Virgin Media Business announced the next step in its plans to shake up the business telecoms market with the launch of the Big Red Internet, the first business internet service that gives companies all the bandwidth they need, without restrictions or extra charges.

Virgin Media Business developed Big Red Internet after identifying just how significantly limited internet connections were holding British businesses back. In fact when it commissioned an independent study of 1,000 IT professionals on the subject, no less than 69 per cent of respondents compared restrictions on business internet bandwidth to “shackles” on their companies.

The same study also revealed IT professionals spend a staggering amount of their working life managing company internet connection problems. 45 per cent said problems caused by restricted internet connections were the single biggest drain on their time, and took them away from activities with real business benefits. 64 per cent of IT professionals even admitted that the constant pressure to deal with this kind of “small stuff” had held up their career progression.

Big Red Internet is a clear and simple alternative to the fixed bandwidth internet connections that are holding businesses back. It’s a high capacity internet service that gives businesses as much bandwidth as they need without the hassle of extra charges or complex network upgrades.

Big Red Internet has two variants. A 100 Mbit/s service is aimed at businesses with smaller growth requirements whilst a 1Gbit/s service has been developed for mid-sized organisations. As Big Red Internet significantly ramps up capacity, it is ideal for companies who experience restrictive fluctuations in network traffic due to factors beyond their control.

When asked how they thought that Big Red Internet could change their companies and their lives, the IT professionals interviewed for Virgin Media Business’ study were jubilant. 82 per cent said the end to restrictions on business internet would make them “whoop with joy”. 93 per cent said this service would open up new possibilities for their company, and 64 per cent promised to use the freedom it brings to do more to benefit the business.

Commenting on the launch, Virgin Media Business’s managing director, Mark Heraghty, said: “In 2010 telecom providers shouldn’t be acting as gatekeepers to what British businesses need in order to innovate and grow – bandwidth. Whereas other providers often constrain the bandwidth made available to businesses, Virgin Media Business can take advantage of the vast capacity on its national fibre optic network. So by removing bandwidth restrictions on business internet, we’re liberating British organisations from one of the single biggest factors holding them back today.”

“In February 2010 we announced our intention to shake things up in the business telecoms market by bringing the Virgin philosophy to the sector. Big Red Internet is our first game changing proposition as a Virgin brand. By challenging the status quo we’re breaking down the barriers associated with business internet, we’re helping organisations to think about what they can do, not what they can’t.” he said.

The research was conducted by LM Research who spoke with 1,000 IT managers across the UK.

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About Virgin Media Business

Virgin Media Business is the UK’s only telco with a nationwide fibre optic Next Generation Network. Launched in February 2010, the company aims to bring the Virgin philosophy to the business telecoms market. Providing innovative, high quality solutions built on brilliant customer service.

Virgin Media Business is the largest business-to-business brand in the Virgin group. With a strong product portfolio that includes its market leading Ethernet services. It uses its network asset in order to create bespoke tailored telecoms solutions for its customers. Employees are located at 40 offices across the UK, allowing Virgin Media Business to be closer to its customers in every sense. 

Previously known as ntl:Telewest Business, organisations working with Virgin Media Business include London City Airport, Arqiva, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Partnership and South West Water.

About Virgin Media

With almost 10 million customers, Virgin Media is the UK's first quad-play provider of broadband, TV, phone and mobile.
The company is one of the largest residential broadband providers in the UK, using a unique fibre optic cable network to deliver next generation ultrafast internet access of up to 50Mb to just over half of all homes. Combined with a high speed ADSL service and mobile broadband products, Virgin Media is able to offer broadband internet access to virtually the entire country.

Virgin Media has the UK’s most advanced TV on demand service and is the only TV platform to carry BBC iPlayer. It is the second largest provider of pay TV, was the first to launch a high definition TV service and offers a high-specification, HD-ready V+ personal video recorder.

The company operates the most popular virtual mobile network in the UK which, when launched, was the world’s first such mobile phone service. It is also one of the largest fixed-line home phone providers in the country.
Virgin Media also owns Virgin Media Television (VMtv) which runs seven entertainment channels, including Virgin1, LIVING, Bravo and Challenge. VMtv is a 50 per cent joint partner with BBC Worldwide in UKTV, which consists of ten channels including Dave, G.O.L.D., Watch and Alibi.

With operations based entirely in the UK, Virgin Media Inc. is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market (VMED) and the London Stock Exchange (VMED).
For more information, go to http://www.virginmedia.com/