Support network

As your business grows, managing your IT starts to become considerably more complicated. You need to ensure everyone in your organisation has access to the resources they need – but you don’t want to spend valuable time worrying about it. BT can help, with two new services aimed at taking the strain out of IT management. The first, BT IP Converge, could handle all your data and telephony needs by bringing them together into a single, managed network, reducing complexity and potentially saving you money.

BT Business IT Manager[1] is a portfolio of IT services designed specifically for small- to medium-sized companies. It combines advice, hardware, software and installation as well as IT support to help relieve the burden of IT troubleshooting. BT Business IT Manager offers a dedicated specialist who can assess your IT equipment to ensure it meets your business needs – leaving you free to focus on what’s important: your business.

One solution: One network

BT IP Converge, combines your data and telephony systems into a single ‘converged IP’ network. Converged IP networks work by sending a single form of data over the network, called internet protocol (or IP) data. Voice, which is normally carried by a separate conventional phone network, is converted to IP data, and passes over the same network. If you have more than one site, this means that the voice calls are made over the data links between sites – meaning you don’t go “out” on to the public phone system, which could potentially save you money.

Converged networks also lay the foundations for more advanced services in the future. They’re scalable, so adding a new location, such as a branch office, can be done with ease. What’s more, a converged network can enable flexible working for your workforce, with support for remote working and high-speed wireless connections.

You can connect to your network via a wide range of means, from dedicated leased lines through ADSL links, and even down to modems or through a compatible mobile phone – and it’s all secured against unauthorised access.

BT IP Converge can provide a tailored level of service, so it relieves organisations of the burden of day-to-day network management. The system is managed from end-to-end, giving you more peace of mind. This makes it ideal for firms that don’t possess a large internal IT department, or for those that wish to focus their IT efforts on other areas. What’s more, your BT Local Business team can help, from specifying what your needs are, to implementing the new system, assessing your network and business drivers.

IT management made easy

Another consequence of your business growing is that IT support becomes more complex. With a few PCs, a broadband connection and a small network, things aren’t too difficult. After that, things start to get more tricky – but you may not yet have got to the stage when bringing in a full-time IT manager is the best or most cost-effective option.

With BT, there’s another way, which will let you have some of the advantages of a full-time IT support person without the costs or hassle of increasing your staff numbers. BT Business IT Manager is a new range of services that can give you a dedicated ‘IT Manager’ who can design, install and maintain the IT that’s right for you – all from only a few pounds per user, per month. Also, with BT Business IT Manager you can change the number and levels of services as your business grows.

With BT Business IT Manager, you can stop worrying about your IT and concentrate on your business. BT gives you expert advice on how to meet your needs, with affordable options that let you know exactly what you’re paying.

For example, BT can supply and install five HP PCs and a server for as little as £37 per user per month[1]. BT’s supply and setup service offers a range of flexible finance options, and its experts will help you choose the right package.

If you just require support for existing machines, BT Business IT Manager also includes a range of options for support starting at as little as £10 per month. For a small additional fee, our technical analysts can even monitor your network and resolve problems before they occur. Some problems can be fixed without an engineer needing to visit.

BT Business IT Manager at a glance

• Support. Problems will often be fixed before you’re even aware of them.
• Design and installation. BT experts will advise on every step of the design of your IT systems.
• Supply and set up. A package of PCs, server, hardware, installation, all set up and ready to use for as little as £37 a month.

BT: the perfect mixer

When brewing company SABMiller moved to larger premises in Woking, BT was the perfect choice to provide a network infrastructure. BT enabled SABMiller to reap the benefits of convergence, with advantages ranging from company-wide phone calls at zero cost to secure wireless networking for both employees and visitors. As Lionel Chappé de Léonval, IT manager at SABMiller, says: “BT... demonstrated the ability to draw on the relevant skills, so that the right people were always engaged on the project at the right times.”

THE TECH SPEC: SABMiller requested Cisco technology for its network, which was deployed for both data and Voice over IP applications, including voicemail and text-to-speech functions. In addition to installing SABMiller’s Cisco WLAN, BT’s consultancy helped SABMiller define and approve its internal network security policies.

1. Example price indicated of £37 per user excludes VAT and is based upon: (A) Supply and installation of five PCs and one Server at one UK Site subject to a three year BT financing option at £27 per user per month. (B) Provision of IT Support Manager at £10 per user per month for a minimum 12-month period. Depending upon which of the available BT Business IT Manager options you choose, additional charges such as call out charges may apply. BT Business IT Manager subscription based options are subject to a 12 month minimum period of service. Please refer to www.btbroadbandoffice.com/internetapplications/itsm/terms for full details of applicable terms and conditions and exclusions.