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UK Connect launches field engineer service for MSPs

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UK Connect has launched a field engineer as-a-service offering for managed service providers and channel partners, providing on-demand field engineering support across the UK.

The new unit, UK Connect Professional Services, uses a credit-based model that lets partners book engineers for specific jobs without employing their own staff. Partners can buy credits and deploy senior field engineers nationwide without contracts or minimum commitments.

Known for fixed wireless access and wireless connectivity services in Britain, UK Connect said the move is intended to solve a common operational problem for service providers that need engineers on site at short notice. Many MSPs and channel partners struggle to find reliable subcontracted engineers when demand peaks.

The company cited figures showing that three in four MSPs see field operations as their biggest challenge. It added that about one third of subcontracted field engineers fail to turn up, arrive late or attend with the wrong equipment, increasing administrative work and eroding profit on service jobs.

According to UK Connect, the average field job takes more than two hours to organise, while 15 to 20 per cent of margin can be lost to coordination overhead. Maintaining an in-house engineering team is often too expensive for smaller providers or businesses with fluctuating workloads, it argued.

How it works

MSPs and channel partners can book jobs by email. UK Connect then generates an engineering brief covering site details, access instructions, scope of work, contact information and any special requirements. Engineers with at least five years of experience can be dispatched to any postcode in the UK.

After the visit, partners receive a digital completion report with a job checklist and engineer sign-off. Documentation is provided for every job, giving partners a record of the work carried out and the findings from the site visit.

UK Connect said the service already supports MSPs, wireless internet service providers and IT consultancies across the UK. It completes more than 3,100 jobs a year and has a 97 per cent first-time fix rate on break-fix call-outs.

Cost pressure

In making the case for the model, UK Connect pointed to the wider employment costs tied to field engineering roles, including tax, pensions, vehicles, fuel, insurance, tools, personal protective equipment, training and scheduling.

“Most MSPs look at their field engineering costs and see one number: the engineer’s salary. But that number is only the beginning. By the time you add employer’s National Insurance, pension contributions, van lease, fuel, insurance, tools, PPE, training, and the management overhead of scheduling and dispatching – the true cost of a single in-house field engineer is typically 35-45% higher than their base salary. Our model removes virtually all of these costs from your balance sheet. You pay per-job, with credits that scale up and down with your workload. No vehicles, no employer’s NI, no holiday cover headaches. Just a vetted, senior engineer on-site when and where you need them,” said Sara Rose, Channel & Partner Manager, UK Connect Professional Services.

Customer example

One early example involved Signal Solutions, a mobile connectivity specialist that needed support at a customer site in Scotland where an existing CEL-FI deployment was not performing as expected. The issue required an engineer to inspect the installation, identify the cause of the problem and recommend remedial steps.

UK Connect said it sent an engineer to the site within a few days of the request. The engineer surveyed the installation, investigated the performance issues, identified the root cause and produced a technical report setting out the findings and recommended changes.

“When performance issues arose at a customer site in Scotland, we needed fast, dependable on-site support to protect both the installation and the client relationship. UK Connect deployed a competent engineer quickly, carried out a thorough assessment, and delivered clear, practical recommendations. Their professionalism and speed allowed us to resolve the issue efficiently while maintaining full confidence in the quality of service delivered under our brand,” said Mark Rose, Director, Signal Solutions.

The launch broadens UK Connect’s offer beyond connectivity services into operational support for partners that need engineering coverage in multiple regions. It also reflects a wider shift among technology service providers towards more flexible staffing models as they manage labour shortages, variable project demand and pressure on margins.

For MSPs and channel businesses, field service remains one of the hardest parts of delivery to standardise because quality depends on local availability, response times and contractor consistency. UK Connect’s new service targets that gap with a model built around short-notice deployment and job-by-job purchasing rather than permanent headcount.

The company said a senior engineer can be dispatched to any UK postcode, with a full engineering brief issued on confirmation and a detailed completion report delivered after the work is finished.



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Rosa’s Thai is giving away 4000 free Pad Thais to students

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Celebrating both GCSE and A-Level Results Days, the chain will offer the popular dish to students who buy one of its bubble teas.

The free offer is available at all 42 Rosa’s Thai restaurants across England and Wales.

To avail of the free noodles, students need to register on Rosa’s Thai website for a unique code, which they should present at the restaurant together with a copy of their results.

Rosa’s Thai has a new range of bubble tea flavours, including Ube-Taro, Matcha-Coconut, Mango Sticky Rice, and Milo Chocolate Milk, as well as favourites like Home-brewed Thai Tea with Tapioca, and Lychee Mango with mango boba.

Students can sign up for their free Pad Thai at rosasthai.com/result-day-free-pad-thai and find their nearest restaurant at rosasthai.com/locations.





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Historic coin company enters administration after 20 years

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The London Mint Office, which distributes commemorative coins and medals, appointed administrators on July 31 after 20 years in business.

The company’s website now displays a message confirming the appointment of Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP as joint administrators.

A spokesman for Alvarez and Marsal said: “On July 31 2026, Michael Magnay and Jonny Marston of Alvarez & Marsal Europe LLP were appointed as Joint Administrators of The London Mint Office Limited in administration (the “Company”).

“Regrettably, the Company’s liquidity challenges have led to a number of immediate redundancies. We are supporting the affected employees through the redundancy process.


What Happens When a Company Goes Into Administration?


“The affairs, business and property of the Company are being managed by the Joint Administrators who act as agents of the Company and without personal liability.”

The announcement confirms that it is no longer possible to purchase coins or medals through the company’s website.

The London Mint Office operates a distribution centre in Tonypandy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, where it employs a significant number of people.

Administration is a formal insolvency process triggered when a business cannot meet its financial obligations.

An insolvency practitioner is appointed to manage the company’s affairs and may attempt to restructure the business or sell off assets to repay creditors.


What happens when a company goes into Liquidation?


Founded in 2006, The London Mint Office describes itself as “one of the UK’s most trusted suppliers of historic, commemorative, and collector coins.”

It is part of Samlerhuset AS, a Norwegian company based near Oslo and one of Europe’s largest distributors of commemorative coins and medals.

Samlerhuset’s website states that it offers “provide a wide range of coins from ancient to modern, originating from virtually every country in the world.”

The London Mint Office has advised anyone with an interest in the company’s assets to contact the administrators at INS_THLMOL@alvarezandmarsal.com.





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Warning of new rules for Aldi and Lidl after watchdog review

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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that both discounters should be added to the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which currently applies to Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Waitrose.

This order is designed to prevent large grocery retailers from using land agreements to block competitors from opening nearby stores, often through restrictive covenants or exclusivity terms.

Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries.

“To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.

“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets.

“Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”

The CMA’s review found that Aldi, Lidl GB, and Lidl NI now meet the criteria of ‘Large Grocery Retailers’ (LGRs) due to their store footprint, nationwide presence, procurement model, and the breadth of their grocery range.

Aldi and Lidl were originally excluded from the 2010 order as ‘limited assortment discounters’, offering a smaller selection of products compared to traditional supermarkets.

However, the CMA’s provisional findings indicate that this is no longer the case.

All three now operate large grocery stores, each with more than 1,000 square metres of shop floor space, and offer a full range of products, though with less category choice than some competitors.

They also purchase goods directly from suppliers through integrated wholesaling.

With the UK grocery market estimated to be worth £215 billion, Aldi and Lidl are now ranked among the top five retailers by market share.

The CMA is seeking feedback from stakeholders before reaching a final decision.

Aldi and Lidl could join the other supermarket chains later this year.

The CMA is inviting views until 5pm on Monday, September 7, 2026, and will issue its final decision in the autumn after reviewing responses.

If the discounters are included under the order, they will be prevented from using land agreements to limit competition from other supermarket chains.

The CMA aims to ensure competition across the grocery sector to give shoppers more choice and competitive pricing by removing obstacles to new store openings.





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