Ruralnet|uk


Best practice in: 	Broadband
Sector:			Rural regeneration
Size of firm:		15 employees
Location:		      Kenilworth, Warwickshire
Website:		ruralnetuk.org

The rural regeneration charity, ruralnet|uk, promotes a living and working countryside and helps rural communities to improve and strengthen their local economies.  


Objectives: 

ruralnet|uk's work includes promoting and enabling collaboration, research, consulting and information transfer, as well as undertaking projects that aim to put ideas into practice at a local level.  The organisation's objective in obtaining broadband was to enable it to improve the efficiency of its existing operations and also to provide the required on-line technology on which to further develop its new on-line service ruralnet|online.  To provide an effective on-line service they required a fast, always on Internet connection.  Prior to having their own broadband connection their computer systems were based at a third party site and they managed them remotely.  They wanted to have the greater control and confidence that having the systems in-house offered.  



Solution: 

ruralnet|uk uses a leased line to run the online service and is also currently testing a BT Openworld two-way broadband satellite system to run a wireless HotSpot from their offices.  It is planned that ruralnet|uk will retain its leased line connection for the delivery of its ruralnet|online service and use the satellite service as its own method of internet access.  ADSL is not currently available in their geographical location and so is not an option for ruralnet|uk.


Results: 

Although as a charity ruralnet|uk is a not-for-profit organisation, it needs to generate sufficient revenue to meet its charitable aims and be financially sustainable so that it is not totally dependent on grant support.  Chief Executive Simon Berry says that this was previously a continuing battle for them as the services that they provided were all charged on a time basis, and there was a limit to the amount of time that they could provide and the amount that they could charge for that time.  

The organisation identified the introduction of the on-line service ruralnet|online as a possible solution to this.  ruralnet|online is an online relationship-based peer support network facilitating the sharing of knowledge, formation of partnerships and the generation and development of ideas for the benefit of the community.   

Whilst this subscription based service has enabled ruralnet|uk to provide its target community with additional benefits, it has also played a major role in transforming ruralnet|uk from an organisation requiring a considerable subsidy to support its operations, to one which now generates a surplus from its on-going operations.  The surplus can now be reinvested in the business for the benefit of its community. "We don't own buildings or land, but in the knowledge economy we have built a revenue generating asset. We now have a product we can sell which is not time-related."  

ruralnet|uk's more traditional time-based work has also benefited from the implementation of broadband.  "The use of collaborative software in the running and management of our projects, made possible through the use of broadband, has led to considerable improvements both in our client relationships and in the efficiency and cost effectiveness of our own team-based operations." 

Their consultancy work often requires the building of working teams from different areas of the business.  This requires a high degree of flexibility in terms of working practices.  The use of collaborative software enables them to manage this joint working more effectively than they could through the use of just email. 

Simon believes that the integration of technology into their working practices has led directly to the winning of at least one major contract.  Since introducing broadband and supporting technology they have won a far higher proportion of all contracts proposed for.  "The high degree of transparency that our project management systems provides to our customers has been a very important factor in our ability to win new business."



Challenges: 

"Broadband per se is not where the value is. It's what you do with it that is the most important, says Simon.  "Broadband has enabled us to develop high value services which would not have been economically viable without broadband." 

ruralnet|uk now delivers an on-line news service specialising in development and regeneration news called xPRESS Digest.  This takes the form of an email newsletter sent every weekday.  The news items are identified and researched by a specialist team and all news items contain a hyperlink to the original news story on the Internet. In October 2002 they started a service called 'Experts Online' which places a panel of experts at the disposal of their subscribers covering issues such as funding, legal issues, ICT, employment issues, and Health & Safety.  ruralnet|uk is a founder partner of the Community Broadband Network (www.broadband-uk.coop) which is using these systems to help rural communities benefit from broadband.


The last word: 

ruralnet|uk has now also set up Networks Online, a "network of networks",  providing information for and linking organisations and individuals in the voluntary, public and private sectors.  "We introduced this service in response to the high level of interest shown from other non-rural networks," says Simon.