Chris Smith

Landline services in the UK are changing. By 2025, the old system will be switched off in favour of broadband technology. If you rely on a landline, don't worry, you'll still be able to make calls using VoIP. No need to get a new phone or change your number. Learn more about the upcoming switch and how it may affect you: https://bit.ly/3JMTyZm #LandlineServices #UK #TechnologyTransition

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The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has revealed a growing interest in shared electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with companies like DPD and Royal Mail already on board! ⚡   With an additional 30 fleets having also expressed interest, discussions are underway on the mechanics and software solutions needed to make infrastructure sharing a success – and ultimately provide fleets with the confidence to make the shift to EVs and move closer to their net-zero targets.  For the full scoop, read on via Fleet News. #netzero #decarbonisation

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Check out this interview with my brilliant Kerv colleague Helen Lancaster on her leadership philosophy, giving back, career trajectories, the evolving role of marketing, the importance of the symbiosis bewteen sales and marketing and lots, lots more besides! https://lnkd.in/eATu8ZxG

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The central #English county of #Warwickshire has announced the procurement of 27 #electricbuses and charging infrastructure for them. #Publictransport operator #StagecoachMidlands has placed the actual order and will support the required electrical connection works and charging infrastructure installation. The English county of Warwickshire has decided to electrify its public transport system and will start with a fleet of 27 electric buses and the required charging infrastructure. The funds will be spent via the Zebra 2 scheme, for which the council recently decided to add £13.864 million to the Capital Programme. The Warwickshire Council further explains the collaborative funding pot: “The funding, which includes contributions from the Department for Transport (#DfT), Stagecoach Midlands, and Section 106 developer contributions will enable the introduction of 27 all-electric buses and associated charging infrastructure on key routes across Warwickshire.” Bus operator Stagecoach Midlands has placed orders for the upcoming 27 buses, which are expected to enter service around Spring 2025, “ahead of the March 2026 scheme completion deadline set by the Department for Transport.” It is not clear from the communication which buses will be used, however, Stagecoach has previously ordered buses from the #British company #ADL and the #Chinese firm #Yutong. ADL even recently presented an electric bus developed specifically for use in #London, however, Warwickshire County is more rural than London, so these may not be the best choice here. “Our aim is for the council to be #netzero in its own activities by 2030 and for the overall county to be net zero by 2050. Reducing the emissions of transport will be key to achieving that so this very significant investment is a major step towards achieving both of those ambitions,” said Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning. Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director, Stagecoach Midlands added: “Stagecoach is pleased to be working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the DfT to help provide a cleaner environment for those living in Warwickshire and help meet both our own and the council’s aspirations for net zero.” The Zebra funds have been extensively used for the acquisition of emissions-free public transport vehicles and infrastructure all over the UK, including an order from #Reading, #Hull and #Leeds just in the last months.

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Well, there's a surprise! Or, rather, not a surprise! I am not clear if driverless car regulation has access to any additional funds but, given the aggressive timescales of 2026 as a potential introduction date of driverless on UK roads, I can see problems. There is enthusiasm and some very constrained experience 'testing' of driverless reported in The Times [Matt Rudd: The moment I learned to relax and trust the driverless car, Saturday, May 25th]. Wayve has special dispensation to test and develop its AI on public roads in the UK. With what oversight? Anyway, this report, today: 'Artificial intelligence (AI) regulators in the UK are “under-resourced” in comparison to developers of the technology, the Commons science committee chairman has warned. The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee said in a report into the governance of AI that £10 million announced by the government in February to help Ofcom and other regulators respond to the growth of the technology was “clearly insufficient”. It added that the next government should announce further financial support “commensurate to the scale of the task”, as well as “consider the benefits of a one-off or recurring industry levy” to help regulators. Outgoing committee chairman Greg Clark said he was “worried” that UK regulators were “under-resourced compared to the finance that major developers can command”. The report, published on Tuesday, also expressed concern at suggestions the new AI Safety Institute has been unable to access some developers’ models to perform pre-deployment safety testing that was intended to be a major focus of its work.'

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“How do you like them apples?” Fully electric vehicle (BEV) sales up 24% YoY, a record 50k+ sales in a month, and market share over 20%. My moments of joy this week - Turning off the M6 last week onto the M61 my son noticed we were surrounded by 12 fellow BEVs. - At Chester Services every high power charger bay was full bar one when an old friend and his family pulled into the last one grinning like Cheshire cats in their new EV. - Virtually every EV driver I chat with still talks about their cars with a child-like glee. Of course it’s not perfect. From the railways to the mobile phone, early adoption is fraught with challenge, but every day everyone in the emobility sector is working for better. The tipping point is now. Rather than appease the naysayers or the cautious, now is the time for industry and government to doubledown. In a week when we’re the first leading economy to end coal-fired power, let the UK follow Norway to lead the world in EV adoption. Keep the faith ✊

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There is perhaps a legitimate story contained within this piece (ageing 🇬🇧 parc presents SMR growth opportunity) but what Automotive Management (AM) have chosen to lead on is misleading & leaves me wondering how article cleared editorial checks. In the latest Department for Transport (DfT), United Kingdom domestic transport usage data (referred to but source not included - will add in comments) so the 103% figure relates to traffic volumes on Monday 12th August compared to the first week in February 2020. 3% higher, 4.5 years later, doesn't scream surge to me. And even with this slight increase, so what? What is important from a SMR perspective is average miles driven (which I believe has been steadily declining) & number of vehicles hitting service intervals. Comparisons used for other modes have also been reported without accurate context. Bus (GB excluding London) is 70% (August '24) versus equivalent day in 3rd week of January 2020. The comparison figure versus August '23 - 71%. I do hope AM Online consider their role in shaping the future of mobility - what has been published here is just not helpful. There's a case to make also for why DfT are still punting out data which is open to misinterpretation. https://lnkd.in/emA3UuPb? #transportdecarbonisation

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This is mainly due to affordability and is mirrored on the broadband side, with over 75% of UK households now subscribing to services that cost less than £28 a month (Uswitch). Longer contracts are also a factor, as most mobile phones and broadband connections are now sold on three— and two-year terms. #uk #broadband #mobile #affordability

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The Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP) has revealed a growing interest in shared electric vehicle charging infrastructure, with companies like DPD and Royal Mail already on board! ⚡   With an additional 30 fleets having also expressed interest, discussions are underway on the mechanics and software solutions needed to make infrastructure sharing a success – and ultimately provide fleets with the confidence to make the shift to EVs and move closer to their net-zero targets.  For the full scoop, read on via Fleet News. #netzero #decarbonisation

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Smart motorways? Should we reinstate the hard shoulder? Why not have a read of our blog to see if you agree with the 70% majority that want to scrap the smart motorways altogether.

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Do you fancy a cuppa? What a brilliant way to start a dialogue with a business partner. Over the years, I've had an opportunity to build a robust software solutions & services partner eco system. Gaining "Trust" and being "Transparent" with honest dealings is critical to make or break any relationship. Our partners show us the path to grow our business, and lead the way through innovation. Let's continue the conversations. #CiscoPartners

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Do you fancy a cuppa? What a brilliant way to start a dialogue with a business partner. Over the years, I've had an opportunity to build a robust software solutions & services partner eco system. Gaining "Trust" and being "Transparent" with honest dealings is critical to make or break any relationship. Our partners show us the path to grow our business, and lead the way through innovation. Let's continue the conversations. #CiscoPartners

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Lord Darzi's report on the state of the NHS has now been published. The report calls out a ‘Tilt towards technology’, where there must be a major tilt towards technology to unlock productivity. BT understand the importance of enabling NHS staff with the skillset to successfully implement new technologies and the pressures NHS staff are facing and can offer end to end solutions to reduce the burden on staff. This ‘tilt’ will require a whole system approach – an Enterprise Architecture approach leveraging digital, data & technology to enable transformation for the NHS, including: * User Experience Design * Security By Design * Digital Equality Design Technology can provide continuity of care. Below are items for consideration that can re-engage staff and re-empower patients: Ageing Population – care pathways to be delivered across multiple care settings – primary, secondary, community, closer to home etc.. Examples of where BT are doing this are services to guide patients / carers through Elderly or Dementia related pathways, including the use of Conversational AI as a communication channel. GP Services – in many instances, GP Surgeries continue to use the phone as a single inbound communication channel. Evidence suggests this is not offering maximum efficiencies and is not addressing the needs of patients. An omni-channel model can be deployed in a phased manner, and will significantly improve overall patient and staff experiences. Community & Mental health waiting list & services – in pushing services from primary & secondary settings, a trusted connectivity partner who can provide the underpinning communications backbone is required, and one that can simplify and innovate care delivery for a neighbourhood NHS. Without this backbone, achieving the desired levels of transformation will be incredibly difficult. BT can provide the required Quality of Service levels needed to seamlessly connect main hospital buildings to community locations, Community Diagnostic Hubs etc.. In doing so, BT’s underpinning backbone is enabling continuity of care for patients, patient self-care as well as care closer to home (as is appropriate on an individual patient basis). Cancer Care & Diagnostics – as part of BT’s AI Diagnostic portfolio, we are delivering imaging networks across the country that utilise a platform of AI models that work within set parameters and can read routine images. This enables faster reporting of images whilst freeing consultants to work on more complex cases. Patient clinical / treatment pathway management – BT’s Diagnostic portfolio provides a Patient Concierge platform that supports & guides patients on their pathway, providing messaging, multi-media content and a virtual assistant (via Conversational AI), across 60+ languages and 40+ communication channels. BT are a Trusted Partner to the NHS, working with the NHS since its inception Please reach out for more information if needed. WE CONNECT FOR GOOD

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The attempts to polarise flexible working is unhelpful. The problem is we have more opinion than data. It should be a decision that finds the optimum solution for both employee and employer and the way to that is through data. Which is why smart employers use Time and Attendance systems and the market is growing. MultiTime has the solutions you need, talk to them. #flexibleworking #productivity #workforcemanagement #hybrid

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GOOD TO GET THAT ONE OUT OF THE WAY ... Allison Kirkby, said she loves to “squeeze the shorts and prove them wrong” as she laid out plans to turn around the UK telecoms group. Her announcement sent shares up over 17 percent. Investors had placed a record £300 million bet against BT, but Kirkby revealed plans to cut another £3 billion in costs and increase dividends. She believes shorting was encouraged by vague strategies from the previous leadership. “I’m hoping our transparent, multiyear plan will reduce short positions,” Kirkby told the Financial Times. Kirkby said BT hit a £3 billion cost-saving target a year early and set a new goal of the same size by 2029. BT shares closed up 17.2 percent to 132.60p on Thursday. BT’s operating costs were £18.6 billion in the year to March 31. Kirkby said the new cost-saving program would focus on shutting down legacy networks, migrating customers to next-gen networks, simplifying products, and using new digital and AI platforms. She confirmed no change to the plan to cut up to 42 percent of the workforce by decade's end. BT reported results for the year to March, declaring a final dividend of 5.69p per share. Kirkby said BT had “reached the inflection point” in its long-term strategy, focusing on the UK and exploring options for its global business. BT has passed peak capital expenditure on full-fibre broadband, boosting its cash flow guidance. The group expects normalised free cash flow of about £1.5 billion in 2025 and around £3 billion by decade's end. It forecasts adjusted revenue growth of 0-1 percent and EBITDA of £8.2 billion in the current year. Karen Egan of Enders Analysis said increasing the dividend and defining cash flow expectations boosted confidence. Yet, BT warned of more potential broadband losses to competitors after losing a whopping 491,000 customers last year. BT’s business division, formed from a 2022 merger, saw a decline in annual adjusted revenue and EBITDA, with a £488 million goodwill impairment charge contributing to a 31 percent fall in pre-tax profits to £1.2 billion. So, lots of scope for Allison to showcase her talent ... #telecoms #bt #vmo2 #cityfibre #transformation #openreach

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Interesting perspective. It strikes me, and anyone who knows me will have heard this before, that software is not an END. It's a means to an end. The end is the business benefit derived. Whilst SaaS is convenient, there is a point where the previous perpetual licencing model is better in the long term term. However, there's also no value in organisations believing that them becoming software developers is their core business, nor can they deliver best practices. The cost of having developers, maintaining software, being on top of business changes, and being driven by best practice, even if it is driven by AI, is a factor that must be considered. Is this back to the future thinking? https://lnkd.in/g4EXJzSY

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