MARKETWATCH
www.comms-dealer.com
EXIT MATTERS...
BROADBAND
update:
By Nigel Cook, CEO of Evolution Capital
Griffin, along with other ISPs,
is now moving from BT’s 20th
Sport and business share an important
characteristic. Just when you think that
Century Network (20CN) to
performance has peaked and things
the new 21st Century Network
are as good as they’ll ever be, someone
comes along and raises the bar. In
(21CN). Andrew Dickinson,
Formula 1, Juan Fangio set a standard
Sales and Marketing Director,
that seemed impossible to emulate, but
when Michael Schumacher later won 91
looks at the direct impact of
races the whole sport was redefined.
this on resellers in the channel.

I think we’re seeing one of these turning
points with Matthew Riley’s flotation of Daisy
on AIM following its reverse takeover of
Freedom4. The mechanics of the deal and B
T’s current 20CN broadband network
uses technology that has been around
for decades and it is becoming dated
the eye-watering figures that go with it have when compared to the technology seen
been covered in detail by both national throughout the rest of Europe. Those ISPs
and industry media. But a question that that work directly with BT Wholesale (BTW)
has had less attention would ask what kind have had the opportunity to shape this new
of personal qualities are needed to scale service, and the more progressive have been
the heights that Matthew has conquered involved in early trials of the entire range of
in only eight years from a standing start 21CN products of which IPstream Connect
– with over 20 acquisitions en route. I’ve met is the first. This is a major change in the way
Matthew over the years and he has all the that ISPs connect with BTW’s core broadband
qualities that tick the conventional boxes. network and not to be approached lightly.
Vision is one. I tend to think of it as creative
imagination – the realisation that if you can Griffin was involved in alpha, beta and low
imagine an ideal result, it’s possible to devise volume trials of IPstream Connect, and all
a road map to direct you to achieving it. of the little process niggles and technical
creases have now been ironed out. We are
For business success on the grand scale ready to start migrating end users and expect
you also need to be physically fit. You to be in a position to completely retire our
Andrew Dickinson
don’t have to be able to bend steel 20CN network by the end of October 2009. other NGN operators for some time) and
bars with your bare hands but, like The migration process should be transparent over time coverage will extend to nearly
Matthew, you need the stamina to keep to the end users of the broadband, their all of BT’s 5000-plus exchanges. BT’s 21CN is
in focus for a run of 18 hour days. login details and IP addresses will be particularly suited to business users with features
duplicated on the new network so that like contention control and QoS (Quality of
He has, importantly, mastered one other when their broadband session drops they will Service). It also promises a much stronger SLA.
vital element... associating with the very automatically connect to the new network.
best practitioners of the entrepreneurial During an overnight maintenance window we By moving away from traditional BT central
art. When he won the Bank of Scotland’s will force a session drop and within minutes pipes suppliers have the ability to better
Entrepreneur Challenge in 2007 the thousands of end users will be accessing our manage unexpected bursts or increases in
prize included mentoring from Sir Philip broadband network via high speed Ethernet. traffic (like major sport or news events), which
Green, which proved invaluable. means they can flex the bandwidth to ensure
Recently he has developed a business This new platform has several benefits over there is less impact on more time sensitive
relationship with Peter Dubens, of Pipex the existing 20CN approach, including greater applications such as VoIP. There will finally be
fame, and Daisy Executive Chairman. flexibility in relation to bandwidth management an end to the overnight rebalancing to ensure
and improved line stability. Once ISPs have an equal number of connections across central
When young I was told that you are known upgraded to IPstream Connect they will be pipes because the links to BT are not split up into
by the company you keep. In my role as an able to offer their resellers (and their customers) smaller virtual paths that have to be managed.
advisor, it’s something I never forget. Neither, 21CN broadband tails too. This means that All this allows more flexibility and scalability,
quite clearly, does Matthew. some end users will enjoy downstream speeds which will lead to significant cost savings in the
n
of up to 24Mbit/s (something offered by longer term.
n
30 COMMS DEALER SEPTEMBER 2009 www.comms-dealer.com
30 PG Griffin.indd 1 27/8/09 3:41:09 pm
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56