Case studies

Based in North Wales, Groundsolve Ltd specialises in geological and environmental engineering. Employees travel to sites around the UK and abroad, checking suitability for building and maintenance and consulting on development. Workers spend time out of the office and need to stay in touch with clients, contractors and each other, to share expertise and tackle queries immediately.

T-Mobile smartphones allow staff to take photos and videos of locations and send these to the head office. Meanwhile, internet access allows engineers to research site locations and get details of contractors to contact on the move. With working hours determined by client schedules, smartphones allow customers to reach staff at any time.

'Remaining contactable at all times is really important for us,' says founder Mike Scott. 'We work in remote locations and T-Mobile is the only network that provides us with the coverage we need. We have 500 minutes to share between the team each month, including text and internet use. This leaves us with a predictable, monthly bill that can easily be worked into outgoing costs.'

North London performing arts company Splats Entertainment organises circus, play and magic days for schools and adults around the country. Originally a two-man company, it has grown to be fifteen-strong, which means the founders are always on the move and barely see each other face-to-face.

Most communication between the founders and with freelancers happens by phone, so they use their BlackBerry® smartphones to set up and rearrange events in minutes.

'We have a tailored T-Mobile plan with reliable access to email and the internet, so searching for a venue when we're lost or confirming last minute details over email is not a problem for us,' explains co-founder Mike Redwood. 'People expect a rapid response when they make their enquiries. If we can answer them straight away we usually make the sale. This gives us a real edge over the competition.'