Virgin Media 2009 Annual Report Download - page 16

500 staff for our mobile telephony call centers, in the U.K. We also use outsourced consumer call
centers in the U.K., India and South Africa.
Business Segment
Our Business segment, managed through Virgin Media Business (formerly ntl:Telewest Business),
offers a broad portfolio of voice, data and internet solutions to commercial customers in the U.K.,
ranging from analog telephony to managed data networks and applications. Through Virgin Media
Business, we provide services to approximately 65,000 U.K. businesses and over 250 local councils. We
also supply communications services to over half of the U.K.’s emergency services providers.
Products and Services
Voice
We offer a comprehensive range of voice products, from analog and digital services to converged
internet protocol, or IP, telephony solutions. Our business voice solutions include basic features, such as
call divert and voicemail, as well as innovative products such as Centrex, which provides switchboard-
like capability that is managed from our telephone exchange, offering our customers a cost-effective,
scalable alternative to a premise-based system.
Data and Internet Services
Converged Solutions
Our converged solutions use a single network to transport voice, data and video, allowing our
customers to benefit from cost synergies. Additionally, we offer services such as IP virtual private
networks, which enable our customers to prioritize bandwidth for different types of traffic so that more
time sensitive data or critical application data is transported with priority, providing increased flexibility
and control over data management. Our extensive network reach also enables us to offer large or
dispersed organizations the ability to effectively link sites across the U.K. using a wide range of access
technologies, supporting services such as voice and video conferencing, instant messaging and file
transfers.
Ethernet
As a market leader in Ethernet solutions in the U.K., the Virgin Media Business Ethernet network
has approximately 330 Ethernet nodes and is capable of carrying a variety of services and high
bandwidth applications simultaneously. We have been delivering Ethernet services for over 10 years and
have achieved both Metro Ethernet Forum, or MEF 9 and MEF 14 accreditation, ensuring our
Ethernet product portfolio can support stringent real-time communications applications, including voice
over IP, or VOIP, and HD-quality videoconferencing. We offer a range of products from local area
network extensions to managed wide area Ethernet networks, providing our customers with high
bandwidth and flexible solutions, including market-leading point to multi-point services.
Applications and Services
As an overlay to network products, we also offer applications, such as IP CCTV and video-
conferencing, and managed services, such as information security services, designed to increase
flexibility and reduce costs to our customers.
Marketing, Sales and Customer Service
Our marketing, sales and customer service initiatives are structured around the differentiated
needs of our retail and wholesale customers. Our retail customer base is comprised of private and
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