Established for more than 25 years, 1Connect is a Value Added Reseller (VAR) specialising in business communications, connectivity, security and infrastructure. It is an accredited partner of some of the world’s leading vendors including Cisco, Juniper Networks, and Fortinet. 1Connect has built a reputation as a trusted provider, and is helping its customers to increase productivity by improving communication and collaboration, all of which is underpinned by a superfast, reliable internet connection.

“Finding a good connectivity partner that understands my business is important. I need to know that they won’t let me down, as ultimately, if I sell the solution, it’s on my head and my reputation.”

Lee Wilson, Managing Director.

The Faster Britain footprint reaches where there is business demand

Over the last two years, ITS has scaled the UK-wide delivery of its full fibre Faster Britain networks, providing access to business connectivity where it is needed most. Having followed ITS’ progress closely, 1Connect became a Faster Britain partner once the fibre footprint had scale, and its self-service partner portal (and API) with full quote, order, and comparison site was launched.

“We work with a range of providers. Once I felt ITS had the capabilities to support us, I knew the
time was right to become a Faster Britain partner. Its UK-wide Faster Britain footprint is helping us
to win business where it has been previously difficult, due to lack of choice. Their solutions work
for our customers from a cost perspective, offering futureproof, flexible ultrafast connectivity.”

All of 1Connect’s customer solutions start with a high quality, high speed, reliable internet connection. More than that, the services that it delivers ‘over the top’ rely on it, and the customer experience is dictated by how fast and consistent the service is.

1Connect finds ITS’ approach, flexibility, and technical expertise is adding significant value to its business.

“ITS takes a different approach to many providers. We can get hold of the team, chat through a customer solution – and the challenges – and work collaboratively to find an outcome that helps us close the deal. They bend over backwards to make that happen, which is very refreshing. Ordering is straightforward, and this personal approach also means we have someone to follow up with so we can keep our customers informed on the progress of their orders. Communication is particularly important to us.”

Faster Britain is underpinning ‘digitalisation’

“Faster Britain is helping us to drive our connectivity and digital agenda. Where access to full fibre has been lacking, these new networks are allowing us to introduce services including hosted VoIP, cloud based applications, and collaboration tools. These simply wouldn’t have been an option with the restrictions of poor or unreliable connectivity.”

“The biggest challenge that businesses face is not being ‘digital ready’. The pandemic has fast tracked digital transformation, and connectivity is key to this digitalisation. Faster Britain is also opening the doors to local businesses who haven’t had the choice or been able to afford services that enable them to grow.”

The Faster Britain partner benefits that are important to 1Connect

Partner account management

“We have a dedicated account manager. A point of contact we can go to for everything. He is knowledgeable and responsive, getting us answers and support when we need it, fast.”

Online partner portal, products, and pricing

“It is really important to us that we have access to the most up to date pricing and can see what is available. ITS is really good at this. The portal is easy to use and accurate. It makes selling connectivity more straightforward.”

Technical design and specialist support

“While we have expertise in our team, we can really lean on ITS. It has strong technical know-how, and is able to design solutions that work. The team think outside of the box and we know where we stand quickly.”

Customer service support

“Our 1Connect SLAs are valued by our customers. ITS understands this and its customer support is brilliant – among the best in the industry.”

ITS helps 1Connect to find connectivity solutions and install end-users – fast

FarCroft Restorations, a family-run business that offers a complete restoration and conservation service, came to 1Connect looking for a leased line solution within 28 days as it was moving to new premises that would be home to more than 20 staff.

1Connect worked with ITS to install an interim solution – an SOGEA connection – which was done in less than 10 days from when the order was placed. The leased line was connected within 42 days, and layered over the top with the same Static IPs. As a result, the customer’s move went ahead as planned, and the business had the connectivity it needed for a smooth transition.

Faster Britain Products and Solutions

Our full fibre networks use the latest design and XGS-PON technology, allowing our services to flex from 100Mbps to 10Gbps.

Our comprehensive service portfolio includes: Enterprise Internet Access, Business Broadband, Small Business Broadband, Ethernet Leased Lines, Leased Lines Off-Net, Bespoke Carrier Networks, Dark Fibre.

Our core connectivity services are delivered as Layer 3 or Layer 2 depending on whether a fully configured service is required. Layer 3 includes IP (Internet Protocol), while Layer 2 comes without IP, allowing operators to interconnect their network with ours.

Become a Faster Britain partner and join the revolution

The key traits that Amvia looks for from its connectivity partners are: reliability, great service and great communication. Without these, Amvia would let its customers down, which simply isn’t an option.

These are the exact qualities that Amvia spotted in ITS Technology Group and why it chose to become a Faster Britain partner.

Attractive alternative to the incumbent

Amvia, a , and based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, delivers to customers across the UK.

As a pioneer of B2B fibre price comparison, over the last few years it has witnessed substantial changes in the connectivity market. Rather than having to rely on the incumbent providers, Amvia has looked to alternative operators, including ITS, that are building significant footprint, particularly in areas that have been difficult to enter, mainly because of prohibitive costs due to lack of existing infrastructure.

Connecting overlooked customers

ITS’ Faster Britain programme has scaled at pace, and its partner programme has evolved to match, which has enabled Amvia to provide solutions for customers that would have otherwise struggled to access Gigabit capable services.

Becoming a Faster Britain partner has had many benefits for our business. The flexibility of working with a partner that wants to find solutions is refreshing and really helps us to sell connectivity. For example, where ECCs proved to be too much of a barrier for another supplier, ITS worked around this by installing a wireless leased line to get our customer up and running quickly.

The partner portal API was easy to integrate, and allows us to self-serve quote and order connectivity solutions, which makes it very straightforward. One of the key benefits of working with ITS is that we get a professional service with a personal touch, including an Account Manager we can direct our questions to. The immediacy of comms is also really helpful when trying to set expectations.

ITS is the only partner that gives us incredible flexibility in terms of contract lengths, pricing structures and so on. Combining this with their 15 working day delivery promise makes for a very productive relationship indeed. 15 working days to bring an Ethernet circuit live when ITS have ‘on-net’ presence means that we can cater for the multitude of customers that have time sensitive demands. Ultimately, it means that we are able to provide additional services off the back of these initial circuits due to the strong relationship that is built by getting things done quickly for them.

Leased Lines, and other fibre services are the plumbing for any businesses telecoms. It’s from this strong foundation that we are able to overlay VoIP systems, Cloud solutions – such as Microsoft 365; while adding cybersecurity solutions to create a comprehensive business telecoms system.

Rob Taylor, Head of Sales, Amvia

Cornerstone Business Solutions is a multi-award winning IT services business based in the North East of England that prides itself on having brought back true customer service values to the industry and has the trophies to prove it. It is this core motivation that influences the partnerships it will forge, as anything less than amazing customer experience and high-quality service delivery results in a red card.

No red tape, just easy to deal with

Cornerstone established itself amidst the financial crisis in 2008. Despite this, it quickly developed a reputation as the go-to IT support and services business in the area. Serving a variety of industry sectors from lawyers to the local football club, connectivity underpins the solutions it offers and so working with the right partners is vital.

“When I order connectivity for my customers, I need it to be easy. I don’t have time to jump through hoops and red tape, let alone chase for updates and push for responses. I need to focus on talking to customers and meeting with new prospects.

“This is where ITS is different to other providers. Its order process is straightforward and the whole business takes a very personal, hands on approach. I know exactly who to get in touch with, and I have built relationships across the business. I am reassured by my experience that the team are committed to fighting our corner to make sure that I can deliver as promised to my customers.

“It is often when things don’t go to plan that are the real test of a relationship. How things are dealt with and resolved. On the few occasions we’ve had challenges, the team has always stepped up to the plate. Having a connectivity partner I can rely on means I can crack on with what I am paid to do and maintain our mission to provide services second to none!”

Chris Bibby, Sales Director at Cornerstone Business Solutions

True partnership working together to connect businesses

Cornerstone had often struggled with network coverage for its customers in the North East. This changed when it partnered with ITS.

“A lot of the areas we serve are overlooked and underserved. We have found ITS’ on net and off net approach has resulted in customers being connected to high-quality connectivity in a fraction of the time other providers quoted. ITS is very inclusive and has worked with us, even to the point of engaging with us to work out where we see demand for full fibre so we can work together to deliver where it’s needed. It’s pretty much unheard of in this industry.

“There are many benefits to joining ITS’ Partner Programme. It has given us access to marketing support and support and offers that are meaningful and helps us to sell more.”

Chris Bibby, Sales Director at Cornerstone Business Solutions

First impressions are important. From the start, it was clear to Concert Networks that ITS was offering much more than the average ISP, aligning itself with its needs and with how they could work together in a partnership that looks not at just simply winning individual orders, but at the bigger picture.

As one of the earliest adopters of VoIP technology, Concert has built a business around developing technical solutions that help its customers to be better connected and increase productivity. Having experienced the highs and lows of managing suppliers, it knows exactly what it’s looking for from its partners.

Aligned businesses

Concert works with a variety of industry sectors that are looking to derive an ROI from their telephony system, handling calls more efficiently and often working across multiple locations and countries. High-quality connectivity goes hand in hand with this. When it comes to choosing connectivity partners, resilience and reliability of connections are vital, but so is the supplier approach and attitude.

“Our reputation and the success of our customer projects are intrinsically linked with how our suppliers operate. We need to trust that they will do what they say they will, and when. This is even more important when things don’t go to plan. It’s in these circumstances you find out the true mark of the person.”

Niki Addison, Operations Director at Concert

Relationships that build trust

Working in a highly competitive industry, Concert is looking to work with suppliers it can trust to deliver, but also that it can really engage with to create business opportunities.

“Like all relationships, sometimes you just click, and it was clear from the start that ITS had a different way of thinking than most. Rather than go away from our initial meeting and send over reams of marketing material and quotes, ITS talked to us about the bigger picture, what that meant for us, and how we could work together – and that was really exciting.

“Since joining its partner programme we have built relationships across the organisation – Will, Daren and the team just get it, and are honest and transparent in how they work with us. This is so much more than a product tick sheet. ITS is open to working on solutions that work for our clients. Being able to influence where it rolls out connectivity to connect customers that are overlooked, as well as the product roadmap, is where the real value add is for us.”

Niki Addison, Operations Director at Concert

Five Blackpool guest houses were the first to benefit from a transformational full-fibre network that network operator ITS is building out reusing existing infrastructure, including the core network which is being constructed along the tramway using £3.1m funding from the government’s Local Full Fibre Network (LFFN) scheme, known as Fibre Blackpool.

Having found themselves left out of the Superfast Lancashire upgrade, the guest houses have finally put their super slow broadband behind them, swapping it for 100Mbps full-fibre services delivered by ITS partner, voice and data provider Network Connect.

Blackpool guest houses finally put their broadband woes to bed

The Arthington, By the Seaside, Beverley, Strathdon and Nestor Hotels on St Chad’s Road found themselves overlooked because their telephone lines were connected to a different telephone cabinet than the rest of the street. The B&B owners joined forces with Claire Smith from Stay Blackpool, who lobbied hard, pursuing many lines of enquiry to try and ensure inclusion, but made little progress.

It was a chance meeting between Claire and the council’s Head of ICT, Tony Doyle (because of the council’s involvement in Fibre Blackpool) that resulted in the guest house owners contacting ITS and Network Connect and finally putting their broadband woes to bed.

“When we found ourselves left out of the Superfast Lancashire upgrade we were frustrated. Being able to offer our guests fast reliable WiFi is really important – ‘what’s the WiFi code?’ is normally one of the first things we are asked! Being connected to ITS’ full fibre network and getting a speedy 100Mbps broadband service from Network Connect has literally changed our lives. It has helped us to differentiate ourselves, as for example, as well as a guaranteed ultrafast WiFi connection, we have installed an Amazon Echo device in each of our guest rooms and are introducing Smart TVs.”

Stephen Fazakerley, proprietor of The Arthington Hotel

Digital revolution in Blackpool

“These full fibre connections are really important for these local businesses because they want to be competitive and offer services that their guests have come to expect and rely on. True full fibre connections deliver a really reliable, high speed service that won’t have to be ripped out when the old copper network is switched off. It is an enabler that will underpin business connectivity needs, and the regeneration and developments that are planned for Blackpool and the Fylde Coast now and in the future.”

Lisa Harding, Business Development Manager, ITS

“There is no greater pleasure than being able to provide a full fibre service to a business and know that it will quite literally transform their experience and give them capabilities that will allow them to add value to their business in a multitude of ways. In the case of these guest houses they had found themselves being more and more disadvantaged and a digital gulf starting to emerge between them and their neighbours. Along with the full fibre connections, we have deployed a high capacity building-wide WiFi infrastructure ensuring guests can get on line from anywhere within the hotel. Voice over IP phones have also been installed, reducing the costs of other services.”

Ryan Heys, Sales Director, Network Connect

Click for more information on our full-fibre services or to register your interest

A communications provider that can be relied upon

Tom Chandley has a long-standing relationship with trusted ITS partner, Beanstalk Telecom. Initially providing telephone call and lines, over time their relationship has grown, and Beanstalk now also provides a mobile contract, handsets and broadband services. The partnership has become stronger, having been built on trust and the ability to advise, deliver and support what Tom Chandley needs for its business.

“We were really pleased with how Beanstalk handled our mobile contract, so when our ageing telephony system could no longer be supported by a maintenance contract, it was an easy decision to ask them to tender along with our incumbent provider. During this process, it was clear that Beanstalk could provide the better service and it made sense to have one provider, one point of contact, as it has simplified the administration of this side of our business.”

Carl Fenton, Joint Managing Director at Tom Chandley

VoIP driving the need for better business broadband

Having taken the decision to move to a voice over IP (VoIP) system, Tom Chandley’s connectivity was among the first things that needed to be addressed. With a business line that was no longer fit for purpose, Beanstalk installed an ITS FibreLight full-fibre broadband line. A high quality, low contention, full-fibre broadband product, FibreLight has many of the traits of a dedicated leased line offering symmetrical up and download speeds backed up with a service level agreement.

Cost neutral switch to scalable future-proof connectivity

“While the main driver for switching broadband provider was to be able to use VoIP, there have been countless other benefits. Our online and systems experience is vastly improved. Tasks such as payroll which took hours to perform are now completed in a matter of minutes. The switch was cost-neutral, and we now have a solution that can grow with our needs, rather than continuously feeling as though it was at breaking point. We have saved costs on additional phone lines, as during the process we discovered we were paying for lines and equipment that we no longer used or needed. It is also nice to have one bill, as it has added greater transparency to what we have and how we are using it.”

Carl Fenton, Joint Managing Director at Tom Chandley

Government support for full-fibre future

The cost of the connection was subsidised by the government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme. Tom Chandley has taken a full-fibre 200Mbps symmetrical FibreLight service over ITS’ full-fibre Tameside network, part of the UK-wide Cooperative Network Infrastructure of which ITS is a founding member.

About ITS FibreLight

We install fibre optic cables directly to your premises (FTTP) to connect you to our gigabit-capable business-grade FibreLight service. Pure fibre coupled with low contention makes FibreLight stand out from the crowd and ensures you have uncompromised bandwidth at your fingertips.

• Low contention
• Download speeds of up to 1Gbps
• Unlimited data transfer
• 100% fibre, no copper wires
• Cost effective full fibre connectivity
• Premium support
• Upgrades available

The Imperial College Campus and I-HUB infrastructure have allowed ITS to deliver ultrafast full-fibre connectivity, known as H&F Connect, straight to the I-HUB. As a result, businesses are able to access up to 10Gbps ITS services tailored to their needs now, and in the future.

“Our tenants expect a quick and simple solution for their broadband connectivity in time for when they move in. They can’t afford to wait months to get connected. The imaginative combination of H&F’s and Imperial College’s existing ductwork to the I-HUB, with the reliable fibre provision of ITS is a brilliant idea, and gives us a quality product delivered as and when it’s needed.”

Richard Wheeler, Director of Business Development at Imperial College London ThinkSpace

“We’re future-proofing the borough with digital connectivity that will allow businesses to compete with the best in the 21st century. Ultrafast broadband will soon become the norm for businesses across the borough as we strive to make H&F the best place to do business in Europe.”

Cllr Andrew Jones, H&F Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Regeneration

In a ground-breaking partnership with ITS, H&F Council is providing full-fibre internet to businesses using underground CCTV ducts in the borough which forms part of the council’s new Industrial Strategy with Imperial College London to make H&F the best place to live, work and socialise in Europe alongside the council’s Upstream campaign with local business leaders and firms.

“This pioneering agreement with H&F Council was the first of its type in the country. Together we have learnt a lot about how to deliver ultrafast connectivity reusing existing infrastructure in order to lower costs and minimise disruption.”

Lisa Harding, Head of Strategic Partnerships at ITS

H&F Connect is also available to ISPs as part of ITS’ wholesale model.

ITS has delivered gigabit-capable wireless connectivity to an ‘off grid’ rural trading estate within 2 months where other providers have only delivered false promises for years. The network went live and within 2 days, 8 (of 30) businesses were connected and enjoying symmetrical ultrafast services.

This isn’t just wireless connectivity; this is lease line equivalent, gigabit capable wireless connectivity

• ITS has delivered gigabit capable wireless in ‘record time’ to a rural trading estate connecting 8 customers in 2 days.
• It has delivered bandwidth that has exceeded the customers’ expectations of wireless helping to overcome any misgivings vs. full fibre.
• ITS delivered on its promise of gigabit capable symmetrical services – currently customers have bought 50Mbps to 250Mbps – where other providers could not justify the business case.
• Armed with capable connectivity, these businesses now have the confidence in the reliability of their services to ditch their landlines and adopt VoiP and SIP trunking.

Let down and overlooked

The Orchard Trading Estate based in rural Toddington is nestled close to the M5 so has great road infrastructure links, but its connectivity left the businesses located there overlooked and underwhelmed. Unless the cost of a dedicated fibre leased line could be justified, they had no choice but to put up with an ADSL service that offered up to 2Mbps at best.

A number of businesses investigated options and a deal was done with a provider to connect full-fibre to the premise. However, after a series of false promises and missed deadlines, one of the businesses turned to ITS to see what it could do.

Overcoming wireless misgivings

ITS has designed, built and operates a gigabit-capable wireless network. It has to be said that many of the businesses were nervous about the reliability of this technology, so ITS had a lot to prove. However, the technology has smashed customer expectations, and they now see that gigabit wireless services can be as fast and reliable as full-fibre to the premise.

Commercially clever network design without compromise to service delivery and bandwidth

• ITS has designed a network that can service the entire estate.
• By taking a full fibre lease line into the centre of the trading estate, ITS has connected customers to wireless lease line equivalents by using the very latest equipment that operates in a spectrum that ensures resilience, high throughput and availability.
• All of ITS’ services are symmetrical with service level agreements and support in place.
• 8 businesses have been installed and bought symmetrical services based on their current requirements. For the moment, these range from 50Mbps to 250Mbps, but the network is capable of delivering 100Mbps to all the premises on the trading estate. These businesses now have the option of flexible, scalable, competitively priced services, including VoIP, which had not been available to them before. So they now have connectivity which can grow with them just as their well-connected urban peers and competitors already take for granted.

DCMS + ITS = Gigabit capable services

This project showcases how the government’s Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme and an innovative altnet can deliver gigabit-capable services to connectivity black spots. While Orchard Trading Estate illustrates a rural project, gigabit wireless can also be as effective as physical fibre in urban areas to ensure commercially viable networks without compromise to bandwidth.

“We waited more than 18 months for a full fibre network to be built, but a series of false promises and no progress meant we were forced to look for an alternative provider. I got in touch with ITS and it was clear from our early discussions they could find a way to deliver gigabit capable services.

“I knew that there were a number of businesses on the estate facing the same broadband challenges, so I brought us together to make sure we could find a commercially viable solution that would result in us all being connected.

“ITS’ network subsidised by the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme has transformed our service. We were a little sceptical about not being connected to physical fibre, but the speed tests and resulting service speak for themselves. I have taken a 100Mbps symmetrical service and the impact to my business is palpable. My past connectivity pain has soon been forgotten thanks to the incredible speeds I am now receiving! We are now looking to get rid of our landlines and convert to VoIP.”

Ronan Lynch, Managing Director of Evesham Specialist Packaging Ltd (E.S.P.) – www.1esp.co.uk – based on Orchard Trading Estate, Toddington, Gloucestershire

The Challenge – Rapid Change

The Wilton Centre regularly welcomes new companies to their office complex. These companies often need help in setting up their IT equipment and configuring their settings with the IT connectivity provided by the Wilton Centre as part of their rental package. ITS engineers offer this welcome service and very often go on to support the companies in the longer term. ITS also have a very long history of providing support in the lab space environment. Our engineers are accustomed to the unique challenges this brings and deal with those using time tested methods.

The Solution – Strong SLAs

One of the main advantages is having the IT support on-site, so whenever companies call, help is (more often than not) just a few minutes away or a short wait for a callback. These rapid response times set ITS apart and give customer satisfaction levels a measurable boost. When IT systems are disrupted, speed is key in getting a business back online and functioning smoothly again, reducing business costs and disruption.

Primo is an award-winning business that specialises in providing luxurious accommodation that meets the increasing expectations of UK students in cities where rooms are in short supply. All Primo’s UK sites, which include Sheffield, Nottingham, Leeds, Glasgow, York and Bolton, will be connected to a dedicated fibre connection and wireless infrastructure that will deliver high-speed broadband to each multi-tenanted building.

Bringing the Student Community Together

Primo has been a valued ITS customer for the last two years, but it became apparent that as Primo has grown during this time, the legacy broadband service had become outdated, as it struggled to keep up with the demands made on it by the student community. With an upgrade deemed necessary, ITS put forward its recommendations and won a competitive tender to upgrade and manage the infrastructure and broadband services over the next three years.

Broadband Upgrade Offers Greater Bandwidth Choice

Students receive a 20Mbps service as standard but are able to upgrade to a 50Mbps or 100Mbps service. With more than 700 rooms nationally, it is also important to provide adequate backhaul which will support demand now and in the future, which ITS has supplied via fibre connections to all the properties.

“With the start of the academic year looming it was important for us to have a plan in place to upgrade the internet services available. We differentiate ourselves by providing luxury boutique accommodation that needs to have a broadband service to match.”

Ruby Jones, Associate Director, Primo Property Management

The broadband infrastructure upgrades have been completed in spring 2016. Primo Property Management has awarded ITS a three-year contract that in addition to the upgrades, will see Primo consider the implementation of further value add services such as VoIP telephony, data storage and data backup.