Author: Jake Boase

What Is Cyber Security? A Plain-English Guide for UK Businesses (2026)

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Cyber security is how a business protects its accounts, devices, email, data and online services from being stolen, damaged or disrupted. The National Cyber Security Centre puts it simply: cyber security “helps individuals and organisations reduce the risk and impact of cyber attacks”. For most UK businesses it comes down to a handful of basics done consistently: multi-factor authentication, up-to-date devices, malware protection, tested backups and staff who can spot a phishing email. It matters because 43% of UK businesses reported a cyber security breach or attack in the last year, according to the government’s latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. Figures checked against the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, NCSC guidance and ICO guidance on that date.

In this guide

What is cyber security?

The NCSC defines cyber security as something that “helps individuals and organisations reduce the risk and impact of cyber attacks”. It adds that its core function is to defend the digital services and devices we rely on from online threats, including the data and personal information stored on them or in the cloud.

In a business, that means three things:

  • Keeping information private. Only the right people can see client files, financial records and email.
  • Keeping information accurate. Nobody can quietly change bank details on an invoice or tamper with records.
  • Keeping systems available. Email, files and line-of-business systems keep working, and you can recover quickly if they do not.

Cyber security is not only a technology problem. Many successful attacks on small businesses start with a person being tricked, an account without multi-factor authentication or a device that has not been updated. Good cyber security is as much about habits and process as it is about software.

Why is cyber security important for businesses?

Cyber security is important because attacks on UK businesses are common, most of them involve phishing, and the fallout reaches money, clients and legal obligations. These are the headline figures from the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, published in April 2026:

MeasureUK businessesUK charities
Reported a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months43%28%
Experienced phishing attacks38%25%
Victims of at least one cyber crime in the last year19%14%
Have a formal incident response plan25%19%
Insured against cyber security risks in some way47%35%
Source: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, published 30 April 2026.

Size makes a difference. The same survey found that 42% of micro businesses, 46% of small businesses, 65% of medium businesses and 69% of large businesses reported a breach or attack. The survey only counts breaches that organisations spotted and chose to report, so smaller firms may be under-counting.

The threat at national level is rising too. The NCSC handled 204 nationally significant cyber attacks in the 12 months to August 2025, up from 89 the year before.

For an individual business, the damage usually shows up in four ways:

  • Lost time. Staff locked out of email or files, systems rebuilt, and client work delayed.
  • Lost money. Payment diversion fraud, where a criminal changes the bank details on a genuine-looking invoice, can take a large sum in one transfer.
  • Legal duties. If personal data is involved, a notifiable breach must be reported to the ICO without undue delay and within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, and inadequate security can lead to an ICO fine.
  • Client trust and contracts. More clients, insurers and tenders now ask how you protect data, often by asking for Cyber Essentials.

The survey also shows that most breaches are low cost in direct terms: the median perceived cost of the most disruptive breach was £0 for businesses. The risk sits in the minority of cases that are serious, which is exactly what the basics below are designed to prevent.

What are the main areas of cyber security?

Cyber security is usually split into a few areas, each protecting a different part of the business. For a small business, these are the ones that matter:

AreaWhat it protectsTypical measures for a small business
Identity and accessUser accounts and admin rightsMulti-factor authentication, strong unique passwords, separate admin accounts
Email securityThe inbox, where phishing arrivesFiltering of links and attachments, impersonation protection, staff awareness
Device (endpoint) securityLaptops, desktops and phonesMalware protection, encryption, automatic updates, device management
Network securityOffice internet, Wi-Fi and remote accessA configured firewall, secure Wi-Fi, changed default passwords
Cloud and data securityMicrosoft 365, files and client dataSharing controls, data loss prevention, access reviews
Backup and recoveryYour ability to get back up and runningSeparate, tested backups and a written recovery plan
People and processEveryone who uses your systemsPhishing awareness, clear payment-checking rules, an incident plan
A practical grouping for small and medium businesses. Larger organisations add areas such as application security and security monitoring.

What are the most common cyber threats to UK businesses?

Phishing is by far the most common attack on UK businesses. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey found phishing was the most prevalent type of breach or attack and was seen as the most disruptive by 69% of businesses and charities that had a breach. The threats worth knowing are:

  • Phishing. Fake emails or texts that trick someone into clicking a link, entering a password or opening an attachment. See our guide to how to spot a phishing email.
  • Business email compromise and payment diversion fraud. A criminal gets into, or imitates, a mailbox and redirects a payment. Our article on how conveyancing firms get caught shows how it works.
  • Account takeover. Stolen or guessed passwords used to sign in to Microsoft 365 or other cloud services. Multi-factor authentication is one of the most effective defences, because a stolen password alone is no longer enough.
  • Ransomware. Malicious software that encrypts files and demands payment to unlock them, often after the attackers have copied data out.
  • Malware. Software that steals data or gives attackers remote access, usually arriving by email or a compromised website.
  • Unpatched software. Known weaknesses in out-of-date systems, which attackers scan for automatically.
  • Mistakes. Files shared with the wrong person, lost laptops without encryption and emails sent to the wrong address.

What does good cyber security look like for a small business?

Good cyber security for a small business is a short list of basics, done on every device and every account, and checked regularly. The NCSC’s small organisations guide to cyber security groups them into five areas: securing your email, securing your important online accounts, protecting your devices, backing up your data and spotting cyber attacks.

In practice, that means:

  1. Turn on multi-factor authentication for Microsoft 365, banking, accounting software and anything else that holds business data.
  2. Keep devices and software updated, with automatic updates switched on and anything unsupported replaced.
  3. Run malware protection on every laptop and desktop, and make sure it is reporting in.
  4. Back up important data to a separate location, and test that you can restore it.
  5. Limit admin rights so everyday accounts cannot install software or change security settings.
  6. Configure the firewall and Wi-Fi, and change default passwords on routers and other equipment.
  7. Train staff to spot phishing and to check any change of bank details by phone, using a number you already hold.
  8. Write down what you would do in an attack: who to call, how to isolate a device and how to restore from backup.

Our cyber security best practices guide covers each of these in more detail. The NCSC also offers a free Cyber Action Toolkit for sole traders, micro businesses and small organisations.

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed certification that shows a business has the basics in place. The NCSC describes it as “the minimum standard of cyber security recommended by the Government for organisations of all sizes”. It checks five technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection.

It is worth having. Only 5% of businesses hold it, according to the breaches survey, yet the NCSC reported in 2024 that data from the insurer that provides cover with the scheme shows certified organisations are 92% less likely to make a cyber insurance claim (see our guide to whether you need cyber insurance for what insurers ask about your IT). Central government and NHS contracts that involve personal data or certain IT services require it, and a growing number of other buyers ask suppliers for it.

See our Cyber Essentials requirements and checklist and our guide to what Cyber Essentials costs. For a real example, read how we helped Repaircraft achieve Cyber Essentials Plus.

What are the UK rules on cyber security?

There is no single cyber security law for small businesses, but several rules require you to protect data and report serious incidents:

  • UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Any business holding personal data must keep it secure. A notifiable personal data breach must be reported to the ICO without undue delay and within 72 hours of becoming aware of it. UK GDPR fines can reach £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher, for the most serious infringements, and £8.7 million or 2% for failures such as inadequate security or not reporting a breach. Our free GDPR health check is a quick way to see where your business stands.
  • Sector rules. Regulators set their own expectations, for example the SRA for law firms (see does the SRA require Cyber Essentials) and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit for care providers (see our DSPT guide for care homes).
  • The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. This bill would update the UK’s rules for essential and digital services and would bring medium and large managed service providers into scope, with an initial incident notification to the regulator within 24 hours and a fuller report within 72 hours. It is still going through the House of Lords and is not yet law.

What should you do if your business is attacked?

If you think your business is under attack, act quickly and in this order:

  1. Contain it. Disconnect affected devices from the network rather than switching them off, and do not wipe them until your IT provider has checked them, as that can destroy evidence.
  2. Call your IT provider so they can lock compromised accounts, reset passwords and check how far the attacker got.
  3. Report it. Report Fraud (the national service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025) asks businesses suffering a live cyber attack to call 0300 123 2040, 24 hours a day. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
  4. Tell the ICO within 72 hours if personal data may have been affected and the breach is notifiable.
  5. Warn clients and suppliers if your email was used to send fraudulent messages, and call your bank at once if money has been sent.
  6. Restore from backup and learn from it, fixing the weakness that let the attacker in.

Should you outsource cyber security?

Most small businesses do not have a security specialist on the payroll, so outsourcing is common. The breaches survey found that 44% of micro businesses now use an external cyber security provider, up from 39% the year before. Our article on reasons to outsource cyber security sets out the case.

At ATS Connection, cyber security is part of how we run managed IT services for clients, for a fixed monthly price. Our Complete IT and security package runs from £55 to £90 per user per month; see our IT support pricing or our cyber security services. If you want to know where you stand today, take our free IT security review.

Frequently asked questions

What is cyber security in simple terms?

Cyber security is protecting your accounts, devices, email, data and online services from being stolen, damaged or disrupted. The NCSC describes it as helping individuals and organisations reduce the risk and impact of cyber attacks.

Why is cyber security important for a business?

Because attacks are common and costly when they succeed. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 43% of UK businesses reported a breach or attack in the last 12 months. A serious incident can stop work, lead to payment fraud, trigger a duty to report to the ICO within 72 hours and damage client trust.

What are the main types of cyber security?

For a small business the main areas are identity and access, email security, device security, network security, cloud and data security, backup and recovery, and people and process.

What is the most common cyber attack on UK businesses?

Phishing. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey found phishing was experienced by 38% of UK businesses in the last year and was the most prevalent and most disruptive type of attack.

No, Cyber Essentials is not a legal requirement for most businesses. The government recommends it as the minimum standard for organisations of all sizes. Central government and NHS contracts involving personal data or certain IT services require it, and a growing number of other buyers ask for it.

How do I report a cyber attack in the UK?

Businesses suffering a live cyber attack should call Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, on 0300 123 2040 at any time of day. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If personal data is affected and the breach is notifiable, report it to the ICO within 72 hours.

How much does cyber security cost for a small business?

It depends on size and needs. Many of the basics come with the right Microsoft 365 plan and good IT management. At ATS Connection, our Complete IT and security package costs £55 to £90 per user per month, and Cyber Essentials certification fees start at £320 plus VAT for micro businesses.

Sources

The Benefits of White Label IT Support

Posted on by Jake Boase

White label IT support services can benefit your businesses’ growth, whether you’re selling your own products/ or want to add IT support services to your current white labelled products you offer. White label IT solutions allows you to scale at a pace that suits you and has no outlay financially until you are making money yourselves.

What is white label IT support?

White label IT support allows you to offer your end users IT services with the benefit of you not needing to hire any staff members as the services are carried out under your identity and performed as if they were in-house IT staff.

White label IT support services come in various forms:

  • White label IT help desk – With this option, your white label partner provides technical support to your end users. They answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and offer general help to your IT customers via phone, email or remote it services.
  • On-site IT support – With on-site services, IT engineers go to your client’s location to fix IT problems, maintain systems, or replace hardware.
  • Telecoms – This involves communication services like VoIP phone systems, broadband, and mobile data plans.

When should you consider white labelling IT?

You can increase the scope of your services without hiring more people by white labelling IT solutions.  White labelling is something to consider if you lack the resources to provide effective IT solutions, either because you’re a small business or because it is growing quickly. Here is why white labelling is worthing looking into in these circumstances:

  • The more complicated issues affecting your end customers might be better handled by a third party with a diversified team of experts.
  • You can provide service around-the-clock, which can be a significant selling factor for your company.
  • White labelling is cost-effective. Without having to hire a large workforce or worry about managing or training your IT staff, your business can make use of experienced IT professionals.

Is white labelling IT profitable?

This is the big one! Is White Labelling even going to have a chance of making your business profitable?

Yes!

With white label IT support you get to offer our services at a set fee and in return you choose what to charge your clients! On average, our white label IT partners make around 50% – 70% profit on each end user.

The key? Finding an IT partner you can trust

Finding the right white label IT partner is crucial to any partnership working. Both parties need to work in unison and ensure they are on the same page at all times.

When you partner with ATS Connection, you can select the type of partnership that is best for your business. 

You can exert as much control as you like on the procedure, branding, and client experience thanks to our flexibility. 

Find out more on our white labelling IT solutions here or contact us on 01903 255 159.

White label IT support

Protect Your Business From A Cyber Kill Chain

Posted on by Jake Boase

Email, Phishing compromises are more personalised whilst malicious attachments and spoofed domains are more convincing. These cyber kill chains are nuanced, and potentially devastating for targets. That’s why nowadays it’s incredibly important to have the best top-tier, layered security protocols protecting you and your business.

What is a Cyber Kill Chain?

Simply the Cyber Kill Chain is the course of actions that a cyber criminal will perform to attack their victim. Most of these kill chains follow a core structure with variations based on the attack type and personal style of the cyber criminal.

The phases usually go in the order of;

Breaking in

The first step of any cyber criminal is to access the system undetected to avoid raising any alarms. This first step normally causes no immediate damage. While there are many ways of breaking into an employees system, phishing scams has been reported as one of the most common choices of accessing a system. Malicious attachments which can lead to malware being spread throughout the system without your knowledge.

Once Malware has been integrated within the system then it is an extremely difficult and expensive endeavour to then get rid of it. In 2018 a shipping conglomerate had malware spread through the entire system costing the company £300 million.

Investigating your system

The next step a cyber criminal would take is to investigate the system familiarising themselves with it. They will use specialised tools to identify areas that have vulnerabilities or areas with valuable assets like bank details or logins. More times than not this process is completely undetectable.

A report from IBM found that the average breach goes undetected for 212 days. However, depending on the type of attack these cyber kill chains can might only span the course of a few days or even hours.

Executing an Attack

Once your system has been breached and surveyed and the cyber criminal has determined that they have enough information on your device and its contents they will execute the attack. This is when the cyber criminal decides the fate of your system. 

They could hold it for ransomware locking all your files and data until you pay a sum of money for them to release them. Even if you pay they may not release the files demanding more money.

They could just want to steal your information which can then lead to identity theft causing you problems in the long run.

Some hackers just like to destroy your system for no apparent reason. Activating software changing system code to make it unusable or removing it entirely along with all your files.

It is important to note that this is a version of a cyber kill chain, kill chains are very customisable, sequential processes. The process is all dependant on what the cyber criminal wishes to gain out of their work.

Usually the gain is always financial. Hackers can and will attack anyone, conducting small raids on individuals or more sophisticated large attacks on companies. Hackers can cause a lot of damage and trouble in an extremely short amount of time.

How to protect yourself from cyber criminals

There are two common threats that your business will face. Business email compromise (BEC) and ransomware. With a BEC attack cyber criminals harvest accounts and credentials from an executive or management team, impersonate them and persuade employees and clients to release valuable information. This can span from employee payment information and wire transfers. 

Ransomware also often starts with email, and has become the most common from of extracting money from small to medium sized businesses. In order to counter threats like these you need to have a layered security approach that can counter unique attack types and kill chains.

Security Monitoring

A solutions such as a Security Operations Service combines cutting-edge Security Information and Event Management technology and established threat intelligence to track privilege elevation, data leaks and breaches, suspicious network activity, user identity and account lockouts and real time endpoint monitoring.

Endpoint protection provides a safety net after an employee engages with potential malicious content, this catches the malicious content before it can spread into the system.

This gives your IT team a chance to intervene so they can identify and eliminate threats as well as take precautions on other machines.

Firewalls

Firewall is a word thrown around but not many people actually know what it does. Simply it stops any non-requested data from entering a network. That’s because it identifies the requested code and will only let that exact code through.

Firewalls can also be configured by your IT team so strict parameters can be set around inbound and outbound mail. They can establish certain rules that need to be met for things such as attachments, links, forwarding and geofencing. Other tools can be utilised such as single-sign-on and two factor authentication for an additional layer of behavioural analysis.

Having a strong network security can go a long way into protecting your business.

Endpoint protection

Endpoint protection identifies suspicious user actions and behavioural patterns. There are many programs such as Microsoft InTune which provides a single dashboard which your IT team can monitor and respond to. 

With InTune for example an IT team can view enrolled endpoint devices and accessed resources, ensure that the compliance meets with organisational standards, access reports on (non)compliant users and devices, remote wipe data from lost, stolen or retired devices and push certificates for easy access to WiFI or network VPNs.

Here at ATS Connection we want to ensure that your business is protected from cyber criminals trying to access your private data. The cost of setting up a great cybersecurity is far less than the costs that you could receive if you lost data. Outsourcing your cyber security have great benefits too!

We offer great cyber security packages for both businesses and individuals along with 24/7 monitoring.

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What Is an IT Support Provider? What Business IT Support Covers and Costs

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: An IT support provider is an external company that looks after a business’s technology: fixing problems when staff get stuck, and keeping computers, the network, Microsoft 365 and security in good order so problems happen less often. Most small and medium businesses now pay a fixed monthly fee per user for this, known as managed IT support, rather than paying by the hour when something breaks. In the UK that typically costs £30 to £90 per user per month.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Written by the ATS Connection team from our own service and pricing, with government and NCSC sources linked below.

In this guide

What does an IT support provider do?

A good IT support provider acts as your IT department. The work splits into what happens when someone asks for help, and what happens in the background so they need to ask less often.

When your team needs help

  • Helpdesk support by phone, email or a ticket portal, for anything from a locked account to a printer that will not print.
  • Remote fixes, where an engineer connects to the user’s computer securely and resolves the issue while they watch.
  • On-site visits for hardware faults, network problems and installations that cannot be done remotely.
  • Starters and leavers: setting up accounts, laptops and access on day one, and removing access the day someone leaves.

In the background

  • Monitoring of computers, servers and the network, so failing disks, full storage and offline devices are spotted early.
  • Patching: installing security updates for Windows, applications and firewalls on a schedule.
  • Cyber security: endpoint protection, email filtering, multi-factor authentication and the controls needed for Cyber Essentials.
  • Microsoft 365 management: licences, mailboxes, Teams, SharePoint permissions and security policies.
  • Backup and recovery: making sure data is backed up and that restores actually work.
  • Planning: hardware replacement cycles, budgets and advice on what to fix first.
  • Supplier management: dealing with your broadband provider, software vendors and phone system on your behalf.

What types of business IT support are there?

There are four common ways to buy IT support, and many businesses combine two of them.

TypeHow it worksHow you payBest for
Break-fix (ad hoc)You call when something goes wrongBy the hour or per job, typically £75 to £150 an hourVery small businesses with simple IT
Managed IT supportThe provider runs your IT proactively under a service agreementFixed monthly fee, usually per userMost businesses of 5 to 250 staff
Co-managed IT supportThe provider works alongside your in-house IT person or teamMonthly fee for the agreed share of the workBusinesses with some in-house IT
Project and consultancyA defined piece of work, such as a migration or office moveFixed quote per projectOne-off changes
Hourly range as published on our IT support pricing page.

Providers that deliver managed IT support are usually called managed service providers, or MSPs. We explain how that model works in detail in what is a managed service provider?, and compare the outsourcing options in IT outsourcing models explained.

Support can also be remote, on-site or both. Most issues are now fixed in minutes through remote IT support, but you still want a provider that can get an engineer to your office when a switch fails or a new starter needs a desk setting up. That is why local IT support providers remain popular even as more IT moves to the cloud.

What is the difference between proactive and reactive IT support?

Reactive IT support fixes problems after they happen. Proactive IT support works to stop them happening, by monitoring systems, installing updates, replacing ageing hardware before it fails and closing security gaps before they are exploited.

Reactive (break-fix)Proactive (managed)
When work happensAfter a fault is reportedContinuously, plus when faults are reported
Security updatesWhen someone remembersOn a schedule, tracked and reported
Provider’s incentivePaid more when things breakPaid the same, so better off when things do not break
Cost patternUnpredictableFixed monthly
Knowledge of your setupRelearned each visitDocumented and built up over time

The incentive row is the one that matters. On an hourly model, a provider earns more when your IT is unreliable. On a fixed fee, the provider only makes money if your systems stay healthy, so its interests line up with yours.

How much does business IT support cost?

In the UK, managed IT support for a small or medium business usually costs between £30 and £90 per user per month, depending on how much security and compliance work is included. Ad hoc support runs at around £75 to £150 an hour.

We publish our own prices, which is still unusual. Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90. For a team of 15 that is roughly £500 to £700 a month on Core, or £850 to £1,350 a month on Complete. Microsoft licences and hardware are billed separately, at cost. The detail is on our IT support pricing page, and our guide to how much IT support costs explains the pricing models the market uses.

The figure to compare against is the alternative. A single in-house IT hire costs upwards of £2,500 a month before employment costs, and one person cannot cover holidays, sickness and every specialism.

Do you need an IT support provider?

If nobody in your business is responsible for IT, you already have a provider: it is whoever gets asked, usually the most technical person, doing it instead of their real job. These are the signs it is time for proper support:

  • The same problems keep coming back, and nobody knows why.
  • Nobody can say for certain that your backups work.
  • You are not sure who still has access to your Microsoft 365 or other systems.
  • A customer, insurer or tender has asked about Cyber Essentials or your security controls.
  • Staff lose hours each week to slow computers, Wi-Fi or login problems.
  • You are growing, and onboarding people is taking longer than it should.

The risk is not theoretical. The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 43% of UK businesses identified a cyber breach or attack in the previous 12 months, and only 25% had a formal incident response plan.

How do you choose an IT support provider?

The NCSC published guidance in November 2025 on choosing a managed service provider, aimed at small businesses. Combined with what we see when businesses switch to us, these are the questions worth asking:

  1. Are you Cyber Essentials certified? The NCSC recommends using providers with recognised certifications such as Cyber Essentials Plus. A provider with access to all your systems should meet at least the standard it asks of you.
  2. What response time do you guarantee, in writing? Ask for the response and resolution targets in the contract, not the brochure.
  3. What exactly is included, and what is billed extra? Look for per-ticket charges, fair use limits, and whether on-site visits and projects cost more.
  4. Who owns the admin accounts? Your business should own its Microsoft 365 tenant, domain and admin credentials, with the provider given access, not the other way round.
  5. How do you protect your own access to our systems? Expect multi-factor authentication, least-privilege access and logging.
  6. What happens if we leave? Check the notice period and what documentation and handover you get.
  7. Can I speak to a client like us? References from businesses of a similar size and sector tell you more than any website.

We have written a fuller checklist in how to choose an IT support company, and if you are unhappy with your current provider, see signs it is time to change.

ATS Connection has provided business IT support since 2015 from offices in Arundel and Chichester, and looks after more than 100 businesses across Sussex and the UK. Our average response time is under 15 minutes, support is unlimited during business hours with no per-ticket charges, and we are Cyber Essentials certified. See IT support across Sussex or our outsourced IT support for businesses further afield.

Frequently asked questions

What is an IT support provider?

An external company that looks after a business’s technology, fixing problems when staff need help and keeping computers, networks, Microsoft 365 and security maintained so problems happen less often.

What does business IT support include?

Typically helpdesk support, remote and on-site fixes, monitoring, security updates, endpoint protection, Microsoft 365 management, backups, starters and leavers, and IT planning. What is included varies by provider and contract, so check the service agreement.

What is the difference between an IT support provider and an MSP?

An MSP, or managed service provider, is an IT support provider that runs your IT proactively for a fixed monthly fee under a service agreement. Some IT support providers only offer break-fix support paid by the hour.

How much does IT support cost for a small business?

Managed IT support in the UK usually costs £30 to £90 per user per month. ATS Connection’s Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month, and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90.

What is proactive IT support?

IT support that prevents problems rather than just fixing them, through monitoring, scheduled security updates, hardware planning and closing security gaps before they are exploited.

Is remote IT support enough for a small business?

Most issues can be fixed remotely, but hardware faults, network problems and installations sometimes need an engineer on site. A provider that offers both is the safest choice.

Sources

Microsoft 365 for Charities UK (2026): Free and Discounted Nonprofit Plans

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Eligible UK charities can get Microsoft 365 Business Basic free for up to 300 users. Business Premium costs £4.20 and Business Standard £2.70 per user per month, about 75% below the normal business price. The old grant of free Business Premium licences ended in 2025, so charities that relied on it now pay the discounted price at renewal.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Prices and terms checked against Microsoft’s UK nonprofit plans page and Microsoft for Nonprofits documentation on that date. Prices exclude VAT.

In this guide

How much does Microsoft 365 cost a UK charity?

These are Microsoft’s current UK nonprofit prices, per user per month, on an annual subscription and excluding VAT, compared with the price a business pays.

PlanNonprofit priceNormal business priceWhat it is for
Microsoft 365 Business BasicFree (grant, up to 300 users)£5.40Email, Teams, 1TB OneDrive, web and mobile Office apps
Microsoft 365 Business Standard£2.70£10.80Adds the desktop Office apps
Microsoft 365 Business Premium£4.20£16.90Adds device management, Defender and data protection
Microsoft 365 E3£8.40£33.50Enterprise plan for larger charities
Microsoft 365 E5£20.60£51.60Enterprise plan with advanced security and compliance
Nonprofit prices from Microsoft’s UK nonprofit plan pages; business prices from Microsoft’s UK business and enterprise plan pages. Checked 29 September 2026.

Microsoft advertises nonprofit discounts of up to 75% on Business Premium and Business Standard, and at current UK prices both work out at 75% below the business price. Business plans, including the discounted ones, are designed for organisations of up to 300 users. E3 and E5 have no such limit.

What changed in 2025 and 2026?

Microsoft withdrew its most generous charity offers in 2025. According to Microsoft’s nonprofit updates log:

  • The Microsoft 365 Business Premium grant and the Office 365 E1 grant were discontinued for renewals on or after 1 July 2025. Existing grant licences expire at the charity’s next renewal date and do not renew.
  • The Business Basic grant continues, free for up to 300 users.
  • Discounted plans replace the grant. Charities that had free Business Premium now move to the £4.20 discounted price, or down to the free Basic grant.

Then on 1 July 2026 Microsoft raised commercial Microsoft 365 prices. Microsoft’s pricing FAQ says nonprofit pricing is adjusted in line with commercial pricing, with the nonprofit discount set at 60 to 75%. The UK prices in the table above are the current ones.

If your charity’s licences were on the old Premium grant, check your renewal date now. When the grant licences lapse, users lose access to the Premium features and desktop apps unless you have moved them to a paid or granted plan first.

What rules come with the free grant?

The free and discounted licences come with conditions, set out on Microsoft’s UK nonprofit page:

  • Grant licences are for paid staff and unpaid executive staff who lead the organisation. Discounted licences can be used for staff and volunteers.
  • Use them or risk losing them. Microsoft expects at least 85% of assigned grant licences to be actively used, and can withhold future grants if usage falls below that.

Is your charity eligible?

Microsoft’s eligibility criteria require a nonprofit or non-governmental organisation with recognised legal status in its country, operating on a not-for-profit basis with a mission that benefits the community. Microsoft excludes:

  • Government organisations and agencies.
  • Schools, colleges, universities and other formal educational institutions (these have separate education pricing).
  • Healthcare organisations, other than specific categories in the United States.
  • Professional and trade associations, political organisations, trade unions and fraternal organisations.
  • Professional and semi-professional sports organisations, and financial institutions.

Public libraries and public museums are eligible. In the UK, the simplest evidence is registration with the Charity Commission for England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Charity Digital notes that smaller organisations recognised by HMRC as charitable can also qualify, while community interest companies and social enterprises generally do not.

How do you apply for Microsoft’s nonprofit offers?

You apply through Microsoft’s Nonprofit Hub. Microsoft’s registration guide sets out the process:

  1. Go to nonprofit.microsoft.com and choose to apply, signing in with a Microsoft account you will keep, ideally your organisation’s admin account.
  2. Enter your organisation’s legal name, charity registration number, address and a public website. Microsoft asks for a phone number that is not VoIP-only.
  3. Agree to Microsoft’s nonprofit compliance terms.
  4. Wait for validation. Microsoft’s documentation says this takes up to 3 days, while its FAQ allows up to 7 business days.
  5. Once approved, activate the Business Basic grant and buy any discounted licences from the Nonprofit Hub or through a Microsoft partner.

To avoid delays, make sure the name on your website matches the charity register exactly, double-check the registration number, and apply from an organisational account rather than a personal one.

Which plan should a charity choose?

Match the plan to the data each person handles. This is the approach we take with the community organisations we support:

  • Free Business Basic for most volunteers and light users. They get a proper organisational email address, Teams and shared files in the browser, at no cost.
  • Business Premium for anyone handling beneficiary, donor or safeguarding data. At £4.20 it adds the controls that stop that data leaking: device management, Conditional Access, Defender for Business and data loss prevention. For most charities this is the best value security spend available.
  • Business Standard only if someone needs desktop apps but no sensitive data. At £2.70 it sits between the two, but the extra £1.50 for Premium usually pays for itself in protection.

Charities are targets too. The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 28% of charities identified a breach or attack in the previous 12 months, and only 19% had a formal incident response plan.

We moved Arundel Museum onto Microsoft 365 and took over its broadband and phones after a previous provider left costly problems behind. If you would like the same for your organisation, see our IT support for charities.

What other Microsoft offers are there for nonprofits?

Microsoft publishes these offers in US dollars, and availability varies by country:

  • Azure credit: up to $2,000 a year of Azure credit, which does not roll over.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot: a 15% nonprofit discount on the Copilot add-on. Copilot Chat is included in the Microsoft 365 plans at no extra cost.
  • Volunteers on enterprise plans: for each E3 or E5 licence, Microsoft allows up to five additional F3 licences for volunteers.
  • Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform: discounted CRM and app-building licences. See Microsoft’s offers for nonprofits.

Frequently asked questions

Is Microsoft 365 free for charities in the UK?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic is free for eligible charities for up to 300 users. It includes email, Teams, 1TB of OneDrive and the web and mobile Office apps. The plans with desktop apps and advanced security are discounted rather than free.

How much is Microsoft 365 Business Premium for charities?

£4.20 per user per month in the UK, on an annual subscription and excluding VAT. Businesses pay £16.90.

Can charities still get 10 free Business Premium licences?

No. Microsoft discontinued the Business Premium grant for renewals from 1 July 2025. Existing grant licences expire at the next renewal, after which Premium is available at the discounted price.

Who is eligible for Microsoft’s nonprofit offers in the UK?

Organisations with recognised charitable status, typically registered with the Charity Commission, OSCR or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. Government bodies, schools and universities, most healthcare organisations, trade associations and political organisations are not eligible.

How long does Microsoft nonprofit verification take?

Microsoft says up to 3 days in its documentation and up to 7 business days in its FAQ. Making sure your details match the charity register exactly helps avoid delays.

Can volunteers use the free Microsoft 365 licences?

The free grant licences are for paid staff and unpaid executive leaders. Volunteers can use discounted licences, and enterprise customers can add F3 licences for volunteers.

Sources

What Is a Managed Service Provider (MSP) and How Do MSPs Work?

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: A managed service provider (MSP) is a company that takes ongoing responsibility for running some or all of your IT, for a fixed monthly fee under a written service agreement. Instead of calling someone when things break, the MSP monitors, maintains and secures your systems continuously, answers your team’s support requests, and plans ahead. Most UK MSPs charge per user per month, and the service level agreement sets out exactly what they are responsible for and how quickly they respond.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Written by the ATS Connection team from how we run our own managed service, with UK government and NCSC sources linked below.

In this guide

What is a managed service provider?

The UK government’s working definition is useful because it is precise. In its factsheet on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, a managed service is one provided under contract for the “ongoing management of information technology systems” of a customer, which can include support and maintenance, monitoring and active administration, and which involves the provider connecting to the customer’s systems, on site or remotely.

Three words in that definition separate an MSP from other IT companies: ongoing (not one-off jobs), management (responsibility, not just advice) and access (the MSP works inside your systems). For a small or medium business, the MSP is effectively the IT department.

Most MSPs cover the core of business IT: user support, devices, Microsoft 365, networks, security and backups. Many also manage phones and broadband. Some specialise, for example a managed security service provider (MSSP) that only runs cyber security.

How does an MSP work, step by step?

A managed service follows the same lifecycle with every client. This is how it works at ATS Connection, and a good MSP should be able to describe its own version just as clearly.

1. Discovery and audit

Before taking over, the MSP audits what you have: every device, user, licence, application, network component and supplier, plus how data is backed up and who has admin access. This produces the documentation your business may never have had, and a list of risks to fix first.

2. Secure handover

Admin access is transferred from the previous provider or internal person, passwords are changed and stored in a secure vault, monitoring and security agents are installed on every device, and old access is removed. This is the most sensitive stage, because for a short period two parties may hold the keys.

3. Remediation

The urgent findings from the audit get fixed: multi-factor authentication switched on, missing updates installed, unsupported devices replaced or isolated, backups tested. Our onboarding typically takes around three weeks from discovery to fully live, depending on size.

4. Business as usual

From then on, two streams of work run in parallel. The reactive stream is the helpdesk: staff raise requests by phone, email or portal, and engineers resolve them, remotely where possible. The proactive stream is the scheduled work: patching, monitoring alerts, backup checks, security reviews, licence tidy-ups and replacing hardware before it fails.

5. Review and planning

A good MSP reports back regularly on tickets, security status and risks, and meets you to plan the next year’s budget and priorities. This is what turns IT from a cost you tolerate into something that is actually managed.

What tools does an MSP use?

MSPs run on a standard set of platforms. Knowing what they are helps you ask sensible questions:

ToolWhat it doesWhy it matters to you
RMM (remote monitoring and management)Monitors every device and deploys updates and scripts remotelyProblems get spotted before users notice, and patching is provable
PSA or ticketing systemLogs every request, response time and resolutionYou can see what was asked, when, and how quickly it was fixed
Endpoint detection and response (EDR)Detects and stops malicious behaviour on devicesGoes beyond traditional antivirus against ransomware
Backup platformBacks up devices, servers and Microsoft 365Independent copies you can restore from
Password vault and documentationStores admin credentials and system records securelyYour IT knowledge is not in one person’s head
Microsoft 365 admin tools (Intune, Entra ID)Manages devices, identities and access policiesLets the MSP enforce MFA and secure lost devices

Because these tools give the MSP powerful access to every client, the MSP’s own security is critical. That is exactly why the government is now regulating MSPs, covered below.

What should an MSP’s service level agreement cover?

The service level agreement (SLA) is where the service is defined. A clear SLA covers:

  • Scope: which users, devices, systems and locations are covered, and what is excluded.
  • Response times by priority, and ideally resolution targets. Response means a human engineer starts working on it, not an automatic email.
  • Support hours and what happens out of hours.
  • Responsibilities on both sides, including who owns admin accounts and who approves changes.
  • Security obligations: patching timescales, backups, how the MSP protects its own access, and how quickly it tells you about an incident.
  • Reporting and reviews: how often you get reports and meetings.
  • Term and exit: notice period, and the documentation and handover you receive if you leave.

Our own service is unlimited during business hours with no per-ticket charges, and the response time is guaranteed in writing in every agreement. Our average response time is under 15 minutes.

How do MSPs charge?

There are three common pricing models:

  • Per user, per month. The most common model for small businesses, because it scales with headcount and covers each person’s laptop, phone and accounts.
  • Per device, per month. Used where devices outnumber people, such as shared workstations or kiosks.
  • Tiered packages. A basic support tier and higher tiers that add security, backup and compliance.

In the UK, managed IT support usually costs £30 to £90 per user per month. We publish ours: Core support from £30 per user per month and Complete IT and security from £55, with licences and hardware billed at cost. See our IT support pricing and our guide to outsourced IT support costs.

How does an MSP compare with break-fix, an MSSP or in-house IT?

OptionWhat you getStrengthsWatch out for
MSPOngoing management of your IT for a fixed feePredictable cost, proactive, team of skillsQuality varies; check the SLA and security
Break-fix providerHelp when something breaks, paid hourlyNo commitmentNo prevention, unpredictable bills
MSSPSpecialist managed security, often 24/7 monitoringDeep security expertiseDoes not fix everyday IT issues
In-house ITYour own employee or teamOn site, knows the businessCost, single point of failure, narrow skills
Co-managedAn MSP working alongside in-house ITCover and tools for your IT personNeeds a clear split of responsibilities

We compare these in more depth in in-house vs outsourced IT support and IT outsourcing models explained.

How are MSPs being regulated in the UK?

The Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill will bring medium and large MSPs under UK cyber security regulation for the first time. As of September 2026 it is still going through the House of Lords and is not yet law. The government’s reasoning is that MSPs have “widespread and trusted access” to their customers’ systems, so one compromised MSP can affect many businesses at once.

Under the Bill as published, relevant MSPs would have to register with the regulator, take proportionate measures to manage cyber risk, and report significant incidents within 24 hours with a full report within 72 hours. Small and micro MSPs are exempt, although they can still be designated as critical suppliers. Our guide to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill explains who is in scope and what it means for small businesses.

Whatever the final rules, the lesson for buyers is the same: the security of your MSP is part of your security. Ask how it protects its own access to your systems.

What questions should you ask an MSP before signing?

The NCSC’s guide to choosing a managed service provider, published in November 2025 for small businesses, covers certifications, security, contracts and incident notification. Drawing on it, ask:

  1. Are you certified to Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus? The NCSC recommends providers with recognised certifications.
  2. How do you secure your own access to our systems, including MFA, least privilege and logging?
  3. How quickly will you tell us about a security incident that affects us?
  4. Who owns our Microsoft 365 tenant, domain and admin accounts?
  5. How are our backups done, and when were restores last tested?
  6. What is the guaranteed response time, and what counts as a response?
  7. What is included in the fee, and what is billed on top?
  8. What happens to our data, documentation and access if we leave?
  9. Can we speak to a current client of a similar size?

ATS Connection has been a managed service provider since 2015, supporting more than 100 businesses from Arundel and Chichester, and is Cyber Essentials certified. Find out more about our managed IT services or, if you are considering a move, how switching IT support provider works.

Frequently asked questions

What is a managed service provider (MSP)?

A company that takes ongoing responsibility for running some or all of a business’s IT, such as support, devices, Microsoft 365, networks, security and backups, for a fixed monthly fee under a service agreement.

How does an MSP work?

An MSP audits your IT, takes over admin access securely, fixes urgent risks, then runs a helpdesk for your staff alongside scheduled proactive work such as monitoring, patching and backup checks, with regular reporting and planning reviews.

What does MSP stand for in IT?

Managed service provider. In IT it means a company that manages a business’s technology on an ongoing basis, rather than fixing things only when they break.

How much does an MSP cost?

In the UK, managed IT support typically costs £30 to £90 per user per month, depending on how much security and compliance work is included. Licences and hardware are usually extra.

What is the difference between an MSP and an MSSP?

An MSP manages your IT generally, including everyday support. An MSSP, or managed security service provider, specialises in cyber security, such as round-the-clock threat monitoring, and does not usually fix everyday IT problems.

Will MSPs be regulated in the UK?

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill proposes bringing medium and large MSPs into regulation, with registration, risk management and incident reporting duties. As of September 2026 the Bill is still in Parliament and not yet law.

Sources

Top 4 Threats To Network Security

Posted on by Jake Boase

Whether your business is transitioning back to an office atmosphere or your workforce will continue to work remotely, you are more vulnerable to network security attacks than ever before. Threat actors (those who represent a security risk to your network) are after the data on your network and are working hard to obtain it. Here are the top four network security concerns to assist you comprehend the issue.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a serious threat to your business, especially because it is so difficult to detect. 

Gone are the days when you had a virus and it just showed up and said hello. Ransomware infiltrates your system, embeds itself in everything, and then attacks! 

It can take weeks or even months for a breach to be discovered. The time it takes to identify something is increasing. 

In 2016, Fireye reported a global average of 146 days. According to IBM calculations, it is already 228 days, according to a Varonis report from 2021. 

A data breach’s cost is calculated in terms of time, money, and reputational damage. You must have the assurance that you are safe.

Social engineering

Why should threat actors put forth the effort to get past your endpoint and network protection when they can use your employees to do so? This fundamental concept is what makes social engineering such a danger to network security. 

“Psychological manipulation to fool users into making security blunders or giving out sensitive information,” according to the best definition we’ve seen. 

Phishing assaults (emails posing as a senior member of staff in order to obtain information or money) are the most popular tool in the social engineering toolkit. 

Another example is hacked websites. Cyber hackers are always trying to break into trusted websites in order to steal information or gain access to your network.

In the real world, a developing method of attack is being used. Malware-infected USB sticks are put outside of targets in the hopes that they would be picked up. 

People are intrigued when they are referred to as “staff bonuses” or “salary raises.” When they plug them into their laptops, the malware is released, and the problems begin. 

This is a staff education challenge for you, and our blog has a number of items that can help.

Crypto-mining

You can obtain crypto-currencies in one of two ways: by purchasing them or by mining for them. Crypto-mining necessitates a significant amount of computer power. 

Breaching your network and using your devices’ computing power is a growing issue. 

According to Cisco statistics, 69 percent of businesses have faced some kind of harm as a result of this. As the value of crypto-currencies rises, so does the degree of activity. 

Bitcoin was trading at £45,000 per coin at the time of writing, a new high.

Although this threat appears to be minor at first, it frequently serves as a stepping stone to more serious cybercrime. They can do a lot more than just use your processing power once they’re in. 

You may have been hacked by a cyberminer if your AWS computing charges have increased or your bandwidth is always blocked.

DDoS attacks

Although Systems IT does not provide website hosting, this is an increasing issue, which is why we’re talking about it now. 

DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks grew by 55% in the 15 months leading up to March 2021, with NSFOCUS reporting that they had detected over 152,000 attacks by December 2020. 

The majority of DDoS attacks appear to be motivated by people disagreeing with your policies/beliefs or by you offending someone – whether intentionally or unintentionally. In the first half of 2021, the biotech and pharmaceutical industries were the most targeted. 

A network security breach has three costs, as previously stated:

  1. Time: a significant amount of time is lost, both in attempting to repair the damage and simply in downtime as your staff is unable to function. 
  2. Money: Whether you pay a ransom to get your data back or merely calculate the cost of lost revenue, it can soon add up. 
  3. Reputation: there are three considerations to consider here:
    1. Do you wish to inform your clients that your company has been hacked? What will they think of you, and will they decide to work with you again? 
    2. If your Personally Identifiable Information (PII) data has been accessed, you must notify everyone who may be affected, according to ICO regulations. The combination of a reputational risk and an increase in “ambulance-chasing” legal action can be devastating to your company. 
    3. What will your colleagues think of you if you refuse to increase the security around your network? Of course, enhancing security has a cost, but isn’t it far less than the costs we’ve discussed?

Survival

In the end, it could be the difference between your company growing and surviving. 

Within six months, 50% of organisations that have had a data breach have shut down. 

Even if they do survive, the impact of all of the above on the bottom line will be felt for a long time. 

These risks frequently go undiscovered for weeks or months, as stated earlier in the essay. 

Over time, the amount of damage is steadily increasing. 

The sooner you identify a breach and begin responding, the less damage is done.

The purpose of this article was to inform you about the threats that your network and business face. 

The next one will focus on how you can defend yourself. Simply subscribe here if you don’t want to miss that article. 

If none of the expenses listed above appeal to you, let’s discuss how ATS can assist you in protecting your network. Call us on 01903 255 159 or send us an email. With cyber crime kill chains on the rise, it has never been more important to ensure you are protected than now. Check out out cyber security services here

Get in touch

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We reply within one working day with honest next steps.

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FTTP coming to Arundel

Posted on by Jake Boase

In May 2021, Openreach announced that it would speed up the supply of full fibre to an additional five million UK homes. The goal is to connect 25 million homes by 2026.

This is yet another sign that, in the coming decade, complete fibre will supplant copper as the de facto connecting technology.

However, FTTP will be available to Arundel residents and companies this year, far sooner than projected.

In fact, you may have noticed Openreach engineers working in Arundel in recent weeks getting everything ready to go.

For ATS Connection customers, this is fantastic news. We’ve always been on the cutting edge when it comes to the connection technology we provide, and as the only independent broadband supplier in Arundel, we can’t wait to get you connected to FTTP.

Want to keep up to date with FTTP? Drop us a message and we will keep you updated for when you can receive FTTP
Contact

So what exactly is FTTP?

FTTP (fibre to the premises) is a full fibre connection that uses a fibre optic cable to transfer broadband signals from the home to the local exchange.

Full fibre is substantially faster than ADSL (all copper) or Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC – which still uses a copper connection from the street cabinet to the home), and it will eventually replace telephone wires for transmitting voice conversations over the internet.

Full fibre, also known as FTTP (fibre to the premises), is being carried out across the country to give super-fast internet, and Openreach has announced that FTTP will be coming to Arundel.

FTTP will set the groundwork for us to be more productive at home, connect all of our smart home devices, get the most out of streaming services like Netflix, improve our gaming experience, or just connect even the largest of homes smoothly and consistently.

The speed and dependability of the connection have been a key issue in Arundel for broadband, but with FTTP, the game has changed.

Finally, it provides significantly faster and more stable connectivity.

Faster broadband

ADSL, FTTC, and FTTP are the three types of broadband available. Standard copper wires are used for two of the connections. One provides a much more current connection that extends all the way to your home.

ADSL

(sometimes called ‘fast’ or ‘copper’ broadband) follows the same path as your phone line.

Copper runs from the local exchange to the closest street cabinet, as well as from the cabinet to your residence. As a result, your data is transported to and from the exchange using copper wire. And there are certain disadvantages to this.

To begin with, data transmissions across copper cable deteriorate quickly, which means you lose a lot of speed in the physical world. That’s why ADSL broadband’s normal download speed is around 10Mbps (that’s megabits per second; in case you’re wondering, there are eight megabits in a megabyte, so don’t get the two confused).

FTTC

The exchange connects to your local street cabinet through fibre optic cable. That fibre optic cable is far more dependable and resistant to signal loss than copper (which means it won’t slow down your connection nearly as much).

The final leg of a FTTC connection, from the cabinet to your home, still uses copper lines, making the ‘last mile,’ as it’s known, prone to the same problems as an ADSL connection.

Despite the fact that much less copper line is used overall, you may expect significantly faster download speeds of up to 66Mbps on average. While this is enough for many households, it pales in comparison to a full fibre connection.

FTTP

FTTP (also known as “fibre to the premises,” “ultrafast,” or “full fibre broadband”) accomplishes exactly what it claims. It completely replaces copper wiring with a fibre optic connection that runs the length of your house.

You now have the quickest, most trustworthy technology throughout the ‘last mile,’ resulting in dramatically decreased signal loss and average download rates of up to 1Gbps!

Another advantage of full fibre is that it eliminates the requirement for a traditional phone line. You won’t have to pay for a line if you don’t need a house phone because that copper connection is entirely unnecessary.

It’s all about modern networking in this case. A full fibre connection uses a fibre optic cable to carry broadband signals from the home to the nearest exchange.

Full fibre is substantially faster than Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC), which still uses a copper connection from the street cabinet to the home, or ADSL (all copper), and will eventually replace telephone wires for delivering voice conversations over the internet.

Currently FTTP is not available in every location/property and this is where SoGEA comes into play. Learn more about SoGEA here.

Summary

As full fibre reaches more homes and businesses in Arundel this year, ATS Connection customers will have access to faster and more dependable broadband.

We are excited to bring this connection to those who live and work in Arundel and the surrounding areas as the sole independent broadband supplier in the area.

We’ve promised to employ FTTP to connect a huge number of homes in hard-to-reach and rural locations once it’s deployed.

Did you know

ISDN will be terminated in 2025, which means that connections that rely on a phone plug will be obsolete. So make sure you’re prepared and get in touch with us today to learn how we can boost your broadband speed and reliability.

Get in touch

Speak to a real engineer, not a call queue

Tell us what is going on and we will come back with straight answers. No obligation and no hard sell.

1

Tell us what you need. It takes a minute.

2

A named engineer reviews it, not a call queue.

3

We reply within one working day with honest next steps.

Prefer to talk?
01903 255 159
Or email
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Cyber Essentials certified · Microsoft Partner · rated 5.0 on Google

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How can VoIP help grow your hotel?

Posted on by Jake Boase

Although VoIP systems have been rising in popularity for decades, many company and hotel owners have yet to adopt this new technology. Regrettably, the longer hoteliers wait, the further behind they will fall.

Consumers are accustomed to fast-paced technology; they do everything online or on their smartphones, and they demand the same level of service and innovation from the businesses they visit, including hotels. You can accelerate your business and attract new guests better than ever before if you can fulfil your clients’ growing needs. Here’s how VoIP can assist you.

Lower costs

Because VoIP phone systems share the same internet infrastructure as your regular internet service, you won’t have to pay two separate utility bills. Furthermore, because VoIP phones do not require the same hardware as traditional telephone lines, you can add or remove lines you aren’t using on the fly using your VoIP provider’s software interface. You don’t even need a physical handset; instead, you can create a new phone number and have it ring your manager’s mobile, so the additional cost is none.

VoIP also provides flexibility, which can help you save money. Long-distance calls are substantially cheaper than analogue calls to other countries since they are routed through the internet rather than the PSTN (which is slowly being switched off), which is a critical feature for many hotels with international guests. Paper faxing can be almost eliminated because VoIP systems can be effortlessly connected with your computer system.

receptionist on VoIP phone

Improved mobility

Face-to-face interaction with visitors is one of the most crucial components of hotel management, but your staff can’t provide the finest service if they’re chained to a desk. With a VoIP system, you may install software on a smartphone or tablet that connects to a Bluetooth headset, allowing your employees to wander freely and speak with customers without ever leaving their phones.

Even better, a phone call does not have to interrupt a conversation with a guest. With seamless forwarding, the employee who answers the phone may simply transfer the call to a less-busy employee, ensuring that your guests receive the attention they deserve.

Managers will benefit from the enhanced mobility as well. You may respond to issues that require your personal attention while keeping an eye on the hotel’s inner workings without missing a call because you can wander around freely. Best of all, no one needs to remember the manager’s mobile number; simply create a “manager” number in your VoIP system and arrange it to automatically forward based on who is working at the moment.

Advanced features

Because hotels generally operate on thin profit margins, anything you can do to increase efficiency is helpful. The advanced features of a VoIP phone system might be extremely beneficial in this regard.

Not only can you connect your phones to your computer system, enabling features like online check-in, automated wake-up calls, and personalised voicemail in each room. The more features like this you can add, the better your visitor experience will be and the more you’ll be able to expand.

receptionist on VoIP phone

“Using a VoIP phone system has been one of the best decisions I have made for my hotel”

Better productivity

Many tasks in a hotel’s day-to-day operations are repetitive and tedious to your employees, such as organising wake-up calls, printing room keys, and answering basic enquiries regarding restaurant hours. Many of these processes may be performed considerably more efficiently with a modern VoIP system and digital PBX.

This will allow your team to focus on the far more valuable work of providing good guest experiences. The cornerstone of any hotel stay is in-person engagement, but your workers won’t have time to talk to guests if they’re also working at a desk. Your staff will be more productive and satisfied with their work if they can wander around the hotel helping visitors in person, and your hotel will profit.

The benefits of VoIP

Posted on by Jake Boase

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and is nearly identical in operation to a traditional PBX, but rather than using onsite hardware, calls are routed via the internet. It’s ideal for supporting your remote or hybrid workforce, where staff can take calls as if they were sat at their desk in the office. All without costly call forwarding to mobile phones.

Technology has come a long way in the last few years but the needs of businesses have come a long way too. Needing to stay connected to colleagues and consumers at all times wherever you may be in the world, the ability to offer a respectful customer service and to build your businesses up are all ways in which the demands of a business has increased.

How does VoIP work?

To put it simply, instead of having phone lines and wires VoIP replaces them with an internet connection. Converting your voice into data when you speak and converting back to voice on the receiving end, crystal clear with no delay.

Okay, so we know how it works, but how well does it work? VoIP has a 99% uptime and if the small chance of some downtime, your mobile phone app will still allow you to make and receive calls. To top this off, VoIP problems can be fixed remotely within a matter of minutes meaning no expensive call out charges for an engineer to attend the site, getting you back running as usual in no time.

Ultimately the choice between VoIP or onsite will come down to your business needs, but in almost every case, hosted VoIP will be a good fit. Here’s why:

Lower cost per call

VoIP is best known for how cheap it is to make a call. Those low costs are due to the fact that VoIP uses your existing internet connection. This goes for international calls as well as domestic. The only new charge you have to think about is the monthly price of the hosted VoIP service you use, your team members are free to make as many calls as they want to, to each other. Compare this to traditional landlines that require hardware like wires, installation and expensive phone bills!

Yealink T54W

Work from anywhere

With hybrid working expected to become the new normal for working practices once ‘stay at home’ advice is relaxed, businesses need staff to be able to communicate wherever they are located.

A phone solution like VoIP will likely come with an app that allows you to make calls on your mobile phone, laptop, and even tablet. This means you can work from anywhere with an internet connection. That way, even if you cannot see colleagues and clients in person, your team can operate at full capacity and productivity levels, even if you’re not physically together. And in many cases team members will be able to keep a single number, regardless of travel or moving from one workspace to another, easy!

Scale it up as you grow

The number of people in your business can go up or down, but scaling up or down accordingly isn’t that easy with a regular telephone system. You have to purchase a handset or a dedicated physical line, which gets expensive. This often results in the need to use clumsy workarounds, like sharing phone sets between users.

With VoIP, scalability is not only easily available, but is also good for keeping your costs low. All you have to do is ask your service provider to add more lines when your team is increasing or remove a line when someone moves on. At any given point of time, you’ll only be paying for what you are currently using.

In other words, VoIP systems can grow comfortably alongside your business, no matter what your size.

Man using a VoIP phone

“VoIP has transformed the way we can stay connected with out clients, anywhere at anytime.”

Packed with features

Calling is more fun with VoIP phone systems, because these phone systems are often accompanied by a variety of attractive features. Call waiting, call transferring, voice recognition, call forwarding, voicemail, caller ID, call blocking, automatic call distribution, etc. are just some of the many features that you may get to choose from, in your hosted VoIP service.

VoIP systems are feature-rich solutions that enable employees to operate as if they were in the office, even when they’re not. You can send voicemails to instant messaging or emails if the intended recipient isn’t available at the moment. It’s easy for organisations to centralise VoIP communication for better coordination. Other features include mobile integration, auto attendant, advanced call routing, conferencing, and call recording.

Integration with other softwares

Given the fact that VoIP is a technology based on the Internet, its integration with your normal business apps and software can be easily achieved.

You could combine VoIP with your email system, and be able to place calls through the email system itself or even with your CRM system, that way you can merge call records of a customer into the customer’s profile.

VoIP also works well with Microsoft Teams so that users can make and receive regular telephone calls either with their Teams app or with physical telephones.

You can schedule online meetings, chat to your co-workers and communicate easily between staff and customers. There are options to create a private or group chat whilst sharing files.

Increase productivity

The way VoIP works, the features it contains and the user friendliness of them allows for staff to become much more productive. Providing staff the ability to host virtual meetings, conduct international phone conferences at a small cost, attach important documents, share significant data through video conferencing and communicating with colleagues on a private chat software.

In recent years VoIP has really taken off quite significantly, especially in terms of voice clarity to the point that it can be clearer than your traditional phone line conversations. When VoIP first came to the market it was in need of some improvement: distorted calls, dropped calls and lagging transmissions to name a few. This is no longer the case and VoIP has now become one of the most popular ways of communication for businesses of all shapes and sizes.

Reliable and ready for ISDN switch off

In 2025, the UK’s ISDN network will be turned off. This means traditional telephone lines are being switched off, and more businesses will need to move to VoIP, so now is the time to set up your business with a digital phone line.

For a more in-depth overview about the 2025 switch off, what it means for your business, and whether to make the switch earlier with a possible cost saving, read our ISDN switch off page.

To find out more about how VoIP can transform your business, speak to one of our experts, contact us here.