Keep your business options open with virtual phone numbers

Once again we are faced with increasingly depressing headlines in the news when it comes to the economy. Greece has long been in deep financial trouble, and over the last few weeks we have seen its Prime Minister accept a bailout package from the European Central Bank which had as its conditions tough austerity measures, only to then turn around and say that accepting this would be subject to a Greek referendum, then to say the referendum was cancelled, and then to finally resign, leading to days of wrangling trying to put in place a new Prime Minister and new coalition cabinet. This alone would have been pretty scary, but is nothing compared to what is going on in Italy, with their cost of borrowing soaring dramatically in the last few days, finally bringing down long serving Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and leaving the third largest economy in the Euro teetering on the verge of default. As has been said many times in the last few weeks, Italy is too big to fail, but also too big to bailout. Europe cannot afford to bail Italy out, but if it goes down, it will probably take the Eurozone down with it. A new recession looks increasingly likely as Europe yesterday dramatically cut its growth forecasts, and we are all collectively holding our breath.
 
Of course, it isn’t all bad news. Yesterday there was the fantastic announcement that Jaguar Land Rover are to hire 1000 new staff in Solihull in the West Midlands, which is great news for the local economy there. But for many businesses, this is a time for caution. However, what we really need is the economy to grow, and by taking an increasingly cautious approach, it is hard to see how that is going to happen to the level that is needed. One small way that can help businesses that want to expand their trade but don’t want to make any major investments or changes at this uncertain time is to get a virtual local phone number. 
 
“If a company wants to expand the area it does business in, but understandably doesn’t want to buy or rent new property in that area at the moment, then a great way to do it is by getting a virtual phone number with the area code for that area pointing to your existing landline or mobile phone” says David Clarke, Director of DBS, a leading provider of virtual phone numbers. “For example, getting virtual 020 numbers for London pointing to your mobile or pointing to your property outside of London. Then, you can advertise your number in that area without the commitment of having property there, and in the future if you do decide to get property there, you can take the number with you. You can transfer the numbers to wherever you like, so you get to keep the same numbers so that your customers don’t lose how to contact you”. 
 
DBS Telecoms also provide freephone 0800 numbers, 0845 numbers and international toll free numbers to cater for businesses varied needs.

How using Fax-to-Email can make your office more organised

“If you’re a business which still needs to send and receive faxes, and still uses a fax machine, then DBS offers an alternative which can make your office far more efficient and organised, which can save you money as well as help make you more of a green, energy efficient company: Fax-to-Email”, says DBS Director David Clarke.

Fax-to-Email is a fantastic alternative to using a fax machine. Quite simply, when someone faxes something to you, fax-to-email converts the document into a PDF document and sends it directly to your email inbox.

The benefits of this to your office are huge. Firstly, you no longer need your old fax machine. This is a huge benefit because it means that you no longer have to leave it switched on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in order to make sure that you don’t miss any faxes. This saves you quite a bit on electricity over the year. It also saves you on paper, ink and toner, because the old fax machine would print out everything that was sent, most of which was often thrown straight into the bin or the shredder. It also saves your staff time, because generally you would have one fax machine per office or department, so someone would often have to go and check it, or go and pick up or keep an eye out for something they were expecting. So, fax to email means you can get rid of your fax machine without getting rid of the ability to receive faxes.

As we all move towards less paper in the office, fax to email is incredibly useful. Most of your correspondence with your clients and customers is probably done through email these days, most documents are probably stored on your computer’s hard drive. Phone calls are probably logged on your computer, and can even be stored on there as recordings thanks to one of the features offered by DBS to accompany their 0800, 0845, 0844, London phone numbers and local phone numbers. Faxes are one of those few things that you have to keep in a file, and with everything else being stored electronically, are most likely to just get forgotten about and gather dust on a shelf. With fax to email, everything is all together on your computer and so makes for a much more organised and efficient filing and record keeping system.

Your fax to email number has to be different from your telephone calls number, but is available from DBS as an 0800 fax to email number, an 0845 fax to email number, an 0844 fax to email number or a virtual local fax to email number, to ensure that your fax number matches for your phone number.  

London 0203 numbers, 0207 numbers and 0208 numbers: the difference

DBS Telecoms is a leading provider of many different types of phone number, including freephone 0800 numbers, revenue sharing 0844 numbers and lo-call 0845 numbers. However, one of its most popular types of phone number is the virtual local phone number. DBS provides virtual phone numbers for 479 different area codes across the UK, and not surprisingly the most popular of these are London phone numbers.

“One of the questions that our customers or potential customers ask most frequently when they call us is ‘what is the difference between 0203, 0207 and 0208 numbers?’” says DBS Director David Clarke. “Well, firstly, there is no such thing as an 0203, 0207 or 0208 area code. The only area code for London is the 020 area code. 020 is the London phone number. 0203, 0207 and 0208 numbers are simply the result of taking the 020 and adding the first digit of the next part of the number to it. The next part of the number only starts with either 3, 7 or 8. It is a common misconception to think otherwise.

“The London 020 number being split into sub divisions is as a result of historical differences.  Numbers starting with 01 were London numbers until 1990. The 01 was followed by three digits, and these three digits corresponded to the area that the phone number was for. In 1990, 01 was split into two different numbers, 071 for Inner London, and 081 for Outer London. In 1995 this became 0171 for Inner London and 0181 for Outer London. In 2000, this was replaced with 020. However, for previous 0171 numbers the first digit of the next part of the number was 7, and for previous 0181 numbers, the next part of the number was 8, so in effect 0207 numbers became the number for Inner London, and 0208 for Outer London.

“As time has gone on, the distinction between the two has blurred, and the introduction of 020 followed by 3 (commonly referred to as 0203) numbers has further blurred that. 0203 numbers cover all of London, and are not specific to any sub division. When people with 0207 or 0208 numbers moved house they kept their numbers, so now there is quite a mix.

“Therefore, when people ask us what the difference is, in short, there is none. It does not matter whether the first digit of the second part of the number is a 3, a 7 or an 8 now, as 020 is the number for London and Greater London, and the second part of the number no longer carries any form of stigma. It does not matter”.

DBS Telecoms sell a wide range of virtual London phone numbers which can be pointed to both landlines and mobile phones. Their London phone numbers are also available as fax-to-email numbers and come with a wide variety of handy additional features.

New study suggests no link between mobile phones and brain cancer

A new study that has been published today in the British Medical Journal which suggests that, contrary to long held popular belief, there is no link between cancer of the brain and the use of mobile phones.

The experiment concluded that mobile phone users were at no greater risk than anyone else of developing brain cancer. The research was carried out by the Institute of Cancer Epidemiology in Denmark, which studied over 358,403 people who use mobile phones over an 18 year period. It found that even those people who had mobile phones over 13 years or more had no higher risk of contracting brain cancer than anyone else. However, they also concluded that mobile phone use warranted continue research to ensure that cancers were not developing over the longer term, as well as continuing to study the effect on children. As was pointed out by Professor David Spiegelhalter of Cambridge University, the comparison is effectively only between early mobile phone users and later mobile phone users, and although an 18 year period seems like a long period of time, this is only looking back to around 1995. One other concern about the research was that it did not include “corporate subscriptions”, ie. people who use their phones for business purposes, which are probably some of the heaviest users of mobile phones. 

For the past 20 years there has been a huge amount of debate and fear over the effects of mobile phones on human health, and this report is the latest contribution to that debate. The World Health Organisation still feels that mobile phones could be carcinogenic, and puts them in the same category as coffee, a category whereby a link cannot be categorically ruled out but also cannot be categorically proven. Hazel Nunn, Head of Evidence and Health Information at Cancer Research UK said “These results are the strongest evidence yet that using a mobile phone does not seem to increase the risk of cancers of the brain or central nervous system in adults”. The UK Department of Health’s official advice is still that anyone under the age of 16 should only use mobile phones for essential reasons and aim to keep phone calls as short as possible while their brain is still developing.

Commenting on the report, David Clarke, Director of DBS Telecoms – a leading supplier of 0800 numbers, 0845 numbers, virtual London phone numbers and international toll free numbers said: “I remember going back about 10 or 15 years many people were frightened about getting a mobile phone due to health reasons. Now there are more mobile phones in the UK than there are people, with figures showing high percentages of children using them. Health concerns seem to have been forgotten about or ignored over time, but they are still there lurking in the background. Whilst the headlines from this report seem pretty conclusive, there still seems to be quite a bit of ambiguity when you look beneath the surface, and whilst the results are encouraging, there is still uncertainty of the effects over long periods of time.”

DBS Telecoms to provide International Virtual Numbers

Following last month’s announcement that DBS will now be vastly expanding its selection of freephone numbers to include not just 0800 numbers for the UK but also toll free numbers for 106 other countries across the globe, the leading telecoms provider is now pleased to announce that it will also be expanding its virtual local numbers.

DBS currently offers virtual local numbers for around 500 different towns and cities across the UK. Following this announcement, it will now be providing the same service but internationally. DBS Telecoms will therefore be providing international virtual numbers for 4,000 cities across the globe.

The principle behind the idea is exactly the same as the principle behind the virtual local numbers that DBS currently offers, but will be on an international scale rather than just a UK wide scale.  So, for example, if you’re a company based in London, but want to have a presence in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Washington DC, then you can get an international virtual number for each of these US cities pointed to the phones of your offices here in the UK, and advertised accordingly in these American cities. This then provides your international customers with a number they are familiar with rather than a “strange foreign number” which they might feel uncomfortable phoning, and allows you to expand where you do business without actually having to relocate, purchase new premises or hire new staff in a different country.  These numbers can be pointed to any landline or mobile phone number worldwide.

Commenting on the launch, DBS Director David Clarke said: “We have always been pleased to offer virtual numbers for 479 different UK area codes, and will continue to offer this service, but this new option will satisfy the needs of our customers who want to do business overseas. We are delighted that there is such a demand for international numbers and that our clients are expanding to operate internationally, and very much hope that this trend continues”.

Extra Features for London Numbers

DBS Telecoms offers a wide range of virtual London phone numbers covering the three different sub-categories of 020 numbers – 0203 numbers, 0207 numbers and 0208 numbers. These numbers are available to be pointed at either existing landline or mobile telephones, and there are also a wide range of extra features offered by DBS which can accompany them.
 
“Press 1 For Sales” service
When a customer or client dials your virtual 020 London number, they will have a welcome message inviting them to press 1 for sales, press 2 for accounts, etc. to make you appear as a professional, large, well structured company.  The message and options can say what you want it to say, and can all point to the same number, or to a string of different numbers. 
 
Call Whisper
There is currently a free 30 day trial at DBS on this feature. Because a virtual London phone number is pointed to either an existing landline number or an existing mobile number, when the phone rings you do not know if the incoming call is ringing your existing landline or mobile phone number or if they are calling your virtual 020 number. The “Call Whisper” is a feature which plays a short recorded message when you answer the phone if someone is calling on your London 020 number. So, if it is a call to your normal number, you don’t hear a message, but if someone calls on your 0203, 0207 and 0208 number then you will hear a message saying “London number” “virtual number” “local number” “business number” or whatever you want it to say. This ensures you answer your London number professionally, knowing what sort of call it is coming in. The caller does not hear the message. 
 
Voicemail
If someone phones your virtual London phone number then you want to have a voicemail message so that your customers or potential customers can leave you a message. If they’re just faced with a phone that rings continuously, they probably won’t bother phoning back. DBS’s voicemail not only takes a message like a normal voicemail, but emails the message as a recording straight to your email inbox increasing the chance of you replying right away, and also notifies you of the numbers of anyone who didn’t leave a message, thus increasing your chance of not missing any customers.

Fax to Email Service
If you purchase a virtual London phone number then you might want to consider getting a London fax to email number as well. Not only will it mean that your London fax number matches your London phone number, but it also ensures you receive your faxes in a more environmentally, cost effective way. Fax to email converts your faxes to PDF and sends them straight to your email inbox, saving you on paper, ink, toner and electricity.
 
Call Recording
DBS offers two different call recording options for its virtual 020 numbers, for inbound and outbound calls. The feature allows you to record your phone calls, and then emails you the recording straight afterwards so that you can keep it for your records or use it for training purposes. 
 
Greeting Message
This is a personalised recorded message that can be played when someone phones your London phone number, such as “Thank you (company name), your call is important to us and will be answered shortly” or whatever you would like it to say.
 
Call Queuing
If you have more calls at once than you can answer to your London phone number, this feature places them in a queue, tells them they are in a queue, plays them music, plays messages of your choice, and holds up to 50 people at once. 
 
Online Call Statistics
If you want to keep track of your London 0203, 0207 or 0208 number then this feature is ideal. You can check out the numbers that have called you, the time they called, the duration of calls, how quickly calls were answered, calls missed and more. 
 
Divert on Busy or No Answer
DOBNA diverts your calls to a list of other numbers, so for if example if you’re not in the office, it diverts your call to your mobile. All you need to do is supply DBS with the numbers. 
 
Time of Day Routing
If you want your virtual London number pointed or routed to different numbers at different times of the day then this feature makes that possible. So, for example, you can have your virtual 020 number pointed at your office phone number between 8.30 and 5.30, and at your mobile phone the rest of the time.
 
DBS Director David Clarke said: “The virtual London phone numbers are great on their own because they help hard pressed small businesses who want to do business in London, but cannot afford London premises. It means they can be based just outside London where offices are cheaper, but still have a London number to appeal to London clients. These features make things even easier for them. We constantly review what businesses want and need in order to do well and aim to provide them, which is what we feel these businesses do. In tough economic times, every bit of extra help is hugely valuable.”

DBS top selling virtual local numbers

DBS Telecoms offers virtual local numbers for almost 500 different towns, cities and areas across the UK.

We've listed our top selling virtual local phone numbers below so that you can navigate easily to the most popular choices. Not surprisingly London is our top selling local phone number!

London 0203, 0207 & 0208 phone numbers

Nottingham 0115 phone numbers

Aberdeen 01224 phone numbers

Northampton 01604 phone numbers

Liverpool 0151 phone numbers

Leicester 0116 phone numbers

Bristol 0117 phone numbers

Glasgow 0141 phone numbers

Leeds 0113 phone numbers

Manchester 0161 phone numbers

Birmingham 0121 phone numbers

Cardiff 029 phone numbers

Warrington 01925 phone numbers

Harrogate 01423 phone numbers

Chelmsford 01245 phone numbers

Edinburgh 0131 phone numbers

Cambridge 01223 phone numbers

Bradford 01274 phone numbers

Oxford 01865 phone numbers

Reading 0118 phone numbers

DBS Telecoms now selling international toll free numbers

DBS Telecoms prides itself on selling a wide range of different telephone numbers to meet the needs and demands of its customers. Its current range includes UK freephone 0800 telephone numbers, UK 0845 lo-call numbers, revenue sharing UK 0844 phone numbers and virtual local numbers for 479 different UK area codes, including London 020 numbers. All of these types of numbers can be pointed to a landline or mobile phone, and are all available as fax-to-email numbers as well. DBS Telecoms also have a wide range of extra features to accompany these numbers.

In line with supplying what its customers want, DBS is now supplying international toll free numbers. In the same way that virtual local numbers allow businesses to appear to be in an area of the UK that they don’t actually have offices in but want to operate in, international toll free numbers give businesses a presence in a country that they don’t have offices in but want to operate in. This means that customers in that country are not put off calling a business because they don’t want to phone a “foreign number”.

DBS will now be supplying international toll free numbers for 106 different countries around the world. These will include:

• USA

• France

• Germany

• China

• Japan

• Italy

• Spain

• Australia

• Canada

• New Zealand

Commenting on the launch of DBS international toll free numbers, DBS Director David Clarke said: “We are delighted to be able to offer international toll free numbers to our customers now for 106 different countries. So much business is international now due to globalisation in the last few decades, and the internet has only accelerated that. These numbers reflects businesses needs to not just have different phone numbers for areas across the UK but to cover the countries across the globe where companies want to do business and are doing business. It is great to see that there are businesses out there that are expanding internationally even in these tough economic times”.

International toll free numbers from DBS can be pointed to either landline phones or mobile (cell) phones, or any working phone number worldwide. As always with all numbers from DBS there is no long term contract, you only need to give 30 days’ written notice to cancel your international toll free number. Discounts are available on multiple numbers.

As each number is different, if you would like more information on the range of international toll free numbers available, call DBS on 0800 046 1688. DBS has been established for 25 years and has Investors in People status and are members of the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce.

OFCOM forces telecoms companies to cancel long term contracts

OFCOM announced this week that it will be banning both landline telephone and broadband contracts that automatically tie customers into long term arrangements from the 31st December 2011.

These long term contracts, which are known as Automatically Renewable Contracts (ARCs), automatically come in to effect if customers do not specifically opt out of them. Therefore, customers have had to been aware of the contracts and go to the effort of saying that they did not want them, otherwise they were automatically saddled with them and with all the restrictions that came with them. This included penalties for moving to another service provider.

According to OFCOM around 15% of UK residential customers have been automatically placed on such contracts, or around 1 in 7. The biggest and most used telecoms company which uses ARCs is in fact BT, although they are also used by BT Adept Telecom, Axis Telecom, Eze Talk and iTalk for residential customers, and TalkTalk Business, Titan Telecoms and Optimum Calls for business customers, to list just a few.

Announcing the move, the Chief Executive of OFCOM, Ed Richards, said: "ARCs raise barriers to effective competition by locking customers into long-term deals with little additional benefit."

Commenting on the announcement, David Clark, Director of DBS Telecoms, a leading supplier of 0800, 0845 and virtual local numbers, including London 020 numbers, said: “I am delighted to say that this move will not affect DBS, our telephone numbers or our customers, because we do not use such contracts. DBS takes great pride in being able to say to our customers that you will not be tied into any form of long term contract when you order with us. It certainly isn’t a case of you have to opt out of anything with DBS Telecoms, we simply do not believe in imposing long term contacts of any type. DBS Telecoms feels that if a telecoms company provides good numbers, good customer service, sensible prices and responds to the needs of its customers then it should not need to force customers to stay with them, because they will want to stay with them. If customers want to stay then they will stay, but if they are not happy, if they want to leave, or if their personal circumstances change then they shouldn’t be made to stay against their will. All we require when someone wishes to cancel their number is 30 days written confirmation. You can have a number with DBS for as much or as little time as you want.

“In one sense, I welcome this move, because it means that customers will have real choice as to who supplies their phone numbers without being forced to stay with companies and without fear of penalties for leaving”, said Mr Clarke, “but at the same time I think it’s a shame that OFCOM had to force companies to do this. They should have taken the same attitude as DBS and allowed customers to make their own choices. They should have had a bit more faith that their customers would stay with them without being forced, and if they were worried that customers would leave them unless they were locked in, then they should have improved their companies, their service and their support so that customers would want to stay without being forced. Still, at the end of the day I am glad that telecoms customers are going to be getting a better deal.”

Local phone calls will soon require full phone number

One of the headlines on the BBC News on Thursday 8th September was that local phone numbers are about to get even longer. Well, that is not really the case. Beyond the headline it was revealed that local phone numbers will in fact stay the same length, you will just have to start using the full area code soon, if you are phoning someone in the same area, and initially only in Bournemouth.

OFCOM is slowly introducing changes to the way we make local phone calls, beginning next year. Because there is a shortage of telephone numbers, in order to effectively give them more options on which numbers they can use and to manage future demand, they are changing the telephone system so that if you phone someone who has the same area code as you, you will still have to dial the full area code to phone them.  This means that OFCOM will be able to create telephone numbers with 0 and 1 at the beginning of them. At the moment they cannot because if you have a phone number starting with 0 or 1 and phone it as a local number without an area code, then the phone will think it is an area code, which is why it can’t be used. This option will open up a great deal more numbers. Previously if you were making a local phone call by phoning someone in the same area code as you then you did not have to dial the area code, you could just dial the six digit phone number.

On its website, OFCOM headlined that it was announcing “plans to safeguard the supply of UK telephone numbers” in a way that meant not changing existing telephone numbers, and therefore causing the least amount of confusion and upheaval possible to people. However, it should be reiterated that this scheme is only being rolled out in areas where there is a shortage of phone numbers remaining. Bournemouth is expected to be the first area code to need this applied from the middle of next year, so if you live in Bournemouth and want to phone someone else in Bournemouth you will have to dial 01202 and then the number. Once this is introduced, you could start seeing Bournemouth numbers beginning with 01202 0 or 01202 1 which you currently don’t see. After Bournemouth, OFCOM expects Brighton and Hove on 01273, Aberdeen on 01224, Milton Keynes on 01908, Bradford on 01274 and Cambridge on 01223 to need this scheme within the next 5 years. OFCOM have published a very useful map showing the timeline for the expected changes to local phone numbers up to 2021 and beyond. London 020 numbers will not be affected by this change.

David Clarke is a Director of DBS Telecoms, which provides a wide range of telephone numbers, including virtual local phone numbers. Commenting on the announcement he said: “This is probably going to cause a minimum amount of disruption to individuals and businesses, firstly because it means there won’t be any changes to numbers or dialling codes, as has so often been the case in the past, but also because a lot of people automatically dial the full area code these days anyway because they are so used to using mobile phones. Also, many numbers are often saved on speed dial functions, which will include area codes. This is probably the best way of making sure there are still plenty of numbers to go round without making numbers longer or adding different digits. It doesn’t mean companies have to change their advertising on signs, posters, listings or vehicles, and we welcome that”.

Report on China illustrates growth in online businesses

According to a report on the BBC News website on 30^th August by Nick Mackie, online shopping is experiencing a huge growth spurt in China. In fact, according to his report, figures show that the online shopping industry in China grew by 87% year on year in 2010, a quite dramatic leap when you think about how poorly industry is doing everywhere else around the world right now. The industry in China had a turnover of $80 billion dollars in 2010. 

Apparently there are now around 5 million small, online stores operating in China. It is hardly surprising that so many small online stores are emerging, when there are 420 million internet users in China, who spend a billion hours each day online. This is a huge market to tap into. 

David Clarke, Director of DBS, which specialises a range of communications, including website design, internet marketing and telecoms, said: “At a time when sadly there is still low job security, rising youth unemployment and an increasing number of graduates coming fresh out of university finding that there isn’t much work out there, it is easy to see why more and more people are turning to setting up their own online company. It is so easy. Plus, it allows people to work in a much more flexible way, looking after the children or the home whilst being at work. And despite predictions to the contrary, e-commerce is continuing to grow, and will continue to grow as the younger generation emerges. All you need is a website, you don’t even need to have to pay out to buy offices or any of the other overheads that have previously been associated with owning a business. If you want you can operate out of your spare bedroom in your dressing gown! More and more people are now just working from home, and getting a virtual phone number such as London 0207 phone numbers or 0800 numbers pointed to their existing mobile or landline phones to give them a professional appearance and to give them some privacy by not releasing their private mobile or home number to the world. Setting up your own business has never been easier.”

It is interesting to note the potential for growth in this field. At the 2010 census in China, the population of the country was recorded at just under 1,340,000,000. If there are only 420,000,000 internet users in China, then that means that only around 31% of the Chinese population are currently on the internet. So, if you think that online commerce is a major player in China’s economy now, just imagine the impact it is going to have as more of China’s population grow up with the internet. That figure is going to continue to increase dramatically. The population of the USA is less than a quarter than that of China, with their geographic area being quite similar. It is already the second largest economy in the world, the fastest growing economy in the world, and with figures like this it isn’t hard to see the possibility of it overtaking the USA in the not too distant future. 

Back here in the UK, it was reported last week that 77% of UK households now have access to the internet, with a huge leap in people using the internet from their phones rather than a computer. 45% now access the internet on their smart phones, compared to 31% last year. The figure was 71% among 16-24 year olds, so again expect that figure to keep growing. It is becoming increasingly clear that phones are going to replace computers as the normal method of getting online. Google’s recent purchase of Motorola was the perfect example of this. It is therefore apparent that the phone is going to become even more important to how we do business, both in the UK and globally in the coming years, whether it is through more people using phones to access the internet or through using a virtual phone number instead of an office to operate from.

iResign – Steve Jobs quits as Apple CEO

The big news in the world of communications this week was that Steve Jobs resigned as Chief Executive of Apple due to ill health. 
 
His resignation did not come as a major surprise to anyone in the communications industry, and had been expected for quite a while. Steve Jobs has been ill for some time, having suffered from pancreatic cancer and having had a liver transplant. He has become increasingly thin. He has been on medical leave since the 17th January, and so it is believed that the resignation should not have a huge and sudden impact on the company, as they have been getting used to not having Mr Jobs at the helm for some months now.

Steve Jobs will be replaced as Chief Executive by Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook. Mr Jobs will not be leaving Apple completely, but will instead take the title of Chairman, giving a further sense of continuity and stability at the top of Apple. Cook is highly regarded in the industry, and many have speculated that this will actually be good for Apple, as there has been speculation over Steve Jobs’ future with Apple for a long time, and now that speculation has ended and Cook can get on with the job of running Apple properly. 
 
In his letter of resignation, Steve Jobs said: "I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's chief executive, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come. I hereby resign as chief executive of Apple.  I believe Apple's brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role. I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you."
 
Commenting on the news, David Clarke, Director of DBS Telecoms, said: “It is very sad for Apple and for the communications industry as a whole that Steve Jobs has had to stand down due to ill health. We wish him and his family the very best for the future. Steve Jobs is Mr Apple himself – he founded the company, every product launch and innovation has been spearheaded by him, it was his passion and ideas which were behind many of Apple’s most successful products, him knowing what it was that consumers wanted and needed. Nobody will be able to match his knowledge of the market. Let’s not forget that last time he left Apple it declined until he came back. However, I think the difference this time is that he has built an incredibly strong team around him, and preparations will have been made for this day, which has been coming for some time”. 
 
DBS Telecoms is a leading supplier of non-geographic numbers and of virtual local numbers, including London 020 numbers. They also offer a call answering service to companies.

Google Buys Motorola – further expands empire

Google announced on Monday 15^th August that it is to buy Motorola Mobility for $12.5 billion – approximately £7.7million. This means that Google will be paying $40 per share for Motorola Mobility – a massive 63% premium. 

Motorola made the world’s first commercial mobile phone in the 1980s, but hasn’t been as big in recent years as some of its main rivals. It split into two companies earlier this year – Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions. Motorola Mobility designs and makes mobile phones, whilst Motorola Solutions deals with other technologies for corporate and governmental clients. 

Commenting on the deal, Larry Page, CEO of Google, said “Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies. Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers. I look forward to welcoming Motorolans to our family of Googlers.”

Google is the developer of the Android software system which is already used by a number of other mobile phone companies, so this move has already left them feeling decidedly worried as to where this leaves them. The BBC’s Technology Correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones described the move as “a real wake up call to the rest of the mobile phone industry”. 

By Monday evening there was already speculation that one of the key beneficiaries of the deal would be the Nokia / Microsoft partnership, as companies currently using Android might choose to look elsewhere now. Fuelled by an announcement from the Finnish mobile phone company, analysts started predicting that other mobile phone companies that already have Google’s Android system on their phones may now feel uncomfortable and uncertain that they would not get the same access to Android on their handsets as Motorola, despite reassurances issued by Google on Monday afternoon.  Google was quick to publish messages of support for the deal from Samsung, Sony Ericsson, HTC and LTG, although, as many others have commented, these statements sounded rather lukewarm to say the least. 

There was also speculation that the deal was more about patents than anything else, with Motorola having 17,000 patents and thousands more pending. However, other experts also noted that until now Google only made software in the mobile phone market, and with this move would now be producing the hardware as well as the software, producing not just Android software, but the mobile phones for it to go on as well.

Commenting on the deal, David Clarke, Director of DBS Telecoms said: “Whilst the impact of this deal is still unclear, it is becoming obvious that four giants are emerging in the mobile phone industry – Apple – with their own computers, tablets, mobile phones, software, stores etc., Microsoft/Nokia, Google/Motorola and Blackberry. It is hardly surprising with the rise of the smart phone that Google and Microsoft are wanting to get in on the act – every new set of statistics released shows that more and more people are accessing the internet and emails through their smart phones rather than through traditional computers now, and that trend is only going to continue.”