Page 40 - SAMENA Trends - June-July 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

BT Confirms Glasgow as Key Location

BT’s main Glasgow office is set for a multi-million-pound an impressive and modern environment, transforming the way we
refurbishment as the city was revealed as a key location in the work. “Excitingly, it will continue to be an important location for
company’s future plans. The office on the Clydeside, first opened BT Group in Scotland. Our colleagues at Alexander Bain House
in 2001, will undergo a major refurbishment to modernize it and will benefit from working in a future-fit office which sits within
create a fantastic workplace for hundreds of colleagues. It’s the city’s thriving international financial district.” Teams based
expected that hundreds more colleagues from across BT Group, at Glasgow’s refurbished office will benefit from the company’s
which includes UK digital network business Openreach, will investment in 5G and full-fiber broadband in the city. BT’s ambition
move into the building over the next few years. The company is to increase efficiency and productivity, improving its ability to
is a founding partner and one of the first tenants of Glasgow's do the best for its customers. The Better Workplace Program will
International Financial Services District (IFSD). The office, deliver a combination of refurbishments like this, as well as new
known as Alexander Bain House, currently houses around 1,000 offices. The program is due to complete in 2024. BT Group plays an
colleagues. Glasgow is the latest key location to be unveiled in important role in Scotland and is responsible for generating £1 in
the UK as part of BT’s ‘Better Workplace Program’ – the largest every £110 produced in the country, according to an independent
workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type report. It generated nearly £1.2 billion to the Scottish economy
ever undertaken in the UK. The five-year program will improve and in “Gross Value Added” GVA, during the 2017/18 financial year.*
consolidate BT’s footprint of more than 300 locations to around BT Group employs nearly 7,700 people across the nation. BT has
30, including corporate offices, contact centers and specialist also confirmed today its commitment to Dundee, where it already
sites. Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “It's employs hundreds of people. Glasgow and Dundee join other
great news that Glasgow has been chosen as a key operational locations already announced including Edinburgh, Birmingham,
location for BT. We're pleased that a large company such as BT is London, Manchester, Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, and Ipswich (Adastral
continuing to invest in Glasgow and modernizing its office space Park). More announcements will follow in due course.
in the center of the city. “The expansion of their business is good
news for sustainable jobs, for the city and the wider economy –
particularly at a time when we are working hard to secure Glasgow’s
economic recovery from Covid-19.” Jane Wood, BT Group director,
Scotland, said: “This is a real sign of BT’s continued commitment
to Glasgow and to Scotland generally. “Although many of us have
been working from home successfully over the past few months,
we also know that modern office environments are vital. I’m so
pleased we are able to announce this investment and expansion
at a time when it’s more important than ever to demonstrate our
confidence in Scotland’s ability to make a sustainable recovery
from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.” Graeme Paton,
BT’s managing director, property and facility services, said: “Our
refurbished building in Glasgow will bring our people together in

BT Targets Green Tech Boost with New Initiatives

BT Group made moves to seek out green optimization, along with IoT-capable for corporate fleets. BT’s first step in this
technology companies and establish fleets technology for managing buildings energy regard will be to electrify its own fleet of
of electric vehicles in the UK, to contribute and water supplies. Another goal is nearly 34,000 vehicles, it stated. CEO Philip
to efforts to tackle climate change. In a exploring how 5G can be used to reduce Jansen (pictured) noted “the global climate
statement, the operator said the Green travel, for example by using video, AR or VR emergency” was still present despite “the
Tech Innovation Platform scheme aimed for remote repair and diagnostic functions. temporary reprieve on carbon emissions
to uncover the latest technologies from BT is collaborating with innovation platform and air quality in towns and cities” during
UK-based scale-ups (the next step up Plug and Play Tech Centre on the scheme lockdown measures imposed to confine
from a start-up) which could be used to and aims to select technology companies the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
boost the operator’s efforts to achieve a in the second half of the year. The operator “As we emerge from the crisis, the
net-zero carbon footprint by 2045. As part also partnered with non-profit The Climate recovery presents a huge opportunity for
of the program, BT will explore possibilities Group to establish the UK Electric Fleets governments, businesses and individuals
to develop smart street features including Alliance, a body which will push for an to put action on climate at the heart of their
environmental monitoring and traffic acceleration in a shift to electric vehicles efforts”, he emphasized.
40 JUNE-JULY 2020