Business & Technology
BT urges analogue landline users to switch to digital
SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO
News Editor
BT has launched a national campaign with broadcaster Clare Balding urging remaining analogue landline users to switch to digital services ahead of the UK’s analogue landline switchover in January 2027.
Branded “Don’t Put Off the Switch”, the campaign targets customers who have not yet moved to a digital landline and may ignore contact from their provider. Most BT customers have already switched, with the latest push focused on those still using analogue lines in the final stretch before the national changeover.
Research commissioned by BT found that 63% of UK adults regularly delay essential tasks such as updating passwords or changing providers. It also found that 29% have ignored or delayed responding to messages from essential service companies, while 30% said they had missed a deadline for such tasks, resulting in late fees, rebooking or higher payments.
That matters for landline users because providers are contacting customers directly to arrange the move to digital services. Customers do not need to do anything until they are contacted, but failing to respond could disrupt services they rely on.
The campaign is part of a wider effort by telecoms operators to complete the shift away from the Public Switched Telephone Network, the ageing analogue system that has carried fixed-line calls for decades. The switchover affects households and businesses that still depend on traditional landlines, and has drawn attention to the needs of older users, people who use telecare devices and those who need support during power cuts.
Support measures
BT is expanding targeted support for remaining analogue customers through regional outreach and accessible communications. It is also working with local authorities, telecare providers, charities and government under the PSTN Charter of Commitments to identify people with additional needs and help them move safely.
Measures include free in-home engineer visits for customers who need extra help and backup power solutions designed to allow calls during power cuts. Most customers can keep their current number and continue using the same handset, and the majority can switch at no extra cost.
Balding said the campaign was intended to prompt customers to respond when approached by their provider. “When your provider gets in touch, it’s vitally important you act to ensure your landline services keeps running smoothly. If you don’t respond, the services you rely on could be disrupted,” she said.
“The good news is you won’t be on your own – BT will guide you every step of the way.”
BT is also highlighting security features on digital lines as part of its case for the move, saying more than 91 million scam and spam attempts were blocked for its digital landline customers in the past year.
That figure forms part of its argument that digital services can offer greater reassurance for customers making and receiving calls. BT has presented the switch as both a network modernisation project and a customer migration exercise.
Lucy Baker, BT’s consumer digital voice director, said the research suggested consumers often overlook messages from providers. “As our research shows, it’s easy to overlook messages from service providers, but doing so could disrupt essential connections.
“The switch to digital landlines is a significant, once-in-a-generation upgrade to the UK’s communications infrastructure. It’s important to take action when contacted, so everyone can benefit from more reliable, secure technology and stay connected to the services they rely on.”
BT also highlighted the experience of customers who have already moved. John Garrard, 77, from Hornchurch, said he had been reluctant to change before being contacted by BT and guided through the process.
“I’d had my landline for years and didn’t see any reason to change it at first. But once BT got in touch, they explained everything clearly and helped me through it,” he said. “It turned out to be much simpler than I expected. I’m glad I did it when they asked, rather than leaving it too late.”
AbilityNet, the charity working with BT on support and accessibility, said tailored guidance and in-person help could ease concerns among less confident users. “For many people, changes to essential services can feel daunting, particularly for older people or those who aren’t as confident with technology. That’s why we’ve been working closely with BT to provide tailored guidance, accessible communications, and often in-person support that helps people understand what’s changing and what it means for them.
“With the support BT has in place, switching to digital landlines can be straightforward, and can help people stay confidently connected to the services and the people they rely on most,” said Amy Low, chief executive of AbilityNet.
BT said customers will receive clear guidance and at least four weeks’ notice when it is time for their line to be moved.
Bernard Matthews has swapped its frozen coated poultry products -including dinosaurs and Twizzlers – from turkey to chicken.
The shift comes after consumer taste tests revealed a clear preference for the change.
Sustainability and concerns about the potential impact of bird flu on future turkey supplies are both understood to have factored into the decision.
The only exception to the change is the company’s Hamwich product, which will continue to use turkey.
A Bernard Matthews spokesman said: “Kids will still be able to play with their food with dinosaurs and unicorns still on the menu.
“But through a series of taste tests, consumers told us they prefer chicken.”
Turkey dinosaurs were on sale for roughly four decades, from their launch in the early 1980s until the 2026 switch to chicken-only versions.
Norfolk’s Bernard Matthews, who built his fortune on turkey products and made the phrase “bootiful” famous, died in 2010.
Stephen Perkins, owner of independent digital repair shop Help I’ve Broken It in St Martin’s Street, Wallingford, said the business is still recovering from the burglary it suffered last October.
The shop owner discovered the windows smashed in, displays broken, devices damaged and thousands of pounds worth of electronics stolen on the morning of October 15.
READ MORE: Oxford – Emergency services called to Port Meadow incident
Jonathon Dobson, of Tudor Close, Wallingford, was sentenced to two years in jail and an 18-month driving ban for that and other offences at Oxford Crown Court on Wednesday, April 22.
Mr Perkins said the sentence doesn’t stack up against the impact of his actions.
“It’s not enough,” he said. “It just isn’t enough.
“It’s nice that he’s been sentenced and we know he’s not on the streets of Wallingford anymore, but at the same time, in six months times he’s going to be back out, in Wallingford, probably doing the same again.
“It doesn’t seem a very harsh lesson for the amount of damage that he’s done.”
The sentencing saw 44-year-old Dobson face the consequences for offences including two non-dwelling burglaries, theft from cars and theft of e-bikes in Wallingford, driving while under the influence of alcohol and driving without a licence or insurance.
All the offences were committed on the same day of the break-in at Mr Perkin’s store, on October 15 last year.
READ MORE: Oxford construction firm in liquidation with £200k debts
Dobson was caught with 59 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath after the crime spree, well over the 35 micrograms per 100ml legal driving limit.
The court heard that after stealing high value goods like mobile phones and sat navs from Help I’ve Broken It, causing the store to lose around four days of trading and items worth £3,000, he then drove to Wyatt Way and stole two e-bikes, worth £4,030.
Then, in the same road, he broke into several vehicles and stole items such as a jacket, wallet and brown bag.
He then broke into a nearby garage and made off with spirits, Champagne, beer and power tools valued at £1,200.
Mr Perkins said: “The court heard it was £3,000 but our insurance claim was around £11,500 worth. It wasn’t a little deal.
“The police did do their due diligence. I’m glad they caught the bloke, but it’s a shame they never managed to tag anybody else along with it our find our devices.
READ MORE: Romanian pair deny murdering Banbury company director
“We’re not fully recovered yet. We’re still recouping some of the costs of it, which we’re never going to do I think. We’re just going to have to take the hit and carry on.”
Gordana Austin, mitigating counsel, asked the judge for a suspended sentence as Dobson ‘has motivation to change’ and, having spent six months in custody awaiting his court date, is ‘now free of drugs and alcohol’.
Judge Hassan Khan handed Dobson a two-year prison sentence and banned him from the road for 18 months for the driving offences.
CATHERINE KNOWLES
News Editor
Doxis has been named a Leader in Gartner’s 2026 Magic Quadrant for Document Management, marking the second consecutive year it has received the designation.
Gartner assessed 16 document management vendors on ability to execute and completeness of vision. The ranking followed updates to Doxis’ core document automation platform and a broader push into artificial intelligence tools for document handling.
The Bonn-based software supplier employs more than 600 staff across 20 offices in 11 countries. It counts DHL, Allianz, UBS and BASF among its customers, and says its software is used by more than 3,000 customers and 5 million users in more than 150 countries.
Platform updates
Among the changes highlighted were additions to intelligent document processing through Doxis AI.dp, semantic search tools, AI-assisted user features and cloud administration. Doxis also expanded integrations with SAP, SuccessFactors and Salesforce, while continuing to invest in workflow orchestration and connections with broader enterprise systems.
Doxis says its platform combines content storage, governance, process automation and AI-based services within a single architecture. It is aimed at organisations with document-heavy processes in sectors including banking, insurance, manufacturing, logistics and energy.
The recognition follows a period of growth and a rebrand to Doxis, The Document Intelligence Company. The business has sharpened its focus on intelligent content automation across the document lifecycle, including investments in document processing, SAP automation and customer communications software.
Market focus
Doxis operates in a crowded market that includes large software groups and specialist document management providers. In promoting the announcement, it linked the recognition to execution in artificial intelligence and user experience as it competes with companies such as Microsoft and Box.
Document management software has come under closer scrutiny as companies look for ways to organise large volumes of information, automate routine processes and prepare internal data for broader use in AI systems. Suppliers have been adding search, classification and extraction tools as businesses seek to reduce manual work and bring records from different systems into a more consistent structure.
Doxis has framed that shift around what it calls document intelligence, describing it as a way to create a common language across systems so organisations can extract more value from their information. It argues that this approach is becoming a core part of enterprise AI strategy as businesses try to connect fragmented document stores with operational workflows.
Dr. John Bates, Chief Executive Officer of Doxis, said: “We feel this recognition as a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant reflects how powerful the Doxis platform is for customers as they rapidly transform to be ‘AI-ready’ – underpinning their IT foundations with a Document Intelligence platform that truly connects, understands and automates information across the whole document lifecycle. After a year of strong growth, strategic investments, and our rebrand to Doxis, The Document Intelligence Company, we believe this recognition reflects both the momentum we’re building globally as a fast-growing vendor and the unique value we offer customers.”
-
Crime & Safety2 weeks agoBicester man denies sexually assaulting two young girls
-
Oxford News2 weeks agoBanbury cake company with 400 year history shut down
-
UK News1 week agoTV tonight: Shetland meets CSI in a new drama about a disgraced cop | Television
-
UK News2 weeks agoStarmer says it ‘beggars belief’ he wasn’t told about Mandelson vetting failure as he faces Commons – UK politics live | Politics
-
Crime & Safety3 weeks agoLorry overturns on Oxfordshire A43 roundabout with driver trapped
-
UK News2 weeks agoFears over rogue parking by sunrise-chasers at national park after overnight ban
-
Crime & Safety2 weeks ago‘A red kite stole my mother-in-law’s sausage rolls’
-
UK News4 weeks agoUkraine war briefing: Russian oil facilities burn as Zelenskyy tours Middle East | Ukraine