Consulting & Advisory Service
Procurement & Commercial
Global resources, streamlined supply chain, and innovative cost reduction
Optimising your Sourcing,
Costs and Contracts
Streamline
Processes
across Geographies, Suppliers & Contracts
Without the need to invest in a large in-house procurement team
We offer strategic consultancy to review your procurement practices and policies, helping to develop a holistic approach to the procurement life-cycle.
Whether you need to access new global resources and build carrier relations in a new geography, require a cost reduction strategy involving your supply chain and contracts, or wish to review your processes and policies on a global scale—we can build a team with the skills and experience necessary to deliver your outcomes on budget and on time.
How we help our clients
Our team has decades of experience designing process improvements that increase efficiency and reduce costs
Strategy
Supporting you to carve out and design a holistic glidepath to a successful procurement function, covering every input and output along the way.
Procurement as a Service
Offering outsourced procurement services to support you in understanding, streamlining, and executing all aspects of the procurement lifecycle.
Contract Management as a Service
Managing all aspects of supplier contracts to ensure that they are being compliant on their end, and negotiating to implement improved contracts where necessary.
Cost Reduction
Reviewing your current estate of products and go-forward contracts to optimise supplier renegotiation and service migration.
Process Reviews
Understanding how you have operated and approached procurement processes in the past in order to streamline and optimise them in the future.
Outsource Pricing Team Support
Providing necessary pricing support, strategies, and solutions for those procurement exercises which lie outside your usual scope.
Current Estate and Spend Review
Analysing your current portfolio and spend activities to better determine the requirements of your business going forward.
Digital Procurement Services
In an increasingly digital landscape, we can assist you in deciphering digital solutions for your procurement needs, from conception to implementation.
Invoice and Inventory Auditing and Analytics
Reviewing and evaluating your services, including supplier inventory, billing, and contracts, to make sure they are all aligned.
Supplier Performance Management
Getting to know your suppliers and their operations, metrics, and systems for reporting to make sure you are receiving the best possible services.
Our
Procurement
&
Commercial
practice is led by
Nigel Meacham
Managing Partner - Digital Procurement
Nigel began his telecom career in the late 80s, leading sales of iNet’s optimisation tools business. In the early 90s he co-founded Salford Networking International, developing tools to optimise backbone and access networks. At SNI, in addition to running sales of the companies' products to many multi-national and government organisations, he consulted on network design for organisations such as the National Grid and CAA.
In the late 90's Nigel co-founded another company, Magenta netLogic, where he led company sales and received two government export achievement awards. In 2012, Nigel founded a consultancy company, CSL, specialising in telecom audits and optimisation.
Nigel joined the Cambridge Managment Consulting team as Managing Partner and is also a co-founder and director of our procurement and carrier relation subsidiary, The Carrier Club.
Our team can be your team
Our team of experts have multiple decades of experience across many different business environments and across various geographies.
We can build you a specialised team with the skillset and expertise required to meet the demands of your industry.
Our combination of expertise and an intelligent methodology is what realises tangible financial benefits for clients.
SPEAK TO THE TEAM
Our Procurement & Commercial Experts
Case Study
Delivery of Significant Cost Savings to a Large UK Retailer
A large UK online retailer went through a downsizing exercise in the early part of 2023. This caused significant changes in demand, meaning that expenditure in many areas was far more than the business requirement.
The goal of the project was to review all current vendor and supplier contracts, identify where savings could potentially be made, and then work with the procurement department to reduce the current level of expenditure to meet current business requirements. Our team was given a three-month deadline to make savings to the bottom line.
Utilising our significant experience in procurement and contract management, Cambridge MC delivered £10m of savings on an addressable budget of £80m.
Procurement & Commercial
Case Studies
Utilising our significant experience in procurement and contract management, Cambridge MC delivered £10m of savings on an addressable budget of £80m A large UK online retailer went through a downsizing exercise in the early part of 2023. This caused significant changes in demand, meaning that expenditure in many areas was far more than the business requirement. There were also instances where certain technologies were no longer required, but long-term contracts were in place that needed to be negotiated out. The goal of the project was to review all current vendor and supplier contracts, identify where savings could potentially be made, and then work with the procurement department to reduce the current level of expenditure to meet current business requirements. Our team was given a three-month deadline to make savings to the bottom line. Project Overview Cambridge MC was engaged on a three-month project to perform the following: Perform a deep dive on all vendor contracts against the current business. Establish priority saving areas and launch projects. Challenge demand and specification requirements. Build a cost reduction report. Engage in supplier negotiations in conjunction with the client's own procurement team. Produce weekly reports on cost savings achieved. Our experience in procurement, contract, and vendor management enabled us to completely meet the brief set out by the client which was to deliver significant bottom-line savings in a three-month turnaround. Specific Challenges Client had lost control of spend across the business. They had no awareness of what contracts had auto-renewed. They had signed long-term contracts. Some contracts had recently been extended for 24 months or longer. Due to downsizing, the volume of licenses for certain technologies were way above the actual requirement. Client had an inexperienced procurement team. Recent staff turnover meant that contract owners were no longer in the company. They had no contract management platform in place, resulting in contracts not being readily available. Most vendors were reluctant to renegotiate contracts at a lower cost to the business. Procurement had a process—not price—focus. Solutions Cambridge MC employed a data-driven analytical approach which prioritised target spend and volume data. All existing agreements and contracts were 'fair game'. We challenged what was the actual demand and specification, questioning whether what they have today is still relevant to what is needed now and in the future. After performing a deep analysis of all contracts, we entered into negotiations with vendors where the existing contracts did not meet the business requirement due to downsizing. Approach Vendors were allocated across the Cambridge MC team. Weekly all-day meetings at client's offices. Regular video conference calls to update progress. Engaged department heads as required. Outcomes & Results 1. Cost Savings In excess of £10m savings achieved off the bottom line. 2. Knowledge License requirements reduced to the correct level for the business. 3. Diligence Contracts managed far more closely. 4. Efficiency Procurement team coached to function more efficiently. 5. Commitment All contractual obligations were met.
Ensuring that University of Bristol remains the university of choice for students, academics and partners in a globally competitive market The University of Bristol is a Russell Group University and a leader in many global league tables, including the QS World University Rankings where in 2023 it ranked 9th in the UK. To strengthen its competitive position, the University is undertaking an ambitious digital transformation strategy. As a foundation of this strategy, the Modern Network will deliver a significant increase in capacity, flexibility, automation, resilience, security and experience for all users. Cambridge Management Consulting was selected as the consulting firm to help the University establish and refine the requirements, design the network in collaboration with University of Bristol experts and lead the technical procurement for a Modern Network. Cambridge MC’s technical and commercial expertise helped University of Bristol navigate a complex procurement exercise and deliver the first stages of the transformation programme. The Challenge The current University of Bristol campus network requires significant modernisation to support the University’s Digital Strategy. All staff, students and visitors interact with the University's network every day, whether it's connecting a device to Wi-Fi, emailing a colleague, or running a session on the University’s Digital Learning Platform. The University of Bristol recognised that improving their global competitiveness requires a step change in the digital experience offered to all users and so it launched its Modern Network programme. Key objectives of the Modern Network are to introduce a high-performance network that gives users access to comprehensive teaching and learning resources, as well as specialist equipment, data, and scalable fibre for innovative research. The Modern Network programme also aims to enable students to connect with friends and family, and socialise online from wherever they are on campus, at any time, day or night. The new network will enhance the Wi-Fi coverage and capacity to give users the best digital experience round the clock. The University realises that a significant increase in network performance is needed to support data intensive activities, including centralised and de-centralised computing, large scale sensor networks, media rich applications like augmented and virtual reality, data intensive instrumentation and modelling. The architecture designed is going to be more flexible, highly scalable, adaptable and evergreen. Security will be improved to cope with the continuously evolving threat landscape and to enable Modern Network users to safely perform their activities from any location in the world, with a consistent, hassle-free experience. The Modern Network will deliver a reliable platform with world-class operational capabilities, making the services easy to consume, monitor and manage. The Strategy Cambridge Management Consulting used its expertise and knowledge to quickly establish a comprehensive set of requirements and to test market appetite to deliver a Modern Network via an RFI. Requirements Management used a structured approach based on a Cambridge MC requirements catalogue. This accelerated the process of engaging University of Bristol stakeholders to validate requirements and helped to shape the University’s procurement process. An efficient and comprehensive stakeholder engagement process also saw the development of multiple personas that were used to explain how the Modern Network would deliver capabilities for students, academics, researchers and professional services colleagues. Cambridge MC, in conjunction with the university, then helped to shape a structured procurement approach. Modern Network capabilities were put into 3 main procurement categories to provide purchasing and transformation flexibility. Cambridge MC led the Procurement technical dialogue. Working in partnership with experts from the University of Bristol, a highly scalable, flexible, secure and resilient target state network was designed. The design is modular and makes use of multiple technical patterns. This provides a repeatable, standardised way for the University to deliver capabilities that can have customised performance service and levels. To assist the Procurement activities, Cambridge MC also created a Model Modern Network. The Model allowed a consistent financial assessment to be made at each stage of the Procurement, including providing a detailed estimate of the transformation milestones and payments. The Cambridge MC team also shaped the Modern Network programme. It was broadly shaped into mobilisation, discovery, design, prove, pilot and deploy phases. Cambridge MC are providing support in the early transformation phase to help the University of Bristol deliver the ambitious programme. The resulting Modern Network will be a high performance, flexible, resilient and secure platform. It will introduce self-service and automation, such as zero touch deployments and autonomous networks for research activities. It will leverage programmatic control and AIOps to improve the digital experience and inclusiveness, sustainability and the global competitiveness of the University. A technical modernisation like this requires a similar shift to a world-class operating model. Cambridge MC supported the service management redesign throughout the procurement phase. Using comprehensive requirements structured around ITIL, the team co-designed the enhanced set of service capabilities and are now helping University of Bristol to introduce these services. The new service management approach will provide full end-to-end visibility of the network, formal SLAs and SLA management and enhanced fault, change, configuration and knowledge management. This will complement the new technical capabilities and provide significant benefits to the University. The Team Cambridge Management Consulting provided procurement, commercial, technical business analysis and service management expertise. Cambridge MC also provided expertise for the procurement and post-procurement implementation activity. Cambridge MC worked exceptionally well with the University's digital and procurement teams to ensure end-to-end success for the University. Not only did the Cambridge MC team help support, but they also provided extensive knowledge transfer to, the University to minimise the future need for external support, minimise future costs for external consultants and help further develop the in-house ICT and procurement capabilities. Outcomes & Results 1. Cambridge Management Consulting's attention to detail ensured there were clear winners of the Procurement lots, with no challenges or disaffected potential suppliers. The winners of the three lots were all world-class organisations with a desire to support the University with its ambition to deliver a first-class service. 2. Cambridge MC have since assisted the University with other aspects of their Digital Strategy and continue to be engaged to help University of Bristol transform.
Our Procurement as a Service allows your internal resources to focus on what they do best essensys is a leading global software and technology company designed to solve the complex operational challenges faced by landlords and flexible workspace operators. essensys was using its sales & delivery teams to additionally procure services for their clients. This took resources away from what they do best: getting requests, chasing quotes and managing ordering & termination processes. As the inventory of services grew the client was missing out on the cost opportunities of procuring at scale. Rather than recruiting an in-house team, essensys turned to Cambridge Management Consulting for help with the procurement of their connectivity services from quotation to inventory management. The Challenge The initial contract was to help essensys meet pricing requests for ‘last mile’ connectivity enquiries from their Sales teams. To date this had been done through their Technical Delivery team and pre-sales engineers. The problem was that this took those specialised resources away from important core duties performed by the sales teams. Our pricing analysts took over quoting, originally for the UK and then for the US, supporting the essensys sales team and comparing the costs from suppliers with pricing from other clients. Pricing for essensys customer sites requires two diverse lines with different suppliers, providing as much resilience as possible to ensure a maximum uptime for essensys’ customers. Our team’s knowledge of suppliers and their networks ensures that maximum resilience is offered with each pair of quotes provided to the essensys team. Scope As essensys looked to expand their operations into the APA Region, we were asked to provide regulatory support establishing their operations in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia. Once their PoPs were built, we supported these new markets by developing the supplier strategy for data centre space, access and IP Transit. We then helped the quote team expand their scope to include supporting sales enquiries for these new markets. When Sales started enquiring about connectivity in markets other than where essensys had operations, our PaaS practice located and introduced essensys to a partner organisation that would operate as their virtual PoPs, rapidly increasing the number of markets that essensys could cover while maintaining internet quality and client experience of the essensys platform. In 2023, essensys' relationship with our PaaS practice increased its scope again, supporting essensys in all elements of the procurement life cycle including all elements of inventory management (raising orders, submitting cancellations and ensuring that the inventory data is up-to-date) as well as supporting essensys in meeting their cost management targets. All of these services are supplemented with our PaaS contract management and end-to-end procurement strategy across their telecoms and data centre spend. The Team The team is led by Eric Green (Senior Partner) and Elisabeth Simao (Partner) who between them have over 60 years of experience in running telecoms procurement teams for some of the largest names in the industry including AT&T, Level 3 (now Lumen), COLT and SITA/Equant (now Orange Business) Backed by a team of analysts and calling on a roster of procurement specialists, the team is able to scale up and down to meet the changing needs of essensys as the project grew How Paas Works Our Procurement-as-a-Service team shares resources and knowledge with the Carrier Club (part of the Cambridge MC family of companies and focussed on telecoms operators). The team uses its view of aggregated spend across all clients to calculate what the right market price should be and then leverages this when negotiating new pricing We also benchmark suppliers and can manage all aspects of our clients' inventory management, proactive cost management and supplier management requirements Our clients effectively share a team of procurement specialists with decades of experience. This improves the decision-making process and gives you the edge over a traditional in-house procurement model
Across a client portfolio that includes 3000+ sites in 120 countries Cambridge MC worked with a large company leading the workplace revolution and representing some of the largest brand names in the workspace-as-a-service market. This client had realised that internet services provided to customers were key to their business success. With 3000+ sites in almost 900 cities, in over 120 countries, they need to ensure that telecoms services are being bought at the right quality and at the best market price. Our client was following an aggressive acquisition strategy, and the procurement processes and contracts are currently failing to keep apace. They initially required a Procurement as a Service solution and market review of current spend. We sought to find ‘cash now’ savings and create a report outlining improvements to the process for telecoms procurement. The Strategy In August 2017, the team was brought on to run a global cost review for the group. As this project developed, the scope-of-work was expanded to include onboarding and managing new suppliers. The aim was to invigorate the cost base and improve the quality of experiences (QofE) for customers. We also led on programs to ensure that our client's centres have a bandwidth that is ‘cost sensible’ without affecting QofE. Analysis Conducted a review of client's data costs globally to find where the largest areas of opportunity and most likely areas for quick wins were. In this review, the processes in North America were found to be efficient and their pricing on-market. This region was dropped from the scope of work after getting our seal-of-approval Developed and ran RFPs for Australia, Japan, South East Asia and Africa in pursuit of improved market pricing. The RFP sought out new suppliers as well as sending out a wake-up call to some existing providers Renegotiated agreements for pricing across a number of markets and suppliers, including major suppliers to the group across Europe. Discounts were leveraged against introducing new services to client through the supplier's new operations in Asia Developed the mathematics behind sizing the bandwidth requirement for centres, as well as looking at new ways of deploying bandwidth into centres that was more focused on the way the bandwidth is used by the end-users Knowledge & Skills Extensive use of the Cambridge MC Group’s database of market rates, developed over time through extensive trading Knowledge of best practice procurement for telecoms, including understanding the operational impact of procurement decisions The ability to define, draft and manage end-to-end Procurement RFP processes across a large global network Our knowledge of a wide range of telecoms products The ability to work with stakeholders across different countries, time-zones and cultures Outcomes & Results 1. PaaS Solution As the client expanded, we led their centralised procurement for telecoms. We helped them to manage these contracts as their change in business model allowed franchisees to take on the responsibility for procurement 2. 2019 - £3.67m in savings In 2019 the team provided £3.67m in savings from its global activities with the group, while simultaneously increasing the provided bandwidth by over 20% 3. 2020 - £10m in savings In 2020, we saved the group nearly £10m, circa 30% of their global telecommunications expenditure 
Industry insights
The Naze is a unique headland that extends northwards from the seaside town of Walton-on-the-Naze. Derived from the old English word ‘naes’ meaning promontory or, quite literally, nose, the Naze is the most easterly peninsula in Essex. The Naze's extensive tidal creeks, islands, and salt marshes form part of the 2000 acre Hamford Water National Nature, a wetland of international importance for migratory birds. This evocative landscape was the inspiration for Arthur Ransome's 'Secret Water’, part of the Swallows and Amazons series. The Naze cliffs are a designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Just a short stroll along the beach offers glimpses into its rich natural history, with sharks’ teeth, shells, and fossils scattered along the shore. The cliffs offer a fascinating strata, including London Clay formed about 50 million years ago in a subtropical sea and sands called the Red Crag from about 3 million years ago. The Naze is also home to a diverse collection of wildlife. It is home to migratory and nesting birds such as the Dark Bellied Brent Goose, Sedge Warbler, and Whitethroat. There is also a large colony of seals. They can be seen sunbathing on mudflats in the backwaters or bobbing about in the waves. Beyond its environmental significance, the Naze is vital to the local community and visitors. It attracts 200,000 visitors each year. The Hamford Water area also provides local employment with a marine industry supporting 200 jobs for Walton, light industrial sites, and farmland contributing to the local economy. Coastal landscapes like the Naze are increasingly recognised for their intangible cultural value, providing communities with wellbeing and mental health benefits. The iconic Naze Tower, a Grade 2* listed navigation mark built in 1720, is a beloved landmark offering museum exhibits, an art gallery, a cafe, and educational visits about the history, geology, and erosion of the Naze. Coast Under Threat Unfortunately, this invaluable environment is under significant threat from coastal erosion. For many years, the rate of erosion was measured at 1.5 metres per year. Yet, in the last ten years, this has accelerated to between 3-5 metres in some areas. Extreme winter weather and tidal events, often compounded by surge events, drive much of this erosion. Heavy rain saturates the cliffs, causing increased slumping, while high tides with greater wave energy claw away soft cliff sediments. Beach sands are also constantly moving along the exposed shoreline. The soft sediment layers in the cliffs become waterlogged and wash out in the winter, leading to collapse that is then swept away by the sea. Even without sea effects, the cliffs are inherently unstable due to soil behaviour and stress changes. The policy on open coasts allows erosion, and government funding for sea defence typically focuses on protecting property, which the Naze, as an open coast area, does not normally qualify for. At this accelerated rate, the north end of the Naze could be lost to the sea within ten years. This would mean the sea breaching into Hamford Water, permanently changing tidal flow and impacting the fragile salt marshes, wildlife, and all who enjoy and visit this environment. The accelerated erosion is already impacting areas near existing structures. Naze Protection Society In response to these threats, the Naze Protection Society (NPS) was established in April 1997 as a registered charity. The NPS is community-focused, representing local residents and visitors. Their task is to promote the issues, work to define solutions, attract community commitment, and guide the delivery of securing the future of the Naze. They believe proactive intervention is required. The society works through partnerships, bringing together experience, resources, and determination. From 1997 to 2010, they promoted the Crag Walk project, which was built between 2010 and 2011. This rock revetment was designed to secure the Naze Tower cliff frontage. The NPS raised £250,000 from the local community and visitors as the catalyst for the £1.2 million project, which also involved Tendring District Council (TDC), Frinton and Walton Town Council, and Essex Wildlife Trust. The NPS is now setting a new fundraising target of £25,000 a year to deliver soft-engineered structures and build resilience into the whole of the north beach area. They aim to reduce the erosion rate back to 1m/year average and provide resilience against climate change impacts between 2025-2050. Saving The Naze: The Cliffline Project To update the community on their efforts and plans, the NPS is holding the Saving The Naze: The Cliffline Project event. This community event, aligned with World Environment Day, will take place on Saturday, June 14, 2025 , from 10am to 3pm at The Columbine Centre in Walton-on-the-Naze. The event aims to set out the NPS approach to the Cliffline Project, focusing on an affordable plan to slow erosion. It involves valuing everything the Naze and Hamford Water contribute to the community, wildlife, economy, and peace, and developing a plan using science, local expertise, and passion to adapt to the challenges of climate change. To find out more, see the full agenda and reserve a space, visit the Eventbrite page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/saving-the-naze-the-cliffline-project-tickets-1267463420209?aff=oddtdtcreator How You Can Help the Naze The Naze Protection Society relies on community support to carry out its work. You can help protect this unique environment for local people and visitors for future generations to enjoy. Join: Become a member today for only £10 per year: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/become-a-member/ Volunteer: Contribute your time and skills to help preserve the Naze: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/get-involved/ Donate: Make a one-off donation to support the work of the Naze Protection Society. Your donation helps raise funds to promote and develop solutions to save this environment of unique historical and environmental importance: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/donate/ Follow: Join them on social media to keep up to date with their work. You can find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. To find out more about joining, volunteering, or donating, please visit the Naze Protection Society website: https://nazeprotectionsociety.org/ If you have any other questions, please use the form below.
Pioneering Technologies for the Future of Urban Transformation Smart cities might sound like a utopian vision from the 1950s; something that sounds already out-of-date and perhaps even naive in our current geopolitical climate. But as urban spaces gradually implement a a series of technological leaps, the smart city emerges as a potential reality, offering a new way to unite communications with infrastructure via real-time feedback. Smart cities could dramatically enhance our quality of life, efficiency, and environmental stewardship. Given that cities are significant contributors to global emissions — responsible for approximately 70% of greenhouse gases — they will play a critical role in reaching net zero. Reflecting insights from the last Smart City Expo in Barcelona (November 2024) and a range of ambitious projects across the UK, this article delves into the strategic alignment of technology, infrastructure, and sustainability shaping today's urban landscapes. What Defines a Smart City? A smart city is fundamentally ‘a municipality that uses information and communication technology to increase operational efficiency, share information with the public, and improve the quality of government services and citizen welfare.’ While definitions vary, the overarching mission is to optimise city functions, drive economic growth, and enhance the quality of life through technology and data analysis. Smart city initiatives typically require three critical components: Networks of sensors and citizen participation to collect data Connectivity linking these networks to government systems Open data sharing to make results, changes, and improvements accessible to the public Developing this underlying infrastructure is complex and expensive. Crucially, it depends on strong relationships between government, the private sector, and citizens, as most of the work to create and maintain these data-driven environments happens through collaboration and public-private partnerships.
Edge computing, 5G, IoT and AI are contributing to a paradigm shift in retail that will imagine new possibilities made commercially viable by real-time data processing. In this article, we look at the convergence of these technologies and how they will offer a radical new vision of our high street by offering customers exciting new experiences that can rejuvenate in-store shopping and retail spaces. First, in Part 1, we look briefly at each technology and discuss the technical advantages they offer and how this supports new types of customer experience. Then in Part 2 we look at industry predictions about how the retail space might evolve over the next decade. Part I Edge Computing Edge computing involves processing data near its source rather than in a centralised location. In retail, this means deploying IT infrastructure in or near store venues where consumers interact with products. This ecosystem enables real-time decision-making and personalised customer experiences by analysing data from sensors and IoT devices within the store. Edge computing is a concept that applies to an integrated network of processing units, data centres and sensors that handle data close to the user. Micro Data Centres The compute part of edge computing needs to be housed in proper data centre facilities, to ensure that the expensive server equipment, especially those used by AI systems, are kept in the optimum conditions — this helps keep maintenance and operational costs down. Even though edge compute systems can be relatively compact, retailers will mostly be unwilling to give up valuable floor space for the IT equipment and its associated infrastructure (like cooling and electrical systems), so the more likely scenario is that smaller data centres will be used that can be located close by but in back-of-house areas, such as loading bays, car parks, warehouse areas and so on. These will often be operated as cloud services so that multiple retailers can benefit from edge compute without having to bear the upfront capital cost, and, most importantly, the ongoing maintenance required to keep them operational. 5G 5G networks offer high-speed connectivity and low latency, which are crucial for supporting advanced retail technologies like augmented reality (AR) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The increased bandwidth allows for seamless integration of online and offline shopping experiences, enabling features like virtual try-ons and real-time product comparisons. This connectivity supports personalised marketing strategies that take place in real time and deliver targeted promotions in store. Internet of Things (IoT) The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to a network of interconnected devices, machines, and sensors that collect, store, and transfer data over the internet. These devices are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity, allowing them to communicate with each other and with other internet-enabled systems. IoT plays a crucial role in enhancing the retail experience by providing real-time data on customer behaviours, security risks, buying preferences, inventory supply levels and daily operations. IoT devices will principally include cameras but also a range of other sensors such as RFID tags and smart shelves.
How to Connect Rural Britain and the Hardest-to-Reach Customers The lack of rural connectivity in the UK has become a pressing issue , creating a digital divide that impacts individuals, businesses and farmers. Modern society relies on digital services, and the lack of access to reliable, high-speed internet is a pervasive social issue that results in digital exclusion for communities, depriving them of fundamental services like online banking, health care, and education. This lack of access has a further impact on social mobility, particularly when around 37% of workers in the UK spend at least one day a week working remotely. In 2021 the Public Accounts Committee published a report on improving broadband which states ‘1.6 million UK premises, mainly in rural areas, cannot yet access superfast [internet] speeds’. Since then, we are happy to report that there has been some progress. As of early 2025, approximately 98% of all UK households have access to high-speed broadband (defined as speeds of 30 Mbps or higher) . In rural areas, that figure is 89% — a decent improvement in the last few years. However, the gap is larger when we consider gigabit speeds: only 52% of rural households can connect to gigabit-capable broadband, compared to 87% in urban areas There is still a significant gap to plug, but things are moving in the right direction. This allows the focus to shift, in part, to the next phase: establishing a modern digital infrastructure which can support a digital-first strategy in public services, as well as encouraging local innovation, such as smart city programmes. The hope is that this infrastructure will drive inward investment which then create a virtuous circle, where as more infrastructure is built, more innovative businesses are attracted to the region, which in turn drives demand for more advanced infrastructure. In this article we look at the improvements in rural connectivity and the programmes and innovations which are most likely to have a social impact.
What are Nature-based Solutions? Nature-Based Solutions can deliver multiple benefits in single locations, delivering greater impact for people, planet, and profit, and moving ESG from being just another cost to a competitive advantage. Today in the ESG space companies are expected to measure and manage their greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption, impacts on biodiversity, air, and water quality, and how their activities affect not only their staff but the communities they operate within. As a result, many companies now measure their impacts, and some employ companies to mitigate or offset their residual effects; however, this outsourcing approach is often costly and inefficient; with each residual effect mitigated or offset separately, uncertainty about the delivery or impact of the work, and delivery in other regions of the world meaning wider benefits are missed. The Business Case for Nature-based Solutions These costs and inefficiencies can be overcome however by mitigating and offsetting multiple residual effects at once by delivering Nature-Based Solutions on company land and buildings, or within the communities they serve. For example, creation or restoration of local grasslands, woodlands or wetlands would deliver carbon and biodiversity credits, water nutrient and air quality improvements, and reduced flood, drought, and wildfire risks in the areas where your company operates and your staff and customers live. Delivering these multiple impacts removes the costs of awarding and managing multiple contracts with different companies, whilst the schemes localness provides certainty of delivery and impact, and wider benefits including new local partnerships, provision of accessible natural greenspace improving staff and community health and wellbeing, and an enhanced corporate image and reputation. With ESG moving rapidly to the top of the social and political agenda the breadth and depth of ESG related disclosures that are required will only grow, so now is the best time to consider how you can deliver these more efficiently and impactfully through Nature-Based Solutions, positioning yourselves as a market leader and making this a key strand of your competitive advantage. Key Steps your Businesses should Take: Step 1: Evaluation of the measurement and management of environmental and social impacts Review of strategies, targets, costs, and impacts of existing approaches to measuring, addressing, and reporting on environmental and social impacts, including gathering stakeholder insights, and reviewing available resources, capabilities, assets, to identify where Nature-Based Solutions could be delivered. Step 2: Exploration of Nature-Based Solution delivery options Identification and assessment of Nature-Based Solution locations that deliver against company needs, including delivery and maintenance costs, partnership opportunities and appetite, and the potential for additional company benefits. Step 3: Delivery of Nature-Based Solutions Engage ESG team, local community, partners and contractors in detailed design and delivery of Nature-Based Solutions, develop and implement maintenance, monitoring, and governance protocols, collate and communicate lessons learnt, celebrate successes. How We can Help edenseven is the sustainability-focused sister-consultancy of Cambridge MC with an award-winning track record of helping businesses design and deliver data-driven sustainability strategies. With experts covering a wide range of sustainability subjects, from biodiversity & nature-based solutions, to electric vehicle fleet solutions, power purchase agreements (PPA), low carbon technologies, building optimisation, supply chain management, and end-to-end business transformation, we have experienced experts ready to help with any of your sustainability needs. With over 15 years' delivering nature-based solutions, Adam’s experience cuts across the public, private and third sectors having delivered time and again place-based solutions that increase profit whilst benefiting people and planet; the triple bottom line. Please get in touch below to find out more.
"Is it Snowing in Space?!" “Is it snowing in space?!” Asks a disgruntled Bill Murray in the film Groundhog Day when he is told that he cannot call out from the snowbound town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. If there is a remake, Bill might not have to worry: signal dead zones may soon be a thing of the past due to recent advancements in satellite technology. Whereas the old picture of satellite communications was a scientist in the wilderness with a big clunky antenna, these days the technological payload is all in space. Recent advancements such as Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, advanced beamforming, and the use of mobile spectrum bands means that any phone supporting 4G LTE can potentially receive satellite data directly. This integration of satellite and terrestrial networks is set to reshape the mobile industry, creating both opportunities and challenges for traditional mobile network operators (MNOs) and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). In this article we give an overview of the technological advancements, the major players in the market, and then consider the effects this will have on traditional wholesale mobile market structures; concluding with the emerging opportunities for new revenue and growth. The Evolution of Satellite Connectivity Historically, satellite communications operated independently from terrestrial networks, serving specialised markets with limited scalability and high entry barriers. However, recent advancements, particularly in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology, have dramatically altered this scenario. The most well-known example is obviously SpaceX, which has played a pivotal role in democratising space: reducing barriers to entry and making satellite connectivity more scalable, performant, and accessible. SpaceX and other companies have found innovative ways to dramatically reduce costs. Since Sputnik 1 in 1957, launching payloads into space has been prohibitively expensive, with costs exceeding $100,000 per kilogram in the 1960s and averaging $16,000/kg for heavy payloads from 1970 to 2010. SpaceX’s innovations have brought these costs down through reusable rockets, vertical integration, economies of scale, and advancements in materials and manufacturing processes: leading to price points as low as $100 per kilogram in recent years. However, cost is just one of the barriers. The real gambit has been provided by Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, which typically orbit at altitudes ranging from approximately 160 to 2,000 km and offer low-latency, high-speed connectivity — making them ideal for real-time applications and direct-to-device communications. The latest generation of technologies now enable LTE mobile phones to connect directly to satellites without specialised hardware, marking a significant milestone in mobile communications. The Major Satellite-to-Cell Players While SpaceX's Starlink has garnered the most attention, several other major companies are actively developing satellite-to-cell technologies and forming strategic partnerships with terrestrial mobile operators. As of April 2024, Starlink had established 15 partnerships with mobile carriers globally — including T-Mobile in the US. T-Mobile has structured its beta program to begin with text messaging capabilities, gradually expanding to include picture messages, data connectivity, and eventually voice calls. As of February 2025, it is reported that 7,086 Starlink satellites are in orbit, with 7,052 being operational. AST SpaceMobile has emerged as a significant innovator, achieving a historic milestone in April 2023 with the first-ever two-way voice call directly with an unmodified smartphone, via their BlueWalker 3 satellite. AST SpaceMobile launched its first five commercial satellites, the BlueBird 1-5 mission, on September 12, 2024, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Lynk Global represents another significant player. In a recent expense report, it revealed that each satellite costs around $400,000 to build and up to $815,000 to launch into space. They hope to have up to 1000 satellites (for full continuous broadband coverage) in orbit by 2025 and 32 mobile network operator (MNO) partnerships by the end of 2025. The company has successfully demonstrated text messaging capabilities from satellites to standard cellular devices and continues to expand its constellation and service offerings. Huawei has partnered with China Telecom to demonstrate satellite-to-phone messaging capabilities, while Apple has worked with Globalstar to implement emergency satellite messaging features in recent iPhone models. Implications for Traditional Wholesale Mobile Market Structures Traditionally, the wholesale mobile market has been structured around MNOs, MVNOs, and wholesale aggregators. Revenue streams have typically included MVNO wholesale pricing, and IoT and machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions. However, the rise of satellite-to-cell technology poses potential threats to this established model. Disintermediation of MNOs and MVNOs Satellite-to-cell connectivity introduces the potential for disintermediation, where control traditionally held by MNOs could become fragmented across multiple parties in the value chain. As satellite providers increasingly offer direct-to-device services, traditional operators risk losing their central role in network management and customer relationships. Pricing Pressure on Wholesale Markets The increased availability and competition from satellite connectivity providers could exert downward pressure on wholesale pricing. As satellite services become more affordable and accessible, traditional wholesale providers may face challenges in maintaining their pricing structures and profitability. Competitive Pressure in IoT and Enterprise Applications Satellite connectivity is particularly well-suited for IoT and enterprise applications, especially in remote or challenging environments. As satellite-to-cell technology matures, traditional wholesale providers may face intensified competition in these segments, necessitating strategic adjustments to remain competitive. Emerging Opportunities in Satellite-to-Cell Connectivity Despite these challenges, the integration of satellite connectivity into mobile networks also presents substantial opportunities for innovation and growth. Forward-thinking operators can leverage satellite-to-cell technology to develop new business models and revenue streams. Hybrid Terrestrial-Satellite Subscription Models Providing Ubiquitous Connectivity Operators can offer hybrid subscription plans that seamlessly integrate terrestrial and satellite connectivity. Such models provide customers with uninterrupted coverage, enhancing user experience and creating differentiated service offerings. Wholesale Satellite Resale for MVNOs Satellite-to-cell technology opens new avenues for MVNOs to expand their service portfolios. By reselling satellite connectivity, MVNOs can offer enhanced coverage and reliability, particularly in underserved or remote regions, thereby attracting new customer segments. IoT and Enterprise-Focused Applications Satellite connectivity is a natural fit for IoT and enterprise applications, such as remote monitoring, asset tracking, and industrial automation. Mobile operators can forge strategic partnerships with satellite providers to deliver specialised solutions for these markets, tapping into new revenue opportunities. Emergency-Only and Disaster Recovery Plans Satellite-to-cell technology can play a crucial role in emergency and disaster recovery scenarios, providing a reliable backup to terrestrial networks when they are unavailable or overwhelmed. Operators can develop emergency-only plans that leverage satellite connectivity to ensure critical communications during crises. Conclusion Satellite-to-cell technology represents a convergence of space and terrestrial communications systems that promises to fundamentally alter global connectivity markets and players. The dramatic reduction in launch costs by a factor of 20 has enabled the deployment of massive satellite constellations that were previously economically unfeasible. The competitive landscape continues to evolve rapidly, with SpaceX, AST SpaceMobile, and Lynk, and traditional telecommunications companies all pursuing various technological approaches and business models. Commercial text messaging services are already becoming available through beta programs, with video calling capabilities demonstrated and voice calls progressing toward wider availability. The integration of 5G standards with satellite networks continues to advance through collaborative industry initiatives, with projections of a $50 billion market by 2032. As this technology continues to mature throughout 2025 and beyond, it promises to eliminate mobile dead zones and create new application possibilities that were previously unimaginable. The future of mobile communications is undoubtably hybrid: blending terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks into seamless connectivity solutions that follow users wherever they go. This has wide reaching implications for connectivity in remote and isolated regions, and offers perhaps the fastest and most cost-efficient route to bridging the digital divide. It will also transform how we respond in disaster zones and hazardous areas — increasing the ability to protect and save lives with faster and safer humanitarian and emergency services.
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