Purple Cloud – Mobility

MOBILITY

With traditional telephone systems, the equipment is installed into the main office and phone users typically operate within that building only.

Modern workers need much more flexibility.

With Purple Cloud Hosted Telephony, we provide complete MOBILITY.

Whether working from the City HQ, a remote home-office, an airport lounge or the side of a mountain, Purple Cloud has you covered so there’s no need to be tied to your desk anymore.

Want to learn more? REACH OUT

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Purple Cloud – Relax

RELAX

When setting up a new business, or planning an additional office location, there is obviously a lot to think about. One aspect that is frequently overlooked is the requirement for telecoms and the timescales involved.

Historically, when utilising traditional phone systems with standard telephone lines, a waiting period of 4-6 weeks for installation would be the norm.

Not now though. With Purple Cloud Telephony you can truly RELAX.

We eliminate that particular pain point by handling the project for you and quickly providing you with guaranteed landline numbers within minutes, meaning you can immediately order business cards and stationery, and create your website contact page with confidence. We then build the entire solution in the cloud and ship out your new telephones ready to plug in and use.

If your office is not quite ready, fear not. All calls to your new business line can be diverted to an alternative number, or answered swiftly using a handy app on your iPhone or Android device.

Want to learn more? REACH OUT

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Happy New Year China!

To the nation that manufactures so much of the communications equipment we use daily for business and pleasure… Happy New Year China! 😀

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Telephony Solutions for Adverse Weather Conditions

Adverse weather snow

At this time of year staff may face difficulties attending their place of work and returning home during periods of adverse weather conditions such as heavy snow falls, flooding, or other challenging conditions, which may result in journeys to work being extremely hazardous.

We have a selection of Cloud Hosted Telephony solutions that provide a swift and safe alternative to standard Disaster Recovery (DR) scenarios.

Plan ahead. Reach out to Purple today – we’ll provide you with an insight into how your business can overcome these challenges in a timely, competitive manner.

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Merry Christmas!

Wishing all of our customers and colleagues a wonderful festive break, and all the very best for a fantastic year ahead in 2019.

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Experience is Everything

Experience is Everything

“In today’s smart, digital, connected world, your customers expect a true seamless service – and your employees need the right tools to meet their growing expectations. We believe that the experience has to be Intelligent, smart, personalised and digital. And when it comes to digital transformation, Experience is Everything.”

The above is an insight that was picked up from the Avaya ENGAGE conference last week. We attended the event in Dubai, UAE – it was a week of insight and new digital knowledge, shared with some fascinating people!

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England Calling

us-country-flag

Well, an interesting day indeed for US politics and the world at large. If you wish to call business colleagues, friends and family members in the United States to offer your congratulations, or commiserations, then please turn to Purple – we can help with great rates and service!

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Historical Phone – Telephone Set ‘F’ MkII

Wow, here’s a piece of history!

Our latest addition to the Purple telephone collection is a glorious, original WWII field telephone that was used by the British Army around 75 years ago in the 1940’s.

Not quite as mobile as our modern-day carry-arounds, but sure to have saved a life or two.

P.S. We also supply new telephony solutions… 😀

Telephone Set 'F' MkII

Telephone Set ‘F’ MkII

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Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our colleagues and customers!
   
 

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IMPORTANT NEWS FOR USERS OF NON-GEOGRAPHIC CALL SERVICES (08, 09 and 118 numbers)

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR USERS OF NON-GEOGRAPHIC CALL SERVICES (08, 09 and 118 numbers)

 0845

The background

Ofcom had a number of concerns in the non-geographic call services (NGCS) market, namely:

  • Consumers are unhappy due to price uncertainty
  • Caller prices can be higher than those usually advertised which are BT’s residential caller rates, especially when calling from mobiles
  • NGCS minutes volumes are declining quicker than other fixed call minutes volumes
  • The market has been impacted by economic conditions, regulatory change and high profile premium rate service issues/bad press
  • There are a large number of termination disputes between Communications Providers (CPs) and subsequent appeals
  • The current regulation only applies to BT

Following a lengthy consultation process, Ofcom released their Statement; Simplifying non-geographic numbers on the future of non-geographic call services (NGCS) with an implementation date of 26th June 2015 although this has since been changed to 1st July 2015 to assist with the practicalities of implementation.

Ofcom have also made a Statement regarding the future of 0500 numbers; The 0500 Number Range; Decision to withdraw 0500 telephone numbers although the implementation of this will be much later.

 

What is changing?

There are two main changes as part of the Ofcom Statement; Simplifying non-geographic numbers both of which come into effect on 1st July 2015. These are summarised below:

  • Free means Free – calls to 080 numbers will be free to call regardless of Communications Provider chosen. Following implementation, all calls including those from mobiles will be free to call.
  • Unbundled Pricing – will split the caller charges into an Access Charge and a Service Charge.

 

Free means Free – calls to 080

Most Land Line Providers currently provide calls to 080 numbers for free but Mobile Providers often charge. The terminating CP (the one hosting the 080 number on behalf of the users of the number) pay the originating CP (the one providing the telephony service to the caller) an “origination charge” to cover their costs of originating the call as they will not be collecting any charges from the caller. Origination costs have been researched by Ofcom and they have concluded that mobile CP origination costs are higher than fixed CP origination costs. Calls to 080 numbers are paid for by the recipient of the call and those charges are based around the current fixed origination charge. The differential between the mobile and fixed origination charges will therefore be passed on to the recipient of the call as a “top up” to the standard call costs, i.e. charged in addition to the customer’s normal 080 tariff.

The amount of the “top up” has not yet been finalised although Ofcom have said it will be the smaller of:

  • 0 pence per minute (ppm); or
  • Ofcom’s revised calculation of the LRIC+ cost of mobile origination for 2015/16 (excluding customer acquisition and retention costs) (“LRIC+ (no A&R)”), which Ofcom shall publish following the publication of Ofcom’s 2015 mobile call termination (“MCT”) cost model (the “2015 MCT model”).

The second of these bullet points isn’t that easy to understand for most people! What it means in effect is that the maximum will be 2ppm but when Ofcom publish their 2015 mobile termination model it may be less.

Mobile “top-up” also applies to 116 calls in the same way.

 

Unbundled pricing for 084, 087 and 09 numbers

Implementation of “Unbundled” pricing will split the caller charges into an Access Charge and a Service Charge.

Access Charge

The Access Charge will be unregulated and set by the originating Communications Provider (CP).

Service Charge

The Service Charge will be regulated and set on a per number range basis by the CP allocated that number range by Ofcom – see more below.

Calls to 084 numbers will have the Service Charge capped at 7p per minute inc VAT and calls to 087 numbers will be capped at 13p per minute inc VAT. There will be a limited number of Service Charges available for CPs who are range holders to choose from. In the 084 and 087 number ranges these will be in whole round pence per minute from 0p per minute through to 13p per minute. Numbers in the 09 premium rate will also have a restricted number of Service Charges to choose from up to a maximum of £3.60 per minute or £6.00 per call inc VAT. Other numbers which will also have unbundled pricing imposed will be 118 directory enquiries numbers.

As stated above, the Service Charge will be set on a per number block basis by the CP allocated that number range by Ofcom. Number blocks are usually allocated in blocks of 10,000 numbers although they are occasionally allocated in blocks of 1,000 numbers.

BT has set the Service Charges for the 084 and 087 pence per minute number blocks originally allocated to us at such a level that we are able to continue with existing commercial arrangements with our customers using numbers in BT number blocks. This may not be the case for 09xx, 118 or pence per call number blocks but customers using these ranges will be notified accordingly.

Where a customer has a number imported to BT, the Service Charge will be set by the CP originally allocated that number block. This means that customers will have their caller pricing for these imported numbers set by a company with whom they have no commercial relationship. This may mean that BT cannot continue with existing commercial arrangements and may have to change prices for those numbers. Where this is the case, customers using these ranges will be notified accordingly.

The latest Service Charges chosen by CPs is available in a Service Charge Master Sheet on the Ofcom web site at http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/numbering/index.htm#special

 

Price publication obligation

Users of numbers covered by the unbundled pricing will have an obligation to publish the Service Charges wherever they advertise or publish their numbers in a similar format to: “Calls will cost Xppm plus your phone company access charge”. The final recommended wording will be issued by the Committee for Advertising Practice, (CAP).

More guidance for both businesses and consumers can be found from the UK Calling web site at http://www.ukcalling.info/

 

Ofcom Statement: The 0500 Number Range; Decision to withdraw the 0500 number range

The current 0500 number range is closed for new provision and has been for some time. Ofcom have decided to withdraw the 0500 number range in its entirety and will be making the 08085 number range available as a migration range. Where a customer has 0500 number, for example 0500 123456 they can migrate to the equivalent 08085 number, in this example 08085 123456. An alternative would be to change to another appropriate number.

Migrations from 0500 to 08085, should customers choose to do this, or changes to an alternative number, need to be made before 3rd June 2017. At the end of the migration window Ofcom will be withdrawing all 0500 numbers.

During the migration period, caller charging will not be changed in line with proposals for 080 as a result of this Statement, therefore calls from mobiles may still be charged. A pre-call announcement will be played prior to connecting the call as currently exists where Freefone is charged.

 

 

Summary & Ofcom Links

 

Ofcom’s “Simplifying Non-Geographic Numbers”

Effective 1 st July 2015 – calls to 080 numbers will be free to all callers plus caller charges for calls to 084, 087, 09 and some other numbers will be spilt into an Access Charge and a Service Charge. Users will have an obligation to publish the Service Charges wherever they are advertised or published. The full Ofcom statement can be found here:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/simplifying-non-geo-no/final-statement

 

Ofcom’s withdrawal of the 0500 numbers

Effective 3 rd June 2017 – withdrawal of all existing 0500 numbers. There is an option to migrate to equivalent numbers starting 08085. The full Ofcom Statement can be found here:

http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/binaries/consultations/re-consultation-0500- freephone/statement/0500_statement.pdf

 

Purple Numbering

 

Our published contact numbers

When calling 08450 555 300 or 08450 580 590 or when faxing 08450 555 301:

Calls will cost 2ppm plus your phone company access charge.

 

Our 0845 service user customers

When callers make contact to you using your 0845 number:

Calls will cost 2ppm plus their phone company access charge.

You should make your customers aware of this from 1st July 2015.

 

 

Content provided by Ofcom, British Telecommunications PLC and Purple Telecommunications Ltd.

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