Viewpoint
Here, CEO and co-founder Andrew Muir shares his experiences of recent projects and Connected Britain itself
What has been FarrPoint’s most rewarding digital connectivity project?
Our projects are wide and varied which makes consultancy so rewarding. We are proud to have steered so many projects through to successful funding and working with the more challenging rural areas is particularly satisfying as you know the real difference that this improved infrastructure can make. An example is the award of funding to the remote Shetland islands of Yell and Unst which required a different approach to demonstrating added value. In this case it is not just economic benefits to improve businesses in the area, it is actually helping communities survive which is quite a result and extremely satisfying for our team.
To date, we have advised on over £2billion worth of global digital connectivity projects in Retail, Defence & Security, Government & Public Services, Healthcare, Aviation and Professional Services.
How does FarrPoint get involved and how do you keep pace with all these developments?
We have a talented team of experienced consultants who take a real pride in their work, these aren’t just turnkey projects for us, they do matter. We like to work with local bodies who approach this with a strategic vision to drive benefits of digital infrastructure and not just a chance to grab some funding. We work with these local teams to really understand the local conditions, then design the most appropriate intervention model, we don’t just repeat, we question and innovate. It’s a challenging environment and we keep learning, sharing, and investigating. Attending conferences, training courses, networking, liaising with vendors and operators, contributing to advisory bodies and delivering projects day in day out – these are all ways in which we keep developing and keep fresh minds. In addition to this we have established our own Connectivity Lab, which supports our project delivery by investigating new technologies, trialling out deployments in the field, looking at new modelling techniques and contributing to our understanding in for example, IoT, 5G and data analytics tools.
Why do organisations employ advisers like FarrPoint?
Many organisations just don’t do this kind of work regularly – we do and so we are well placed to bring experience from multiple projects, we know what works and what doesn’t, and so we save our clients time and money and we deliver results. We have a very flexible approach to our assignments and can project lead, be a core team member, or contribute as and when required in a “critical friend” role to suit the client need. As their strategic advisor we have reached key milestones including;
• Enabling Superfast Broadband in 250 towns & villages across the Highlands & Islands
• Delivering next-generation access to 1 in 4 Scottish homes (750,000 properties)
• Advising on the UK’s first analogue to digital Telecare solution – 156,000 users across Scotland.
• Advising and developing Critical National Infrastructure to strengthen against cyber attack today and in the future.
What are the unique benefits that FarrPoint brings to the Connected Britain project?
We have a team of talented individuals who genuinely seek to make a difference. We are not driven to just repeat and resell the same ideas, we question the value of that approach. We have real technical depth from operator experience, coupled with academic insight and commercial pragmatism which is all brought together into our consultancy offering. And we have been involved in broadband before the term was invented and that experience counts.
What is your vision for the future and sustaining business growth/success?
Earlier this year we re-launched our brand with three business areas that individually serve different audiences but together offer our clients a unique blend of insight, innovation and capability. We are able to go further with our clients providing independent technical assurance on a long-term basis.
Our capability extends right across our organisation with our Connectivity Lab at the heart of our operation supporting both Digital Connectivity and Digital Workplace clients. From market research and developing bespoke toolkits, testbeds and services keeps us ahead of the latest market trends, emerging technologies and opportunities.
FarrPoint are continuing to invest and expand the business both in technology and talent Our strategic initiatives for this year include;
• Launching a new service that will offer our clients a real cost effective alternative to tracking mobile network coverage.
• Developing our Interactive mapping tool and helping more Local Authorities to boost broadband adoption in their local communities.
• Attracting and developing graduates to ensure we have the right balance of skills, expertise to meet our future client needs.
About FarrPoint Ltd
Established in 2007, FarrPoint is now recognised as market leading experts in digital connectivity, IT Strategy, Networks & Infrastructure. We provide independent technical advice on complex, large scale projects working with government and industry at a national and international level. FarrPoint Advisers are based across the UK with headquarters in Edinburgh and offices in London and Manchester.
FarrPoint has:
• Advised on over £2bn invested in digital connectivity
• Enabled Superfast Broadband in 250 towns & villages across the Highlands & Islands
• Delivered next-generation access to 1 in 4 Scottish homes (750,000 properties)
• Advised on the UK’s first analogue to digital Telecare solution – 175,000 users across Scotland
