The Group provides a comprehensive suite of products to its customers in four main product areas comprising network services, data solutions (broadband, leased lines, bonded digital subscriber line (“DSL”), data hosting), system services (maintenance, engineering, equipment), and mobile solutions. It also operates two further channels to market through mobile distribution and wholesale. The goal is to provide the entire portfolio of services from a single platform with a single customer bill. During the review period the Group has made very solid progress towards achieving this goal. In particular, all network services business, with the exception of the former Vialtus activity (where there is a high concentration of data provision), is now conducted on the Daisy CRM and billing platform. The system services trade has been consolidated into a single trading division, allowing the rationalisation of the engineering cost base and providing an integrated service delivery capability.The mobile solutions business is also now operating from a single division, with a longer term aim to also migrate those services to the Daisy CRM and billing platform. The migration of acquired businesses to a common platform has enabled the Group to close operations at Halifax and London, concentrating activity on its core centres at Nelson, Heathrow and Harlow. To facilitate this migration our main corporate centre at Nelson, Lancashire, has recently been extended into a new headquarters building providing accommodation for up to an additional 300employees.During the period, the board decided that, as a consequence of the radical reshaping of the Group, the wireless broadband business should no longer form part of the Group’s ongoing strategy.
