No major surprises, the list is still very much dominated by Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry, with one notable exception (can you guess?).

At no 1 is the perennial favourite the Nokia 6303. The successor to the 6300 this stylish little handset does the job for most business users in terms of talk and text. Reliable and easy to use it is a solid business phone choice.

The second best seller is another old favourite, the BlackBerry Curve 8520. Keenly priced yet providing most of the necessary business features and legendary BlackBerry email. This is destined to be in our top 10 for a while yet.

Third place goes to the Nokia 2700. Another solid Nokia business handset. And similarly in fifth is the Nokia 2323.

By contrast, in fourth place we have our old friend the Apple iPhone. We have lumped together all of the different versions to give a single sales position.

Will it ever make number 1? Certainly there is plenty of demand for it amongst business users and if the price drops significantly this will see the major barrier to ownership disappear and we will certainly sell plenty more. The current price for the 3GS is just a bit too high for most business users to justify.

Sixth place goes to the durable Samsung M110. This tough phone continues to sell well with business users needing reliability and toughness. Two more standard Nokias occupy 7th and 8th in the form of the Nokia 6300 and Nokia 1208.

At 9th is a new entrant, never been seen before in the lists - the Samsung Tocco Lite. And finally completing the 10 is the Nokia 6600i.

The figures are in for February. Based on our despatch records these are the Top 10 most popular business mobiles:

At number 1 is the Nokia 6303. A good, solid business phone, great for calls and texts and keeping you organised. No frills but a reliable business tool.

Coming in at number 2 is the BlackBerry 8520. This budget BlackBerry remains popular as it can do the majority of functions that its bigger, more expensive stable mates can at a fraction of the price. Great entry level BlackBerry mobile phone.

At 3 is the Samsung M110. We call this the builders phone, or the tradesmans phone, as it is a rugged, rubberised mobile designed to withstand shocks, dust, water and pretty much anything you can throw at it. In a similar vein is the Samsung B2100 which makes its entry at number 4.

Number 5 brings the Nokia 2700. Another no frills handset but reliable and easy to use. These features are often overlooked by those looking for a more flashy mobile.

Which brings us to number 6 - the Apple iPhone. We've actually lumped all of the variants 8GB/16GB/3GS together which brings it the no 6 ranking. We're sure we don't have to explain much about this phone, you will all have seen the adverts and the hype! We're not going to knock the phone, as many people seem to love it, but before you order one for your business do think about whether you need such an expensive phone when others can do the same job for less.

The last four places are all ocupied by Nokias. In order 7-10 are the 2330, 3110, 5800 and 6300. Not the most exciting of phones (or names!), with the 5800 standing out as a touchscreen phone with a lot of media features which we haven't seen in our list too often.

And that's it for February. No major surprises again with Nokia, Samsung and BlackBerry dominating. It's hard to see their dominance being challenged in the near future as they seem to best understand the needs of the business user.

The figures are in for December 2009 and we can now reveal the best selling business mobile phone for the month. And the winner is........

The Samsung M110. Back on top after a four month break, although it has never left the top 6. This hard-wearing phone, ideal for those in manual trades, is dustproof, water resistant and shockproof. Free on even the lowest of tariffs it makes sense for businesses where breakages of "ordinary" mobile phones are commonplace.

A re-entry at 2 for the Nokia 6303. A solid unit for business users everywhere, this no fuss handset sells by the bucketload to businesses with basic mobile needs of talk and text.

Third place was occupied by the Apple iPhone. The intuitive nature of the iPhone's user interface is catching on with business users who like their touchscreen phones. Plus the constant media attention means that this handset is never far away from the thoughts of many looking for a new phone.

RIM take fourth and fifth with their BlackBerry 8520 and BlackBerry 9700 respectively. We have no problem selling BlackBerry phones to businesses where email is a prime driving force behind their choice of handset. Still the first choice manufacturer for many business users.

Nokia fill four of the remaining places with their 6300, 2700, 6600 and 7100. Samsung break in at 7 with their B2100. Another phone built along the lines of the aforementioned M110 this is a rugged phone for hardworkers.

A top 10 filled with sensible business mobile choices (iPhone excepted!). Each month is becoming fairly similar with only 4 manufacturers represented. No sign of LG or Sony Ericsson, they seem to be very much concentrating on consumer mobiles.

No entries for HTC either. They make good phones for the business user but many seem to shy away from them as they are not a household name. Their recent TV advertising may address these issues so look out for them making an appearance in the top 10 in the coming months.

Finally a reminder - we can help your business with its mobile phones and we don't only stock the phones shown in our top 10 listings. We can get you any handsets on a variety of business mobile tariffs with all of the major mobile networks. Contact us for your free quote.

Reports are that over the Christmas period Samsung have been outselling Nokia and have gained the crown of most popular mobile phone manufacturer. This is for all mobile phone handsets, including consumer phones, rather than just business mobile phones, where Nokia are still the best sellers, at least according to our own in-house figures.

The rise of Samsung is led by a series of fun and funky handsets, often low cost, that appeal to the generation buying the most handsets. For business users the colour and design of a phone is less likely to impress. It's the phone features at the top of the list when choosing a handset.

Samsung do make mobile phones for business users, notably the durable and hardwearing "builders" phones. The Samsung Solid Extreme is one such example offering water and dust resistance and compliance with MIL-STD-810F. This means it can survive military standard testing including exposure to high and low temperatures, rain (including wind blown and freezing rain), humidity, sand and dust exposure, shock and random vibration.

Nokia, on the other hand, are still producing good, solid phones, ideal for business users but without any great innovation or fanfare that is going to rival Apple's iPhone or Google's new Nexus One. They persevere with series phones, such as the N series, even though they are tarnished by bad reviews and software problems in the past. Once people become aware of such problems they are less likely to trust such phones in the future, even when the problems have been sorted.

Expect a fightback from Nokia soon, although with a host of non-traditional manufacturers such as Apple and Google entering the market as competition with their own USP it is going to be hard work to win back a sizeable chunk of market share in the consumer arena.

The business mobile market is moving too and new technologies will be adopted by business buyers looking for better ways to interact with their customers. It moves much more slowly but it is definitely moving. BlackBerry and Nokia need to be on their mettle if they are to keep up with the young guns, particularly if Google do decide to aim their next handset at the business user as is rumoured.

Business mobile buyers also need to keep their eyes on the new technology and think how it could help improve their business efficiency. For some free advice get in touch with us and let us show you how the latest handset technology can help you connect with your customers and make more sales.

The use of wi-fi hotspots is set to treble within 2 years, fuelled mainly by the popularity of the Apple iPhone.

Wi-fi enabled mobile phones can access the internet and email via hotspots, often free of charge. They can also access these services in your home if you have a wireless router. The advantage of this is that wi-fi access falls outside of a standard contract and does not incur data charges.

However, not all mobiles have wi-fi capability and you need to check before you buy. Some cheap phones do have it yet some more expensive phones don't. It is likely that the vast majority of new phones will feature wi-fi.

The free public wireless network in Swindon, allowing all of the towns inhabitants free wi-fi access, is due to be completed in April. Should this prove successful it is likely other towns will follow suit. Access to Swindon residents will be time-limited each day with a charge for use beyond their initial limit. Visitors to the town will also be charged.

A solid choice if you are looking for a wi-fi mobile phone with internet and email is the BlackBerry Curve 8520 (pictured right). Ths features a full QWERTY keyboard which is useful for email and also for entering URLs for web browsing.

It doesn't cost a packet either. Contracts start at £25 per month with 500 mobile minutes, unlimited landlines, 250 texts and 500 MB of data. This includes a free handset (this deal is for business mobiles users).

Other features include:

• 2.64 inch screen
• full QWERTY keyboard
• touch-sensitive optical trackpad
• memory expandable up to 32GB
• Bluetooth
• 2MP camera
• BlackBerry OS (512mhz processor)
• BlackBerry's legendary mobile email
• Organizer
• MP3/MP4 player.

We offer a full range of wi-fi mobile phones for business users. Get in touch to find out more and for a free quotation.

Well, the best sellers for November 2009 despatched by us in any case.

We start with the best selling business mobile, which was also the best seller last month, and that is the BlackBerry Curve 8520. This "budget" BlackBerry has a full QWERTY keyboard and offers the usual BlackBerry email and data experience which is why business users love them so much!

In second place is the Nokia 6300. This has occupied a top 3 spot in 5 out of the last 6 months and in the other month was the fifth best seller! Again a solid performer for business users looking for a phone that does what they need without any frills.

Making its debut at 3 is the BlackBerry Bold 2 (9700). A new phone which builds upon the already excellent BlackBerry Bold and adds new features. At 4 is the BlackBerry Bold 9000.

Rounding out the top 5 is the "builders phone" the Samsung M110. It retains a position in the top 6 which it has held every month so far since we started reporting the top 10 business mobiles.

At 6 is the phone people seem to love or hate - the Apple iPhone. Very much overrated for business users, and thus overpriced too, it retains a following with business people choosing style over substance!

Nokia fill three of the remaining four places with the Nokia 2330 (7), Nokia E72 (9) and Nokia 3110 (10) with the Samsung S5230 spoiling the Nokia run at 8.

Orange have reported that they sold more than 30,000 iphones on their first day of offering the handset to their customers. There is no stopping the momentum behind the iPhone, particularly now that Tesco Mobile have announced they will be selling it online and in their mobile shops.

Tesco currently have around 100 mobile shops within their stores, a number which is set to grow to 200 during 2010. No tariffs have been announced but they claim they will be offering a little "Tesco value" to their customers.

Does this herald the start of a price war? Orange getting the iPhone certainly didn't, with tariffs set almost exactly the same as O2. Vodafone come into the market in 2010 and this extra competition may start the prices heading ownwards.

However, how much room for manoeuvre is there in the price? If you are paying £30 per month over 24 months your total outlay is only £720. With an iPhone GS costing in the region of £500 (probably a bit less to the major networks) there isn't much of a profit margin.

Whilst we can supply the iPhone to our business customers, we find that other handsets from Nokia and RIM (BlackBerry) are much more popular. It did pop into our Top 10 business mobile handset chart for August 2009 but hasn't been seen since.

As a business phone it doesn't offer any extra features above many considerably cheaper handsets. Businessmen with their heads screwed on understand value and understand that every extra penny spent on their mobiles is a penny off their profits.

So if you are looking for a business mobile phone and are considering the iPhone get in touch with us for some free advice and some cheaper (and better) alternative handsets that will save your business money month after month.

 

Following on from our recent blog post, Mobile Phone Form Factors, the differential in exterior design is becoming less important than the internal operating system and software for customers who know their mobiles.

There are still consumers who just want the latest "in" gadget, or a phone because it "looks pretty", but more and more people understand how mobiles work now that they are becoming more like computers. This is particularly so for companies looking for business mobiles.

The latest SmartPhones can run operating systems that are already familiar to anyone who has had a computer for the last few years. So if you are a fan of Windows on your PC it makes sense to hunt down a Windows Mobile device which will provide you with an OS that you can quickly understand and are broadly familiar with.

Using similar operating systems on all of your devices will also make it easier to integrate them and to transfer documents and files between them.

With so many manufacturers making similar looking devices, and with physical limitations to just how different mobiles can be, plus only a handful of different operating systems out there, how are they going to make their handsets stand out?

Firstly they can add to the OS. Open Source operating systems such as Google's Android can be customised by the manufacturer's development teams. So whilst you would broadly expect to be getting a similar experience with all Android based handsets, there could actually be quite a bit of difference with interfaces and usability dependent on your handset choice.

The next step could also be niche handsets. Rather than trying to be all things to all men new handsets could appeal to different sectors. For instance in Korea they have released a "golf" phone with maps of 280 golf courses built in and a host of other features to appeal particularly to the golf market. This is definitely a way to differentiate handsets based on the users lifestyle.

When comparing handsets the first thing to look for is if it has an operating system (ie. it's a SmartPhone) or not. If you only want to make calls and texts then you don't need an OS and should go for a basic model, there's no point paying for features you don't need.

Next look for which OS it's running. You are likely to come across the following systems:

• Symbian
• Android
• Windows Mobile
• BlackBerry
• iPhone
• Palm Web OS

You may not have a preference initially, but if there is specific software (apps) that you want your phone to run you will need to make sure the Operating System can handle it and do some research to make sure it works OK. Online reviews and blogs from real users will usually tell you how well it works!

If you have family/friends/acquaintances who are already using a phone with your chosen OS see if they will let you give it a try to see how well you get on with it. All UIs (User Interfaces) calim to be intuitive yet work in different ways. What is intuitive to me may not feel intuitive to you.

For company mobile users give us a call for a chat about the different handsets and operating systems. We can supply business users with a single handset or multiple handsets as required.

Sales of SmartPhones continue to soar and are predicted to exceed those of PCs by 2012. The average SmartPhone is now so packed full of features that they could possibly replace a number of devices in the fullness of time.

When you invest in a SmartPhone you are likely getting a

• camera
• media player (MP3/4/Radio)
• computer
• satnav
• TV
• communication device (phone/sms/mms/email)

All of these features are rolled into one device that you can carry around and, as processing power and memory increase, the potential for replacing all of your other gadgets with a single SmartPhone are being realised.

As more manufacturers enter the SmartPhone market prices are coming down and obtaining a free SmartPhone can now be done with even the most basic of business mobile contracts. For consumers, SmartPhones can be obtained free on contracts as low as £18 per month including data usage.

Research In Motion (RIM), the BlackBerry device manufacturers, now have units available on £25 per month contracts. These include minutes, texts AND data, giving you everything you need to use all of the phone features.

If you do intend using the email and internet features of your SmartPhone make sure you have data usage included within your package as charges per MB out of bundle can be very steep and it doesn't take much browsing to run up a big bill.

Alternatively you can use a Wi-fi enabled phone utilising your home or office wireless network to download data. This should not incur any charges from your network.

If you are looking for a free iPhone you are going to have to pay a fair bit more, particularly if you want the latest model. However for a business user there are many handsets available free that offer better features without the need for an expensive tariff.

Researching handset models is easy, we use the GSM Arena website which details of all of the handsets released throughout the world. You can see photos, reviews, full specs and user comments.

When doing your research on this site make sure the model is released in the UK as some phones are US or Far East only. Once you have a model in mind give us a call or let us know the features you require and your budget and we'll let you know the best combination of handset and tariff giving you a free mobile SmartPhone.

The despatch figures for October are in and the winner is...........

The BlackBerry 8520. This the best selling business mobile phone for October across our range of websites. This is the choice of users looking for a budget BlackBerry as it can be obtained free of charge on tariffs from £25. This INCLUDES data usage too.

In second place is the Samsung M110. This is also known as the "builders phone" as it comes in a rubberized casing making it shockproof. It is also dust proof and damp proof.

Keeping up Nokia's excellent record in the charts is the Nokia 6300 in third place. This is a solid business phone with a durable metal casing, ideal for all "road warriors" and those looking for a good quality, functional and inexpensive phone.

Another BlackBerry occupies fourth place, the BlackBerry 8900. Offering the usual quality expected of RIM and the excellent business tools including email and organizer.

Fifth place goes to another Samsung, the Samsung B2100. Another solid phone designed for those working in tough environments. Expect this to take over from the Samsung M110 in future lists.

Three Nokias occupy positions six to eight, namely the 3110, 6303 and 2680.

Bringing up the rear are the Samsung S5230, aka the Samsung Star, and the Nokia 6600 slide.

Only three manufacturers make this months list of the best business mobiles, no room for Apple, Motorola, Sony, HTC and a host of others. We have to conclude that, at this moment, if you are looking for a business mobile go for a Nokia, BlackBerry or Samsung!

 

With the release of the BlackBerry 9520 (aka Storm 2) Research In Motion (RIM), the BlackBerry manufacturer, are focusing on a competitor to the iPhone with an all-round aptitude for both business and leisure uses.

 

For the dedicated business mobile user which BlackBerry should you choose?

 

If you are looking for a BlackBerry device it is very likely that email is on your mind. From an email point of view can you manage without a full QWERTY keyboard? Most BlackBerry phones now provide this as standard either via a touchscreen interface or regular buttons. Older models can have half-QWERTY keypads but if you are going to be emailing regularly these are probably best avoided.

 

Remember that data usage out of bundle is extremely expensive so a BlackBerry Internet Solution (BIS) or BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES) need to be included within your package. These will be charged extra and start at around £10 per month for 500MB of data for BIS.

 

As BlackBerry phones tend to be aimed squarely at business users some features, such as a camera, tend to be rather basic. A standard 2.0 or 3.2 MP camera is all that you are likely to get. Compare that to the latest 12MP camera phones now available.

 

If you want to access the internet via your own router, at home or in the office, then you will need Wi-Fi connectivity. This is becoming standard on newly released models such as the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Most also include GPS as standard.

 

In fact the latest models are remarkably similar in features, it is up to you whether you prefer the look and feel of the touchscreen BlackBerry Storm 2 or the more standard BlackBerry Bold 9700. You are unlikely to be disappointed with either model.

 

We can supply your business with either handset, or a choice of other BlackBerry mobiles, and these can be free of charge subject to the tariff you choose.

Many manufacturers of mobile phone handsets and mobile phone networks are having tough times making a profit. This is ideal for the end user as the business mobile deals on offer currently are excellent.

Lower handset prices, plus tariffs with extra minutes, texts and data mean that if your current mobile contract is coming up for renewal in the near future you are almost guaranteed to find either a cheaper alternative or get a lot extra for your current spend.

Finding the best business mobile phone deal is where we come in. We save you the time of dealing with all five networks and can advise you on the best handsets for your business.

All you need to do is provide us with a few basic details:

• Coverage - are there any networks where coverage is problematic in your area
• Landline minutes - how many minutes do you need to call landlines
• Mobile minutes - how many minutes do you need to call mobile phones
• Texts - how many texts per handset each month
• Data - do you need data bundles for email or internet. Do you need a BlackBerry solution
• Preferred handsets - How many handsets do you need. Do you have a manufacturer or handset type preference

From this we can find you the best combination of network, tariff and handset/s to give your business the lowest monthly cost without compromising on quality of service and making sure there are no nasty surprises when you get your first bill!

We don't stop there. Become a customer with Business Mobile World and you benefit from your own account manager helping you with any problems, additions, technical advice and letting you know about new technologies that might help your business.

Once you've sampled our customer service you might want to save money on your landline bills, broadband and mobile broadband. Arranging them all with us gives you one point of contact should there be any issues and will save your business money each month.

For a free quote for any or all of our services please contact us.

 

New handsets - BlackBerry Storm 2 is coming (26/10). This touchscreen smartphone is another attempt by RIM (Research In Motion) to compete with the iPhone. In a similar vein the much vaunted Palm Pre has now been released. "The first phone on the new Palm webOS™ platform allows you to keep multiple applications open at the same time so you can flow effortlessly between the people and events that make up your life" - well that's what it says in the blurb anyway.

Sony Ericsson have released the Satio with a staggering 12mp camera. It's not just a camera phone though as it also incorporates Sony's Walkman music features making it a great all-round entertainment phone.

None of these phones are going to be cheap with long-term contracts starting from around £35 per month if you want one free.

Spectrum Auction - The Government has cleared the way for the 5 major UK mobile phone networks to bid for the airwaves best suited for mobile broadband. This will not only help dedicated mobile broadband access (eg. via dongle) but should also improve data connections for SmartPhones.

Currently around 80% of the population have access to the 3G network, mainly in urban areas. For business users on the road increased coverage will mean less chance of signals "dropping out" or being stranded with no signal at all.

Emergency Calls - should you get in trouble up a mountain, or indeed anywhere where coverage on your own network is not so good, calls to 999 or 112 will now use the best coverage available from all 5 networks making it easier to get in touch with rescue services.

iPhone on all 5 networks - It won't be long now before the Apple iPhone is available on all 5 major UK networks. T-mobile and Three have not announced deals with Apple but are believed to be sourcing sim free iPhones from Europe to keep hold of their best customers. Expect monthly contract prices to fall by around £5 once all of the networks are involved.

 

 

We've compiled the despatch figures for September 2009 to give you a picture of the handsets that are requested most by our business mobile customers.

1. Nokia 6300

2. Nokia 3110

3. Nokia 2630

4. Blackberry 8520

5. Nokia 2680

6. Samsung M110

7. Nokia 6220

8. Blackberry 8110

9. Nokia 6303

10. Nokia 7100

No real surprises for last month. Nokia dominate with 7 entries, BlackBerry remain popular with 2 and the remaining phone is the Samsung M110, also known as the "builders phone" as it is made for tough conditions - splash, dust and shock proof.

 

The Nokia 6300 (pictured) is a solid business phone with no frills. Excellent voice and text functions without any of the costly extras making this a good choice for business customers.

 

 

Yes, you read that right, you can now get a free USB modem stick with 5GB download limit per month on the Vodafone network for only £10 (plus vat) per month.

This tariff is normally £18 per month. There must be a catch?

Well, yes, there is! The £10 mobile broadband is offered as part of a bundle package. Take out a mobile phone on the Vodafone Total Business Tariff (24 months) and you are entitled to this offer, saving you 44% each month.

Other bundles include BIS (BlackBerry Internet Solution) and BES (BlackBerry Enterprise Server) saving you around 35% on each.

Other reasons to take out a Vodafone Total Business tariff:

• Free calls to company mobiles (when you have more than 1 handset)
• Free calls to UK landlines (not out of your inclusive minutes)
• 50 texts per user included
• Tariffs start from £20 for 300 minutes

Is the Total Business Tariff the best for your business? Contact us for a free quote on a variety of tariffs from the major networks.

We will find you the best deal free of charge. Speak to one of our friendly staff members on 0844 880 8116.

 

The choice of SmartPhone for your business is getting larger day-by-day. Each phone offers slightly different features but behind the glossy screens the operating system will largely determine which is best for your business.

The most popular operating systems for business mobile phones are:

• Symbian - used to power the majority of Nokia SmartPhones
• Windows Mobile - found across a variety of phones from different manufacturers
• Android - Google's linux-based open source operating system is slowly being adopted by more manufacturers 
• BlackBerry - the BlackBerry OS from RIM (Research In Motion) powers their range of BlackBerry mobile phones
• iPhone OS - used solely for the different versions of the Apple iPhone

So which one should you choose?

The iPhone OS only applies to the iPhone and is aimed more at the individual consumer with its range of music and games although it also has push-email facilities.

The BlackBerry OS does without many of these frills (although more are included with each new release) in favour of providing a solid business phone, particularly for email.

Android powered devices are harder to find and the operating system is in its infancy so is evolving fast with each new update. Many people have complained of "teething problems".

The Symbian S60 OS restricts you to a Nokia device, but is an excellent choice if Nokia is your favourite manufacturer as there are a large number of applications available to download.

Finally there is Windows Mobile. A solid all-rounder which is available on a number of handsets from a range of manufacturers. Its user interface is a little tired now by comparison with others but this should be addressed when version 7 of the operating system is released.

 

As well as business mobile phones and landline telephony we can also provide your business with tracking solutions.

We have a dedicated tracking website at 21c Vehicle Tracking which provides more information.

Why does your business need tracking? If you operate vehicles as part of your business, for delivery, sales reps, even your own employees using their vehicles on company business, you have health and safety legislation to comply with.

The use of tracking can also yield cost savings on fuel, mileage, overtime claims, speeding fines, improved customer service, reporting and administration, and the system could pay for itself in a relatively short time frame.

Vehicle Tracking

Tracking hardware is fixed in the vehicle and uses GPS to report on the vehicle position, direction and speed which can be seen online in real time.

Device Tracking

No hardware is required, instead software is downloaded onto compatible GPS SmartPhones (eg. BlackBerry phones). When in a vehicle the phone will provide the same information as above, but you will also be able to track employees whilst out of the vehicle too.

Depending on your type of business and how you will be using the information will determine which system suits you best, however we can demo both systems for you so you can see how they work and how your business could benefit.

Visit our dedicated tracking website at 21c Vehicle Tracking to find out more and to arrange for a free quote.

 

Vodafone's 3 months free line rental on 24 month Your Plan for Small Business tariffs is now extended until September 30  2009!* 

The Your Plan for Small Business tariff offers a number of benefits for small business mobile users:

• Unlimited calls to landlines (01, 02 and 03)
• Inclusive 500MB BIS or WME (Instant personal emails and internet usage)
• 250 inclusive Text Messages

Inclusive mobile minutes start at 500 for only £25 per month and rise to 3,000 (with 3,000 inclusive texts) for £70 per month.

Ideal for BlackBerry and SmartPhone users with its inclusive data.

Contact us for more information or for a free quote and handset choice.

 
 
 
 
*Customer’s first 3 months are free and will be credited back from month 4 – This is not available as cash back. Offer applicable to new 24 month customers and additional connections to existing contracts.

Following straight on from July's figures, here are the top 10 mobiles for business according to the despatch figures for August 2009. Last months position shown in brackets.

1. (3) Samsung M110
2. (1) Nokia 3110
3. (-) BlackBerry 8520
4. (10) Nokia 2680
5. (2) Nokia 6300
6. (-) iPhone
7. (-) Nokia 6600
8. (-) Nokia E63
9. (-) Nokia 2630
10. (-) Nokia 5800

Plenty of new entries, of particular note the BlackBerry 8520 which we are offering on our lowest BlackBerry tariff ever.

We are also able to offer the Apple iPhone, in all of its various model types, for those looking for an excellent SmartPhone, albeit on a much more expensive tariff.

Interestingly most places are made up of less expensive phones, good solid workhorses ideal for both business and tradespeople.

It has finally arrived, our best BlackBerry business mobile deal ever. For only £25 per month you get a free BlackBerry 8520 mobile phone handset (pictured right) with 500 inclusive mobile minutes (plus unlimited calls to UK landlines - 01, 02 and 03), 250 texts and 500mb of data in the form of BlackBerry Internet Solution (BIS).

This is on the Vodafone Your Plan for Small Business. Best of all if you order before the end of August you get three months free line rental! (if you cannot order before September please contact us as these free line rental deals are often extended)

Contact us for your FREE BlackBerry Curve 8520

The BlackBerry Curve 8520 features include a 2.64 inch screen, full QWERTY keyboard, touch-sensitive optical trackpad, memory expandable up to 32GB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2MP camera, BlackBerry OS (512mhz processor), BlackBerry's legendary mobile email, Organizer and MP3/MP4 player.

Stocks are likely to be limited on this deal so please contact us ASAP to get your handset.

We have updated the Business Mobile World home page with a new image detailing the benefits we can offer for business mobile users. These include:

• Free mobile phone handsets on the majority of our tariffs
• Free calls to UK landlines (01, 02, 03)
• A variety of inclusive minutes/texts and data packages
• Dedicated Account Manager (no call centres!)
• Expert advice and support
• Free no obligation quotes

Not to mention low cost tariffs for every business user from 1 mobile handset to 100 plus.

A quick phone call or email is all that is needed to get the ball rolling and find out if we could save your business money or you can fill out our enquiry form.

We look forward to hearing from you and saving your business money whilst improving its communications.

By the way, the phone in the image is a BlackBerry Storm. If you are looking for a BlackBerry solution we have BlackBerry trained engineers on site who can help you with installation and offer ongoing support. Just get in touch.

Full details of our best ever BlackBerry business mobile deal can now be posted.

Here is what you get:

1. Free BlackBerry 8520 handset
2. Unlimited landline calls (01, 02, 03)
3. 500 inclusive minutes to mobiles
4. 250 inclusive texts
5. 500MB of inclusive data (email/internet)

This is on the Vodafone network and costs £25 per month (plus VAT) for a single BlackBerry handset. If you want more than one handset please contact us for a free, no obligation quote.

In addition Vodafone are running two special offers valid until 31st August 2009:

1. 3 months free line rental
2. No connection charge on Vodafone Passport

For more information on this handset please visit the BlackBerry website for full specifications or give us a call on 0844 880 8116.