Better connectivity is essential for the future
AS Milton Keynes celebrates, CityFibre is looking to the next half- century and what the UK’s fastest growing city will achieve. The government is predicting that Milton Keynes could become the next Silicon Valley and with 46% of our businesses operating in the information and technology sector, it is clear we are in the middle of a digital revolution. The rise of new technologies and cloud services are radically transforming the way we live and work. Milton Keynes Council, businesses and public sector organisations are increasingly aware of the importance of digital infrastructure and the quality of our digital connectivity will either be a barrier to growth and innovation or a catalyst for economic and social development. Milton Keynes is one of the most
recognised leaders in developing and promoting smart city technology with initiatives such as MK:Smart, developing innovative solutions to support economic growth in Milton Keynes, and the development of a MK Data Hub to collect and manage city-wide data in
partnership with the Open University. However, Milton Keynes still suffers from internet speeds well below the government’s defined measure of superfast broadband and with 76% of businesses stating that broadband is critical to their economic success (Atkins Survey, 2011), better connectivity is very much in demand.
Local service provider dbfb, in
partnership with CityFibre, has invested millions of pounds in a 160km network of fibre cables spanning the entire city. CityFibre is the UK’s largest alternative provider of wholesale fibre network infrastructure and the builder of Gigabit Cities. Ultra-fast broadband packages are now available to more than businesses, schools and colleges throughout the city through CityFibre partner’s dbfb offering speeds up to 100 times faster than the UK’s average. Register your interest at our website
www.cityfibre.com/mk.
www.cityfibre.com/mk
New office confirms our long-term commitment
KEVIN GALE Partner, Grant Thornton Milton Keynes
ALMOST 40 years ago, a small team of ten from Grant Thornton’s Northampton office moved to Milton Keynes to set up a new operation in Lloyds Court, the first national chartered accountancy firm in the city. At the time, this was seen as a huge vote of confidence in Milton Keynes as there was some scepticism about its growth potential.
In the early days, the focus was on incentivising international businesses to invest and set up headquarters in Milton Keynes. Grant Thornton offered three key services: audit, accounting and tax, providing expert advice to foreign firms on running a business in the UK, covering everything from understanding the law to setting up suitable banking arrangements. Milton Keynes benefited from a strong communications network
with the M1 and Milton Keynes Central railway station which opened in 1982. As a result, the city has grown to become one of the leading business centres in the region. Grant Thornton has supported local businesses every step of the way. There is now a team of 160 working from the Milton Keynes office, offering a range of services to fast-growing, dynamic businesses in Milton Keynes and beyond. Moving forward, our purpose at
Grant Thornton is to get businesses, people, cities and communities working together to stimulate ideas and actions to create a more vibrant, productive economy, both in Milton Keynes and nationally, providing opportunities for all. As part our long-term commitment to Milton Keynes, Grant Thornton is moving to a new office in the city centre next year to support further expansion of our services.
www.grant-thornton.co.uk 01908 660 666
Business
37
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 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88