Technology: Get connected

Making full use of broadband could make running a pub a lot easier. Phil Mellows explains.

Broadband is here! At least it is for 80 per cent of the population. No more funny whirry buzzy noises when you go on the internet, no more hanging around for something to appear on the screen. But what does it mean for pubs? Some managed groups, such as Burtonwood and Yates - featured on the following pages - are already reaping the rewards of broadband in speed and efficiency.

There are numerous applications for high velocity telephone links and the possibilities are just beginning to be recognised.

John Harrison, the former IT director of pub chain Spirit Group, is launching a suite of technologies especially for pub tenants under the name Inn:ovation. Broadband is at the electronic heart of the project. He predicts broadband will enable managed groups to operate through a "virtual back office" that gets rid of slow and costly PCs.

"A virtual back office, on the other hand, is a web-based system accessed by a browser," he explains. "System software and data are held centrally and accessed via the internet.

"The only constraint on doing this until now has been the cost of telecommunications and the bandwidth - or capacity - of the telecommunications."

That's where broadband comes in.

Broadband is "always on", there are no call charges, and crucially, it can make a central system immediately accessible in all the outlets.

"For example," says John. "You want to change how your pubs record labour costs. In the past you would have had to modify the software then roll it out to the outlets and make any data structure changes on the local PCs. This is slow, error-prone and logistically difficult.

"With a virtual back office you change the software in one place - at the centre - and because the outlet is effectively logging onto the application at the centre, it is instantly deployed.

"Lots of companies see the possibilities and in a number of cases have actually implemented solutions using this approach."

While broadband can have a big impact on the way pubs are actually run, there are many other applications.

• Credit cards​
  Because broadband is always connected there's no dial-up time and call charges are also eliminated
• Data collection​
  Traditionally pub groups poll each house during the night to collect information on bankings, sales, payroll, etc. Broadband offers the option of having data "trickled" back in small chunks almost as transactions happen or at whatever time suits the company
• Music distribution​
  A number of companies are using broadband as a vehicle to manage the distribution of music to pub jukebox systems, as opposed to physical distribution of CDs
• Advertising distribution​
  Companies are piloting point-of-sale advertising on screens using broadband to send ads as MPEGs or in another video format. Complex systems can provide complete remote management of advertising content to define when and in what sequence ads appear.
• Online collaborative gaming​
  This involves using broadband to link gaming machines - increasing stakes and generating a larger game pool.
• Real-time link for digital CCTV images​
  The ability to have low profile, low cost CCTV behind the bar for security monitoring of staff and customers.

Offer wireless internet access in your pub​

Wi-fi - wireless internet access - is widely seen as the future of web surfing. It means you no longer need a desk or a phone line to get online - as long as you have your laptop with you and are in a location that offers the service.

There is an obvious potential for pubs, especially those attracting business people, to get involved.

Telecommunications firms such as BT, The Cloud and T-Mobile among others will link you up to the system and offer you a cut of the charge made to the customer for going online.

However, it is this charge that could prove prohibitive, typically costing surfers between £3 and £10 an hour. One possible alternative is a service called Freespot. As the name suggests, it offers customers free internet access by using broadband to link laptops to the web.

The only cost, if you already have broadband, is £500 to the pub or hotel for a clever box. If you don't have broadband, Freespot will sort that out for you for between £80 and £150 a month.

Freespot managing director Ian Calvert has already put the technology into a handful of hotels, plus a café and one pub - the Thatched Tavern in Honeybourne, Worcestershire.

"It's a great chance for pubs to put themselves ahead of the rest by offering free internet access," said Ian. "Pubs with accommodation or conference facilities that also have free internet access could be a great attraction for a business audience."

Pubs that sign up for Freespot also get a listing on the company's website and effectively market their service worldwide.

Broadband on sale over bar - the future?​

The George at Middlezoy in Somerset is one pub that's right at the centre of the broadband revolution.

Licensees Sonya and James Enright are offering their customers broadband access following a deal with BT distributor DMSL.

Customers who sign up for broadband through the pub will receive a £10 drinks voucher which they can redeem at the bar. The George receives a £5 commission for everyone it signs up.

"Everyone seemed to be talking about broadband and we saw an opportunity to offer our customers an additional service," said Sonya. "It is unusual for a pub to offer a service like this but if it's what customers want and it works, it's a great way to get started with broadband."

The George Inn, voted Somerset Pub of the Year in 2000 by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA), is served by the Burrowbridge telephone exchange, which is due to go live with broadband at the end of July. It is one of many rural exchanges in the UK going live over the coming weeks and months.

John Carter, managing director of DMSL, says that promoting broadband through pubs is an ideal way to spread the word.

"The pub is the focal point of many communities - especially in rural areas like Middlezoy - and everyone will be talking about broadband when it arrives," he said. "Making it available at the bar is just a fantastic idea. It brings an element of fun to broadband and makes it seem much more friendly and accessible. If there are other pubs that are serious about offering broadband to their regulars, we'd love to hear from them."

John is also keen to encourage pubs to install BT Openzone hot spots so they can offer customers access from the pub itself.