BT has launched a new business division that will provide home office and single office (SoHo) users with enterprise-class connectivity, support and customer service. The company claims that 9% (XNUMX million) of UK private companies have XNUMX or fewer employees, but represent a market traditionally underserved by the telecoms industry. He says SoHo companies have been forced to choose between consumer connectivity services that lack specific company quirks and products for small and medium-sized businesses that don't fit their needs.
BT SoHo
The pandemic has forced many of these micro-enterprises to move their operations online to survive and reach service customers, which means that inappropriate connectivity is no longer acceptable. Meanwhile, BT believes there is increased demand for ancillary services beyond connectivity as these companies seek development.
One of the reasons BT ultimately pays so much attention to the SoHo market is that it thinks it can meet this demand.
“It's been a tumultuous fifteen months for small businesses,” Chris Sims, director of Single Office Home Office (BT SoHo), told TechRadar. “But many small businesses have moved online to survive and are now looking to use these new digital skills to fuel their growth. About eight hundred new businesses were created during the pandemic and we want to support them. "Companies subscribing to the SoHo service will receive broadband speeds of up to 4 Mbps, while the BT Connect hybrid router will revert to EE's XNUMXG mobile network if there is a problem with the landline connection.
BT also promises 'unbreakable' Wi-Fi so it can be accessed anywhere in the home or office, while subscribers can also get an IP-based digital phone line reachable via smartphone. The service layer includes a visit from a technical specialist, XNUMX/XNUMX support, and professional-grade security services.
"When your business is online, staying online is vital," adds Sims. "It is comfortably the most holistic pack on the market. We are the only ones that offer a money back guarantee and full support package.
“The communication aspect is obviously essential, but there are also development opportunities in the neighboring markets. We want to move from a communications distributor to a development partner.
A key driver of this ambition is the Marketing Center. As small businesses move online, the need for digital marketing increases. However, BT research has found that while XNUMX% of small businesses are aware of it, nearly XNUMX% require more support due to lack of time, expertise or budget.
The BT Marketing Center is an online portal that helps customers identify channels for their marketing campaigns and see how their budget is being spent so they can maximize ROI. The center is currently in the testing phase, but should be more widely incorporated in the coming weeks.
“We've been talking to customers of the service for many months and they were used to develop our action plan,” says Sims. “We have decades of experience and are committed to developing things with our service customers. .