LONDON, 9 March 2009 – Pipex, the leading ISP for small businesses, today releases the results of its research into the SME market, revealing that the majority of this audience use their home broadband connection for professional use.

The study by Redshift Research for Pipex, which asked 900 small business owners what type of internet connection they use, found that more businesses (79%) use their home broadband internet connection for work regularly than any other mode of connection. In contrast, just under half (48%) use office/business broadband. In addition, when asked which is the most frequent method of connection two thirds (64%) stated home broadband and only a third (30%) said office/business broadband.

Most productive when working from home

As many as 55% of the respondents also said that they are at their most productive when working from home compared to 35% who say they are most productive working from the office. Working from home can have many advantages, including flexibility and saving time on commuting – the respondents said they spend on average one to two hours every day commuting. This may explain why the majority feel they get more done working at home particularly as broadband is considered so easy to set up and use today – 77% said they found it 'easy or very easy' to set up and only 7% found it difficult.

Lack of internet connection is the number one frustration

Small businesses are now so reliant on broadband that 69% of respondents to the survey said that "not being able to connect to internet” was the most frustrating situation followed by "not getting access to your emails” (60%) – both were more frustrating than losing your keys (28%) or your mobile phone (31%), cancelled appointments (22%) and traffic jams (31%).

Lance Spencer, Product and Marketing Director at Pipex, says: "The research clearly shows that broadband is a vital business tool and with such easy access, the office may no longer be the preferred working environment. Working from home can be just as effective, however, home broadband tends to be consumer grade and does not come with the features and support of a dedicated business package. Business broadband has been considered to be too expensive for many small businesses, but with Pipex's extremely competitive business packages, a small business can now afford a business class solution with the sort of performance and support that will give them a competitive advantage, whether they are working from home or not.

"The new Pipex broadband packages include a host of attractive features such as prioritised traffic to avoid slow down in performance during peak hours, Enhanced Upstream, for those reliant on uploading as well as downloading files and assured bandwidth channels that allow a defined amount of constant 200Kb*, 500Kb* or 1Mb* for key applications such as video conferencing, Voice over IP and similar ‘real-time' applications.”

Pipex Pro with Enhanced Upstream offers up to 24Mb downstream and 2.5Mb upstream for only &19.50 a month ex VAT*. There is even a solution for those who require a more powerful business broadband solution; Pipex Premium Plus with Enhanced Upstream offers the same upstream and downstream performance (guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth) of 1Mb for just &49 a month, and includes free Enhanced Care, free Engineer Installation and 5000 minutes† of calls each month.

*All speeds are dependent on distance from the BT exchange

Further details on Pipex's business broadband products can be found at: www.pipex.co.uk/business

LONDON, 2 March 2009 – Pipex, the leading ISP for small businesses, today announces the launch of a range of new powerful broadband services which are perfect for small businesses that require a faster upstream connection.

With higher guaranteed bandwidth, the new services with Enhanced Upstream enable businesses to allow faster and more robust uploading and run multiple online services simultaneously such as voice over IP, video conferencing and online business applications.

Enhanced Upstream is based on the faster 'up to 24Mb' ADSL 2+ technology and offers product performance up to 2.5Mb downstream and 24Mb upstream. The customer must be on an ADSL2+ enabled exchange and speeds achieved are subject to distance from the exchange, line quality and the customer's own equipment. The new Enhanced Upstream services from Pipex provide an upstream speed increase of up to 2.5Mb* which is up to six times faster than standard ADSL based business broadband products.

Pipex Pro with Enhanced Upstream offers up to 24Mb downstream and 2.5Mb upstream for only &19.50 a month ex VAT*. There is even a solution for those who require a more powerful business broadband solution; Pipex Premium Plus with Enhanced Upstream offers the same upstream and downstream performance (guaranteed symmetrical bandwidth) of 1Mb for just &49 a month.

The new Pipex broadband packages include a host of attractive features such as prioritised traffic to avoid slow down in performance during peak hours, and guaranteed bandwidth, allowing a defined amount of constant 200Kb*, 500Kb* or 1Mb* of bandwidth throughout the day. These features mean that business traffic does not experience the delays normally experienced by ADSL based broadband users making it ideal for video conferencing, Voice over IP and similar online applications.

Lance Spencer, Product and Marketing Director for Pipex, says: "Download speed alone is not necessarily a critical performance factor for businesses. Small businesses providing professional services such as new media, design, architecture or technology will be liberated by enhanced and assured upstream. In addition businesses wanting the consistency and reliability from their broadband to run multiple and real-time applications such as Voice over IP, conferencing and remote applications will benefit from these new powerful services at a fraction of the cost of traditional BT SDSL services”.

* All speeds are dependent on distance from the BT exchange

Further details on Pipex's business broadband products can be found at: www.pipex.co.uk/business

LONDON, 23 February 2009 – Pipex Business, experts in the Internet since 1991, today announces the launch of Rentsoft, a new software platform that enables small businesses to download leading business software applications on a subscriptions basis. The Rentsoft service is available via the Pipex Business portal, and ensures easy access to the key applications a small business needs as well as a cost efficient way to keep their software applications up to date.

Pipex allows customers to download and use the full version of selected software applications ranging from accounting and payroll to HR and business planning, and offers exclusive, below market rate deals for Pipex Business customers. The service offers a minimum 30 days free trial of the products, which is a very attractive feature for small businesses in today's economic environment.

Key benefits of the Pipex-Rentsoft service include:

- No capital outlay
- The ability to trial and buy a wide range of SME targeted business software with no added complications
- The ability to switch or upgrade products at any time with no hidden costs
- The ability to download full software straight to the PC within minutes
- Integrated support packages which are available on selected products, enabling customers to get the most out of their software
- Support for web, Windows and virtualised applications. Windows applications do not require a permanent connection to the internet to operate

Lance Spencer, Product and Marketing Director for Pipex Business, says: "SMEs are responsible for driving innovation and have to be as competitive as ever in the current economic climate. These Pipex software services, in partnership with Rentsoft, will help SME's to be more productive by providing them with cost effective tools to help them meet their wider business goals."

Prices vary from just £;2.49 ex VAT per month for e-bcm Business Credit Management, an online credit management service that helps customers improve their cash flow, to &60 ex VAT for MYOB Accounting Plus with full support, a unique software that has everything a small business needs to manage its' finances.

Please follow the link for a free trial of the Rentsoft service.