Virgin Media 2010 Annual Report Download - page 16

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. Our network advantage allows us to connect over 85% of
U.K. businesses maintaining a competitive cost base. We can also connect the remaining 15% of premises using
our wholesale partnerships at a cost similar to other top competitors. Our Business segment peak usage occurs at
different times of the day from our Consumer segment peak usage, which allows better use of our network.
Through Virgin Media Business, we provide services to approximately 60,000 U.K. businesses and almost 250
local councils. We also supply communications services to around three quarters of the U.K.’s health and
emergency services providers and nearly one half of U.K. police forces.
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. These mature services continue to be offered in parallel with a next generation of
converged services, allowing customers to migrate to new technologies gradually.
Data and Internet Services
Converged Solutions
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 (becoming the first service provider in the world to
renew this 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.
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