Who is broadband for?

The one-man band - quick cost savings and increased efficiency

Freelance journalist Lizzie O'Prey made the switch to broadband over a year ago. With the ability to send and receive large files containing high-definition photos of interiors, Lizzie's turnaround time fell from three or four days to a single day. With less paperwork, a digital archive of her work and simple security and back-up solutions, Lizzie no longer needs dedicated IT support. With the ability to download and then resend multi-megabyte files as part of a fixed fee broadband connection, Lizzie no longer needs to rent office space with a network, as her study has become the centre of her international business - all for £29.99 per month.

The consultants - the small company with a global presence

Tri-Dynamics (www.tridynamics.com) is a consultancy company with over a dozen associates across the globe. The company specializes in international project management especially introducing companies to new markets. With a broadband connection they can share knowledge effectively, video-conference to save telephone costs and reduce the need for travelling by using broadband to dial into an office network containing several mission-critical applications. The end result is efficient information sharing, limited travel costs and 24/7 availability -- when their European consultants are outside business hours, their Asian consultants are online.

The agency - where the client is managed remotely

Object 1 (www.object1.com) is a London-based information system providing web content and application services to a variety of customers including Government agencies and media companies. Object 1's clients need only a broadband connection to access the company's intranet and support applications so they get 24/7 help and immediate support, they are able to register queries and receive assistance as well as monitor their service with minimal investment in their own software. This gives tremendous cost savings, cuts down Object 1's support costs and allows them to support clients all over Europe from their small London offices.