Connectivity has never been higher on the agenda for Scotland – and it’s not a stretch to say that the effectiveness of our digital strategy could actually make or break the country’s future economic fortunes.
Holyrood continues to insist that next generation broadband will be available to all by 2020 with over £240million committed to it, but clearly much is still to be done in order to hit that target.
In the meantime, our businesses – both big and small – continue to suffer from an inability to offer a strong online presence with all the extra revenue that entails.
Essentially, improvements to our infrastructure are absolutely vital if Scotland is to be at the forefront of the digital age.
Of course, most in the Central Belt enjoy good broadband speeds – it’s the more remote areas of the country that are presenting a challenge.
Only last week, there was huge concern up north as residents faced being cut off altogether if proposed Royal Bank of Scotland closures were to go ahead.
For most in the Central Belt, the announcement of 62 branch closures would have been greeted with a degree of sadness, tempered by the knowledge that they could still easily log on to their account and continue to do their banking online or on mobile.
However, in the likes of Mallaig, Aviemore, Nairn and Banff where RBS is expected to close branches, there is a much bigger problem.
Many of these locations are in areas far below the UK average download speed of 37.8 megabits per second.
It’s not unreasonable to suggest that the areas that are being left behind in Scotland’s roll-out of broadband will face the prospect of being cut off altogether if local services close as well.
Even with a decent broadband connection, you’re also assuming that elderly bank users are able to successfully navigate digital banking, and that’s clearly not always going to be the case.
However, next generation broadband would certainly go some way to alleviating the problems – and the wider benefits are clear. Better connectivity can be harnessed to grow existing businesses, create new ones, attract investment, and heighten Scotland’s credentials as a world-beating place to live and work.
Last week, the Scottish government was accused of being three years behind on its broadband roll-out. While that may or may not be true, it underlines the severity of the situation and the big questions that are being asked in the corridors of power.
Rightly so – superfast broadband is now one of the first things that home buyers enquire about, and business is no different when scouting potential office locations. Fundamentally, it’s a case of no superfast broadband, no deal, particularly when so many are looking to improve the customer contact experience.
With that in mind, I was pleased to see that telecoms expert Exchange Communications has been named the first re-seller in Scotland for the delivery of a cloud solution from BT Wholesale and Avaya that will enable businesses to significantly improve that contact experience.
Kirkintilloch-based Exchange – one of the most successful independent telecommunications companies in the UK – is supporting the provision of the versatile new ACS Select product, aimed at mid-market customers seeking a unified communications approach that will facilitate their growth.
Exchange’s Managing Director Tom Sime believes the robust service can transform the customer experience for businesses – and that’s so important at a time when the likes of RBS are increasingly moving away from a physical footprint.
If you’re going to close local branches, then you’d better make sure that your customer contact experience is second-to-none and easily accessible to all.
Only when superfast broadband is available in every corner of the country and our businesses are fully connecting with their customers’ needs can Scotland be said to be truly closing the digital divide.
Toys ‘R’ Us stores with their shelves upon shelves of must-have children’s items have always been a dreamland for little ones – not to mention a worry for cash-strapped parents – but this Christmas could be the last for many of them.
With just weeks until the big day, the US retailer has revealed plans to close a third of UK stores, with up to 800 jobs threatened.
All will remain open throughout the festive period, but from spring 2018, at least 26 stores – including four Scottish ones in Aberdeen, East Kilbride, Kirkcaldy, and Livingston – will close permanently.
The struggling retailer has found that its large warehouse-style locations across the UK are not performing as well as the smaller, interactive stores that it has launched, forcing a strategic re-think.
It saddens me that a household retail name like Toys ‘R’ Us is struggling. However, it’s not the only toy specialist to face tough conditions this year.
One industry expert claimed that November sales were down 10 per cent in the run-up to Christmas. It is undoubtedly a challenging market, and similar companies will likely have to face major changes in order to remain in operation.
When Toys ‘R’ Us launched in the UK back in the 1980s, it had few rivals of a similar scale, but there’s always a bigger fish swimming just around the corner, and so it proved. We now of course have Amazon and a host of big name supermarkets that can cut prices in a way that few others can.
Long gone are the days of independent toy shops in your town centre, and if the big toy warehouse is struggling, how can there possibly be a way back for small, family-run stores?
Online shopping is everything we could have dreamed of – it’s convenient, time-saving, offers far greater choice, and tends to be cheaper if you’re prepared to shop around, but gone is the spectacle for children entering a true toy heaven. The web can never recreate that wonderful experience.
Nevertheless, if those traditional days are being eroded at pace, then it’s far worse for the Toys ‘R’ Us staff who will be unemployed come the spring. Spare a thought for them and their families.
It Made Me Laugh
As Christmas party season begins, everyone is well and truly in the festive spirit.
But for the folks at Cambridge News, it seems like they may have enjoyed their big night out a bit early, resulting in a horrifying blunder.
Someone at the newspaper seemed to have mislaid the front page on last Wednesday’s edition of the paper – yet it still made it into print.
The front page was simply a series of instructions to those putting the paper together, with not a hint of news in sight.
I think it’s hilarious, and it will likely become a staple of journalism courses over the next few years.
It’s a shudder-inducing warning to anyone in the media who’s ever feared that they might one day become their own story.
It Made Me Weep
I remember my Saturday job well – it was my first taste of work, and my first step to independence.
Pocketing that very first pay packet is the ultimate prize. It’s also traditional that you splurge it on pretty much whatever takes your fancy, presuming your parents don’t mind of course.
For most, it’s a rite of passage, but for the young people of today, that seems to no longer be the case.
Figures obtained by the BBC suggest that child employment has decreased since 2012, with less and less 13 to 15-year-olds opting for part-time work.
Apparently they’re too stressed with exams and the pressure of securing a full-time job, which is a real shame as there is a lot to be learnt from that first foray into the world of employment.
