Entanet Blog - Opinion: ISP industry news and views

You can’t keep a good legislator down

Paul.Heritage-Redpath — Tue, 14 May 2013 11:14:34 +0000

As a company which empowers ISPs, Entanet monitors developments in copyright law.

There’s a great quote from Steve Jobs:

Paul Heritage-Redpath, Product Manager

“From the earliest days of Apple I realized that we thrived when we created intellectual property. If people copied or stole our software, we’d be out of business. If it weren’t protected, there’d be no incentive for us to make new software or product designs. If protection of intellectual property begins to disappear, creative companies will disappear or never get started. But there’s a simpler reason: it’s wrong to steal. It hurts other people, and it hurts your own character.”

Copyright matters to everyone in business. While the Communications Data Bill plainly met its demise as marked in the Queen’s Speech this week, another catchily-titled bill, picking up its cousin’s theme of leaving those pesky details to slink through later by Statutory Instrument, gained Royal Assent.

What? You weren’t watching the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act? Well, why would you? Perhaps as a young business you don’t consider yourself an enterprise yet. Copyright reform was after all buried sixth in a list of nine highly diverse goals of this document.

To bring you up to speed, a brief question: Have you or any of your customers published photographs or code snippets on the Internet? If the answer’s yes, then prepare for them to be used, without any compensation, by companies anywhere in the world. Provided information identifying the owner is missing (and metadata can be easy to strip out), a user of your work can act as if they are you, including wholesaling it. The only way to prevent this is to proactively register your work (if you can find a registry).

If this feels like a strange reversal of everything you knew about how copyright works, you’d be right in that feeling. As David Bailey put it, “Why can’t copyright be dealt with properly in a proper Copyright Bill?”

The BPPA: The Copyright fight David Bailey weighs in

If you’re tempted to dismiss this concern as alarmist crackpot nonsense, consider this: in January those well-known radicals the Associated Press, British Pathé, Getty Images, ITN, the Press Association and Thomson Reuters submitted a notice to file a pre-emptive judicial review against this legislation.

If the government isn’t protecting the small creative businesses who may be your connectivity clients, who benefits? More than one commentator has noted that the review of “Intellectual Property and growth”, chaired by Ian Hargreaves which preceded this bill acquired the tag “the Google review” early on and it has stuck. Notably, Google’s European head of communications is married to the prime minister’s director of strategy, and Google’s lobbying appears to have been successful in this instance.

Guardian: David Cameron’s ‘Google-model’ vision for copyright under fire
The Register: How Google lost the trust of Europe’s data protection authorities

The price of freedom, so it is said, is eternal vigilance. We all need to keep reading the miscellaneous sections of obscure bills, and make our voice heard.

Have your say!

Are we unduly pessimistic? Is the government really helping your small business customers with this change? Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Further Information

The Economist: Orphan works
IPKat: Enterprise and regulatory reform bill
The Register: Instagram Act explained

When we went to press the Bill was being prepared for publication at: Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013. However, you’ll find the offending s.79 under Part 6; “Miscellaneous and general” once it is available.

Snooper’s Charter: We are amused! For now…

Paul.Heritage-Redpath — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:33:52 +0000

Paul Heritage-Redpath, Product Manager

Her Majesty the Queen opened a new Parliament this morning. Entanet was eagerly watching to see if there was still any life in the controversial Communications Data Bill (often dubbed in the Press as the ‘snoopers’ charter’.) Although direct reference to the bill was absent from the Queen’s speech, she did state the following in relation to the problem of matching ‘internet protocol addresses’:

“In relation to the problem of matching internet protocol addresses, my government will bring forward proposals to enable the protection of the public and the investigation of crime in cyberspace.”

So what does this mean exactly?

Well, your guess is as good as ours! Whilst the absence of any reference to the Bill would suggest its demise, it’s clear the Home Office still has its teeth into it and isn’t letting go.
We eagerly wait to see if the Home Office ideas are as irrational as they were before.

Have your Say!

What’s your view on today’s announcement?

Related Articles

Entanet Opinion: Arbitrary Arbitration?
Entanet Opinion: Communications Bill: The Draft is out of the bag
Entanet Opinion: Web monitoring plans – open to abuse
Entanet Opinion: ICO is right to demand detail on the ‘Big Brother intrusive filter’

Further Information

Official Government Document: The Draft Communications Bill
BBC News: Queen’s Speech: Immigrants face tougher rules
ISP Review: UK ISP Internet Snooping Confusion Reigns Over 2013 Queens Speech

Update: ICO is right to demand detail on the ‘Big Brother intrusive filter’

Paul.Heritage-Redpath — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 11:52:02 +0000

Paul Heritage-Redpath, Product Manager

No sooner had we published our article about the ICO demands this morning: (ICO is right to demand detail on the ‘Big Brother intrusive filter’) an update emerged that Nick Clegg appears to have put the kybosh on the ‘snooper’s charter’. Whilst the media has a field day amid the political undermining, it remains to be seen if the Bill appears in the Queen’s speech on 8 May. We will be watching with interest.

ICO is right to demand detail on the ‘Big Brother intrusive filter’

Paul.Heritage-Redpath — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:44:57 +0000

Paul Heritage-Redpath, Product Manager

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) –the UK’s independent authority set up to uphold information rights in the public interest, has demanded that the Home Office provide answers by 11th May 2013 explaining what the “Request filter” system submerged in the controversial Communications Data Bill actually does.

Official Government Document: The Draft Communications Bill

Recap: What the snooping bill entails

When the draft Communications Data Bill was first proposed by the Home Office on 14th June 2012, they described the bill as a ’vital tool’ to help police and snoopers’ catch paedophiles, terrorists and other serious criminals. Privacy International, the registered charity that aims to defend privacy rights across the globe, reports that it has been part of the Home Office’s on-going quest to gain new communications surveillance powers since 2006.

Privacy International: The draft Communications Bill is a wasted opportunity

If the Bill is passed in its original form, UK Internet Service Providers will be required by law to collate information that isn’t relevant to business purpose. Entanet will have to monitor all its resellers’ customers’ activities and retain this information for up to a year. The Home Secretary can decide for ‘black boxes’ also known as a ‘request filter’ to be installed at our premises. The Home Secretary will also be able to mandate to specific Internet providers the type of technology that they must deploy to collect information. And authorisation to access this information will be self-authorised by senior members of the Police, intelligence agencies and the tax office (however other departments will require judicial authorisation.)

As it stands, the Home Office still fails to say or discuss exactly what the request filter would do.

Home Office at risk of being held in ‘contempt of court’

On Tuesday 22nd April 2013 the ICO demanded under the Freedom of Information Act that the Home Office publish any information that ministers have received regarding the design, cost and risks for crucial parts of the controversial Communications Data Bill. So far as we are aware, this is the first time one government agency has put another at risk of being in contempt of court for failing to disclose information. The Home Office have gone to great lengths to avoid making clear the technical detail of their proposals, even to the parliamentary committee scrutinising them.

Last year, as members of ISPA, Entanet took the opportunity to ask a representative from the Home Office what they had to say about the Bill. Unfortunately questions were answered generally and evasively, while we were told several times that it was a matter of ‘national security’.
It is interesting to note that The Times reports Tory MP Dominic Raab also submitted a Freedom of Information request last summer. However as with us the Home Office cited “national security” concerns for refusing to disclose this information.

The Times: Cameron is told to drop snooping on web users

Furthermore The Daily Mail, in referring to the Bill as ‘The snoopers’ charter’, has recently reported that since May 2010 the Home Office has spent £400 million on its communications capabilities development programme before a single piece of data has been collected. Many are under the impression that the government has drastically underestimated how much the system will cost, with an official estimate (over ten years) of £1.8 billion!

Mail Online: The snoopers’ charter costs £400million before a single piece of data has been collected>

Last week the Home Secretary was asked in parliament exactly what that taxpayer money had paid for so far. Unsurprisingly, clarity was not forthcoming. A spokesperson at Theresa May’s department said in response to the ICO’s notice: “The proposed request filter will further protect privacy by discarding all data not directly relevant to an investigation.”

“The magic by which a database query can decide what information is relevant and securely delete such data was not expanded upon.”

The Telegraph: Home Office faces legal action unless it reveals details of ‘Snooper’s charter’

Entanet’s Opinion

In previous articles and in person before the Joint Committee, Entanet criticised the draft Communications Bill and almost a year on we still hold the same view on the matter. Vital questions still have not been answered, leaving so much room for speculation and fear for the worst. Our main concern still stands – preserving the privacy of our Partners’ customers.
The Joint Committee have collectively agreed and stated:

‘It is our strong belief that the Government, in imposing obligations on CSPs, should bear in mind the importance of preserving their competitiveness, and minimising damage to the reputation of the United Kingdom as an attractive base for conducting business.’

Overall we stand by our belief that the Communications Data Bill is futile. We do not agree that the proposal that we retain web logs is necessary or proportionate for the detection of crime, on the basis that it can still show a pattern of behaviour of the end user. Criminals, having the knowledge that they are being monitored, will simply find other means to commit crimes undetectable to these filters, for example by using VPNs and proxy servers. That being said, we believe that the Bill is a direct attack on human rights.

Entanet is excited about the ICO’s demands from the Home Office and hopes that it will offer some clarity, reveal vital missing information and answer pressing, vital questions. It’s time the Home Office put an end to the ambiguity surrounding what this controversial ‘Big Brother intrusive filter’ actually is.

Have your say!
What are your thoughts about the fact the public have been kept in the dark about the details of the Communications Data Bill? Do you agree with the Home Office that the Bill will help to speed up complex inquiries and will minimise collateral intrusion or do you think that it is a direct attack on human rights? Please leave us your thoughts in a comment below.

Related Articles

Entanet Opinion: An intrusion too far – the Communications Bill hits the buffers
Entanet Opinion: Arbitrary Arbitration?
Entanet Opinion: Communications Bill: The Draft is out of the bag
Entanet Opinion: Web monitoring plans – open to abuse

Further Information

Official Government Document: The Draft Communications Bill

Privacy International: The draft Communications Bill is a wasted opportunity
The Times: Cameron is told to drop snooping on web users
Mail Online: The snoopers’ charter costs £400million before a single piece of data has been collected>
The Telegraph: Home Office faces legal action unless it reveals details of ‘Snooper’s charter’
ISPreview : UPDATE ICO Demands to See Evidence for UK ISP Internet Snooping Bill

The connectivity scale part two: Where does broadband end and Ethernet begin?

Stephen Barclay — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:30:34 +0000

In last weeks article (Part one) we started to look at the ‘connectivity scale’ and looked at the growing options around copper and fibre based broadband that are driving customers’ expectations of faster and more reliable services. Today we look at Ethernet based products that build on these expectations and deliver service attributes that are even more essential to business critical connectivity. Let’s start with GEA…

Stephen Barclay, Head of Sales

GEA

GEA is a new service which begins to bridge the gap between fibre broadband and Ethernet based solutions. Like FTTC, GEA utilises the existing copper infrastructure (a single copper pair) between the customer premises and the cabinet and then uses fibre back to the exchange. However, from the exchange it delivers the traffic across the Ethernet core network, not the broadband one. This means it can deliver an uncontended and dedicated service with service guarantees. GEA provides a comprehensive SLA, choice of backup options and a 9 business hour return to service guarantee, making it an attractive and cost effective option for business customers looking for a guaranteed service with short installation times and symmetrical speeds from 2Mbps up to 20Mbps.

EFM

Unlike GEA, Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) uses between two and eight copper pairs to deliver symmetrical Ethernet speeds from 2Mbps to 35Mbps to businesses situated within 4.8km of the serving exchange. While limited by distance, the use of multiple copper pairs is a way of creating resilience. Similar to GEA, EFM uses the Ethernet infrastructure from the exchange and provides a comprehensive SLA, choice of back up options and 9 business hours return to service guarantee with installation lead times of just 35 working days. In Entanet’s case the SLA for EFM and GEA is the same.

Leased lines

A leased line is a dedicated 1 to 1 connection from the customer’s premises to the Ethernet core network. It is a highly resilient, managed and fully supported and guaranteed solution that can provide symmetrical speeds of between 2Mbps and 10Gbps depending on the customer’s requirements. The service is also fully scalable, for example if you currently require 6Mbps but expect this may rise to 40Mbps in the near future you can purchase the solution as a 100Mbps bearer with an initial 6Mbps commit rising to 40Mbps if and when you need it and even further to 100Mbps if required. Leased lines remain the most resilient and fully supported type of connectivity solution.

So where does broadband end and Ethernet begin?

The answer to this question is that GEA is a hybrid between the two services, bridging the gap between broadband and Ethernet and providing a cost effective Ethernet based solution that utilises the existing broadband infrastructure.

As described above, the benefits of GEA are:

Symmetrical speeds of up to 20Mbps,
Faster installation times (as little as 18 days),
Lower installation and monthly rental costs when compared to leased lines or EFM,
Dedicated and uncontended service
Service guarantees including a comprehensive SLA, choice of back up options and 9 business hour return to service guarantee.

However, GEA does not provide the same level of service guarantees as leased lines and is reliant on an existing partially copper based infrastructure. For customers requiring complete resilience and service guarantee and a choice of faster speeds, EFM and leased lines are still a more viable option, especially if a scalable service is required to meet future bandwidth demands.

At the end of the day, each of the services described above has its place in the market (as shown in our chart) and as a reseller you can earn valuable margin from all of them if you apply the correct solution to the right scenario. It comes down to listening to your customer’s requirements and meeting them with the most appropriate solution. For some customers, broadband will sufficiently meet their needs while others will demand a more guaranteed and dedicated service which is where Ethernet comes in. If you need help identifying the best solution for your customer talk to us and we’ll be happy to provide advice and guidance.

Have your say!

Have you had demand for a service that sits between broadband and Ethernet? Have your customers requested a more cost effective Ethernet solution and do you think GEA will fit this market? Share your experiences with us by leaving us a comment below.

Related articles

Opinion: Are you selling FTTC, if not why not?
Opinion: Can suppliers compensate for loss of broadband?
Opinion: Know your customers!

Further information

Entanet: Data Connectivity page
Entanet: GEA page

The connectivity scale part one: Where does broadband end and Ethernet begin?

Stephen Barclay — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:56:06 +0000

Stephen Barclay, Head of Sales

Just when you think you’ve got to grips with all the latest connectivity technologies, their features and how to confidently sell them, another one emerges!

With the launch of GEA (Generic Ethernet Access) you could be forgiven for being confused as to where broadband connectivity ends and Ethernet based connectivity begins. So, in this two part article we thought a little clarification of the key differentiators may be useful.

Standard copper based broadband
Standard broadband uses copper to deliver traffic across the Entanet (and BT or LLU provider’s) networks. Our copper based broadband services are available as fixed rate ADSL (512Kbps, 1Mbps or 2Mbps), rate adaptive ADSL providing speeds of up to 8Mbps and, where available, rate adaptive ADSL2+ providing speeds of up to 24Mbps.

Whilst broadband services are widely available and sufficient for many business customers’ requirements, they don’t provide any service guarantees or SLAs and the service is contended (i.e. the speed and performance of the connection can be affected by other customers sharing the same cabinet and/or exchange). Where the reliability and resilience of the customer’s connectivity is business critical, broadband may not always be sufficient to meet these needs.

Fibre broadband (aka superfast broadband)
Whilst similar to standard copper based broadband, fibre broadband utilises the new BT fibre infrastructure to deliver faster speeds and arguably greater reliability. Two main variants of fibre broadband are currently available; FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) and FTTP (Fibre to the Premises).

FTTC
FTTC uses the existing copper infrastructure to deliver the upstream and downstream traffic between the customer’s premises and the street cabinet. From the cabinet through to the exchange and back to the provider’s core network it then uses fibre which means the customers can benefit from speeds of up to 80Mbps. FTTC is usually available in an up to 40Mbps variant too..

FTTP
On the other hand FTTP provides speeds of up to 330Mbps (with other speed variants also available) by using fibre from the customers’ premises right through to the providers’ core network. However, availability of FTTP is more restricted than FTTC. Openreach is investing £2.5billion to bring fibre broadband (FTTC/P) to two thirds of UK premises by the end of Spring 2014.

Superfast-openreach.co.uk: The Numbers Game

As with copper based broadband, fibre broadband is a contended service and provides no service guarantees or SLAs. However, the increased speeds available are attractive to many customers.

Broadband customers (both copper and fibre based) also have the options to add Enhanced Care and/or Elevated Best Efforts to their service for increased service protection but this is at an additional monthly cost.

With such a diversity of increasingly fast and reliable broadband options, surely businesses don’t need a wider choice? Next week we’ll look at the key characteristics and advantages of Ethernet based services.

Have your say!
Have you had demand for a service that sits between broadband and Ethernet? Have your customers requested a more cost effective Ethernet solution and do you think GEA will fit this market? Share your experiences with us by leaving us a comment below.

Related articles

Opinion: Are you selling FTTC, if not why not?
Opinion: Can suppliers compensate for loss of broadband?
Opinion: Know your customers!

Further information

Entanet: Data Connectivity page
Entanet: GEA page

ASA broadband advertising guidelines – any clearer now?

Darren Farnden — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:02:39 +0000

Last year in April the ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) and CAP (Committee of Advertising Practice) released new guidelines governing the advertising of broadband speeds and ‘unlimited’ broadband packages.

Darren Farnden, Head of Marketing

In a previous article ASA broadband guidelines – What will it mean for resellers? we discussed the details of the guidelines, the likely impact on end users and for the industry and what they would entail for resellers. We came to the conclusion that although we recognised that the ASA and CAP were attempting to protect consumers and prevent them from being misled, the guidelines would cause further confusion and could potentially have a negative impact on the digital divide in the UK. We feared that these guidelines would put a lot of providers off advertising altogether and that this could lead to speed information being withdrawn completely. A year on we review the situation and see what the effect has been.

Recap

Before the guidelines came into practice, the usual approach of ISPs was to advertise the speed of the broadband service based on an ‘up to’ maximum speed achievable by that technology. For example, an ADSL2+ service would be advertised as up to 24Mbps. The ASA and CAP believed that this practice was misleading to end users and that further clarification was required as many did not understand that they may not be able to achieve this theoretical maximum in practice, despite the availability of speed checkers on most providers’ websites. Therefore the ASA/CAP guidelines now require all ISPs (also now including mobile providers) to demonstrate that their advertised headline speed is achievable by at least 10% of their customer base. Furthermore, these figures should be reviewed every six months. All adverts should also include a warning that reminds the end user they may not actually achieve the advertised speed and that other factors can affect the service, such as length and quality of the line.

Reseller responsibilities

The new guidelines mean that resellers are now required to advertise headline speeds based upon the speeds achieved by 10% of their own customer base, not the wholesale supplier’s base. Therefore the reseller needs to calculate the advertised speed themselves and wholesale providers need to make the required information, reports and tools available to them so that they can. To aid this Entanet has provided a report for resellers made available via its synergi partner interface.

This was one of our key arguments against the guidelines before they were published as we felt that predominantly rural based resellers’ advertised speeds would look uncompetitive when compared to urban based resellers, despite them using the same technologies and providers and in effect causing even further confusion for end users.

71% don’t know their broadband speed

According to Ofcom, in 2012 actual average broadband speeds in the UK increased from 7.6Mbps in November 2011 to 9.0Mbps in May 2012. However, the confusion from the ASA guidelines has meant that this increase has not been noticed.

Last year we predicted that many ISPs would simply stop advertising broadband speeds altogether and that is what has appeared to happen in some cases. As a result users must have become even more confused and unclear about connection speeds. According to Ofcom 71% of users claimed that they were unaware of their ‘actual’ broadband speed. Furthermore, 68% of broadband users don’t know their advertised speed, which was a 5% increase from before the guidelines were put in place.

Ofcom: Infrastructure Report

Andrew Ferguson, broadband expert at thinkbroadband.com, has said: “It is becoming more apparent that the solution providers are deploying is to mention no speeds and guide people to the line checker instead. The end result may be that consumers get more confused, as it is difficult to know which technology is in use on a particular service to see whether it’s any different to what they have now.”

Thinkbroadband: Is speed to vanish from broadband advertising?

The whole idea behind the broadband speed guidelines was to give clarification to users regarding what sort of speed they could expect but, as we anticipated, ISPs are often removing references to speed and therefore it isn’t helpful at all.

More pensioners browsing on the web than ever before

Nevertheless we have to take into consideration other factors that may contribute to the fact that over two thirds of broadband users are unaware of broadband speeds. There are an increasing amount of people currently on the web that can be described as less ‘tech savvy.’ For example, there are more pensioners browsing the web than ever before. 85% of them are unaware of their connection speed. However, Ofcom confess that 16-24 year olds were just as likely as those between 65 and 74 to not know. Therefore, although the lack of knowledge around broadband speeds admittedly could have been slightly affected by a change in the profile of broadband users, it does not explain 71% of users being unaware of their broadband speeds.

ISP cherry picking prediction

In our previous article ASA broadband guidelines – What will it mean for resellers? we also anticipated that the introduction of the guidelines may have further unintentional consequences and be open to abuse. We considered that some ISPs may consider not supplying consumers at the end of an exchange’s reach, where they might bring down their average performance figures, leading to them ‘cherry picking’ subscriber lines for the best results. We also anticipated that the need to have a good figure of speed data would drive ISPs to avoid heavy broadband users and congested areas to increase their average, leaving customers in rural areas under-served. As anticipated, in November 2012 The Guardian reported that Broadband speeds in rural areas were ‘less than half those in the UK’s towns and cities’. They went on to say that ‘Even for those with broadband, the digital divide between town and country is stark: average speeds in rural areas are 5.9Mbps, compared to 14.6Mbps in urban areas.’

Guardian: Rural broadband speeds half cities

We argued that, as the majority of ISPs would be concerned with getting a ‘good broadband speed’, broadband coverage in rural areas would continue to decline in comparison to more urban areas. What’s more, resellers that advertise their broadband speeds accurately and in line with the guidelines but who have a significant share of their customer base located in rural areas will be forced to advertise lower speeds, making them appear inferior to their urban area-serving competitors, despite them using the same providers and technologies. As predicted, many of these resellers were put off advertising completely and this has caused even further confusion to consumers as vital speed information is missing. Whilst we continue to applaud the ASA/CAP for their efforts to help educate consumers on this issue and clarify speed information, we still believe their current guidelines fall short of achieving this and in some cases are actually doing more harm than good. As we have mentioned previously, the most accurate way a consumer can predict the speed they will realistically achieve is to use a broadband speed and availability checker. Most providers make these available on their websites and this will enable them to gain a better and more realistic estimate of expected performance across the options available to them.

Have your say!
What are your thoughts and experiences regarding the ASA and CAP guidelines put in place in April last year? Do you think the speed guidelines have caused further confusion or have they provided clarity for end users? How did you react and implement the required changes and what impact have they had on your business? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below.

Related articles

Further Information

ISPReview.co.uk: ASA UK Publishes New Broadband ISP Speed and Unlimited Use Advertising Rules
Thinkbroadband.com: ASA publishes speed claim guidelines for broadband adverts
ASA.org.uk: ASA Homepage
CAP.org.uk: CAP Homepage
BBC.co.uk: Tougher rules for UK broadband advertising

PC PRO: ISPs must back up broadband ads with their own data
PC PRO: ISPs hush up broadband speeds after ASA clampdown
The Guardian: Rural broadband speeds half cities

Are security concerns over cloud holding your customers back?

Darren Farnden — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 10:01:05 +0000

Darren Farnden, Head of Marketing

We’ve spoken many times in the past about the growing cloud market, the opportunity this represents for resellers and the crucial role that connectivity plays in supporting the migration of applications from on-premise to hosted ‘cloud based’ solutions. A recent Microscope survey supports our view and identified that a third of the small business market has yet to take the leap to cloud, representing a sizeable opportunity for the channel if the blockers to adoption can be addressed; and according to the survey a key concern is security.

Microscope: Cost and complexity fears hold back cloud adoption

This is something our partner Outsourcery recently discussed in their opinion guest blog – Adopting cloud computing – what’s holding your customers back?.

Following the Microscope survey Andy Burton, chairman of the Cloud Industry Forum, said of the levels of confidence for cloud services as a viable business for the channel: ”On the one hand it shows healthy progression from hype and over-optimism that follows any new market trend toward a more healthy and tempered outlook. But arguably it shows a greater sense of caution than I would have expected at this stage”.

Microscope: Channel cautious over cloud opportunities

72% of those surveyed cited security as their chief fear, an understandable concern when moving from a solution that you have complete control of and which is hosted on your own premises to an externally hosted application from a third party supplier, especially when you consider we are talking about the customer’s business critical data. To provide practical help in addressing your clients’ security objections – as their trusted adviser – we’ve put together the following checklist for you to raise when negotiating with your cloud suppliers:

Where is personal data held? To comply with UK data protection the safe answer should be ”in the UK” – and as the legal responsibility is on your customer (the “data controller” in the jargon), your chosen data processor must confirm their compliance in writing
What happens to personal data held if a law enforcement agency requests access? If your customer knows this from the off, their own expectations can be managed appropriately.
What is the back-up strategy employed and does it meet the criteria above?
Is your data encrypted on its way to and at its remote location?
If the service goes down, would the SLA cover your customer’s trading losses?
What is the exit strategy if your customer wants their data back from the cloud provider?
Can they exit it AND be assured it has been purged from the cloud provider’s primary and back-up systems?

Armed with answers to these questions, your project will be in good shape to succeed and you should be able to dispel the majority of your customer’s security concerns. Of course the customer’s choice of connectivity option will also impact on this. It’s important to explain and discuss the role of connectivity when implementing cloud based solutions. For example, using a dedicated Ethernet connection with firewalls rather than a standard ‘shared’ broadband service and no protection will provide them with more security and peace of mind.

The European Commission has also identified risk and inadequate management as potential stumbling blocks to wider adoption of cloud computing and is planning to introduce standards to regulate the industry this year.

European commission: Unleashing the Potential of Cloud Computing in Europe

This is not from altruism but because the Commission recognises that, when done well, cloud computing has the potential to reduce capital expenditure and the running costs (direct and environmental) of local hardware and so bring new services to market, leading to growth in Europe. We can expect model contract terms by the end of this year and will of course share them with you when they become available.

So to conclude
As we’ve previously advised, cloud computing represents a profitable market to channel partners interested in reselling these services and the supporting connectivity but, to succeed in this market, resellers need to understand why some business customers are hesitant in adopting cloud computing. Microscope’s latest report suggests security is a major concern and although steps are being taken to implement regulation in the industry, it’s worth finding out as much as possible about the way the customer’s data will be transferred and stored to ensure you can satisfy their concerns. Similarly, the customer’s choice of connectivity will play a big role in the security of their data and the advantages of various connectivity solutions should be discussed with them.

By demonstrating you understand their pain points, you will resolve their concerns and build their trust which will undoubtedly help you to win their business and take advantage of this expanding market.

Have your say!
Have you received similar feedback from customers when considering cloud computing? Did you manage to overcome their concerns and if so how? We would love to hear about your experiences in this growing market, so please leave us a comment below.

Related articles

Entanet Opinion: Adopting cloud computing – what’s holding your customers back?
Entanet Opinion: Don’t get dizzy in the cloud…

Further information

Information Commissioners Office: Guidance on the use of cloud computing

Poll: Do you have plans to promote and sell cloud services and supporting connectivity in 2013?

Suzanna Stewart — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:38:28 +0000

In our recent guest blog article written by one of our partners, Outsourcery, we discussed the potential reasons why your customers may be holding back from adopting cloud computing and how to overcome these.

Entanet Opinion: Adopting cloud computing – what’s holding your customers back?

We would like to know if you have plans to promote and sell cloud services and the supporting connectivity in 2013 and why you have decided to enter this market. Are you seeing a high level of demand from your customers? Or have you chosen not to sell cloud because you don’t think your customers are ready for it yet? Whatever, your experiences are please let us know by participating in our new poll or by leaving us a comment below.

Are you selling FTTC? If not, why not?

Stephen Barclay — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:22:04 +0000

As a reseller I’m sure you’re aware fibre broadband is presently a piping hot topic within the industry. You’re bound to have heard quite a bit about ‘FTTC’ (Fibre To The Cabinet) whether it be via your competitor’s adverts and promotions, ongoing Openreach announcements concerning availability or through the general industry news… The fact is, even if you’re not aware of fibre broadband, your customers are and the chances are they’re already considering upgrading to it. If you’re not offering it, then you can bet your competitors are.

Stephen Barclay, Head of Sales

So what is fibre broadband and FTTC?
FTTC is a form of ‘superfast broadband’ that delivers broadband connectivity by using a fibre based connection up to the street cabinet and then a standard copper connection to the customer’s premises. By using fibre, the connection is able to support much faster speeds than standard copper based connections and provides a more reliable service.

So, what’s all the fuss about fibre broadband?
Recent research conducted by the FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) deduced that 63% of Britain’s SME’s are dissatisfied with their current broadband service, complaining of unreliable or slow connections. 60% of those unhappy with their broadband service explained this was due to an inadequate download speed.

Federation of Small Businesses website: Small firms must get the broadband service they are promised, says FSB

John Wright,-the FSB National Chairman explains: “These figures show that the broadband service provided to small firms is letting them down”. He goes on to say: “Small businesses need fast and reliable broadband to ensure the UK remains a key player in the global economy.”

Today, superfast Internet connectivity is not a luxury but a necessity for many businesses, which supports their day-to-day operations. The emergence of new technologies and increasing popularity of bandwidth hungry hosted applications such as SaaS and VoIP have led to a significant change in usage habits for many users, both business and residential. This means they now demand more from their connectivity and fibre broadband can help to meet these expectations.

Through our conversations with partners we are seeing a huge demand for fibre broadband from end user customers, many of which are proactively contacting their existing suppliers and asking to upgrade to FTTC if it’s available. This demand is likely to increase as FTTC becomes available to more and more customers. The service is expected to cover 66% of the UK population by the end of 2014.

Have your say!
As a reseller, are your customers already demanding fibre broadband? Are you increasing your revenue by catering for this demand? Alternatively, are you seeing a lack of demand for these services or is availability an issue? Let us know your experiences by leaving us a comment below.

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Further information

content plus: SMEs demand faster broadband
Comms Dealer: Entanet launches fibre-based broadband services promo
Comms Dealer: Entanet expands FTTC portfolio