04
magazine
businessinfomag.uk
Productivity gains from 4G technology
boosted the UK economy by almost £9 billion
in 2015, EE claims in a new report produced in
conjunction with the Centre for Economic &
Business Research (CEBR) and YouGov.
Already, 75% of EE’s half a million business
and public sector accounts are on 4G, with two
thirds of 4G users saying that it has boosted their
productivity by 10% or more. Nearly half say that
4G is critical to their competitiveness.
To help customers make the most of 4G,
EE has launched a range of solutions for the
healthcare, housing and emergency services
sectors. These include:
n
Connected Health
, which EE claims could
improve communications with patients and
help reduce missed appointments by 65%. New
initiatives include mobile Interactive Messaging
services and trials of Patient GP and Clinical
Observation applications to improve patient care.
n
Connected Vehicle
, which integrates an
industrial 4G router and high gain antenna
into cars and vans, turning them into wireless
hotspots. Staffordshire Police Force says the roll-
out of 4G connected mobile devices that enable
police officers to access critical systems remotely
will save front line staff 250,000 hours on admin
every year.
n
4G Rapid Site
, which connects construction
sites to 4G in three days rather than the month
or more that it takes for a fixed broadband
connection;
n
4GEE Capture Cam
, a wearable 4G camera
that lets businesses stream high definition video.
Early adopters include the Swinley Bike Hub
Mountain Biking Centre, which is using it to add
real-time video to training sessions, and estate
agent eMoov, which is using it to stream property
viewings to potential buyers;
n
4G PublicWiFi in a Box
, a risk-free way to
provideWiFi to customers and visitors; and
n
EE Connect
, the UK’s first 4G-capable Internet
of Things platform that enables customers, like
Royal Mail, to manage and report on millions of
connected devices.
4G from EE is available to 93% of the UK
population. Double speed 4G is available to 75%
of the population.
Give your people what
they want
As more businesses take steps to
improve staff well-being, Leesman
warns that their efforts will be
wasted if they don’t address the
fundamental cause of angst at work,
viz. a poor working environment.
In the latest quarterly
Leesman Index,
based on the responses of 110,000 office
workers, 46% complain that their office
environment does not allow them to
work productively. Only 27% are happy
with temperature control, under 30%
with noise levels and 33% with air quality.
The survey also highlights the need
for more varied workspaces, with just
over half of office workers satisfied that
their workplace supports reading (58%)
and thinking (51%).
Under half (49.5%) are happy with
workplace tea, coffee and refreshment
facilities.
agenda
4G boost to UK productivity
Lightening the load
Los Angeles has become the first city in the world to install multi-purpose
Philips SmartPoles. The result of a collaboration between Philips and Ericsson,
the street lamps provide energy-efficient LED lighting and improved wireless
broadband coverage in dense urban areas. Small cell technology built into
the poles enables mobile network operators to increase data capacity in their
network and gives the City of Los Angeles additional revenue from rental
income. The City is deploying 100 LED light poles to help meet its sustainability
goals and improve mobile network performance without creating additional
urban clutter. The Ericsson Mobility Report predicts that cellular data traffic will
grow by a factor of nine by 2020.
Add2 acoustic panels from KI are an
easy way to address office noise levels.
Designed for the ends of steel storage
units, the magnetic panels contain
a minimum of 65% post-consumer
recycled material and are 100%
recyclable. They come in 12 colours and
any size.
Creative professionals should be allowed to nap during the working
day to improve their mental resilience and capacity for problem
solving, say leading neuroscientists.
Speaking at the the NeuroLeadership Institute’s annual summit,
Drs Jacqui Grey and Jessica Payne warned that lack of sleep damaged
creativity and impaired problem solving.With one in four people struggling
to concentrate at work due to tiredness, they advised business leaders and
HR professionals to make space for rest and reflection in the workplace.
Dr Jacqui Grey, managing director of the NeuroLeadership Institute
Europe, said: “The Mad Men stereotype of boozy lunches and afternoon
naps may not apply to most creative people today, but there is some
method in the madness that businesses can take on board. Sleep
deprivation kills creativity, it sinks start-ups every day and is a problem at
most large creative organisations that ask us for help.”
She added: “Creativity needs a rested mind if it is to flourish. Taking
a 20-minute nap or simply going offline for a short period of time each
day provides the brain with vital breathing space and time to reinterpret
problems.”
Let creatives act more like Mad Men
