The thought of your local school going into lockdown is an absolutely terrifying thought, yet it’s happened twice in the UK this month. Castlecombe Primary School in Bromley was placed on lockdown as police investigated sightings of a man in the vicinity with a gun, while a similar scenario played out at Wiltsthorpe School in Derbyshire earlier this month, when…

If you’re a family owned or small business in the South West, then you’re certainly not alone. In fact, more than 90% of businesses fall into that category across the West Country. But what does that really mean to you as a family member or a business owner? In reality it almost always means that you have a lot on…

When you think of targets set in schools, you think of students aiming for top grades, or teachers trying to keep a class above a certain average score in exams. But just like any other organisation, your school will likely be constantly striving for better in terms of making things more efficient, improving communication with parents and making life a…

The start of any new year is a great time to reflect, plan and respond. What can you be doing better? What could you be introducing that would increase the productivity of your staff? How about improving the experience each of your patients has when they visit or contact your surgery? These are questions that many doctors, vets and dental…

Christmas is a fantastic time of year for most of us, with all the food, presents and precious time with loved ones. For many of us it’s very busy too; hospitality and tourism businesses are swamped by people wanting some festive fun, doctors’ surgeries are busy with people suffering winter ailments, while eCommerce businesses can struggle to keep up with…

As a business you’ll want to be as productive as possible. A large part of that will be making sure that your staff members have the processes, procedures and systems in place in order to make that goal a reality.  When it comes to communication your phone system is at the heart of it all; it allows you to communicate…

If you’re running a business, do you ever find your phone system frustrating and no longer capable of giving you what you need from it? Is it hampering your interactions with customers? Whilst changing your phone system can seem like something of a chore and always stay at the bottom of the to-do list, the benefits a VoIP system (where…

If you’re currently running a small business, then you’re bound to have plenty on your plate. It’s therefore easy to understand why updating your phone system may feel like another task or decision at the end of a very long list. However, whilst on the face of it, taking the plunge and getting it sorted may seem like a drain…

Both GP and veterinary surgeries are facing the same pressures and looking to achieve similar goals — reducing costs, increasing efficiency and improving communications with patients. Yet this might seem like an insurmountable problem when surgery teams are put under strain during the busiest hours of the day. The rising and aging UK population is putting health services under strain,…

As a small business owner, you’ll have plenty to think about when it comes to your phone system. How much will it cost? Are your call charges growing month after month? What will it cost to bring in a new employee and an additional phone line? And that’s just for a start! The best answer to many of these questions…

If you own or run a surgery and you’re not currently using a VoIP phone system, there are a whole host of benefits you could be missing out on that can easily improve your communication with patients, reduce costs and increase efficiency. Let’s take a look at four ways a VoIP system could take your communication to the next level.…

We’ve been working with schools across the South West for more than 20 years.  If you’re currently considering if a VoIP phone system could be the right solution for your campus, here are a few of the benefits from which your school could gain…. Addressing your campus layout Every school or university will be unique, however one thing that is…

Looking for a telephone system for your business that gives you everything you need at the fraction of the cost? Here’s everything you need to know about VoIP phone systems in a nutshell… Can it really cut costs? If you’re currently using traditional phone lines to run your business, then you could instantly cut costs with a VoIP system.  How…

Local business launches new CCTV service for schools and businesses in the West Country A South West–based communications company is now offering a brand new CCTV service to local organisations looking to maximise their security and efficiency. Equations Voice and Data, with offices in Devon and Somerset, has been providing telephone systems and technology to businesses, schools, medical practices and…

There were more than 175,000 burglaries across the UK last year. That’s a staggering 19 every hour of the day and more than 400 every time the clock passes midnight. One of the key questions you should be asking as a school or business is: how would you cope if you were to fall victim of crime (particularly when Scotland…

A leading telephone systems provider is encouraging schools and other education institutions across the region to review their ability to communicate if their campus were to go into lockdown. Equations Voice and Data, based in Devon and Somerset, have been working with a number of schools from across the country in the wake of five incidents so far this year…

Last month, Exeter University when into lockdown when a student began threatening others with a handgun. The University’s strict emergency protocols were actioned, with the building put into immediate lockdown and firearms officers and a police dog called to the scene. Students, some of whom were in exams, had to be evacuated from the building as well as several other…

In this fast-moving digital age, we find ourselves upgrading our company mobiles and IT equipment on a fairly regular basis as technology become increasingly powerful and advanced. But when was the last time you thought about updating your telephone system? For large organisations spread across sites both domestically and globally, the need for a robust and effective phone system has…

Our healthcare and veterinary care systems are under increasing pressure as the UK population and the percentage of pet owners both continue to grow rapidly. At more than 66 million, the UK population is already at an all-time high, and is projected to grow to nearly 73 million by 2041. Theresa May has just pledged an extra 5,000 GPs to…

In this ‘always on’ digital age, our personal and business lives are becoming increasingly inextricable as the line between the two becomes more and more blurred. We can check work emails on our personal mobiles and manage our business’ social media through our personal accounts, whilst also remaining fully contactable by friends and family throughout the working day. The rise…

So exam season is in full swing and we’re racing towards the end of yet another school year already. Scary, isn’t it, how quickly time goes? Students and teachers will no doubt be looking forward to some well-earned rest over the Summer holidays; but for head teachers, the work doesn’t stop there. The school year-end and Summer holidays is a…

In today’s ‘always connected’ culture, your ability to remain in continuous contact with your clients, when and wherever, requires a communications system that provides an open, direct line to your business. Whether you’re in the accounting, legal, estate agency, advertising or consultancy business, your professional services firm needs to be easily available to your clients in order to stay ahead…

As a school, how does the idea of potentially saving money on your phone system as well as your daily calls and rental charges sound? How about actually getting a system that really works for your own unique set of circumstances and improving communication at the same time? Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? In reality, it’s really…

As the Easter bank holiday period approaches, you’ll hopefully be looking forward to putting your feet up for a well-earned rest (if only for a couple of days!). However, if you work for a veterinary or doctors surgery then you’ll likely have the headache of how best to communicate a wide range of information to your patients; updated opening hours…

How do you currently make and take your calls? If it’s through a standard phone line rather than an internet-based solution such as ‘VoIP’ then you need to be aware of a looming deadline! That’s because BT is planning to ‘hang up’ all ISDN and PSTN phone lines by 2025. ‘2025!’ we hear you say! No rush at all then?…

Last week, four schools in the South London (Croydon) area went into lockdown following reports and sightings of a man in the surrounding area armed with a gun.  They remained in lockdown during 10 hours of police negotiations. Whilst this is a situation we hope never happens again, how well equipped would you be to effectively communicate during a period…

Electricity – it’s something we all rely on day after day. But what would happen to your business, school or organisation if it were to be without power for a period of time? No phones, no calls, no communication. How would that affect your organisation? What would the impact be? If these are questions that you’ve never asked before then…

There are now 9.2 million people working in the UK with dependent children. Not sound like that many? That’s almost one in every four people of working age, so the chances are that no matter what line of business you’re in or how large or small your organisation may be, you’re highly likely to work with a parent. With parenting…

As a country we love to talk about the weather but there’s one thing that sends a shiver down the spine of any commuter across the UK and that’s signs of snow! Just a couple of inches is enough to leave some parts of the country inaccessible and decimate any chance of making it to work until temperatures warm and…

Does your business or organisation have employees across multiple sites? Perhaps you have people working from home or salespeople that are frequently on the road or away from their desks? If this sounds familiar to your working life, then you’ll likely be met by and familiar with some of the common problems faced when people aren’t in the same place…

If you don’t know how your phone system or employees are performing, how can you make improvements to your current service levels or identify any issues and quickly address them? Ultimately great decisions are based on good information. You need it to understand what’s currently happening in order to improve it in the future. This is exactly what our NEC…

We live in a world where we’re always connected. If we’re not at the desk we’re available on our mobile. But in a modern world shouldn’t the two be seamlessly connected? Doesn’t it seem a little out of date to have a desktop number and a mobile number? In reality this situation can also pose a couple of very common…

If you own a hotel have you ever found it frustrating that your phone system can’t be seamlessly integrated with your room and property management system? Found it troublesome dealing with multiple technology suppliers; one for your phone, one for the hotel management system? If either of these sound like you then you’re going to love our specialist solution for…

It now seems a while since the furore of GDPR swept the nation back in May of this year, but the consequences of the updates made to the way businesses hold and manage data were far-reaching and compliance is now compulsory. So what exactly is GDPR? In case you missed it, GDPR stands for the ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ and…

Have you heard of the term ‘toll fraud’? If not then you’re certainly not alone, but what if we told you that 84% of businesses in the UK are vulnerable to an attack and that the average cost for the victims can be as much as £10,000 with nobody to claim against? Now that we have your attention, let’s explain…

Over the past 25 years we’ve worked with pretty much every type of professional services provider you can think of; insurance brokers, lawyers, accountants and independent financial suppliers to name just a few! We not only understand their needs when it comes to their phone system and communicating with their clients, but also their regulatory obligations in areas such as…

Every business is different; they face different challenges, serve different customers and deliver different products and services. That’ll come as no surprise to you as a business owner. However, there are some common challenges that many businesses face when it comes to communicating with their customers or suppliers. Whilst often hundreds or even thousands of emails will be sent each…

No matter whether you’re a dentist, a doctor or a vet, your phone system will be at the heart of how your surgery communicates with its patients. It should make it easy for them to get the information they want, to contact you in an emergency or to speak with the person they need as quickly and efficiently as possible.…

When it comes to phone systems for schools and education providers we really do know our onions; we’ve worked with hundreds across the South West and beyond for more than twenty-five years. Small campuses, large campuses, multi-site providers, you name it, we’ve helped them! With over two decades of specialism comes a lot of experience; we know what works and…

Whilst we hope it will never happen, have you thought about how you’d communicate with staff and pupils across your school if you needed to commence a lockdown protocol as the result of a terror or lone attack? Mass school shootings and acts of terrorism can often be things that you see on the television and think of as being…

Do you have people working remotely or on their own? If so then you’re certainly no longer in the minority – many organisations and businesses now embrace remote working as advances in technology and internet speeds make it an increasingly cost effective and attractive way of working. But if those employees were to become injured or embroiled in a dangerous…

VoIP telephony is becoming increasingly popular with many of the organisations with whom we work. No matter if you’re a school, a doctor’s surgery or any other form of organisation, this technology potentially offers a host of benefits including cost savings and increased flexibility and functionality. It is however a big decision to move away from a traditional system toward…

Does your organisation take high volumes of calls or have a lot of people on the phone at any given time? Could you benefit from better understanding when those calls are made, who’s taking them and from having that information at the fingertips at every point during the day? If the answer to those questions is a ‘yes’, then NEC’s…

If you think about your phone, the technology in your car or any other area of your life five years ago and compare it to the here and now, you’ll soon realise that when it comes to technology, things really do move quickly. We’ve been working with organisations on their phone systems for more than 20 years, so as you…

No matter the size of your organisation, or the line of business in which you work, turning to a VoIP phone system brings with it a wide range of benefits. From cost savings to flexibility and adaptability, these systems are becoming more and more popular – so how long can you ignore the positives of having a phone system that…

Do you have staff members working at different locations on different days? Perhaps you have people on the road or working from home? No matter where your colleagues are based, you’ll now be able to bring them all together to share, collaborate, message and communicate, all with one simple user-friendly app. What is this app and how does it work?…

It’s estimated that up to 84% of South West organisations could be vulnerable to a growing trend in ‘toll fraud’, which is when hackers gain unlawful access to your phone system and begin making calls to international or long distance numbers using your telephone lines. Toll fraud itself has been around for a while, with the Communications Fraud Control Association…

When it comes to technology times move quickly. As our mobile phones and computers get more powerful we often change them and upgrade accordingly, sometimes on a regular basis, but when was the last time you reviewed your telephone system or the costs associated with making and taking calls? For many business owners a review of their telephone provider can…

The issue No matter what industry your organisation is operating in, whether it’s a school, a doctor’s surgery or the site of a large factory, there’ll be occasions when your employees are either not at their desk, or not on-site at all. This poses a potential problem; if you find that your staff are away from their desk for long…

The issue In every organisation, you have customers who will engage with you regularly, and some less regularly. With each of these customers, it’s important to make sure that they feel valued from the moment they meet or speak to you, because it is this level of service that wins and retains their business. When a customer rings your organisation,…

The issue No matter what your industry, the summer period brings with it a whole host of things to consider when it comes to your phone system. Most of us will enjoy a well-earned break in the sunshine at some point meaning that staff numbers can be lower, particularly during the school holidays. If you work in certain areas such…

The issue Whether you’re old or new, the lifeblood of any organisation is its customers and your success or failure will often be due in large part to the way you interact with them and the way you’re able to communicate with them. People buy from, and deal with people. In a competitive environment it’s also how you stand out…

The issue Running any organisation requires time management, co-ordination of your employees and team work. So if you have several offices and locations, or you have employees on the road and away from the office frequently, how do you get them together to discuss business without having to drag them away from customers and without losing time with expensive travel?…

It’s hard to ignore the current financial pressures in the UK, so we know that communication system budgets are tight in many organisations across the country. However, with our years of experience we also know that getting the right telephone system for your organisation is vital to the smooth running of your organisation. We believe that a tight budget doesn’t…

Seasonal organisations are often forgotten when it comes to appropriate configuration, with most suppliers putting the focus on organisations that operate in much the same way all year round. However, we know that this means you need a fantastic telephone system which can easily adapt to your different needs as you progress through high and low season and holiday periods…

Has the winter illness hit your business? Around 9.6 million work days are lost each year due to the ‘winter blues’ and that’s a lot of days! Unfortunately, we can’t prevent germs being spread around the office but we can help your business be best prepared for when a member of the team is away. How, we hear you ask?…

The weather is a hot topic in the UK (not as hot as we would like!). Every year thousands of businesses across Devon, Somerset and beyond lose out because of storm related damage. The winter storms of 2013/14 are an unpleasant reminder, with many businesses still recovering from the devastating floods. How does your company cope when things go wrong,…

At the heart of every business, company, and organisation is the need to communicate; whether it’s with customers, staff, teachers, or suppliers. The way you’re able to converse with important stakeholder groups will be key to how successfully and efficiently you operate on a daily basis. If communication is central to what you do, an effective phone system is vital;…

It’s an old cliché, but there’s never a one size fits all solution when it comes to your phone system’s infrastructure. We’ll often dazzle you with what our systems can do and how they can help your organisation, but it’s the correct infrastructure that ensures that you’ll be benefiting from all of those features without having to worry about issues…

It’s a new year, everyone is back to work, and it’s a great time to think about your phone system. The winter months can cause and reveal all kinds of unexpected problems; the best way to deal with these issues is to be prepared and have a system that can adapt to your needs, no matter what the weather. Here…

We know there are plenty of phone system providers around the country, but we also know that we’re different. Our unique approach and specialist advice means we’re not like the others, and we’re proud to stand out from the crowd. Want to know why? Here are just a few things that make us unique. Over 25 years of experience We’ve…

When it comes to telecommunications, there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution, which is why we offer a range of different and tailored services. For the past 25 years we’ve been implementing phone systems that add value, and over this time we’ve learnt that what works for one organisation, won’t necessarily work for another. Let us tell you a…

No one wants to be paying more than necessary for their calls, particularly organisations with strict budgets and lots of calls to make. Phone deals can be covered with figures and terminology that is, quite frankly, confusing. This leads to many customers not knowing the exact breakdown of their call cost, and even becoming victim to what is known as…

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has been on a steady rise in recent years, in fact, there’s been around a 75% increase in businesses opting to use of the cost-friendly telephone systems since 2010. VoIP works by using a broadband line to make calls. Data is sent and received via the internet connection, just like emails, and the result is…

For many organisations, telephone systems are a lifeline that is relied on every single day, so what happens when the power has gone? Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) allows you to keep going even when there’s an issue with the power. It maintains and protects systems during critical times, and can save you a lot of time and hassle. You may…

Call centres are very busy places, so having a telephone system that suits the needs of the business, employees, and customers, is absolutely vital. There are a huge range of problems you may currently be facing in your call centre, and it may seem like there’s no way to solve them, but a large number of those problems can be…

Technology moves at a rapid pace, and the needs of an organisation change over time. We understand that having the best communication system in your school, academy, or college is important, so we’re offering a free review of your telephony services. What will be checked Telephone hardware – what was top of the range a few years ago is no…

Getting through to a GP surgery can be stressful for both patients and staff. The phone can’t always be answered and there may be multiple patients trying to get through at once, particularly at the beginning of a day. Whilst we can’t fix the problem through extra staff, we can help through an advanced system which monitors the activity on…

Deciding what type of phone number your organisation needs can be a tricky decision. There are plenty of options out there, so it’s important that you find the right one for your needs and contacts. Non-geographical numbers have been top of the tables for a while (that’s your 0800’s or your 0845 numbers), but it isn’t necessarily the best option…

If you have multiple offices, staff on the road or working from home, then getting the right people in the same room at the same time can prove to be a logistical and financial nightmare. Travel costs as well as the time it takes to get this can make group meetings unfeasible for your business, which is exactly why having…

Having a large number of clients means it just isn’t possible for you and your team to have all of their names and numbers memorised. However, answering the phone and trying to work out who’s calling you can appear unprofessional (particularly if there’s a long term relationship) and waste both your and your client’s precious time. This is where Computer…

For many years we’ve lived in a world in which our telephones have been connected to cables, a world in which we’ll have all seen an Openreach van at the end of the drive and likely been through the tedious process of getting a new line or lines added to an office building or property. With Voice over IP (VoIP)…

A lot can happen in 10 years can’t it? It certainly can in the world of technology if you think that in 2006 the iPhone was still a well-kept secret in the bowels of an Apple research and development facility in Cupertino. More than 750 million iPhones have been bought during the past decade by people across the globe, and…

How much time do you spend on your smart phone everyday? For many of us they’ve become a way of life and a permanent extension to the arm of some of the most avid users. With that in mind, what if we told you that they could now become a valuable, central and flexible part of your organisation’s communications? Let…

Successful organisations come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing they all have in common is great communication; both internally and externally. But where exactly do you start when looking for a telephone system that helps you achieve this? The NEC UNIVERGE SV9100 (which has now replaced the SV8100) is being used by a growing number of organisations locally;…

Whilst many organisations will have a workforce based in an office, this certainly isn’t applicable to everyone; those that have mobile sales teams, warehouses or individuals working from home will have very different needs from a telephone system. So are there phone systems that are able to answer these needs? We believe that NEC’s SV9100 telephone system ticks all of…

Businesses across the South West could be losing tens of thousands of pounds by failing to protect their telephone systems from fraudsters. The warning comes from leading telephone specialists Equations Voice and Data, who are encouraging businesses to protect themselves from the growing threat of Toll Fraud. Approximately 84% of South West Businesses are understood to be at threat from…

At 13:09 on the 21st Sept we received an urgent order and before 9:00 the next day an Equations engineering team was on site cabling and installing the new telephone system. Tom Pearce commented: “This site was new to us but the school’s need was urgent so we pulled out all the stops. To meet the client’s timescales we had…