07 March 2024
Duncan Swan, chief operating officer, British APCO
British APCO is a founding member of the Collaborative Coalition for International Public Safety (CC:IPS). The partnership is currently looking at where critical communication networks are designated as critical national infrastructure.
The world is marching ever quicker towards an all-digital infrastructure – and this brings with it challenges that break the norm. The solutions and underlying business processes delivering business continuity and disaster recovery no longer hold water, and different approaches must be considered. Simple challenges include the migration from copper landlines to voice over IP for all UK telephone connections, which was paused once it became apparent that during bad weather conditions, when power was lost, many customers had no way of making an emergency 999/112 call; and users of health alarms are unable to call for help. The onus on protecting the vulnerable has switched to ensure all utility providers take this responsibility. Next generation communications help drive improved processes and opens new communication channels – but when we take these steps, we need to ensure that we are not alienating those in society who are unable to embrace this level of change.
Find out moreIoT is an answer to the increase in damp and mould complaints, poor social housing conditions, and tenant health and safety concerns
06 March 2024
Chris Jones, chief executive officer, Aico|HomeLINK
According to the Housing Ombudsman’s Annual Complaints Review 2022–2023, the social housing sector has seen more than a four-fold increase in serious failures or delays by landlords over the last 12 months. The Ombudsman branded this a “sobering overview” of the situation across England after receiving over 5,000 complaints that were escalated for formal investigation; a 27% increase on the previous year and a record high.
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06 March 2024
Greg Hudson, chief portfolio officer, M247
There’s no shortage of emerging technology available to businesses in today’s ‘information age.’
The arrival and popularisation of generative AI is just one example that dominated the headlines last year. And in the background, the appetite from businesses to adopt all things new – from digital network connectivity to more sophisticated cybersecurity – is continuing to grow and grow. Research from Gartner this year revealed that 91% of organisations are engaged in some form of digital initiative and for senior business leaders, 87% of those surveyed believe that digitalisation is a priority.
Find out moreCombatting modern security risks with unified network management
05 March 2024
Jonathan Wright, director of products and operations, GCX
A s digital innovation evolves across all types of industries, the cyber-attack surface has been expanding in tandem. This is an unfortunate, but unavoidable consequence of increased digital transformation. As a result, enterprises have been forced to seek out networking solutions to match the surge in cyber threats and tackle them head-on.
One such networking solution is Software-defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) architecture. Originally designed for on-site work, SD-WAN was fit for purpose at the time, but the post-pandemic workplace has since turned this network solution upside down. Now almost four years on, many businesses favour hybrid and remote working models – which appear to be here to stay.
Find out moreUK businesses’ journey towards Net Zero 2050
05 March 2024
Richard Henderson, senior consultant, Critical Power Supplies
In a landscape increasingly shaped by environmental imperatives, recent data from Critical Power Supplies (CPS) unveils a significant dissonance: over half of UK businesses find themselves unprepared for the looming Net Zero 2050 targets, despite a palpable upsurge in interest in sustainable energy solutions. The findings, derived from a thorough survey conducted by CPS, not only underscore the urgent need for preparedness but also spotlight the evolving challenges and opportunities as demand for sustainable power solutions escalates.
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