If you are sorting out your own business mobile phone contract and approaching the networks direct you are going to be wasting a fair amount of time (and potentially money). At the end of the process you may not end up with the best tariff for your usage or the optimum package to save your business money.

The advantage of utilising our services is that you can quickly compare business mobile tariffs across the major networks. You will also benefit from our many years’ experience in the sector and our knowledge of the latest mobile technology which can help your business.

Mobile packages vary considerably between networks and it is unlikely you will be able to make a direct comparison on an identical basis. Similar tariffs need an understanding of the fine print and out-of-bundle charges to make the right decision based on how you are going to be using them.

On top of this is the choice of handsets and devices which may be limited when dealing with the networks direct. We can offer all of the UK compatible technology in a configuration to suit your business.

Flexible tariffs and packages

The reason companies can sometimes run up large bills is “out of bundle” charges. These are charges made for exceeding your monthly allowances or for non-inclusive services such as premium numbers or data roaming. This is why it is important to get your tariff right from the start.

Whilst you can alter your tariff during your contract in certain circumstances (usually up and not down!) this is normally done following a large bill! Better to get your tariff right from the start and pay the least amount across the full length of your contract.

If your mobiles are going to be used overseas this also needs to be factored in to your initial contract. Getting the best rates for international use could be a big factor in deciding which of the tariffs on offer represents the best value and will ultimately give you the lowest price across the length of the contract.

Easy business mobile comparison

Saving you time and money – one call or online enquiry will get you our best price from the major networks (Vodafone, Orange and O2). If we can see a copy of your current bills all the better. This enables us to analyse where you are spending your money, optimize your new tariff and ensure the largest possible savings.

Transferring your services is straightforward and quick. You can have your new phones (and other devices such as tablets) delivered next day once all of the paperwork has been signed.

Within your business mobile contract you can include mobile broadband for a range of devices. This can be provided sim (or micro sim) only, for you to plug into a device of your choice, or with a supplied device such as a USB dongle.

3G mobile broadband coverage and speed has improved markedly in recent months as networks optimise their networks to provide greater access to data services.

We recommend Vodafone Mobile Broadband as the best network coverage and speed (at least in our opinion!). You can check coverage online via the Vodafone coverage checker. Make sure your area gets a decent 3G signal before considering signing up to a contract.

Vodafone Mobile Broadband Tariffs

Whilst Vodafone do offer pay as you go tariffs, most business users will benefit from a contract and this breaks down the domestic options into 2 main categories: light users and heavy users.

The light user mobile broadband tariff gives you £12.50/month, 2GB data allowance, plus 2GB BT Openzone Wi-fi. If you are using the connection primarily for email and some web browsing this tariff would normally be sufficient.

Heavy users can opt for the £19.00/month, 5GB data allowance, plus 2GB BT Openzone Wi-fi. If you are going to be downloading or streaming this is a better tariff to be on. We particularly recommend this tariff for tablet devices, as iPad (or similar) ownership usually leads to large data usage!

Other tariffs are available which focus on Europe and Worldwide roaming data. These are more expensive and download limits are a bit stingy!

We can supply a range of mobile broadband devices free of charge on different contracts. These can be provided as part of a larger business mobile contract or as standalone for consumers and small businesses.

How much mobile data do you need?

As a guide, 500MB of data gives you a daily allowance of:

· 250 emails

· 35 Word documents

· 25 PowerPoint, Excel or Acrobat attachments

Obviously these figures are very approximate as the size of emails will vary and it may be that in your business all of your attachments and emails are large, in which case you need to reduce the quoted figures.

Mobile technology is moving at such a pace that it's hard to keep up. Each manufacturer is trying to outdo the others with a new development, and every new development is then adopted, refined and extended by others.

Here are our idea of the Top 5 mobile phone developments (in no particular order), some of which have arrived (albeit in a limited way) and others which are coming in the future:

Mobile 3D

It's all the rage at the cinema and is now moving into the home market too. Developments in 3D without having to wear glasses means that 3D is now available on a handful of mobile handsets such as the HTC Evo 3D and LG Optimus 3D. More 3D content for mobiles is being developed which will further spur manufacturers to include it in future SmartPhone specs.

NFC

Near Field Communications. This is the technology found in contactless payment systems such as the Oyster Card. It will allow you to pay for small items such as newspapers, chocolate bars etc. with a swipe of your mobile. Handsets are already including it within their specs, although there are not many retailers where it can be used currently. Alliances between manufacturers, banks and mobile networks will ensure this system gains ground in the very near future.

4G

Whilst the current 3G mobile data network can only deliver a maximum of 14.4Mbps, 4G promises speeds up to 300Mbps. Unfortunately this is very much one for the future. Even though 4G is already available in some countries the likelihood is that it will not see the light of day in the UK until 2013.

Cloud Technology

As more businesses move their infrastructure into the cloud the need for mobile devices which can interact with this information on the move will increase. Whilst existing SmartPhones offer the connectivity, the user experience is not always good on a restricted size screen. Tablets can give a better experience but are harder to carry around. Devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Note, with its 5.3 inch screen, may become more popular as devices which offer the best of both worlds.

Voice Recognition

Could Siri, the personal assistant on Apple's new iPhone 4S based on voice recognition and limited AI, be a game changer? The signs are good. Early reports of its usefulness are very positive and it is almost certain that other manufacturers/OSs will be including more advanced voice recognition technology in the future.