Unhappy with your current business mobile provider?

Whilst many businesses still go direct to the networks, others realise the value that can be added by utilising the services of a mobile provider. This enables them to compare the tariffs from several networks, to choose any handsets they require, and to resolve any problems quickly and easily by dealing with an experienced telecoms expert.

However, things do go wrong sometimes, and some mobile providers don’t provide the level of service we offer to our customers. This can leave a business in a difficult situation, particularly if they are mid-contract.

There are options to change your mobile provider, wherever you are in the contract cycle, and benefit from better customer service. You may also be able to obtain a more cost effective tariff and new handsets, dependent upon the structure of your new contract.

Free no obligation review

If your current mobile provider isn’t meeting your expectations, or your present deal isn’t what you need following changes in your business, then take advantage of a free business mobile review which will look at your current contract and usage and analyse where savings can be made. Should you need to be bought out of your contract this can be factored into any deal we offer.  

The process is quick and easy and doesn’t involve you in doing anything more than supplying your latest mobile bills for analysis. From this we can make recommendations regarding your tariff and mobile devices.

Should we provide a suitable quotation the actual process of transferring is straightforward, it is just a matter of obtaining PAC codes from your current supplier so that you can keep your existing numbers. We will despatch your phones in time for the switchover with all of the necessary package features already applied. Put your new sim cards into your handsets and away you go.

As well as mobile phones we also provide other mobile devices such as tablets and other ancillary products such as signal boosters, car kits, USB modem sticks etc. These can help improve productivity away from the office and are becoming a standard feature of many business mobile contracts.

The figures are in for March in our list of Top 10 business mobiles. Surprisingly the news is good for BlackBerry as they hold four entries, including the new number 1! Samsung also do better than normal with three entries.

From out of nowhere (it didn’t appear in last month’s Top 10) the BlackBerry 9300 Curve has swept to victory. For BlackBerry users it is one of the most cost-effective 3G phones making it an ideal purchase for businesses who want the BlackBerry experience on lower usage tariffs.

Dropping back from the number one position is Apple’s iPhone 4S. It remains consistently popular having been the best seller for January and February. It will be no surprise if it continues to ride high and re-take the number one spot in future months. However, if you want it free you will usually need a higher tariff or to take a mix of other lower cost handsets within your contract to fund the iPhones.

At three is another BlackBerry, the 9790 Bold. A more expensive and better spec’d handset than the 9300. This is closely followed by a regular favourite at four, the Samsung B2710. This is a tough phone for those that give their mobiles some hammer.

Another expensive BlackBerry at five, the 9900 Bold. Following on from this in the list are a couple of basic phones at 6 and 7 – the Samsung S5610 Utopia (the first time in the list for this one) and the Nokia C2-01. These are good choices for businesses where talk and text is more important than email and data.

The final BlackBerry in the list is another favourite from previous lists, the 8520 Curve. It’s a solid cost-effective phone but does suffer from a lack of 3G.

Rounding out the list at 9 and 10 are another Samsung tough phone, the B2100, and the Nokia C3.

Top 10 Business Mobiles

The full list of Top 10 business mobiles for March 2012 (February's positions in brackets):

1. (-) BlackBerry 9300 Curve
2. (1) Apple iPhone 4s
3. (-) BlackBerry 9790 Bold
4. (-) Samsung B2710
5. (-) BlackBerry 9900 Bold
6. (-) Samsung S5610 Utopia
7. (6) Nokia C2-01
8. (10) BlackBerry 8520 Curve
9. (7) Samsung B2100
10. (-) Nokia C3

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

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

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

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

Flexible tariffs and packages

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

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

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

Easy business mobile comparison

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

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

The figures are in for February 2012 and the top selling business mobile phones have been compiled into a Top 10 list. Seven of the handsets from January have remained in the list with just three new entries.

And the winner is….the Apple iPhone 4S…..again. It looks like the new iPhone is going to be a dominant force in 2012. Whilst we’re talking about Apple, look out for their new iPad (iPad 3) which looks likely to be announced on the 7^th March.

A surprise new entry is at 2, the Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro. Surprising because Sony Ericsson rarely make an appearance in the Top 10 list. The Xperia Pro has bucked the trend though, following on from its good showing in November and December 2011.

Nokia do well with 3 entries at numbers 3, 5 and 6. They provide solid talk and text handsets and their three phones in the list (C1-01 at 3, 6303i at 5,  and C2-01 at 6) represent good value for money.

In the middle of these three is the HTC Wildfire S at number 4. This remains the most popular HTC handset for our business users giving an Android SmartPhone for the budget conscious.

Samsung fill the next two places at 7 and 8. The B2100 is their “tough” phone for workmen and their Samsung Galaxy Ace is similar to the HTC Wildfire in being a good budget Android SmartPhone.

Finally BlackBerry bring up the rear at 9 and 10 with their expensive 9780 Bold and their more budget friendly 8520 Curve.

Top 10 business mboiles - February 2012

The full list is below with previous month’s figures in brackets:

1. (1) Apple iPhone 4s
2. (-) Sony Ericsson Xperia Pro
3. (2) Nokia C1-01
4. (-) HTC Wildfire S
5. (-) Nokia 6303i
6. (8) Nokia C2-01
7. (9) Samsung B2100
8. (7) Samsung Galaxy Ace
9. (5) BlackBerry 9780 Bold
10. (4) BlackBerry 8520 Curve

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

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

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

Vodafone Mobile Broadband Tariffs

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

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

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

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

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

How much mobile data do you need?

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

· 250 emails

· 35 Word documents

· 25 PowerPoint, Excel or Acrobat attachments

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

Mobile communications are important to your business so put their management in safe hands.

Here are 10 reasons to use Business Mobile World:

1. Saving you money – for just a few minutes of your time you can get a quotation from us that will beat your existing deal in most cases.

2. Saving you time – one call to us is all it takes to get your problems sorted. No waiting in queues for the network call centres.

3. Expert advice – with 15 years’ experience in the mobile industry we have the knowledge to answer your questions and give you the best advice.

4. Integrated solutions – it’s not just mobiles with us. We offer the latest mobile and fixed telecoms technology to give your business the competitive edge.

5. Customer service – we have grown steadily through getting new business, but, more importantly, keeping all of our existing customers happy. We have many who have been with us from the start.

6. Regular account reviews – periodically we review your account to make sure everything is running smoothly and your requirements are being met.

7. Dedicated Account Manager – your business will have a dedicated Account Manager who will look after you, giving you the highest level of service.

8. Full range of handsets – we can supply any UK handsets free of charge on a range of tariffs.

9. Independent – we are not tied to one network so you receive impartial advice.

10. Not just mobiles – we can give your business a total telecoms solution spanning all of your phone and data needs.

Best of all our services are free of charge to you, we are paid by the networks to look after your business.

Still not convinced? Put us to the test.

Get in touch with us armed with your latest bill and see what we can offer you. It could be a very profitable decision!

For small businesses, particularly SOHOs (small office/home office), a lot of time can be spent away from the office doing your job, meaning that your mobile phone is your most important means of communication. Advertising your mobile number to your customers does not present a professional façade and for credibility a landline number is needed.

However a landline, or fixed line, ties someone to the office, is answered by an answerphone message or, in the worst case scenario, rings unanswered. Could a landline number that rings on your mobile phone be the answer?

There are now many different solutions that give you a virtual landline number that rings on your mobile. The main difference is pricing and which one is best for you will depend largely upon your usage.

Vodafone One Net Express

Probably the most well known solution is Vodafone’s One Net Express. Originally a standalone product it is now possible to include it with a standard Vodafone tariff making it much more attractive and affordable to the average small business user.

Your virtual landline number is held by Vodafone and rings on your mobile without being diverted. This means that there are no call charges for transferring calls between landline and mobile. You also get a number of phone system features such as call waiting, music on hold, hunt groups etc. which are included within your package.

Basic tariffs start at £35 plus VAT which includes 300 mobile minutes, 3,000 landline minutes, 250 texts and 500MB of data. Higher tariffs are available for larger users.

Other networks offer similar products which work slightly differently but produce broadly the same end result.

Call management solutions

Other products exist which give you a virtual landline and then divert the calls to your mobile. This makes them non-network specific and means you can have your mobile contract with any provider and still receive calls. There is usually a charge for the diversion though so they only really work out cost effective for light users.

They do have the flexibility to be diverted to any number, so you can divert them to another landline at reduced costs, or change the diverted number at any time.

Compare available solutions

At Business Mobile World we offer a range of solutions for having a landline number on your mobile. We can provide you with a comparison between products and guide you to the best option for your usage.

It is not only SOHOs who take advantage of this new technology, many larger businesses look at similar arrangements to make their method of communication more flexible, ensuring more calls get answered by the right person first time. This increases productivity and customer satisfaction.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Top 10 business mobiles for December 2011:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The full Top 10 business mobiles for November 2011:

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

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

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

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

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

Including business changes

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

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

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

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