If you’re reading this article or have been on our social media in the previous weeks you may have noticed a change in the way Southern Communication looks. With the release of our new logo to a complete website facelift – we are thrilled to be evolving and constantly developing as a business!

At Southern Communications we are modernising our digital approach and how we wish to communicate with our customers.

With these changes to the brand, we want to reassure you that nothing will change with our performance and customer service. Our business values remain the same and we still aim to achieve the utmost excellence in our products and services – providing customers with efficient and timely solutions, while retaining the care and support you require.

What to expect to see with the new changes

We were very excited to launch our new website, going in hand with the new logo, the Southern Communications marketing team is being brought to the forefront of the business with exciting new features which customers and non-customers can enjoy!

So, what are they?

Video case studies

As part of our digital development, we seek to bring you more informative modes of content, one being in the form of video case studies with you, the customer. Showcasing our solutions firsthand on-site at your location or offices. We are excited to be meeting with you to develop unique and educational videos which inform other businesses like yours on how our technology can benefit them too.

So, we invite all customers of Southern Communications who wish to gain access to an exciting opportunity where you can exhibit your business to our audience across our social media while discussing how the services we have provided have benefited you and your business.

If you would like to take part in one of our video case studies, feel free to contact us to book a filming date. Contact us on 01256 391 046 or email sales@southern-comms.co.uk.

Social media activity

We know that not all customers are the same so we are always looking to develop the ways in which you can access information from us. With the new look and logo rollout we feel by becoming more active and available to customers across our social media channels will streamline our vision and become more informative and accessible.

We aim to publish unique and educational content to keep you up to date with industry knowledge and our latest news.

You can find us on:

LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/southern-communications-ltd/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SouthernCommsUK

Twitter – https://twitter.com/southerncomms

These are just a few of the new and exciting things we are looking forward to bringing you, so keep an eye on our social media channels for all the latest news and information.

Modern technology is designed to play a key role in the forefront of most businesses – whether it assists with communication, marketing, manufacturing, or any other requirement. There is a mode of technology that can benefit you and your business.

Sometimes modern technology can get overlooked when it provides an efficient service – technology such as business telephony. Future-proof business telecommunications should be recognised and can be appreciated by all business types and sizes. No matter what service you provide, what product you supply, businesses will always need some form of communication set up.

What telephone system does my business need?

What is a traditional telephone system? Historically, traditional telephone lines use a local telephone exchange to make calls. Voice circuits are switched in the local telephone exchange creating a connection between the caller and the recipient allowing them to communicate. This is the old-fashioned copper network; you may have seen Openreach engineers working on the cables in green street cabinets.

What is a VoIP telephone? A VoIP telephone or IP phone uses voice over internet protocol technology for placing and transmitting telephone calls over an IP network. To put it simply, a VoIP telephone system is powered by your broadband connection, so calls are transmitted over the internet connection. This is the same as Skype or other internet-based calls and calls made and received in this way are hugely reduced in cost.

The primary use for all telephone systems is to allow people to communicate to and from different locations at any given time, allowing simple communication functionality to businesses.

Hosted telephony or VoIP is known worldwide for its efficient and cost-effective communication setup. Businesses all over are switching from old, outdated technology such as their ISDN systems and replacing it with next-generation technology known as VoIP. VoIP telephony is more than just a telephony system – it allows people to communicate with ease from anywhere at any time simply using only a broadband connection.

VoIP telephony is the future of telecommunications, offering businesses a scalable solution with a feature-heavy interface that will allow users to experience high-quality calls each and every time.

When will the old technology become obsolete?

Users of ISDN technology will soon face challenges if they refuse to switch to an alternative solution before the year 2025. In 2025 the ISDN network will be switched off making the technology outdated and unusable. For businesses who remain using legacy solutions, we advise you to speak with a telecommunications expert to help you avoid any difficulties you may face if you leave the upgrade too late.

To avoid any business technology challenges, make sure you speak with one of our experts to ensure your business runs efficiently.

Contact us on 01256 391 046 or email sales@southern-comms.co.uk.

The Super-deduction tax scheme could give you 25% back on the cost of a new telephone system

The super-deduction tax scheme has come at a great time for businesses looking to upgrade their telephony.

Many businesses are faced with a real need to move away from their existing ISDN based telephone systems, for some driven by Openreach’s plan to replace the whole of the existing digital network by 2025. Other businesses are simply looking to improve efficiencies in the workplace with the flexibility offered by next generation IP, cloud based, solutions.

There is good news for these businesses – from 1st April 2021*, through the super-deduction capital allowance, they could receive 25% of the cost back.

The UK government has announced an enhanced 130% first year super-deduction capital allowance on ‘main pool’ assets and a 50% first year allowance on ‘special rate pool assets’. This applies to qualifying plant and machinery, including computer equipment and servers. The super-deduction will allow companies to cut their tax bill by up to 25p for every £1 they invest, ensuring the UK capital allowances regime is amongst the world’s most competitive.

The article refers to plant and machinery and in that includes computer equipment and office chairs. 

This change makes the UK’s capital allowance regime more internationally competitive, lifting the net present value of our plant and machinery allowances from 30th in the OECD to 1st.

Find out more

Disclaimer

Southern Communications are not tax advisors and we strongly recommend you check details of the super deduction tax benefit with your tax advisor.

*The government initially stated this super deduction will be valid on expenditure incurred between 1st April 2021 and 31st March 2023.  Please check for any updates with your tax consultant or on the government website.

Today’s fast-paced workload as an estate agent can be hard to keep up without the help of effective communication tools which is why many estate agents are replacing traditional ISDN services with VoIP solutions.

Communication is key in the business world and for estate agencies dealing with sales and lettings agreements and building relationships with customers, bringing the team together is essential. Field-based staff may struggle to maintain communication with customers meaning calls may be missed, meaning missed business.

Estate agents are constantly under pressure, attending house viewings, replying to emails, dealing with contractors and so much more. As an estate agent you may find yourself at the end of each day wishing there were more hours to help fulfil what feels like a never ending list of tasks.

How can a VoIP solution help?

A VoIP hosted telephone solution can improve efficiency.  Cloud based communication tools work across multiple offices and mobile applications, linking staff together through a central platform to give a single experience across branches and on the road.  Staff area able to transfer calls, put callers on hold, direct callers to the correct department and use their mobile phone as an extension when they are out of the office.

With a VoIP solution from Southern Communications you get to keep all the telephone features you currently enjoy, such as auto-attendant to implement automated call-routing assisting calls to speak with the correct department e.g. press 1 for sales, 2 for lettings and queueing with the ability to add your own messages to help maximise sales.

Save money with every call

Call costs become a think of the past, with calls included in the cost of the system, making it easy to manage your budget.  Priced on a per seat per month there is no capital outlay when you choose a hosted solution from Southern Communications, you simply pay a subscription per user per month. There are no additional maintenance costs, as maintenance and faulty hardware replacement is included.

At Southern Communications we offer fast and reliable broadband for connectivity and an intuitive, feature rich, telephony platform to keep your business connected.

Now more then ever we are relying on the best WI-FI performance.

For many of us, Wi-Fi availability and Wi-Fi performance are a consideration when choosing where to live and visit including cafes. bars and restaurants. – even public transport is supporting our need for Wi-Fi connectivity on our smart devices.

You may not be able to change the performance of guest Wi-Fi connections available to you, however you can make changes to your own environments to take full advantage of your Wi-Fi network performance.

Here we provide 10 tips to ensure you get the maximum benefit from your WiFi

Location, Location, Location

By default routers are often located exactly where BT have installed the phone line, tucked in a corner or under the stairs cupboard.

As most Wi-Fi antennas transmit through 360 degrees, this means you are losing Wi-Fi signal to the outside world instead of directing it into your home / office.  Where only the router is used to transmit Wi-Fi, you should look to locate your router in the centre of your building for maximum coverage.  Other considerations include the construction of walls and water, as water will soak up Wi-Fi like a sponge, so move that fish tank and consider that hot water tank.  As humans are made up of 60% water it may be something to consider siting your access point in densely populated areas like your living room when most people sit throughout the day (especially during COVID).

Protect from Interference

Other Wi-Fi devices, Bluetooth, kitchen microwaves, PIR sensors and in some cases, even baby monitors and cordless phones can interfere with your Wi-Fi signals, so take this into account when looking to minimise interference

Check your channel

Crowded channels from neighbouring wireless routers or access points can seriously affect your performance.  Did you know that one of the most effective changes you can make to improve your home Wi-Fi setup is to choose the right channel.  You may not realise that for 2.4Ghz networks, there are up to 14 channels to choose from and channels 1, 6 and 11 are the three channels of choice as the frequencies do not overlap each other.

You can also check out the Wi-Fi Analyzer app on your smart device to see what neighbouring networks are using and choose a less crowded channel for your Wi-Fi.

Adjust the signal strength

Many people are unaware that the signal strength of your wireless access point or wireless enabled router can be adjusted.  Remember, what we said about neighbouring networks?  By adjusting your power to the correct level, you can ensure you are covering the required area without pushing your Wi-Fi into neighbouring buildings and creating interference for yourself and the neighbours next door.

Have the right access points

Signal strength is important for speed and reliability. Additional access points in weak areas of your home or business will improve performance as the closer you are to an access point or wireless enabled router, the higher the quality of your connection.  Signal boosters and repeaters can also help but do your research.  With so many options on the market you need to make sure your you are investing in good quality product and not just good marketing.

Share effectively

Many access points / routers allow you to set the speed of connection that is served to each Wi-Fi connected device.  This enables bandwidth to be shared based on individuals needs so you can be sure to get onto that video call without the quality being affected by gamers using the same WiFi network.  On some more advanced access points you can also set priorities for traffic types, i.e. prioritise voice traffic etc.

Get what you pay for

When buying new tech, spending that little bit extra can provide a lot more productivity.  When looking to upgrade your router, access point, laptop or smart device spend that extra few pounds to ensure you have the latest Wi-Fi technology to maximise performance of your WiFi.  Read user reviews – you want something you can depend on.

Update firmware

We are all used to updates on mobile devices but often overlook the messages to update hardware and access points. Firmware releases often have performance enhancements or fixes that could unlock your hardware’s potential, and best of all its usually free.  When purchasing a router checking that firmware updates are included could be a good way to protect your investment.

2.4GHz V 5GHz frequency

Most Wi-Fi networks run on the 2.4Ghz frequency and many other devices share the same frequency.  The 5Ghz network provides and alternative and most higher end mobile devices and laptops will have both 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz radios-built in. 5Ghz networks take advantage of less interference and faster speeds, however signals may not reach as far as a 2.4GHz frequency so when setting up your WiFi take a look at how far your signal needs to travel and see if 5GHz will benefit yourself and don’t forget to consider users of 2.4GHz device users who may not be able to access 5GHz .