Migration has been treated as a technical exercise for years now. It’s seen as a task that must be worked through line by line, customer by customer, alongside the regular day job. That approach, however, is now starting to break. Rather than just the technology changing, it’s also the scale, pace, and commercial impact of getting it wrong.

Most partners understand the PSTN switch-off at a technical level, but the operational weight that accompanies it if often underestimated. Partner businesses are typically well-tuned, with sales and marketing generating demand, while delivery and support are built to meet that demand. There isn’t a bench of unused resource waiting to absorb a large-scale migration project.

So, when migration hits, something must give. Partners must either slow down new business, stretching support and risking the customer experience, or try to do both and put pressure across the entire operation.

That’s where the real challenge lies. It’s capacity, rather than capability. Forcing migration into a business that wasn’t designed for such a change becomes a needless distraction at the wrong time.

Managing migration as a series of individual tasks sounds optimal, but it quickly becomes complex. Most estates are multi-vendor, services sit outside of a partner’s control, and involves different technologies, contract and compliance requirements. It’s a messy reality.

The more successful partners start with understanding, rather than execution. They analyse the full customer base, segment effectively, and identify different migration plans that helps call out exceptions early. Might not be glamorous, but it’s integral to the process. When done right, everything that follows becomes easier. When done wrong, issues compound quickly.

Existing customer bases is one of the biggest migration risks that’s often overlooked. Many partners see legacy as stable, profitable and low touch. Margin is being generated without creating significant operational overhead, but when handled badly, migration can erode that. Handled well, margin is both protected and strengthened.

The goal isn’t just moving customers. It’s maintaining commercial value, keeping customers supported and compliant, and moving them onto technology that keeps them relevant long-term. At the end of the process, customers need to feel as if they’ve progressed, not been disrupted.

PSTN timelines are an obvious trigger, and price increases are accelerating urgency. But the bigger shift is happening in how partners think about technology choices. Increasingly, the question is where it will take customers over time.

In a subscription world, partners and end users only move as fast as the vendor they align to. That puts focus on things like R&D investment, security capability, AI development, and long-term viability. Simultaneously, partners are reassessing their installed base, asking whether their current technology is keeping up. Is it introducing risk, and do they want to keep building on it? Often, the answer is no.

That’s what’s driving broader, more strategic migration decisions, not just compliance-led ones.

There’s also a natural concern from partners about losing control of the customer relationship during migration. That doesn’t need to happen, because when done properly, the partner remains the face of the relationship. The migration capability sits behind them, adding capacity rather than replacing ownership.

That balance is critical. Maintaining trust, protecting the customer experience and enabling partner growth are all additional objectives besides completing the project.

If there’s one piece of advice, it’s simple. Spend more time at the start; analyse and understand the customer base in detail. Be clear on the end state and define how different segments will move. The work done upfront pays back many times over.

Never assume you must do it alone. Even bringing in external perspective at the planning stage can change the outcome significantly.

Migration is often framed as a problem to solve, rather than a decision about how a partner wants to grow. Handled reactively, it creates pressure across the business. Handled strategically, it protects the base, strengthens customer relationships, and creates space to keep winning new business.

That’s the difference.

If you’re working through what migration looks like across your base, it’s worth starting with a simple conversation. Compare approaches, sense check the plan and understand where the pressure points are likely to sit. That upfront clarity can make a meaningful difference to the outcome.

To talk to Gamma Communications visit: Gammagroup.co/migrate

Dig has appointed Ideal World co-founder Paul Wright to its executive board, adding a consumer retail entrepreneur to the leadership team of the savings platform.

Wright joined the board this week as Dig looks to expand its presence in consumer technology and financial tools. Founded by entrepreneur Ashley Bailey, the company uses artificial intelligence to help users find lower prices across new and second-hand markets.

He brings a long track record in television retail. As a co-founder of shopping channel Ideal World, Wright helped build the business into a significant player in UK home shopping.

Dig’s model centres on tools designed to help users save money. Dig Alert notifies users when an item reaches a chosen price, while Dig Live tracks live auctions and matches items to wishlists.

The company also offers Dig Routine, which searches for the best available price when a product is reordered, and Returns Drop, which gives Pro members early access to returned retailer stock at reduced prices.

Board move

Wright’s appointment points to a push for board-level support in marketing, customer engagement and commercial expansion as competition intensifies in consumer-facing fintech and comparison tools.

He said his decision to join reflected his view of the business and its prospects.

“Dig represents the future of consumer finance. Ashley and the team have created a platform with enormous potential. I’m thrilled to be joining the board and look forward to helping unlock the next stage of growth,” Wright said.

Bailey founded Dig to help households cut spending through automated product tracking and deal discovery. The business is focused on everyday shopping rather than traditional banking or lending, placing it in a growing area of fintech centred on household budgeting and price comparison.

That segment has attracted more attention as consumers look for ways to manage spending on groceries, household goods and discretionary purchases. Businesses in the space increasingly use automation and personalisation to retain users and encourage repeat use.

Dig’s focus on new and pre-loved markets also reflects a wider retail shift, as second-hand goods and returned stock become more visible parts of the consumer economy. For digital shopping platforms, this broadens the inventory available and creates more opportunities to match demand with lower-priced goods.

Growth plans

Bailey said Wright’s experience building consumer brands would be important as the company enters its next phase.

“Paul has an exceptional ability to turn great ideas into category leading businesses. His deep understanding of consumer behaviour and proven growth expertise make him the perfect fit for where Dig is heading. We’re incredibly excited to have him join us at such a pivotal moment,” Bailey said.

Wright’s arrival also gives Dig a board member with deep experience in direct-to-consumer selling, where customer retention, pricing strategy and product presentation are central. Those skills could prove useful for a platform seeking to make automated tools part of routine purchasing and bargain hunting.

Dig has not disclosed financial details related to the appointment or any funding plans. It has said leadership depth will be part of its push to scale its user base and strengthen its position in the digital savings tools market.

Parallax has hired 30 new employees in Leeds after adding 25 clients over the past year.

The appointments were made in the first quarter of 2026 in response to rising demand for the technology consultancy’s services. The new starters include designers, full stack engineers, and product and delivery specialists.

It marks the business’s largest period of growth to date. Artificial intelligence is now its fastest-growing area, and the new hires will support client projects in environmental technology, gaming, financial services and logistics.

In addition, Parallax has also recruited staff with 3D rendering experience as it expands its work in that field. Senior hires include Jamie Manson and Tom Parrish, who have joined as Principal Tech Leads.

Both have previously managed engineering teams of more than 50 people and are expected to lead new client accounts. Their arrival is part of a wider hiring push across technical and delivery roles.

Leeds talent

Three of the 30 new hires joined in graduate or internship roles through the company’s links with University Technical College Leeds and the University of Leeds.

Three additional university graduates are scheduled to commence their professional tenures later this calendar year, following their successful participation in the Parallax-sponsored Leeds Hack event held this past February.

This recruitment initiative constitutes a significant component of the organization’s strategic endeavor to cultivate burgeoning early-career talent and preserve specialized technical proficiencies within the local metropolitan area.

This comprehensive expansion of the workforce coincides with Leeds’ ongoing maturation as a preeminent regional center for technological innovation.

Statistical investigations conducted by The Data City indicate that the region’s technology sector has been expanding at a rate 125% more accelerated than the national mean, with specialized technical positions proliferating by 46% throughout the most recent reporting periods.

That expansive economic environment has empowered local enterprises to compete more effectively for high-caliber personnel while simultaneously undertaking a greater volume of projects for both domestic and international clientele.

For Parallax specifically, this latest sequence of appointments follows the announcement of what the firm characterized as its most substantial financial projections in the history of its operations.

Sophie Fletcher, Commercial Director at Parallax, said: “This is a hugely exciting time for Parallax as we reach a real inflection point in our growth. We’re winning work with ambitious international clients, including unicorn companies, and tackling complex challenges that require deep technical expertise and the ability to learn and adapt quickly, bringing insights from rapidly emerging technologies. That’s exactly the space we want to operate in, and it’s driving the kind of talent we’re bringing into the business.

“We’re also proud to be creating opportunities for people in Leeds and playing a part in strengthening the city’s tech ecosystem.”