Making  the Right Connections for Inward Investment The boundaries between communications and IT are becoming blurred with the increasing adoption of internet protocol (IP) technology and the development of combined voice and data networks. People working in a modern office need integrated and seamless communication services, with the ability to securely access whatever data they need, whenever and wherever they need it. BT is ideally positioned to provide all these services, with unrivalled breadth and depth of global network implementation, new wave broadband and mobility solutions, and a wealth of experience in a complete range of Information Communications Technology (ICT) business services, including outsourcing, IP infrastructure, customer relationship management (CRM), applications and hosting, and systems integration. And BT is continually looking ahead. The company is already working towards the implementation of the UK 21st century network (21CN), to provide the best backbone network in Europe by 2008. It will be a truly customer-focused network that will be aimed at providing flexibility, mobility, and personalisation so that customer communications are seamless, offer multi-device capability and secure communications. Transforming the UK’s existing multiple legacy networks into this single powerful 21st century network is an immense task, and it demonstrates BT's determination to be forward looking and to give the UK a significant technology lead in the European marketplace. BT eLocations, the specialist inward investment division of BT, is dedicated to helping companies investing in the UK to take advantage of this advanced integrated technology. The BT eLocations team has many years experience in applying technology solutions to successful investments in several key areas: Business Agility and Flexibility - the ability for a business to evolve and change to meet new challenges and demands, through flexible working, outsourcing and systems integration; Low-Cost Delivery Channels - the ability to bring products and services to market as cheaply as possible without compromising quality or service levels, with CRM, contact centres, multi-media applications and hosting; and Business Continuity – the ability to ensure that it is ‘business as usual’ whatever the potential threats a company faces, with resilient business process technology offering total reliability. One of the unique ways that BT eLocations addresses these needs is through a select portfolio of 60 premier business, technology and science parks across the UK. These ‘BT eLocation’ designated sites are already pre-equipped with a future-proof resilient high-tech communications infrastructure that will form part of the 21CN, and can be customised to the specific business requirements of the relocating or investing company. The benefits to investing companies are: fast set-up times and speed to market; significant network cost savings; secure, resilient communications; high bandwidth availability; future-proof technology And to ensure full business continuity, each site has enhanced dual fibre network infrastructures back to the primary and secondary exchanges, so that, in the unlikely event of one exchange or network failing, there is still instant service to the other. Connecting Your World Completely Linked to the development of these state-of-the-art business parks is the importance of connecting businesses and customers through faster and smarter communications, irrespective of geography, time or complexity. Rapid developments in broadband, mobile and business services are already providing companies with greater options and flexibility for business developments, such as multimedia communications with their customer base, setting up a remote workforce or establishing a call centre. With UK customers taking up broadband services at a faster rate than other key European countries it is clear that such a comprehensive broadband infrastructure is a unique selling point for the UK, and BT eLocations can ensure that investing companies use these services to their best advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace. The BT eLocations team specialises in identifying market opportunities for inward investors to come to the UK, by researching changes in the marketplace, legislation and technology, and by utilising BT’s global presence to find key partners and new solutions worldwide. A comprehensive programme of overseas marketing activity ensures that potential investors are fully aware of the attractions of the UK and the benefits that being at the forefront of technology, ahead of the rest of Europe, can bring. The UK Technology Advantage BT is committed to transforming the existing UK communications networks into a simpler yet more powerful advanced optical network to meet the future customer demands of the UK of the 21st century. BT eLocations is dedicated to showcasing the advantages that this technology potential will give to companies investing in the UK.   For further information on the BT eLocations programme, visit our website at www.bt.com/btelocations or contact us at elocations@bt.com or on +44-(0)1977-592194