At Business Mobile World we specialise in providing business mobile phones. We deal with all types of businesses and all sizes from a one-man band with 1 mobile phone handset to large companies with hundreds.

We recognise that your main focus is running your own business and that you do not have the time to be getting lots of different quotes and negotiating with the mobile phone networks. Doing it yourself is unlikely to get you the best deal, the best option is to utilise our expertise to find the best business mobile tariff based upon your usage and requirements.

Getting a quote is easy. If you already have a business mobile contract you can send a copy of your current bills. This will allow us to see exactly how many minutes and texts you are using, your data usage and any extras such as international usage and calls to non-geographic numbers.

We can instantly compare your current deal with those available from the major mobile networks, and see if your current tariff is still the best for your business. Over time usage changes and what might seem the best tariff when you take the contract out may become less suitable after several months if your usage has changed.

If you don't already have business mobiles, either because it is a new business or your business has expanded and you now employ staff who need mobile phones, estimating usage is much harder. It could be worth taking out a tariff at a low-level and monitoring usage to see whether you need to increase it. It is always easy to go up a tariff or two but much harder to reduce your tariff.

We can provide a full range of business mobile handsets. These are usually supplied free of charge, depending upon your chosen tariff.

Once you have your new business mobile contract in place we keep an eye on it with regular reviews to make sure that everything is running smoothly and you are happy with it. As well as your itemised bill each month you will also receive 6 monthly overviews showing you trends and allowing you to spot excessive usage in any particular area.

Any problems and we are only a phone call or click away. We have a dedicated customer service team who not only help you with any issues but also monitor our own internal service standards to make sure we are always giving the best service possible.

If your business mobile phones are due for renewal in the next 3 months or so it would be worth your while to get in touch and see what we can offer you. There is no obligation to proceed if you don't like our quote and if you prefer your current deal you have the peace of mind that you already have the best deal available.

We've relaunched two websites this week following a brief break. These are:

• 21c Vehicle Tracking
• 21c Business Mobiles

We had a change of server late last year which led us to re-evaluate all of our websites. It was decided that these two could be put on ice temporarily whilst we concentrated on our main site.

However there have been some developments in the vehicle tracking arena which are exciting and need promoting so the 21c Vehicle Tracking website was chosen as the perfect vehicle to promote the new products.

And whilst we were reviving this site it was easy to put the business mobiles site back online too. This site won't be updated too much in the near future as we concentrate on the vehicle tracking developments.

Vehicle tracking, as a term, is pretty old now. Many businesses, who do not see the need for vehicle tracking, are missing the point. This is about employee management, protection and compliance.

The new breed of device tracking via GPS smartphones can do so much more than just keep track of a vehicle. Because it is not vehicle-fixed and remains with the employee it allows you to keep track of them and ensure that they are safe at all times whilst on your business. It also allows them to alert you if they have a problem with a simple press of a button. You can then see online in real-time where they are and get help to them if needed. This type of solution is ideal for lone workers.

It also allows you to keep track of your "grey fleet", vehicles owned by the employee but used on your business. This is important as your duty of care does not stop because they are in their own car.

Issues relating to privacy, particularly tracking employees outside of working hours, are now easily addressed via the online interface giving the employee complete peace of mind that they are not monitored 24/7.

And the best bit? The price. Businesses are always surprised that such a fully featured system costs so little. For your free quote please contact us or get in touch for a FREE, no obligation 14 day trial to see how this tracking solution might help your business. 

Originally this site was started solely to sell business mobiles, and products and services related only to this category. We worked closely with 21c Telecom Ltd, our main supplier, and had good success supplying businesses with phones on contract terms.

However, the telecoms market has moved on, and more and more businesses are sourcing all of their communication products from a single supplier. The advantages of this approach include cost savings, reduced administration, better customer service and enhanced fault resolution.

We are also able to offer a full range of business telecom products including:

• Business Landlines

This includes line rental, reduced call charges, telephone systems, telephone numbers, maintenance contracts, call management and more. Easy to understand monthly billing and a single point of contact for questions and problems.

• Business Broadband

Business grade broadband with low contention ratios giving your business a greater share of the available bandwidth. High speed, reliable broadband with routers supplied and installed where necessary.

• Mobile Broadband

USB dongles supplied to give you 3G mobile internet via your laptop or netbook. Speeds up to 7.2mbps.

• Vehicle Tracking

Track your vehicles or employees via hardware or a mobile phone. Live view of current position via real-time web interface.

All types and size of business can benefit from taking out a range of services with us, achieving large savings over a multiple supplier solution. Quotes are always free and we aim to save you money whilst simultaneously improving your business communications.

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.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of interesting mobile news currently, certainly not since we last posted on 10th February. The most interesting news from the world of mobile phones, both business mobile phones and consumer mobiles, is posted below.

Firstly it looks like the Orange/T-Mobile merger is going to go ahead without regulatory inspection in the UK. The decision is with the EU and it would appear that the companies involved have made enough concessions for the OFT to withdraw its objections and the EU to approve it. The decision is expected early next week.

Hopefully once regulatory approval is granted we will then get a timescale for the merger and perhaps more details of the direction that will be taken by the newly-merged network. Fingers crossed it will bring lower prices and more innovative products but don't hold your breath.

Vodafone would appear to be the fastest network for web browsing on mobile phones according to a recent independent survey commissioned by O2. The figures are general across the UK rather than region specific and the actual differences in speed between the major networks is unlikely to be noticeable by the average user.

Vodafone have also launched what is thought to be the world's cheapest phone. The 150 should sell for around £10 and is aimed at the developing world. The developing world is seen as the main growth area in the coming years as phone sales in the developed world fall.

TalkTalk are looking to enter the mobile phone arena by becoming a MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) later in the year. This service is in addition to the home phone, broadband and digital TV products it already offers.

Sony Ericsson have been censured by the ASA (Advertising Standards Agency) over claims it made in a TV advert with regard to it's Satio handset and its ability to connect to Facebook. The handset does not come with a Facebook app and initially could not even run the app due to software problems. However the Facebook app is now available for download onto the Satio.  

Vehicle tracking has been around for a few years now. Usually a GPS device is fitted to the vehicle and this transmits the position of the vehicle at pre-set intervals so that the movement of the vehicle can be tracked. Using the latest software, vehicle tracking is done online in real-time.

By utilising online tracking this means that you can log in from any device anywhere and see where your vehicles are. However fixed in-vehicle tracking does mean an initial cost for installing the hardware in each vehicle.

Now vehicle tracking can be done by mobile phone. Using a GPS enabled phone to transmit the position, direction and speed of travel, the phone can also show the whereabouts of the employee when out of the vehicle.

Both of these vehicle tracking systems enable savings to be made in your business if you operate a fleet of vehicles, whether small or large. Areas where vehicle tracking can help include:

• Reduced mileage
• Savings on diesel/petrol
• Reduced overtime claims
• Lone worker protection
• Helath and safety compliance
• Improved customer service
• Reduced admin via pre-prepared reports

Device tracking is easy to set up and, if you already have GPS smartphones in your business, is extremely cost efficient. If you don't already have GPS business phones suitable handsets can be supplied free of charge when you next renew your mobile contract. GPS enabled mobile phones can be obtained cheaply and still work well with the tracking software.

Device tracking also offers you extras such as tracking employees using their own vehicles on company business. You have a duty of care to them whilst they are working for you.

The savings made from a vehicle tracking system can quickly pay for the system itself and deliver cost savings on a monthly basis thereafter. There's only one way to find out how much your business could save and that is to get a vehicle tracking quote.

We are always looking at new products and services that can benefit our customers by reducing costs and improving communications. One such product allows you to control your inbound calls on any number, anywhere, from any device.

It works for both geographic and non-geographic telephone numbers and provides online access to a full range of call routing, monitoring and management tools, helping your business improve its customer service.

The benefits of this service include:

• Use with any number, anywhere, from any device
• Easy to use, designed to be intuitive
• Immediate to set up
• No capital outlay

There are three plans available on this service, designed for all sizes of business from sole traders and single site businesses, through multi site/multi department organisations, up to large call centres.

The features provided include:

• Tailored call plans - build plans according to your business operating hours, schedule call routing, handling and divert options to maximise your call handling potential.
• Call statistics - easily interpreted graphs of your inbound call statistics, results of call handling.
• Call queuing - Queue incoming calls during busy periods. Live queue statistics and queue management.
• Auto attendant - interactive voice response can be uploaded for announcements to callers
• Optional call recording - record inbound calls for compliance, customer service and audit purposes.

The easy to use online interface gives you full control of the handling of all of your inbound call traffic. If this feature is something you think could aid your business please contact us to discuss your requirements.

We have been looking at how we can make it easier for you to get in touch with us to get a quotation for your business mobiles.

The first solution has been to reduce the size of our online enquiry form. A number of fields have been removed and now it is just basic contact information we require and we will contact you from there to obtain anything else we need.

We have tested the new form out and it takes less than a minute to complete, typing in every field. If you have any sort of auto fill for forms enabled on your browser it will be even quicker!

We have also changed the telephone number displayed on the website from an 0844 number to a local 0115 number. This means that callers from mobile phones can get in touch cheaper (and usually free from inclusive minutes). Call us on 0115 944 8977 for a business mobile quote.

Remember our quotes are free of charge and without obligation. We can quote from one handset to two hundred plus and our aim is to save your business money whilst improving your communications.

In addition to business mobiles we also offer a number of related telecoms products including landlines, broadband, tracking and more. All of our services are designed to work in harmony together, streamlining both your internal and external communications, not to mention your administration and billing.

So visit our new look business mobile enquiry form and take a single minute out of your busy day to save your business some money.

A collection of stories, snippets and interesting information from the world of mobile phones.

• Some of the latest mobile phone apps include one from the AA listing 14,000 places to eat, stay and drink in throughout the UK. This guide will also tell you about local points of interest based upon your location. For those that regularly misplace their phone or have terrible memories where they last put it down a new app called Where's My Phone could be the answer. It allows you to whistle and the phone rings in response, allowing you to locate it.
  
• SmartPhones represent 25% of the mobile phone market yet nearly half of all phone based web traffic comes from them. The average SmartPhone user utilises around 300 minutes per month. Facebook is the most popular website accessed by mobile phone users.
  
• New mobile phones - the Sony Ericsson X10 is due to arrive in April, although it could be earlier. This phone makes use of the Android operating system and features a full touchscreen, 8.1mp camera with auto focus and 16x digital zoom, Timespace (a social networking aggregator), 1GB built-in memory expandable up to 16GB and GPS.
  
• Business Mobiles - companies, particularly corporate users, are spending up to one third of their mobile phone communication bill on personal calls made by their employees. This represents a total spend of £1bn which could possibly be saved by better management and procedures for company mobiles.
  
• The OFT are lobbying for an investigation by UK authorities into the Orange/T-mobile merger. The deal will already be scrutinised by the EU but fears of reduced competition and increased prices for consumers have led to the call from the OFT. A UK investigation could further drag out the merger timescale for several extra months.
  
• Apple - O2 have sold their 2 millionth Apple iPhone in the UK despite losing their exclusivity late last year. The next big thing, the Apple iPad, due for launch later this year, is also on the radar for all of the networks looking to tie up deals with Apple. No news yet of an exact release date or pricing.
  
• O2 continue testing on the 4G mobile network. Speeds of up to 150mbps are potentially available using this technology, however this has not been achieved yet and a full rollout of this is a little way off still.
  
• Nearly 97 billion text messages were sent in the UK in 2009. This represents an hourly rate of 11 million! These figures show a steady increase from 2007 and 2008 despite competition from social networking sites such as twitter and facebook.
  

We have a number of websites promoting our products and services. Some are specifically tailored to a particular category, such as business mobiles, whilst others are more generalised giving an overview of many of the different communication areas we can help your business with.

We have today updated Best Business Phone Deals with another three pages. These are as follows:

• Small business phones
• Business phones in Derbyshire
• Business phones in Nottinghamshire

These all emphasise that whilst we are able to provide a national service, our core business is working with local businesses throughout the East Midlands to provide them with a full portfolio of communication and IT products.

The advantages of dealing with a local company are many. Firstly, if there is any element of call-out, a local company will almost certainly be cheaper than a centralised national company. For instance if you need a small telephone system installing.

Secondly, if anything goes wrong, particularly with hardware, we can come out quickly to put it right. Finally we provide a much more personal service. No call centres and a dedicated account manager to contact.

We are right in the heart of the midlands, ideally placed to service Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. There are no businesses too large or small to take advantage of our services.

Quotes are free and without obligation and as well as looking at ways to save your business money we also look at how your communications can be improved and new technology incorporated into your existing systems.

Fill out our simple enquiry form and we'll contact you and show you how much your business could save.

Have you reviewed your business phones recently? A phone review should cover not only cost reductions, where possible, but also communication improvements. Ensuring that your mobile phones and landlines work together to provide optimum performance and smooth lines of communication.

Too many companies fail to review their arrangements and renew their contracts without giving consideration to how much they might save by looking at alternative ways of organising their business phones.

In fact savings of several thousands of pounds are possible for medium to large users. This is money that should not be wasted, particularly in the current economic climate. No business should be paying over the odds for their telecoms.

Some of the areas to look at with a review include:

• Business mobile tariff
• Mobile network
• Changes of usage (more/less mins, sms, data)
• New mobile handsets
• No of lines/extensions
• Line rental costs
• Landline hardware (system/handsets)
• Cost per minute of most used destinations
• IT integration

By ensuring that your business communications are on the optimum plan you should not only save money on your basic monthly costs but should also benefit from increased new business and business retention by improving your communications both internally and externally.

You have nothing to lose with a business phone review from Business Mobile World. They are free of charge and take little time out of your business. After a quick fact find we can put together a proposal showing you where improvements and savings can be made.

According to a recent study only 24% of mobile phone users in the UK access the internet via their handset. There are several reasons cited for this low figure:

• Actual cost of data when known
• Unknown costs related to downloads and fear of a big bill
• Difficulty in viewing websites on small screens
• Slow download speeds and unwieldy navigation

Many of these problems can be overcome, particularly if you are looking for a new handset. If the internet is going to be a factor in your choice of mobile phone you will likely want as big a screen as possible. This means a touchscreen or slidephone are the best options.

A QWERTY keyboard enables you to email better and also to type long URLs into your browser getting to the website you need faster. A 3G enabled phone is a must and look out for whether it supports standard web programming such as java and flash. Wi-fi phones keep your costs down if you have a wireless access point.

A smartphone enables you to download different web browsers and applications to suit your taste and preference.

When looking at tariffs there are some different options for data usage. These include:

• Pay as you go for amount downloaded
• Include a data usage amount within your tariff (eg. 500MB)
• Pay per day

Which one works out best for you depends upon how often you are likely to access the internet/email. For instance if the daily access charge is 30p and you are likely to use it half a dozen times per month it works out better to pay daily than paying £5 for inclusive data within your tariff.

Beware the high costs of downloading data on a pay as you go basis. It is easy to run up a sizeable bill if you surf the internet without a special data plan of some sort. Also note that your data plan applies only in the UK. When overseas the cost of data usage is usually enormous.

These days most businesses of all types and size will use mobile phones in some capacity or other. Some of the reasons why your business benefits from utilising its business mobiles include:

• Accessibility 24/7
• Making and keeping appointments
• Checking details/information whilst away from the office
• Saving time, being able to communicate during "dead" time (eg. travelling)
• Accessing emails and internet
• Call forwarding from your landline
• Keeping in touch when overseas
• Lone worker protection
• Tracking employees by mobile device

There are numerous other reasons why using mobiles in your business and making them a key part of your communication strategy makes sense.

In the 21st century people have little patience to wait around for a slow response to a problem or complaint. Companies that recognise this and are able to keep communication channels open and active at all times will benefit in retaining existing customers and also gaining new business.

It is not enough to simply have mobile phones in your organisation, you need to use them to their best advantage and integrate them with your landlines, broadband, IT to get the best possible communication solution.

As experts in the telecoms field, offering a full range of products and services designed specifically to work together, we would love to help your business function better and help you improve communications, not only with your customers but also internally.

A converged telecommunications solution does not have to be costly or overly-complicated, it just needs the right products working together in the best manner. Quotes are free and we welcome enquiries from all types of business and all sizes from 1 mobile handset to 100+.

Increasingly the biggest differential between companies is the standard of customer service. Those that provide a quick follow up to enquiries and problems will find it much easier to retain customers and prompt replies to new leads will also put them at the front of the queue for gaining new customers.

When thinking about contact with your customers you need to be aware of all of the different devices and means of communication that are available. Not everyone wants to deal with things on the phone, many now prefer to email. The more channels of communication you offer the more people will be able to interact with your business.

When offering multiple communication avenues you also need to make sure that they work together to give the customer the optimum service. For instance if an email is left sitting in an inbox without being read or dealt with for several hours you are immediately risking the ire of an impatient customer.

Much better for a copy of that email to be forwarded to the recipients mobile phone when they are away from the office so that it can be read instantly. If it's urgent it can be dealt with straight away and if not it can be actioned at a later date.

Making it easier for people to contact you will result in gaining more business. Yes it will also mean that people with problems and gripes can get hold of you but it is better to sort these out in a timely manner so as to avoid losing customers or getting a bad reputation.

Small businesses need this more than they think. If someone is looking to get a product or service quickly they will almost certainly go with the first provider they can get hold of (providing the cost is not extortionate). So being unable to contact you could result in losing business. Having an answerphone does not always help if you cannot return the call until several hours later. By then the opportunity has often disappeared.

It is possible to have a single non-geographic number that tries all of your devices in turn until it can get hold of you. In the event you are uncontactable it can send a message straight to your mobile phone alerting you that your attention is required.

For larger businesses with dedicated staff answering the phones during office hours the need might be for out-of-hours services, forwarding calls to on-call staff, or home working options for people with families or in the case of bad weather.

All of these scenarios can be catered for by integrating your landlines, business mobiles and IT to provide seamless connections between departments and between your business and its customers.

It's all very well wanting the latest mobile phone free of charge on contract but this usually means signing up to a hefty contract. Whilst this will usually get you a fair chunk of minutes and texts, if you don't use them then you are pouring money down the drain.

Moneysupermarket estimate that up to £13 billion is being wasted by British mobile phone users each year in unused minutes and texts. In fact nearly half of the inclusive deal is being wasted. This is a 40% increase on the 2007 figures and is driven by high cost phones (iPhone anyone?) which require huge tariffs to be obtained free of charge.

Whilst a free phone might seem like a tempting offer, if you are wasting £20 of inclusive minutes each month over a 24 month period it would be much cheaper to take out a lower tariff and part-pay towards the cost of the phone.

Whilst these figures refer to the whole of the mobile phone market, and are largely a consumer problem, business users also need to be aware of the cost of unused minutes, texts and data. It's very important that your business mobile contract accurately reflects your usage in order to get the best deal.

If your usage remains fairly steady each month it should be a simple task to look at your current usage and get the right tariff that includes what you need but no more.

If your bills vary widely each month then you have a decision to make. Do you take out a contract based upon the highest monthly spend and waste the minutes and texts in low spend months or take out a contract on a lower tariff and pay for calls etc. above your tariff as and when they are made. You might need to get out a calculator at this point and see which works out best for you!

On the other hand get in touch with Business Mobile World (that's us!) and let us do the hard work for you. We can analyze your bills and produce figures showing you the best options and how much you could save by switching tariffs and/or networks.

We can also propose other money saving communication options including your landline phones, taking over your current lines and reducing your line rental and telephone call costs, and business broadband with low contention ratios giving you great speeds without great costs.

One call does it all, just pick up the phone and dial 0844 880 8116 for immediate attention or fill out our online enquiry form.

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.

Technology moves on apace and no area is moving faster than mobile phones. With the continuing rise in sales of SmartPhones, including GPS and always-on connectivity, the possibility to provide location-based services combined with mobile phone payment will be here soon.

This will allow you to receive information, offers and discounts on products and services based on your location. You might be walking along the high street nearing a large retail store and suddenly your phone beeps and a discount voucher appears on your screen. You visit the retailer, swipe your voucher to receive your discount, and swipe again to pay for your goods.

This will undoubtedly make life easier, particularly in paying for small items when you don't have any cash in your pocket. However the temptation to overspend will definitely be there for some. Also a lot of small impulse purchases can soon add up to a tidy sum at the end of the month.

It is also be possible to use your phone as a shopping assistant, taking a photo of an item in a shop and using an app to find info about it and get the best price. Apps could also be involved in money transfer between phones, so you could see car boot sales where the goods are bought by a shake of a couple of mobile phones and the money transferred from buyer to seller.

The security of the mobile payments will need to be excellent and combined with transaction limits to limit spending if people are going to adopt this technology. But any minor objections from people are likely to be overcome and many of the iPhone generation are going to want to get involved with this straight away.

They are the same people who will be using the new features on social networking sites which will enable you to see where your friends are and broadcast your location to your friends to meet up. The issue of privacy here is paramount but not insurmountable. There may be plenty of people who you don't want to know where you are!

Business applications for location tracking are already in use by many businesses who use device tracking systems to keep track of vehicles and employees during working hours. This enables the business to make savings and efficiencies and the systems can pay for themselves within a relatively short space of time.

By obtaining a free review from Business Mobile World you will find out how much you could save. Not only that but we can provide you with advice relating to the latest technology and handsets and how they could improve your business communications.

We appreciate that your time is precious so we make it as easy as possible for you to get the best current deal and move seamlessly to a new network provider if necessary.

We can provide quotes and savings illustrations by phone, email or face-to-face whichever is easier for you.

With one of our small business plans you can get:

• Between 100 and 3,000 inclusive mobile minutes (dependent upon chosen tariff)
• Unlimited calls between all company mobiles
• Unlimited calls to all 01, 02 and 03 landlines
• Rollover unused minutes for 30 days
• Dedicated account manager
• Latest handsets free of charge

We can also provide small businesses with landline telephone services saving you up to 40% on your call charges, as well as a range of other services designed to help small business users. Get in touch with us for your free quote.

For larger business users we have a range of plans from the major networks and can provide integrated communication solutions bringing together mobiles, landlines, broadband and IT.

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.

The start of a new year is an ideal time to take stock of your business and plan your success for the coming 12 months. As well as gearing up to sell more of your products and services you should be looking at ways of saving money on your costs in order to maximise your profits.

A telecoms review from Business Mobile World will analyze all of your current communications including mobile phones, landline phones, broadband and mobile broadband showing you where savings can be made.

Additionally we can also help with new products and services including telephone systems, VoIP systems, website hosting, design and promotion - we offer a fully converged telecoms solution.

The benefits of a review for your business include:

• Saving money on each product
• Ensuring all products work together optimally
• Simplifying your billing (one monthly bill)
• One point of contact

At the moment you will probably have a number of different contracts for each of your communication components with different renewal dates. We can arrange for a smooth transition for each of these as they become due for renewal.

And the downside of getting a review? If we cannot save you money or improve your communications then you have total peace of mind that your current deal/s are the best available in the market. It's a win-win situation.

Best of all it's a free service. It won't cost your business a penny to see how much you could be saving and how your communications could be improved. Just contact us for your individual quotation.

This may be the last post before the 25th so a Happy Christmas to all of our customers, new and old, and a prosperous New Year.

Talking of New Year, the date for Vodafone's iPhone launch is now known. It will be on the 14th January 2010. Pre-orders are now being taken direct via their website although there don't appear to be any tariff details as yet.

Don't expect to see any startlingly different tariffs from either Orange or O2. It is likely that they will follow the other two networks both in terms of pricing and length of contract.

For the cheapest iPhone deals the best option could be Tesco Mobile who are offering 12 month contracts. It does mean that you have to contribute towards the cost of the phone initially but you are better off in the long run in terms of total cost. It also allows you to upgrade after 12 months which could be useful as it is likely the next generation iPhone or a variant will be released by then.

These are the deals for individual customers. For iPhone business mobile contracts get in touch with us for your tailored quotation. We have a wide range of business mobile tariffs from all of the major networks and can assist with a single iPhone or multiple iPhones for all of your employees.

The New Year is an ideal time for businesses to take a look at all of their outgoings. Remember we can help with a wide range of telecoms providing your business with an integrated solution and saving you money in the process. Our quotes are free and without obligation.

Recent research suggests that over a quarter of UK businesses are unhappy with their broadband. This might be because the service is poor, with dropped and interrupted connections, or because the service is slooooowwww.

Many of these same businesses might have caused this problem themselves by choosing consumer grade broadband. This is the cheapest option, and, if you are only an occasional or light user, will probably do an OK job. However, these days businesses are more and more reliant upon email, the internet and mobile data devices. Having a slow connection is going to slow your business down.

The reason consumer broadband is always going to be cheaper than business broadband is the contention ratio. This is the maximum number of users on the line at the same time. With business broadband there are always going to be fewer users meaning that you get a bigger slice of the available capacity. This means a quicker and more reliable service for your business.

Admittedly it does cost more, but it is only a few pounds each month and you should really notice the difference. To find out more visit the business broadband page.

It's a similar story for mobile broadband. If you sign up on the cheapest deal you can find you are likely to experience problems with connection and speed. Before taking out a mobile broadband contract make sure that the coverage in your area, and in the areas you are likely to use it, is excellent. Also check the maximum download speeds.

Not all mobile broadband is the same and some networks offer a slower connection than others. When you bear in mind that the figures quoted are the maximum you could receive, rather than what you are likely to receive, a slower connection could be even slower than you thought.

What is the best business mobile contract for your business?

There is no easy answer to this question as all businesses are different and will use their handsets in different ways. Some will want a contract with lots of inclusive minutes but little else, others will be more focused on data and a mobile email solution.

Getting the right business mobile contract is especially important as contract terms get longer and longer. Very few 12 month contracts now exist and the norm is 18 or 24 months, with 36 month contracts also available.

If you are paying over the odds for your business mobile contract you could be stuck paying too much month after month for 24 months. This additional expense could add up to several hundred pounds, or even more for large users, over the course of a contract.

So how do you find the best deal for your business? Whilst there are only 5 main networks each of them have a wide range of business tariffs. If you multiply the number of networks by the number of tariffs by the number of available handsets the total you come up with is staggering.

Whilst you could trawl through all of the options yourselves it would be extremely time consuming and you could not guarantee getting the best deal. This is because dealing direct with the networks can be more expensive than using a third party broker, such as ourselves, in many instances.

Additionally if you deal direct you are likely to be provided with a lesser level of customer service, particularly if you are a small business user. We don't have call centres and you speak to real people, including your dedicated account manager, when you need to contact us.

All we need from you is some idea of the type of handset you need - we can advise on the best ones for your usage based on your current bills or we can discuss handset options with you. If we have a copy of your current bills we can also tailor a contract based on your exact usage.

If your usage fluctuates greatly month-to-month we can analyze a range of different tariffs to see which one would work out the best option for you in terms of monthly spend.

Taking out a contract with us need not involve changing networks. We can take over your existing contract at expiry providing you with new handsets where needed and adjusting your tariff to the optimum.

If you need/want to change networks we make sure that your changeover is smooth and trouble free and help out with obtaining PAC numbers for you to keep your existing numbers if required.

Basically we make your life easier whilst saving you money! If that is something your business would consider a useful service please contact us for a free discussion and quote.

After a few days without posting we are going to catch up on some of the latest news from the world of mobile phones.

Aino and Satio back in business?

Sony Ericsson have been suffering some software problems on two of their latest handsets, so much so that they were withdrawn from sale by some retailers. The software update fixing all of these issues is now available for current users of these phones.

Too early to tell if this will help with sales in the run up to Christmas which must have been severely affected by the much publicised problems. Would you buy a handset with known problems when there is so much choice out there and plenty of reliable and proven phones?

Driving whilst using mobile on the increase?

It's hard to believe that people still haven't got the message. Apparently mobile phone use whilst driving has doubled in the last two years according to a recent study. This is despite the increased fines and penalties and the easy availability of hands-free kits such as bluetooth headsets.

If you know someone who is regularly driving whilst using a mobile, do them a favour and wrap them up a hands-free device for Christmas. They're cheap and easy to find and most of them work very well.

Can prolonged use of mobile phones give you brain cancer?

Whilst it is still very early days, it would appear that the incidence of brain tumours has not increased (in Scandinavia at least where the report comes from) since the 1990s when prolonged usage of mobile phones first started.  

It's always better to be cautious and limit use of mobiles where possible, particularly for children, but it would appear that the risks are relatively small for the time being. Longer studies need to take place and manufacturers need to continue to reduce radiation from their handsets where possible.

Smartphones continue to dominate people's wishlists

With SmartPhones getting smarter and cheaper all the time it is very likely many will be making the switch in the run up to Christmas and getting an operating system on their phone, similar to that on their computer. This allows the easy download of applications, synching with your desktop or laptop and using software that is already second nature.

In the same way that computing power has increased exponentially in recent years SmartPhone technology is likely to do the same. For those that haven't dipped their toes into the water a budget SmartPhone can be free of charge on a monthly contract costing a few pounds. This will get you used to how they work, ready for the jump to a more powerful model in the future as the technology evolves.

If you are due your upgrade in the coming months get in touch to see how we could help you take your first step with a new SmartPhone for both business users and individual consumers.

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.

How easy is it to carry out crimes on the streets from behind bars? Well first of all you need to know the right people and you need around £400.

This is why there has been a call to jam mobile phone signals from an inspector. This would stop crimes on the streets, including drug trafficking, and bullying within prisons.

It is believed that there are 3 times as many mobile phones in circulation than have actually been seized. So going on figures from 2008, 7000 mobile phones where seized, with a black market value of 9million.  This means that there are potentially 21,000 mobile phones in circulation in UK prisons.

The prison service say that blocking signals is a slow and costly process but the technology is out there. For each prison to have the technology would cost £250,000 per prison.

But…will signal jamming affect the public outside the prison? Is the technology there to be specific with the signal blocking? Or will they have each individual network track signals from inside the prison and maybe get an imei block? Would that be possible and more cost effective? Or would that be too much work for the networks?

Interestingly at this moment in time it is not against the law to be in possession of a mobile phone in prison, the only law is on smuggling the phone into jail.

The new UK Mobile Phone Deals website is now live and ready for you to visit.

As well as offering business mobile phones, it also has links to consumer mobiles with a mobile phone shop offering free mobiles, the latest deals, offers and mobile phone extras.

There is a blog, online polls, mobile broadband section and there will be plenty more to come in the near future.

We intend to keep it updated with the latest mobile phone news on a daily basis, at least during the working week, and it will have different content to the stuff posted here on Business Mobile World.

It is based on the MojoPortal content management system and is an experiment in terms of its effectiveness in search engine optimisation. We will be keeping a close eye on it in the search engines to see if it does better or worse than the old site.

Further to the meeting held by Peter Mandelson with all 5 major network providers to have a Spectrum reframe (to hit Labour's Mobile broadband targets by 2012).

T-Mobile and Orange are now telling the UK regulator that they do not want to give up spectrum in exchange for regulatory approval of their planned merger. This isn’t going to please OFCOM as the merger will have 37% of mobile customers and over 50% of all available spectrum.

It will be unlikely that Vodafone and 02 will give up any of the 900mhz bandwidth if T-Mobile and Orange are not going to let go of any of their spectrum to meet Mandelson's 2012 targets. It should be remembered that there is a General election coming up next year which could change things!

What is Spectrum?

According to Wikipedia it is "the range of all possible frequencies of electromagnetic radiation". For more information read the Ofcom pdf relating to the Frequency Allocation Table which contains 224 pages of further info.

Author: Simon Hunt

Position: Telecommunications Consultant with 21C Telecom

It's been a bit quiet here with our blogger and website updater away for a couple of weeks. However, he's back now and raring to go!

So what's been happening in the world of mobile phones and business mobile phones in the past 14 days? This is a chance for you (and him!) to catch up with the latest mobile phone news in the UK.

• Firstly it looks like some staff at T-Mobile have been selling-on data on its customers to third parties who then contact the customers in advance of their upgrade date to upgrade their phones. This illegal activity is likely to result in a criminal prosecution and even some jail time. However there is no suggestion that details such as financial information/bank accounts have been compromised or sold on.
  
• Harriet Harman, the Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, looks like being prosecuted for being involved in a road accident whilst using a mobile phone. There is no excuse for using your handset whilst driving, hands-free kits are available and are very cheap. We can supply any of our existing customers with the kits and can even arrange for installation where a fixed kit is required.
  
• Arriva, the bus company, has become the first in the UK to launch a mobile phone ticket service. Prepaid tickets can be sent to your mobile phone. The ticket is then activated by the user on the day of travel and shown to the driver in the same way as a paper ticket.
  
• Recent research suggests that UK businesses could potentially be wasting up to £264 million each year on mobile call costs. This is mainly due to employees simply picking up the phone and ringing without thinking about the cost of the call and whether there are cheaper options available (after all it is not their money they are wasting!).
  
  Many of these calls are made from within offices where alternatives are available. However, employees are not the only ones to blame. Many businesses fail to make the best use of their resources, such as Wi-Fi networks, which could enable cheap/free calls over the internet from their business mobiles.
  
  If your business is looking to save money on its phone calls get in touch for a wide range of options available to small businesses and largeer users alike.

That's some of the news from the mobile phone world. To keep in touch with developments bookmark this blog, which will now be updated a bit more often!

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.

When choosing a mobile phone there are a number of different designs which offer variable user experiences. The one you choose may be decided by specific reasons or a good experience with a particular handset in the past.

• Candy Bar

The "standard" form factor, used on the very first mobile phones and still popular today. With this type of phone there is no protection for the screen or keyboard. Be careful not to keep it in a pocket with keys or other items that could scratch or damage the screen. Also make sure that the keyboard is locked as accidentally dialling someone or accessing the internet (many browser keys seem to be placed deliberately in a position where accidental use is encouraged!) could incur extra charges.

• Slide Phone

Usually the top part of the phone containing the screen slides over the keyboard. This means that the keyboard is protected but the screen remains exposed. They can be prone to screen damage due to broken connectors in the slide mechanism.

• Flip Phones / Clam Shell

Very rare nowadays to see a flip phone. The advantages are both the keyboard and main screen are protected. Outer screens remain at risk of scratching and breakage. When opened the phones should give a decent call experience with earpiece and microphone naturally in the right place.

• Touchscreen

More and more modern mobile phones are touchscreen. They can be used by touching with your fingers or a stylus. Keyboard use is via a "virtual keyboard" that appears on the main screen. Different manufacturers utilise technologies that give a different feel to their touchscreens. Some users swear by them but others cannot get on with them. It is easier to make a mistake than with a traditional keyboard.

• Hybrids

Some phones are now being released that feature more than one of these technologies. For instance they have a touchscreen top panel which slides out to reveal a standard keyboard. The best of both worlds or just more things to go wrong??

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.

As a business user you are very likely to enter into a contract for your business mobiles rather than pay as you go. How long should your business mobile contract be?

If you are dealing direct with the network it is likely they will want to tie you to them for as long as possible. 12 month contracts are becoming a thing of the past and you are more likely to be offered 18 month, 24 month or even 36 month contracts.

Wherever possible you should keep the contract term as short as is available. This allows you the flexibility to change tariffs earlier and to replace equipment when it becomes obsolete.

Occasionally there are reasons why a longer term is necessary. For instance, if you want a large quantity of expensive phones free of charge you are going to have to take a long contract to allow the networks to recoup the initial purchase costs of the phones over the full duration of the contract.

Rather than take out a long contract in these circumstances you could opt for a shorter contract and put an amount towards the cost of the handsets.

Alternatively you could opt for a shorter contract with less expensive handsets. It is often possible to find cheaper mobiles which still do the same job equally as well. A bit of research can pinpoint the models which offer all of the features you need.

Longer contracts can also offer lower monthly payments. Some tariffs will have different monthly payments for exactly the same amount of minutes and texts depending on the contract duration.

Every business is different and has different requirements for their mobile contracts. Whatever your requirements we can put together a business mobile package that suits you and offers the best balance between handsets, usage and contract length. Contact us for your free quote.

It's not easy keeping up-to-date with all of the manufacturers, networks and companies providing operating systems and apps when they are announcing new developments on a daily basis. Here are some of the developments we've spotted which should be coming to the UK soon.

Projectors

Projector technology has now advanced to such a degree that there are projector units available of a similar size to a mobile phone. The next logical step is to integrate the projector within a mobile phone handset.

This has already been achieved within a Samsung handset available in South Korea (the home of the latest mobile phone gadgets) but will inevitably be coming to these shores in the fullness of time.

The projector could be used for business presentations but could also show live TV and stored media via the handset.

Free SatNav

Many mobile phones already include maps and sat navs, however there is usually a subscription charge for using the service. Google have now introduced a free service offering turn-by-turn navigation integrated with Google Maps as part of their Android 2.0 operating system.

This offers most of the features available in the average sat nav unit like live traffic data plus satellite imagery from Google Maps and real pictures of destinations via the Google street view service.

Currently available in the US, this technology will no doubt be making its way across the pond very soon.

Going green

As well as mobile phone handset manufacturers jumping on the green bandwagon with new models such as the Samsung Blue Earth - using recycled plastic, a five-star rated energy efficient charger, plus additional solar chargers on the rear of the phone - you will soon be checking your home energy use via your mobile.

Smart meters showing energy consumption within your home will soon become mandatory. The data they produce can then be sent to your phone so you can keep track of how much energy you are using and how much it is costing even when you are at work or on holiday. It may even be possible in the future to turn off appliances and lights remotely from your mobile!

These are just a few of the developments currently being made in the mobile phone world. We will keep you posted as and when new stuff appears which may help business mobile phone users.

Many people are now more likely to forget their wallet/cards/cash than their mobile phone when they leave the house. So the ability to pay for small items of shopping or travel fares via your mobile phone is going to appeal.

Already available in the Far East, trials continue in the UK to get the mobile wallet up and running and accepted by retailers. With many supermarkets already offering self-checkout, the ability to scan your phone to pay for the goods would seem reasonably straightforward.

No doubt there are a number of technical and payment problems to iron out, but the day you can start paying with your mobile is coming soon.

There are also many shopping related apps coming onto the market. Retailers are realising that the mobile is an ideal device to help them market themselves and sell more product.

For instance Amazon have released an app that allows you to place orders and keep track of them, in the same way as you would use their website. They also offer a special feature whereby if you see an item you like when you are out and about you can take a photo of it and upload it to their site and if it can be matched with a product they sell you can find out all about it and then order it from your phone (or just keep it in your visual shopping list).

Dominos Pizza have also launched an app to enable you to track your pizza delivery. It lets you know when the pizza is in the oven, when it is ready for collection or on the way to being delivered.

These apps are examples of how big business is embracing new technology and using it to keep in touch with customers. Small business users can also take advantage of mobile technology. Not necessarily by the use of apps, but by sms marketing which is relatively low cost and provides instant results.

If you can think of a way that using mobile phones could help your business from a marketing or sales perspective please contact us and let us show you how cost effective mobile phone marketing could be.

As a small business it can often be difficult to compete with much larger businesses on a level playing field. They can buy all of the technology they need, regardless of cost, and have deep pockets to pay for marketing their products and services.

However, with even the most advanced mobile phones available from only £35 per month, your small business can be equipped with the latest in SmartPhone technology without breaking the bank.

Armed with the latest SmartPhone you can download apps, often for free, that will make your phone perform exactly how you need it to. You can also find a lot of free software for your computer that emulates the performance of very expensive software and systems that can keep you competitive.

Being a small business means that you can also respond more quickly to new technology, getting the latest gadgets to help your business as soon as they are available.

What is the ideal mobile phone for small business users?

That depends on how you are going to use it and what you need it to do. With a bit of research you can find a cheaper alternative to the headline-grabbing phones that will do exactly the job you need.

Before plunging headlong into buying your new phone think about exactly which features you NEED (not want) for your business. All phones are going to give you similar performance for voice and texts, but the difference in browsing and email between handsets can be large. QWERTY keyboards and larger screens are the order of the day if you need email and internet usage on a daily basis.

If you need your phone to be durable, either because you work in a tough environment or because you are just clumsy, then a rubberized phone would be a good buy. They tend to be cheap and cheerful with few features but you will know you made a good decision in buying one the first time you drop it heavily onto a concrete path and it bounces back still working.

They may not be the most glamorous of phones but they could save you a lot of money in replacing your mobile time and time again. Remember, getting a replacement phone is likely to cost your business at least £100, and up to £500 for the most advanced phone, each and every time one is broken.

The array of mobile phones available to small business users can be daunting and research can be time consuming. If you prefer to talk to an expert in the field of business mobiles then pick up the phone and call us. We will happily talk you through all of the latest phones and features that could help your small business.

Businesses should always be looking at saving money. After all every penny saved is added to the business profits. Keeping an eye on all of your expenditure and making sure that you always have the best deal is one way of ensuring your costs are as low as they can be.

But is the cheapest deal always the best deal? Sometimes it is. For instance the gas and electricity that your business receives will be exactly the same regardless of which distributor you use. Prices between distributors vary greatly.

With business mobile phones there are a number of variables which mean that sometimes the cheapest deal is not going to deliver the results you want.

For a start there are handsets. The very cheapest handsets should deliver you a reasonable voice and text service, and if that is all you need then sourcing the cheapest business mobile deal is right for you.

Businesses who need durable phones with few added features, such as builders and other tradesmen, will find that their chosen handsets will be relatively cheap allowing them to choose from a full range of tariffs and get their handsets free.

However if you are going to need data use (email and/or internet), gps or camera functions then you need to think carefully which handsets will deliver all of the necessary functionality. If you need the latest handsets you are not going to get them free of charge on the cheapest tariffs, but if you use a lot of minutes, texts and data you could find that the tariff you need allows you to get the best handsets too.

Of course keeping a close eye on all of your expenditure is time-consuming and could take your focus away from your core business. That is why it could be a wise move to employ a broker to handle all of your telecoms requirements. They don't have to worry about running your business, they focus solely on your communications, how they could be improved and where money can be saved.

At Business Mobile World we can handle all of your mobile phone, landline and broadband infrastructure plus the necessary IT to make it all work together seamlessly. A converged solution offers your business full integration between fixed-line and mobile devices, offering improved communication and reduced costs. Get in touch to find out more.

A recent poll by Consumer Focus found that nearly 70% of people think there are too many mobile phone tariffs available. The figure they quote for the total number of tariffs is a staggering 1.3 million!

As a result many people are not getting the best deal available and are finding hidden costs, for instance for accessing voicemail, after they have signed up to a contract.

With business mobile tariffs you can experience similar problems. There are so many different tariffs offering voice and texts, plus a huge range of bolt-ons for data, extra texts etc. Getting the right tariff that exactly meets your needs is difficult and, if you don't, your business is going to be overspending.

Rather than do the hard work of contacting all of the networks individually yourself, let us make it easy for you. We have access to all of the business tariffs plus all of the different mobile phone handsets allowing us to tailor a deal that exactly suits your business needs.

Our service is free and we are available at all times to discuss any changes plus advise you about other ways of saving money and utilising mobile communications that you may not have thought of.

We can start from a blank slate or can analyze your current bills to see exactly where your money is being spent and where savings could be made. A free review costs you nothing and will at least let you know if better deals are out there.

If you are not yet ready for a review but would like a quick chat about your business mobile contract just pick up the phone and call 0844 880 8116.

A recent survey of over 7,000 SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) reports that over 60% of businesses said faster broadband speeds had a positive impact on their business. Other beneficial technology included mobile devices (mobile phones and mobile broadband) and remote working tech.

Nearly 70% of those businesses that were embracing new technology were experiencing a "better" recession than those who lagged behind.

Not surprising to us, we have been blogging regularly about how new technology can help your business improve its communications and ultimately make you more money. Any initial investment can soon be overtaken by ongoing savings or increased profits.

And that is just the current scenario. Going forward into the future new technology will become ever more important in businesses that rely upon communications.

Even traditional trades, such as hairdressers, where actual technological advancements are unlikely to replace their core business (you cannot get a haircut on the internet!) need to embrace technology to make sure that their marketing remains relevant and accessible.

Letting customers (and potential customers) know about new styles, products and special offers by email or sms could keep all of their current customers happy and get people who may never have thought of using them in the past through the front door. 

All businesses should be thinking of how they could use technology to improve their communications inter-office and with customers. We can help you with advice about the latest technology and how it can be used to boost your business. Just get in touch.

With mobile phones becoming more like computers, offering storage for documents, personal and work data, the need to keep this data safe for business mobile users is paramount.

Most phones offer a PIN code security system. This locks all of the data but leaves the phone enabled to make emergency calls. The pin code is usually 4-8 digits. In common with your bank pin code you should make it memorable, not make it easily guessable and should not write it down and keep it with the phone!

If for any reason you enter an incorrect pin code three consecutive times the phone and/or sim card will be locked and you will be unable to use the phone or access its data. To reactivate the phone you need to know the PUC code (Pin Unlock Code). This is also known as the PUK code (Pin Unlock Key).

Should you enter the pin code wrongly 10 times in succession you will permanently lock your phone and need a new sim card, for which the network will charge you.

For O2 users the PUK code can be obtained from their website. Find an O2 PUK code. For all other networks you will have to get in touch with their customer service departments by phone (not easy if you only have your mobile with you and you've just locked it!).

As well as PIN protection SmartPhone users can download software apps that offer password protected storage facilities for all of their contacts and data. There are also apps for the safe and secure back-up of mobile phone data in the event of a lost/stolen/damaged phone.

By using a cloud storage facility and keeping your data safely online, it can be retrieved easily and downloaded to your new phone in the event of any problems.

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.

The days before mobile phones are long behind us and it seems nearly impossible to imagine how we used to live without them, even for those of us who spent many happy years without a mobile.

The range of features on the average modern mobile phone gives you a variety of things to do for business and pleasure but how much of the stuff you do on your phone is really necessary and how much is down to boredom or stress?

On several occasions I have left my phone at home when going to work. Half way there I realise and start to panic. Why? When I'm at work everyone can call me on the landline, I have internet access and constant emails. There is little reason for me even to carry a mobile at work.

OK, I could break down on the way home when it would come in useful but my irrational anxiety about being without my phone really hit home. It's getting harder and harder to switch off and relax.

I was waiting in a beautiful hotel lobby recently and admiring the art and decor around me when I noticed how many people were glued to their phones oblivious to their surroundings. Some may well have been important calls, but as I walked around I would catch snippets of some of them and they were as banal as the average twitter post.

There was a recent survey of people with internet access that found 50% of them would experience anxiety if they were not connected all of the time. This is the same thing. Mobile phones are incredibly powerful business tools if used correctly but many users need to know when to switch them off and relax.

Whilst I do take my mobile phone on holiday, it is only "for emergency purposes". It stays switched off and I'm pleased to say I've never had to use it overseas. I'd much rather be on the beach and forgetting about all of the work issues which may (or may not) be happening.

Whilst business mobile phones can help your business life run smoother, make sure you get some downtime too. Staying permanently connected seems to be addictive and is not going to improve your work/life balance.

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.

Do you currently give out a landline work number and your mobile number for when you are away from the office? If you work from home some of the time you will likely give out this number too. So when someone is trying to reach you they could conceivably be ringing three different numbers, leaving messages on each and getting nowhere!

Make it easier for people to contact you and save time listening to duplicate messages. You can give out one number and technology makes sure the call finds you. This also enables you to be contacted at home (when it is convenient) without having to give out your home phone number.

Wasting time retrieving voicemail? Get it sent to you by email as an attachment. The subject line tells you who it is from so if you don't want to hear from them just delete the email! You can also forward the message to others if you need to.

These are just a couple of ways that modern technology will help your business keep in touch.

New internet telephone systems utilising VoIP will also be a means of improving communications and providing enhanced telephone features whilst also reducing call costs by routing calls over the internet. As internet connection gets faster and the technology matures it is likely that traditional phone lines will decline in usage, particularly amongst business users.

Did you know Business Mobile World can help you with VoIP communications technology? Remember, we not only offer business mobiles but also a full range of business telecoms designed to integrate seamlessly together to make your business communications easier.

Dictionary definition of the word UNLIMITED: limitless or without bounds; unrestricted.

So when you see that companies are offering you unlimited calls, unlimited texts, unlimited browsing, you are entitled to think that no limits apply and that you will get exactly what is promised by the word unlimited.

Sadly not. There has never been (to the best of our knowledge) or is ever likely to be a genuinely "unlimited" tariff. Read the small print. Likely you will find there the limits that actually apply.

It could be 5GB of data, 3,000 texts, £500 mixed credit - all of these limits apply to deals we have seen advertised as unlimited. The limits placed upon them are often referred to as "Fair Usage" policies.

Clearly if everyone took up unlimited tariffs and used them 24/7 the networks would not be able to cope with demand. That is the reason for the restrictions. That's fair enough, but if a limit applies don't refer to it as unlimited!

It's a pity that companies who advertise their products genuinely are put at a disadvantage by this tactic which is clearly disingenuous, although not apparently illegal. So when comparing tariffs make sure you check out the limits that apply.

At Business Mobile World we do not offer unlimited tariffs. We are very clear about the limits that apply and set out everything in an easy to understand manner.

For a better way of doing business contact Business Mobile World for a free quote or give us a call with your requirements.

Nokia are releasing a Windows 7 Netbook. Initially available in the US, but shortly available in Europe, this netbook release shows that mobile device convergence is continuing apace.

With Apple, a traditional computer company, gobbling up its mobile phone market share with the iPhone, Nokia are switching the tables with their new hi-spec netbook. Bridging the gap between the SmartPhone, which offers a limited browsing experience, and the full-blown laptop which is so much larger to carry around, more netbooks are being released and sold daily.

Convergence is the new watchword in the telecoms marketplace. There is no sign to the end of device convergence and increasingly the line between phone and computer is becoming blurred.

To keep your business ahead of the curve you need to be thinking about how you can best use the new technology and how your fixed and mobile devices connect with each other. The days of having mobiles with one company, landlines with another, computers supplied by someone else are disappearing fast for companies that want to embrace new technology.

Even the big networks are getting in on the act. Vodafone have, in recent weeks, announced a rollout of landline services for SMEs plus a deal to offer online cloud storage to its existing business and consumer customers. They realise that convergence is inevitable and offering a fully-integrated telecoms solution will help preserve their market share in the future.

At Business Mobile World we can tell you how your business can best take advantage of new technologies to ensure that your communications keep up-to-date. This may be across continents, work sites, or just across the next desk.

Shopping around for all the seperate parts of your business telecoms no longer makes any sense - it could cost you a lot more in the long run. An integrated telecoms solution will save your business money, in terms of reduced tariffs for packaged deals, enhanced problem resolution and better customer service.

Technology is moving at such a pace that it is difficult to keep up, never mind stay one step ahead. Things that were once only thought of in sci-fi movies are now being developed and brought to life.

For instance, Tom Cruise's character in Minority Report wandered the streets with targeted ads appearing as he moved through the cityscape. This is now being developed, and with SmartPhone technology and GPS it is possible that this will be happening very, very soon.

Businesses that embrace new technology and can see how this can help them improve their interaction with new and existing customers will be the winners going forward into the next decade.

Of course all of the technological infrastructure will need building and maintaining, not to mention updating as new developments and breakthroughs are made.

The news today that Rentokil Initial plc have signed a landmark deal with Google to improve the communications of its 78,000 employees across 50 countries shows that forward thinking companies are already looking to new technology to integrate their systems and keep ahead of the competition.

You don't need to be the size of Rentokil Initial to get your business involved. We can help SMEs with a range of new communications technology making their business life easier and reducing costs at the same time.

To find out how we could help you get in touch with us for a free communications review.

When thinking about your business telecoms, and in particular your sales telephone number, it has long been the conventional wisdom that a freephone number (0800, 0808) increases enquiries by up to 40% compared to a regular number.

However, this was in the days when the majority of calls were made from landlines, meaning that your customers were not charged for their call to your business.

Those days are long gone, and the rise of the mobile phone means that many of your customers will actively avoid freephone numbers as they could be charged up to 20p per minute to call them.

It is forecast that 2010 will see the majority of UK phone calls made via mobile phones rather than landlines. Even now mobile phone calls account for around 45% of all calls made.

So what is the answer?

It could be an 03 number. This is a non-geographic landline number which can be called free of charge from a mobile phone's inclusive minutes. An 03 number can also be cheaper for your business than a freephone number.

With an 03 number you also have portability and flexibility. You can redirect incoming calls to any landline or mobile that you specify and benefit from a range of call management features.

Business Mobile World can offer you an 03 telephone number, or you can choose from a range of other telephone numbers which we provide. Just get in touch for a free quote.

As you may know we have a number of websites within the telecoms arena. One of these, Best Business Phone Deals, has had a number of pages added today.

The pages added are:

• Business Phone Systems
• Business Phone Numbers
• Business Phone Lines
• Business Phone Services
• Business Phone Packages

This site gives a broad overview of the types of services we can offer rather than get bogged down in great detail. Every business is different and, as a consequence, the solutions that we offer are likely to differ in each case.

It is exactly the same within the business mobile world, two businesses who are neighbours in the same building will want different handsets and use them in very different ways dependent upon their business type.

Similarly the landline solutions for these companies would also likely differ based upon the number of employees, whether call traffic is mostly inbound or outbound, the numbers they are ringing (local, national, international) etc.

So rather than dryly listing a number of phone systems with all of their features, which only telephone system anoraks are likely to appreciate, we explain how we can help your business improve its communications and reduce costs and invite you to contact us for a free quote or review.

Business decision makers have nothing to lose by contacting us. For a few minutes of time your business could reduce its costs, improve communications and receive ongoing help and support including the integration of new technology as it becomes available.

Some of the new releases and mobiles that are coming soon.

First up is the Sony Ericsson Naite (GreenHeart). A candy bar phone with 2mp camera and relatively basic features for a phone these days. However its main selling point is its green credentials.

It is made from eco friendly materials, has an e-manual on the phone instead of a paper manual, and contains Ecomate, a CO2 calculator pre-installed on the phone. It also has a low power consumption charger and reduced packaging.

At the other end of the spectrum is the Samsung B7620 Giorgio Armani. A SmartPhone running windows mobile with a 5mp camera plus most of the features you would expect from a just-released SmartPhone in 2009. It is Armani-badged and contains Giorgio Armani fashion applications, whatever they might be!

There is no news on a UK release at present, so don't get too excited, especially as it would cost a considerable amount to get your hands on one!

Breaking the mould is the newly released Nokia 6350. It's a clam-shell design that most of us would be familiar with from a few years ago before slide and touchscreen became all the rage. Again, this one is not available in the UK but it is interesting to see a manufacturer going back to this old design style.

It could herald a few more calm-shell type phones coming onto the market as there are customers who swear by their old folding phones.

For more details of the latest phones and business mobile news please contact us for a quick chat or to find out how much your business could save with a new deal.

Lack of mobile coverage for users has lead Ofcom to suggest that consumers should be offered a "try before you buy" period in which, if you are new to a network, you can try out the coverage at home and in your local area and if it is not up to scratch return the phone without further charges.

At the moment you have to sign up to a contract, often for 18 months or more, "blind" without knowing how the coverage will be. If it's useless then tough luck! You are locked into the contract and if you want to get out of it you will have to pay ALL of the remaining monthly payments.

The figures quoted by Ofcom are quite startling - up to 91% of small business users are said to have had difficulties with mobile coverage. Reception at your workplace or in the office is absolutely imperative for running your business.

Going direct to a network for your business mobiles might seem like a good idea but when problems like these arise you are likely to get little sympathy. They are not going to make it easy to move to another network no matter how bad your signal is.

By using Business Mobile World you have a choice of networks. Forget the rather unreliable "coverage checkers" on the mobile networks websites, let us demonstrate the signal strength of a variety of networks and handsets at your place of work.

It doesn't cost you any more, we can get the best business mobile tariffs from the networks and they pay us, not you. It's a win-win situation for your business.

Well no, not just yet, but there will certainly be fewer of them in the coming years.

The merger between Orange and T-Mobile UK, if it goes ahead, could see up to 8,000 masts decommissioned as the two networks share infrastructure. The 3 network have also agreed a deal with T-Mobile to use their network which could see up to 5,000 masts disappear.

Now O2 and Vodafone are looking to cut costs. With 24,000 masts between them, a deal to share masts means several thousand could go over the course of the next few years.

If this trend continues it could well mean that, in the fullness of time, the mobile phone infrastructure will be shared by all networks. Differences in coverage would no longer be an issue and with all of the major networks sharing the investment, coverage could well improve in more remote areas where it is currently problematic.

A shared network would also help with the rollout of future technologies such as 4G which will become necessary to increase mobile data usage amongst customers who currently are sceptical about coverage and speed on mobile devices.

Did you know...

...that almost 70% of the worldwide population now have some form of mobile phone subscription?

...that by the end of this year mobile broadband will have overtaken fixed line broadband?

The modern business needs to embrace this trend and ensure that it remains in touch with the latest technology and is able to move quickly with industry developments.

As the distinction between phones and computers becomes more blurred, with each device able to do the other's job, business users will need to make a decision - are you staying fixed or are you getting mobile?

Make the SMART decision, get a SmartPhone and release your business from the fixed telephony shackles. Better still, get an integrated solution from Business Mobile World involving your mobiles, landlines, broadband and IT.

Bundling them all together not only saves your business money but it improves the overall communications of your company by ensuring that all of your devices interact with each other seamlessly.

When there's a problem (modern technology doesn't always work correctly ALL of the time!) it's just one phone call to speak with a human being, not a robot, and the solution is at hand.

Want to know more? Let us show you how it all works. We can quote you for any or all of our many telecoms services, just get in touch.

Microsoft are going all out to increase their share of the SmartPhone market with their new operating system Windows Mobile 6.5. It's been a while coming and in the meantime Google's Android and Apple's iPhone have gained a chunk of Microsoft's market.

Up to 30 phones running the new OS should be launched by the end of the year, and these should demonstrate the improvements that have been made to their best effect. Ease of use and better browsing are two key elements of 6.5, plus their MyPhone service enabling users to remotely back-up their data, track lost/stolen phones and lock them against unauthorised access.

Microsoft's new OS should look and feel familiar for all of us using Windows based computer systems. Already a solid choice for business SmartPhones, the new Windows Mobile OS should appeal more to consumers, backed up by a new app store, Marketplace, with around 250 apps available at launch.

Expect some great deals in the run up to Christmas as networks and handset manufacturers battle to corner as much of the SmartPhone market as possible. Sales of SmartPhones this year are expected to be up over 20% on 2008 and continue to climb into 2010.

Sales of "cheap and cheerful" phones are also set to remain steady with the middle-market phones the big losers.

Although the iPhone has only been around for a couple of years (it seems like longer) it has established itself, in its various guises, as the top selling handset in the UK and US.

This is mainly due to individual customers impressed by the TV ads, and it is undoubtedly a very good entertainment phone. But can it be used for business?

It made it into our Top 10 business mobile phones at number 6 in August but has disappeared in September's chart. More "sensible" phones occupy the top 10 positions, providing solid voice and data options at a much more reasonable price.

However there are many business users who swear by their iPhones. They find the intuitive nature of the operating system and touchscreen much easier to use than other SmartPhones. Plus there is a range of apps now available for business users, up to 75,000 in total (business and leisure) via the App Store.

The large screen and excellent built-in web browser make it particularly useful in businesses where "proper" internet access is needed. Plus the native email client is certainly up to the job of handling business email.

The battery however is a letdown. Plus the processor, although reasonably powerful, does not compare to recently released phones and is unable to run simultaneous applications.

If an iPhone is the apple of your eye then we certainly won't put you off buying it (providing you can afford it!) but before you jump in give some thought to the many other business mobile phones available which may offer you exactly what you need at a fraction of the price.

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.

It's only 80 days to Christmas now! Some people will already have started their Christmas shopping or making their Christmas lists. Have you thought about a mobile related gift for your family or friends?

Have you ever run out of battery on your phone when you are nowhere near a charge point? A wind-up mobile phone charger is what you need.

There are wind-up torches that also charge your mobile phone so you get two gifts for the price of one! Ideal for camping trips. They will also provide charge for iPods via the many inclusive adaptors.

You could also try a battery powered charger, perhaps to keep in your glovebox, and all of these gifts cost less than a tenner.

For a little more you could buy a bluetooth car kit. They attach to your sun visor and work with any bluetooth enabled phones for a hands free in-car solution.

Or protect your phone with an invisible film that is resistant to scratching. It can protect your phone body as well as the screen. For a little more buy a leather case which gives a more stylish protection.

Sim free phones are now cheap enough to be bought as Christmas gifts, and memory cards make ideal stocking fillers as they can be used in so many different devices now including mobiles, mp3/4 players, digital photo frames and digital cameras.

The choice of mobile phone networks is farly limited, and set to become more so if Orange and T-Mobile UK merge. If you fall out with one and have limited coverage on another you are going to have little choice where you can arrange your contract and limited tariffs.

However, there seems to be a rise in "virtual" mobile phone networks offered by MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators) which will give you a better choice. For instance Virgin Mobile does not have its own infrastructure or masts, it utilises the T-Mobile network but can offer a range of different phones and tariffs.

Other virtual mobile phone networks include BT mobile and Tesco mobile, and new ones that we could see soon include Red Bull mobile and GiffGaff.

So if your best coverage is with T-Mobile, you don't have to restrict yourself to their tariffs, check out Virgin Mobile, Fresh or Easy, all of whom piggy-back on the T-Mobile network. They might have better tariffs or the handset you want, lower prices or shorter contracts.

Wise advice for consumers is always to shop around and don't jump at the first deal you see. For business mobile users the choice of network is much more limited.

The MVNOs above focus only on individual consumers with one handset. For business users the best plan is to utilise the services of a business mobile specialist who can find you the best deal. Their services are usually free of charge and they are likely to save you money on your mobile bills, adding profit to your bottom line.

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.

We all live in a fast-paced business world, particularly those of us based in the world of mobile phones and telecoms.

Take mobiles for instance; processing power doubles every 18 months, storage capacity increases, and faster download speeds and higher bandwidth are available.

In the next couple of years the standard mobile phone will have the processing power of your average PC of today. The possibilities are nearly limitless.

With so many SmartPhones being sold, more and more customers have powerful operating-system based devices in their pockets. New apps are being released daily offering new services to both consumers and business mobile users.

When planning your next business mobile contract you not only need to think about what you need today but what is going to help your business in the future.

How are new mobile devices and the range of services they offer going to help your staff be more productive and, where they are used in a customer facing situation, improve your customer service?

For instance, I recently had a few estate agents around my house to value my property. Several of them brought around paper print-outs of similar properties in the area to show me. Not very interesting.

The one that stood out from the crowd whipped out his iPhone and connected directly to the Right Move website. He scrolled through similar properties and from there could click on any details of interest, show me all of the photos, provide an interactive service which offered so much more than a flat piece of paper. He got my business.

Think about how technology could improve your presentations to customers and prospects. Utilising the features of a modern SmartPhone will save you time, money and, ultimately, increase your profits.

The Apple iPhone has been an incredible success amongst individual consumers. For business mobile users the pull is not so great. The need for the "gadget of the moment" is less and functionality is far more important than style.

Most of the iPhone features can be performed just as well, if not better, by other phones on the market. Apple are also going to have trouble retaining their current advantage in the future as all of the major manufacturers are "out to get them" with every new SmartPhone release offering something to make it an "iPhone killer".

Not only that, but by signing exclusively with O2 they also have the other networks gunning for them. Vodafone, whilst being the largest network globally, are only second in the UK (and shortly to be third with the merger of Orange and O2).

They need something to entice the iPhone buyers onto their network. Or alternatively the many people who would like an iPhone but just cannot afford the hefty monthly bills or handset price!

Their answer, at least in the short term, is Vodafone 360. This service aims to pull together all of the social networking people do now, both on mobile phones and computers. A common address book will span email contacts, Facebook and Twitter friends and other online communities.

There will also be a store for Vodafone apps for music, games and mapping plus new content drawn from a range of developers. New phones will be launched to take advantage of this new service and to show it off to its full potential. Samsung are rumoured to be manufacturing two of the new handsets.

The first we are likely to see of Vodafone 360 is in the run up to Christmas. Watch this space.

On local radio a couple of days ago was a debate on what age should children be given mobile phones. Whilst the host was rather unrealistically saying he thought around 14 years old, many of the listeners were advising their kids had mobiles at 7 years old.

More as an emergency aid and to keep track of them rather than for them to make calls or texts. There are a couple of reasons why mobile phones could be harmful to kids.

The first is the health factor. Whilst there has been no major research which can conclusively confirm a link between prolonged mobile phone usage and cancer the technology is in its infancy and therefore long term risks have not had time to be assessed.

Many cancer experts believe the radiation from mobile phones could pose a significant risk for long term usage over a long period (say 10 years). The dangers for children are that much greater, so caution is advised.

The second is the effect it could have on their education. Recent reports suggest increased use of mobile phones (and the internet) leads children to copy homework directly from websites and use text-speak in their written schoolwork.

This is in schools where mobile phones are banned. In the USA there have been trials where mobile phones have been integrated into pupils learning and have shown achievement scores increase by 25% on average.

We can conclude from this that it is not the mobiles themselves that are harmful, more the way in which they are used. Used sensibly and sparingly mobile phones can be of great benefit.

We have written from time to time on this blog about the increasing convergence between devices, particularly the advance of mobile phone technology and how phones are replacing computers, at least in part.

Over the coming years, and it may not be that long with the pace of technological advances, landlines, mobiles and IT are going to become more entwined and having separate providers for each of these services is going to cause headaches and wasted time sorting out problems.

For instance, if you have a problem with accessing the internet is it your broadband supplier, your telephone line provider or your IT guys? Will any of them admit their responsibility and sort it out or will they all tell you "it's the other guys fault".

With a converged communications solution incorporating landlines, business mobiles, IT (and possibly other services like device tracking) you have one point of contact, one person to call who will sort it out. You don't have to worry about contacting all of the individual suppliers, that is all sorted on your behalf.

Best of all it is not going to cost you any more. In fact, in all likelihood you could save your business a sizeable sum by employing specialists to review all of your communication requirements.

As businesses evolve and expand the individual communication requirements tend to grow without any clear direction. This random growth often means over-complication and increased costs. Getting a free review is a no-brainer - after all what have you got to lose?

No business, in a recession or otherwise, should turn down the opportunity of saving money. Every penny saved is a penny added to your bottom line.

Getting the right tariffs for your business mobiles, reduced line rental and call costs for your landlines, business grade broadband helping your communications run smoothly and a solution integrating all of these services will help your business in the future.

As part of the 21c Telecom group we are at the forefront of converged communications. We would welcome the opportunity of helping your business save money and improve its communications.

Just contact us for a free review. We can call at your premises to look at your current communication provisions and see where improvements can be made.

Currently there are around 4 billion people worldwide using mobile phones. This is forecast to rise to 5.2 billion by 2011.

Mobile phones are now a part of most peoples lives and increasingly taking over from other devices such as MP3 players, SatNavs and cameras.

Modern SmartPhones are now replacing mobile computers for many with their incredible speed and processing power. These are particularly popular with business users who can take advantage of the extra memory now available for email and documents.

As people are just as likely to have their mobile phone with them as their purse or wallet they will be used as payment devices for small transactions. Swipe your mobile (installed with the correct software) and pay for your shopping.

They can be used for bus and train fares in the same way as an Oyster card or similar payment card.

You can also interact with your environment. With GPS functions the phone knows where you are all of the time. So if you are looking at the Tower of London it will know and can automatically download interesting facts and information about places of interest. This is known as augmented reality.

Watching TV on your mobile is possible. It doesn't have to be via the internet it can be picked up from a local television mast, thus saving your inclusive minutes and data.

Banking on your mobile is now common so you can move your money around (if you have any!) whilst on the move.

You can get fit with your phone. You can download apps to tell you how far you have run and even have routes for you to run/cycle downloaded to your phone and it will guide you.

Twitter and Facebook and all of your social networking can be done by phone. In fact phones can now be used for every aspect of your life making them indispensible.

With the proposed merger of Orange and T-Mobile the number of networks available to business users is set to shrink. Which one is best for your business?

There are several factors to consider when thinking about which network to place your business mobiles on.

Firstly, and certainly most importantly, is coverage. Although all of the networks claim to have large percentages of the UK covered in reality the signal strength can vary wildly within a few metres distance and many places get little or no signal at all.

If you already have mobile phones and get a strong signal with your current network make sure you do your homework before changing. You might be offered a very sweet deal to move to another network but that's no good if you can't talk or text.

Try and get a sim card from the new providers to see if their signal strength is as good where you need it before signing up to a new contract. If you sign up to a long term contract and only find out about poor coverage later you could find yourself paying a large sum to buy out your contract and go back to your original network.

Next you have to think about tariffs. Most networks offer broadly similar packages but occasionally you will find one deal that perfectly suits your usage or requirements. It might be unlimited texts or an offer of free insurance (useful if you are always losing your phone).

If you are only looking for a single phone and have a particular model in mind it might be that the phone is exclusive to one network (eg. iphone on O2) in which case your choice is very limited, although there are always ways around this with imported sim free phones for instance.

You might have dealt with another network before and had a bad experience with their customer service. You may have vowed never to use them again. However, if it is only one instance it might have been an isolated incident and it might be worth giving them another try if your business stands to benefit from a great low tariff.

Whichever network you want your business mobiles on at Business Mobile World we can help you with expert impartial advice, getting you the best deal and making sure you are a happy customer. 

On paper it really is no contest. The Nokia 3510i (pictured) was released in 2002 and basically has no features. No camera, no bluetooth, tiny screen.

On the other hand the Samsung U600 was released in 2007, has a 2.2 inch TFT screen, 3.2 MP camera with video, bluetooth, stereo radio, MP3 player, document viewer etc. etc.

So when my Samsung U600 broke and I had to borrow a Nokia 3510i from a friend I was not too pleased. However, I'm still using the 3510i even after my U600 has been replaced under warranty. Why?

I work in an area where signal quality is not too good. With my Samsung I always struggled to get a signal at all and put it down to the area and lack of signal strength.

When I took my Nokia into work I expected the same thing, after all I was using the same SIM card on the same network, and with it being an older phone I anticipated getting nothing at all.

In actual fact I now get a signal. Not brilliant, but enough to make and receive calls without too many problems, something that I could not do before with my "superior" handset.

Maybe the size of the handset (it is a big old beast) has something to do with it, or the fact that it is a Nokia rather than Samsung, but it really doesn't make much sense.

However when my upgrade comes in November I will be looking for a Nokia and trying it out in the building before deciding whether to buy. It is a phone, after all, and the ability to make and receive calls is more important than the flashy features that are packed into modern handsets.

So when you are looking for your next phone remember that the best phone is not always the latest one or the smartest looking one. Function over form every time.

We specialize in mobile phones for business users, however we also upgrade individual consumers on a range of different networks.

If your current contract is due for renewal shortly, or you are due for a mid-term upgrade, please contact us to see what we can offer you before going direct to the network.

The upgrade process

Depending on your usage the network allocate a banding to your account. Light users will get a low banding which means they will have a limited choice of inexpensive phones when it comes to upgrade time. Heavy users get a high banding and can choose from a large range of the latest mobile handsets.

We can provide you with a list of phones you can choose from and advise you about the best one for your particular usage.

At upgrade time we can also change your tariff. This includes changing minutes, texts and add-ons such as data (email and internet).

Everything can be done in one simple phone call and your new phone can often be despatched the following day. You keep your existing number and if you need help moving your contacts to your new phone or have other questions about your new handset we are only a phone call away.

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.

As well as offering business mobile phones, we also offer a full range of business telecommunications products and services. This includes landline telephones.

We can install new telephone systems, telephone lines (analogue/ISDN2/ISDN30) and reduce your call costs. If you are currently with BT you could be saving up to 40% on your calls.

There is no interruption to your service and you keep your current number. We take over your billing and put you on one of our bespoke tariffs. Calls start from 0.75p per minute.

You get a simple to understand monthly bill detailing all of your calls.

We can also take over your broadband, providing business-grade broadband with low contention ratios, giving you excellent bandwidth and quick resolution in the event of problems.

We have a dedicated landline department, including telephone engineers, so we are only one phone call away if you have any concerns.

So, if you are approaching the end of your current contract, (NB - beware getting trapped into another lengthy contract by your current provider without your knowledge!) then get in touch and see what we can offer your business.

Our aim at Business Mobile World is to make your business communications simple, straightforward and cost-effective. One of the ways we can cut your costs is by including free calls within your package.

We offer many business mobile tariffs that include free calls to UK landlines. These are numbers beginning 01, 02 and 03. Eg. 0115 944 8977 (our number for you to call us).

If you have an inclusive package with free landline minutes this leaves the remainder of your minutes solely for mobile-to-mobile calls. This could mean a serious reduction in the number of inclusive minutes you need, a reduction in tariff, and best of all a reduction in your monthly costs.

If you have more than one mobile handset we can include free calls between all of your company mobiles. Again this can reduce the number of minutes you need and therefore the cost.

You need to analyze your current bills (or let us do it for you) and see where your minutes are being used. From this we can ensure you get the best value-for-money package.

We can also offer a GSM gateway (or Premicell) which you use for your landline calls to mobiles. This device automaticaly routes all calls starting 07 (mobile numbers) via a dedicated sim card meaning that these minutes can come out of your monthly inclusive allowance.

All of these ideas can be used together to ensure that you pay as little as possible for every business phone call and therefore maximise your profits.

There has been speculation in the mobile world about the possible takeover of the UK arm of T-Mobile for a little while. Vodafone were thought to be bidding, as were 02.

However T-Mobile UK look set to merge with Orange in a deal set to create a mobile phone goliath with 37% of the UK market (over 28 million customers), overtaking 02 as the largest network.

The deal could be signed by November and will mean the companies make large ongoing savings through sharing network resources and streamlining their admin and customer service operations.

These savings could well result in lower tariffs for their customers in the future however for the time being all accounts will run as normal as both brands will be retained, at least for the time being.

It is unknown what will happen to Virgin Mobile, which runs on T-Mobile's network, or 3, which has recently signed up to do the same. These issues could be affected by possible intervention by the competition authorities who are likely to want to scrutinise the deal and the effect it will have on the UK mobile phone market.

Business mobile phone users with both networks should be unaffected in the short term but, as we always recommend, when their contracts are due for renewal should look around for the best deals by contacting us.

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.

Business Mobile World is a website in the 21c Telecom group. This comprises a number of websites dedicated to all forms of telecommunication.

The group started out in 1996 as Phone Direct providing business mobile phones. In 2008 the name changed to 21c Voice and Data to reflect the number of other services we can now provide to business customers. This includes:

• Business Mobiles
• Landline telephone systems/lines/calls
• Broadband
• Device and vehicle tracking
• Non geographic numbers
• VOIP telephone systems
• Mobile Broadband
• Phone call recording

Since 2008 other businesses and websites have been consolidated within the group and it continues to expand with the latest website launched this week.

Best business phone deals focusses primarily on business mobile phones and landline phones. It has been kept deliberately simple, just providing the basic idea of what can be offered without complicating matters. It makes it easy to get in touch with us to find out more.

Basically we can provide your business with a fully converged telecoms solution with bespoke tariffs, free hardware and seamless integration between the individual components. To put it simply, we will sort out your communications.

Don't hesitate to contact us for advice and quotes for any or all of our services.