The Challenge
Our IT Manager laid out a set of stringent requirements for the new UC headset to meet, including wireless capabilities, compatibility with the existing phone system, first rate user comfort and excellent call clarity to name just a few.

The Contender
Step forward Plantronics. Out of the headsets we considered, the Plantronics CS540 was the model which best matched all of our requirements.

The Benefits
In addition to rolling out in our Contact Centre environment, BT Business Direct chose to equip all our staff with a new Plantronics CS540 wireless headset.

Now the whole team, regardless of role, are experiencing the many benefits that wireless headsets can bring including improved productivity thanks to first rate sound clarity and multi-tasking with hands-free calling.

Users can also easily collaborate with colleagues whilst on calls thanks to wire-free office roaming up to 120m away from the base unit.

Watch our short video to hear more about how the Plantronics CS540 helped BT Business Direct to improve productivity…

If your business has specific requirements from a headset or you’re planning a headset roll out project, call the BT Business Direct UC team on 0870 429 3888. Our specialists will help you find the right solution for your needs at the most competitive prices around. Alternatively, visit our website to learn more about the Plantronics CS540.

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What’s the catch?

Today’s blog is a quick look at the Fujitsu Lifebook U772 Ultrabook. With most Ultrabooks being aimed at the consumer market (due to their smaller screens), Fujitsu have attempted to design one with business users in mind.

First thoughts? WOW. It’s incredibly thin and lightweight (just 1.7cm and 1.3kg), which straight away made me ask the question, what was going to be missing? Well it seems not a lot, the Fujitsu Lifebook U772 I was testing had a Core i7 processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD and a 3G sim card slot, but that wasn’t the last of the surprising features.

Breaking the mold

Just look at the Ultrabook market and you’ll see it’s swamped with 13” displays, not ideal for business users, so Fujitsu have given the Lifebook U772 a 14” (1366×768) display just to make it that little bit easier to see the whole of an excel sheet.

But the display does suffer from some drawbacks. The display has a matte finish making it difficult to use in direct daylight, which might be an issue if you’re working outdoors, but for the majority of business users, the office lights shouldn’t disrupt your work.

A mobile Fort Knox

One great feature of this Ultrabook which train using, forgetful politicians will love is the numerous layers of security on board.

The Lifebook comes with Intel vPro, embedded Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 and a biometric fingerprint scanner giving it that extra bit of security, so if you do ever leave the Lifebook lying around, your business’ plans and figures should be safe.

More ports than you can shake a stick at!

A major drawback to the Ultrabook market has been the lack of connectivity ports, this is due to manufacturers trying to keep the Ultrabooks as slim as possible, however the Lifebook seems to have all the ports you could need without sacrificing size.

It has the now standard two USB 3.0 slots, HDMI slot, mini R45 port, SD-XC card reader, one USB 2.0 slots and the sim card slot. And if that’s not enough, the Lifebook is dockable which makes it perfect if you’re hot desking.

The Duracell Bunny’s long lost relative

An important feature for many mobile business users when considering buying a new laptop is the battery life.

Well the 4-cell battery inside the Lifebook isn’t going to win any awards however it will give you a good 7 hours battery life and when you consider that it is powering a screen an inch bigger than other Ultrabooks this is definitely one of the Lifebook’s better features.

You were only supposed to blow the doors off

The only problem I found with this Ultrabook was the shallow keyboard. I found myself having to use a great deal of force (too much if you ask me) just so the key stokes would register.

This might just be me but I would have preferred the keyboard keys to have a little bit more travel in them, if Fujitsu was to fix this small drawback then the Lifebook would be a sure fire winner.

Click here to view the Fujitsu Lifebook range at BT Business Direct

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What can 10G connectivity do for my business?

Check out the video below to find out what are the 3 main reasons why your business needs to consider adopting 10G connectivity.

Why 10G copper connectivity is now a viable option compared to 10G fibre connectivity and what benefits 10G connectivity could offer to your business regardless of size.

If you’d like to learn more about 10G connectivity, visit the BT Business Direct website here.

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The customer is always right

Whilst a server might not be the most exciting piece of IT equipment a business might purchase, it might be the most important and integral part to their success.

It seems Dell shares this view, with them spending over a year gathering nearly eight thousands customer’s thoughts on the previous 11^th generation of PowerEdge servers. With all that feedback, Dell is ready to launch a 12^th Generation (12G) of PowerEdge Servers that boasts over 150 innovations.

The new Intel Xeon E5 Processor

The big difference between the last generation of Dell servers and the new 12G is the processor which will power the servers.

The Dell PowerEdge T620

The new Intel Xeon E5 processor will allow a server to be more agile and responsive to changing business needs like key cloud requirements, and the new chip is the world’s first server chip to support the PCI Express 3.0 standard.

Up to 28 time quicker

Another feature which is expected to be on the Dell PowerEdge 12G range which can vastly improve the performance of the server is Express Flash, a hot-swappable PCIe SSD that connects directly to the into the PCI slot.

According to Dell this means a server (compared to the previous 11^th generation) will be able to run through 10 times more SQL transactions per second and 28 times quicker through queries on an Oracle database.

One Step Ahead of the Game

In a bid to boost automation and reduce down time, server manufacturers are embedding technologies that highlight problems before failure occurs.

HP recently launched their embedded lifecycle management system within the new HP Proliant x86 Gen8 server range however as Dell’s CEO Michael Dell pointed out, the last generation of Dell PowerEdge Servers had this technology in 2009. But according to Dell the second generation of this technology which features on the 12^th Generation server will provide major advantages for customers.

You’re fired!

Well not quite, but Dell’s new systems management software, iDRAC7 has be rewritten to be agentless when it comes to deploying, monitoring and updating the servers. Dell has done this because they believe that managing the agents, which manage the servers, can be a costly and time-consuming business.

For example a data centre can spend an extra $2.6 million over a 3-year period on looking after these agents, that’s why Kevin Noreen from Dell has said “We look at this as firing the agents”. Whilst the majority of small businesses won’t be seeing a resource saving anywhere near the level of a datacentre, through using the iDRAC7 technology they should see a noticeable benefit.

Learn more about the Dell PowerEdge 12G server at BT Business Direct.

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In the past, Inkjets were always thought of as Laser’s poor relation but recent innovations have resulted in comparable prints speeds and costs per page, in addition to a whole host of wireless connectivity features, cloud services and enterprise management solutions. HP’s Officejet Pro are serious contender’s to the laser market but, I believe, the introduction of HP’s new Officejet Pro X will finally put the long debated Ink vs. Laser quarrel to bed.

Officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the world’s fastest desktop printer of its class, the HP Officejet Pro X prints up to 42 ppm colour in Professional mode and 70ppm in General Office mode, also achieving up to 22ppm in duplex mode. In fact, the X Series can print at twice the speed and half the cost of a laser printer.

The HP Officejet Pro X is specially designed for small businesses with busy work groups of up to 15 people in mind. I relished putting the HP Officejet Pro X476dw MFP – Multifunction printer through its paces. I found configuration was a breeze with the front positioned, tilting touch screen 4.3 inch colour graphics control panel, with its easy to use menus and keyboard.

The 500, highly detailed, colour test documents with embedded graphics flew through at rapid speed without a glitch for each colour mode: Presentation, Professional and General Office. It was pleasing to see the finished prints were clear, with sharp, laser-like text and vivid images, with almost no visual difference between the print quality of each mode.  I was equally impressed by the duplex, copy and scan quality. One feature omitted is borderless printing which would have been a useful extra but not vastly important for most business needs.

The record breaking speeds are due to two new features, the first being PageWide Technology – unlike traditional inkjets, the printhead does not move, the paper is instead passed over the print head and the ink is transferred onto the page. The second new innovation is the paper pick up and feed action that minimises paper jams when high speed printing is in progress.

In addition the risk of blockage is minimised by 42,200 print nozzles, with additional back up nozzles on standby, in the event of failure. Another clever touch to avoid blockage down time is the specially formulated non-drying ink that remains fluid until it hits the page.  In my test, high yield print cartridges were utilised, that print up to 9200 pages in mono and 6,600 pages in colour -working out at less than a penny per page for mono and less than 5p a page for colour. The cost of printing is reduced even further when you consider that the Officejet Pro X uses up to 50% less energy than colour lasers.

The 500 sheet paper tray comes complete with a handy little window so you can see how much paper is left, and above the tray, the printer design allows you to store another ream.  For envelopes and compliment slips, HP have included an extra input tray.

As you would expect, the Officejet Pro X supports Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity, allowing direct print from mobile devices. You can also print directly from the touch screen control panel via cloud sites including HP’s own ePrint.  HP’s app was particularly useful, allowing me to download and print content from the Internet direct from the control panel and includes 1500 business forms that are available at the touch of a button.

In conclusion, the HP Officejet Pro X lives up to the hype. Obviously a lot of painstaking research has been carried out to perfect the new technologies employed, and the results are a truly innovative Ink printer worth shouting about. If you’re looking for a high volume, cost effective office printer or MFP, that delivers laser-like quality prints at incredible speed, the Officejet Pro X is a market forerunner.

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits HP Officejet Pro X range could bring to your business click here.

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Designed through 20 years of innovation, the new X1 Carbon fuses the tried and tested stalwart ThinkPad notebook with an Ultrabook to produce a premium solution for business users. Billed by Lenovo as the Premium business-class Ultrabook, but does it live up to the hype?

When I opened the box, I was met by something that looks like the familiar ThinkPad but upon handling, I was immediately stuck by the new lightweight build. The X1 weighs in at just 2.99lbs, making the X1 lighter than most 13” Ultrabooks on the market.  The 14” X1 adds an extra inch of screen within the 13” footprint. It’s also incredibly thin, with its widest depth measuring a mere 0.74 inches (18.9mm).

The feel of the X1 is distinctly different to the classic design, instead of the traditional magnesium alloy the X1 is manufactured from carbon fibre, even down to the roll cage.  Carbon fibre is a third of the weight of aluminium and 50% stronger for added portability and durability. Although the X1 was on loan to me, the kid gloves were firmly off; I carted this seriously robust Ultrabook back and forth from the office, commuted, worked outdoors  and even took it away on  weekend trips with no fear of damage. Even the multi-gesture touchpad is constructed from shatterproof glass, and to my surprise, the screen can be opened to the point that the X1 is completely flat. Lenovo informed me that this hinge design innovation prevents stress in the event of a drop.

So how does the X1 perform? I tested out the Intel Core i7-3667U with vPro model, unlike previous ThinkPad versions which employed a standard hard drive; the X1 is equipped with an SSD. Perfect for the most demanding business use, I found it easily handled day to day tasks seamlessly such as file transfers, booting, web browsing, and working on several applications at once without any slowdown in performance and exceeding the speed of previous ThinkPad models and other rival Ultrabooks on the market.

The 14” 1600 x 900 resolution screen matte screen is a vast improvement; I spent hours working on the X1 in direct sunlight with no eye stain whatsoever, a real bonus for those who spend their working life commuting. The only criticism I could find was that the screen colours were prone to distortion if the screen was tilted, other than that, the Intel® HD 4000 integrated graphics produced impressive clarity on high resolution images and video streaming. The speakers are more than adequate for business needs, producing rich sounds and the X1 including Dolby® Home Theater®.

Extensive user research led Lenovo to produce a unique island style keyboard, built for comfort and accuracy but I found, the real cherry on top was the new larger Touchpad that is highly responsive, accurate and the surface texture feels great to touch; making this one of the most pleasurable touchpads I’ve ever come across.

The X1 could be improved by including a VGA , HDMI and docking cradle port but I suspect that these ports have been omitted to make this model lighter and thinner,  the X1 does include one each of USB 3.0 SuperSpeed, always-on USB 2.0, Mini DisplayPort with audio, and 4-in-1 SD Card reader.

In summary, the ThinkPad X1 carbon does not disappoint, if you’re looking for a robust, powerful business Ultrabook then look no further.

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Since the start of the tablet boom in 2010, when Apple released the iPad, there hasn’t been a tablet that can truly say that it’s built for business. That was until Friday when HP’s latest tablet, the HP ElitePad 900 G1, landed with a thud on my desk.

HP ElitePad Expansion Jacket

With a better spec than you might find on a netbook and the majority of tablets, the HP ElitePad 900 might be the first tablet that can truly lay the claim to the tagline which HP have given it, ‘The True Tablet for Business’.

The first feature which helps it stand out in the business world is the full Windows 8 Pro operating system which comes with the device. Many tablets currently running Windows 8 run the slimmed down RT version, which has major drawbacks when using them as a business device. For example Windows RT is only licensed for home and student use so you’d have to buy a commercial license to use Windows RT’s Office apps for work. So with the full version of Windows 8 Pro installed you’ll be able to edit and share Office files without any capability issues.

Another feature about Windows 8 Pro which will make it great for businesses is the ability to use it with a Windows Active Directory domain. This is more for the business’ benefit rather than the users but it means that users’ activities on the tablet can be limited for just work instead of Angry Birds and Cut the Rope.

As many shared business laptops and mobile devices have found out to their peril, a mobile device needs to be rugged and robust if it’s to survive the relentless world of mobile business. Being part of the HP’s formidable EliteBook family, each ElitePad device is tested to ‘military MIL-STD-810 standards’.

I was told by our HP rep, Ben, that testing included 10 million button presses, being blasted with sand, being dropped from 3 feet (which was demonstrated when I was first introduced to the tablet), being exposed to extreme temperatures and much more. All of this means that it should be able to handle the stresses of the 10.26 from Milton Keynes.

The HP ElitePad 900 & dock running Windows 8 Pro on a external monitor in the BTBD office.

The final features that helps the ElitePad 900 stand up in the business world are the accessories that can be purchased separately. The first accessory which I was shown was the expansion jack which adds a few features which you might expect to come as standard on ‘The True Tablet for Business’. The jacket has a SD card reader, HDMI, and 2 USB 2.0 HDMI slots, allowing users to get more done on the go.

However it’s the dock accessory which I used (similar to the Dell Latitude 10 dock) that could finally bridge the gap between tablet and desktop. The dock has 4 USB 2.0 slots, a line-out jack, a HDMI and Ethernet slot as well as a VGA slot, allowing you to connect it to an external monitor, keyboard and mouse. With the ElitePad’s 16:10 display, your spreadsheets and presentations will transfer to the external monitor seamlessly without the need to scroll. All of this makes the dock, the must have accessory if you want to get the most out of your HP ElitePad 900 tablet.

I think this tablet and its accessories are what Microsoft had in mind when building Windows 8 for multiple device formats and I think that the HP ElitePad 900 G1 tablet will finally help illustrate Microsoft’s vision for businesses using Windows 8, on the go and in the office.

Have you started using a tablet as your premier computer yet?

Learn more about the spec of the HP ElitePad 900 G1 tablet on the BT Business Direct site.

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HMRC are changing the way that employers pay their employees’ Income Tax and National Insurance. The Pay as You Earn (PAYE) system which has been used since 1944, is open to errors and sometimes fraud, so to eradicate these problems and make the system more efficient, HMRC are introducing Real Time Information or RTI as it will be known.

What is RTI?

Real Time Information, or RTI, is a new system that HMRC is introducing to improve the operation of PAYE. RTI will mean that PAYE information is collected every time an employee is paid rather than annually when a business submits its end-of-year tax return. When the employee’s PAYE data is submit each payday, it will be checked against the PAYE data that HMRC holds on that employee, this will highlight any errors or changes that have occurred since the last payday, making it quicker and easier to resolve.

RTI means that employers will send data about PAYE, NIC and student loans every time they pay their employee

Why is HMRC introducing RTI?

HMRC is introducing RTI for a number of important reasons.

• To enable a more efficient response to PAYE errors such as under or over payments.
• To support the introduction of Universal Credits, which will streamline benefits into one payment.
• To reduce fraud and ensure people receive the benefits they’re entitled to.
• To provide the Department for Work and Pensions with up-to-date information about each claimant’s employment income more efficiently.

RTI will be introduced from April 2013 and will become mandatory for all employers from October 2013

Preparing for RTI

To prepare for the fast approaching RTI legislation, you need to make sure that all the information that you hold on employee is accurate, so that when RTI comes into place, they are no incorrect tax calculations.

RTI: How Sage can help

Sage has worked very closely with HMRC, investing significant resource in ensuring Sage Payroll solutions are RTI-ready. This is why Sage Instant Payroll and Sage 50 Payroll have been officially recognised by HMRC as RTI-ready.

Sage will also ensure that all customers with a valid SageCover support contract will receive software updates that will make the transition to RTI straightforward and hassle free, giving you one less thing to worry about.

Go to the Sage RTI page on our website and take the RTI test to see if your business is RTI ready, and also read the free handy guide to learn more about RTI legislation.

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Windows 8 is a radical makeover of previous versions of the software and is designed for a new generation of touchscreen tablet computers and laptops. Check out the youtube video below, to see what features could benefit your business.

Want to learn more about the great new features that Windows 8 has to offer, check out our blog from the other day ’8 things to look forward to with Windows 8′

To celebrate BT Business Direct has extended free delivery on all Windows 8 Software and Hardware for a limited time only, click here to find out more.

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Instead of focusing just on the office worker, Microsoft has realised that businesses and their employees need to be able to operate wherever and whenever. This brings us to the first feature that will hopefully make Windows 8 a revolution in technology.

1.       Seamless transfer between platforms

With Microsoft designing Windows 8 with a more mobile world in mind, Windows 8 is the first OS that delivers the same touch experience across desktop, laptop, tablet and mobile devices.  Making it a seamless transfer from an office to a client visit.

2.       The new Start Screen

A new feature that will greet you when Windows 8 first comes to life is the new start screen, this replaces the start button which millions have become familiar with over the last two decades.

Windows 8 Start Screen

Instead the start screen will be personalised to the users’ needs, with their favourite programs, website, people or apps in a convenient place, so they’ll spend less time looking and more time doing.

3.       Cloud Integration

With Microsoft’s own cloud, SkyDrive, being integrated into Windows 8, users will be able to send people’s contacts, files and apps to the cloud with one click, making it far quicker and simpler than before.

4.       All the apps you want

In the last couple of year we’ve all become accustom to using apps, either on iOS or Android, and these apps have helped to make our lives and work simpler and easier. Well, not one to be left behind, Microsoft have included apps into Windows 8 and according to Microsoft, apps will be at the heart of Windows 8. Including the pre-installed apps for Mail, Calendar and SkyDrive, which will work together, hopefully making the app experience a fluid one.

5.       Windows Store

With apps being at the heart of the new Windows, earlier this year Microsoft launched their very own apps store, the Windows Store.

Windows Store

With over 100,000 apps available, this store might not yet boast the same quantity of apps as the Apple App Store (700,000 apps) or Google Play (675,000 apps), but it will definitely have the same quality of apps, with the BBC and many other large developers already creating apps for Windows devices.

6.       Internet Explorer 10

Despite IE9 being in its commercial infancy, Microsoft have decided that for the launch of Windows 8, a new web browsing experience is needed. IE10 is optimised for touch devices as well as the familiar desktop, which means web developers can use the same HTML5 markup to build rich, interactive websites that might change the way we use websites forever.

7.       Windows To Go

One of the most exciting features that Windows 8 has to offer for a business is Windows To Go. A USB will be able to contain a full version of Windows 8 Enterprise which can be used on any PC, anywhere, simply by plugging it in. This will be a great tool for mobile workers and those who frequently hot desk, as they’ll have their personal desktop wherever they go, which could revolutionising how these employees work in the future.

8.       Built on a solid foundation

The last feature that will hopefully make Windows 8 a hit is that it’s not entirely new. Windows 8 has been built on the foundations of Windows 7, which should hopefully mean fewer bugs, when launched today.

Do you think Windows 8 will be an evolution or a revolution? Are you looking forward to any of these features in particular?

Order your Windows 8 Software and Hardware today from BT Business Direct and receive free delivery!

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