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Lancashire, UK – 2023 The food-to-go sector has evolved significantly in recent years, encouraged by changing consumer behaviours and technological advancements. As the demand for convenience and speed continues to rise, food retailers and vendors are increasingly turning to digital tools to revolutionise the customer experience. From mobile apps and online ordering platforms to innovative point-of-sale systems, the implementation of these digital tools is reshaping how the food-to-go sector engages its customers.  In the modern world, convenience is key. Consumers are now completely accustomed to speed, ease of access and personalised experience when it comes to their food choices. This shift in consumer behaviour has promoted a notable transformation within the quick-serve and food-to-go sector: Mobile ordering apps: When it comes to ordering food, more than 60% of consumers prefer using mobile apps to do so. Implementing user-friendly apps allows customers to browse menus, place orders and pay seamlessly, enhancing convenience and reducing wait times.  Online ordering platforms: With the rise of e-commerce, online ordering platforms have become increasingly popular. Offering the ability and flexibility to pre-order meals for pick-up, saving time and ensuring their preferred items are available on arrival.  Streamlining operations and efficiency Digital tools not only align with customer preferences but also streamline operations for food-to-go and quick-serve restaurants such as integrated POS (point of sale) systems and data analytics. Digital transformation and the integration of new digital tools are also encouraging an enhanced customer experience through personalisation and real-time communication. Through data-driven insights, businesses can offer personalised recommendations, promotions and loyalty promotions therefore fostering relationships with customers and therefore increasing retention rates.  Guest Wi-Fi One of the keyways the QSR and food-to-go industry can harness the power of digital transformation is through Guest Wi-Fi, EvolveODM is Evolve’s Guest Wi-Fi offering. Guest Wi-Fi provides separate internet access for visitors, enhancing their experience and protecting the main network. Guest Wi-Fi is an incredible marketing tool for businesses to provide extra information, promotions and deals. Therefore, improving customer experience.  EvolveODM stands for Evolve ‘Online Digital Marketing’. EvolveODM can be tailored to meet the specific needs of a business in several ways, including customer login pages, branding and data collection. EvolveODM offers real-time reports and fast management.  Embracing Digital Transformation A robust and dependable connection is the foundation of digital transformation. Companies require a constant connection as well as the guarantee that it won’t fail at any time of day. Given Evolve is aware of the negative effects that more downtime may have on your company, its ISP (Internet Service Provider) solution is built with redundancy to guarantee optimal uptime and reduce the possibility of service interruptions.   In conclusion, the integration of digital tools in the food-to-go sector is not merely an option by a necessity to thrive in today’s competitive landscape. By embracing these tools and staying ahead of technological advancements, businesses can elevate the customer experience, streamline operations and position themselves as industry leaders.  The implementation of digital tools is not just an adaptation of current trends; it’s a strategic investment in meeting evolving customer expectations and driving sustainable growth in the ever-changing food-to-go sector.  End   About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)   Lancashire, UK – 2023   SASE  As part of Evolve’s managed network solutions, they provide an outstanding SD-WAN solution, EvolveWAN. The organisation utilise Mako Network’s systems to provide the SD-WAN device to the end customer. The Mako system is a PCI Level 1 certified system with cloud-managed, carrier-independent networking solutions that make it possible to connect and manage thousands of global sites in a high-performance SD-WAN business network that has no single point of failure and is secure, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective. What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)? SASE is a convergent network and security service architecture. SD-WAN, Cloud Security (Security Service Edge) (SSE), and Zero Trust Network Access are the three fundamental components of the SASE concept. SASE is a cybersecurity concept that Gartner first described in the 2019 report ‘The Future of Network Security in the Cloud‘, they went on to expand on the concept in their ‘2022 Strategic Roadmap for SASE Convergence’. To meet developing cyber security concerns, growing demand for convenient remote access, and broad use of software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications, a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) combines networking and security operations into a unified cloud-delivered service. Alongside being PCI Level 1 compliant, the Mako System is a secure and dependable SASE SD-WAN system that allows you to build your network using hardened, tamper-proof network devices that are only maintained through the cloud-based Mako CMS. There are many benefits to using a SASE SD-WAN system, including: Flexibility  Cost Savings Reducing Complexity Threat Prevention Increased Performance Data Protection About Mako With more than 20 years of experience designing, deploying and maintaining high-security, high-performance distributed enterprise networks, including developing the specialised hardware and software that makes our SASE solution possible, Mako Networks has the knowledge and expertise to solve your network challenges. Evolve have been in partnership with Mako since 2012 and have been their only platinum partner for several of those years.  End   About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

Evolve’s Finance Director Ryan Stephenson-Brown is shortlisted for two awards at the Northern Finance Director Awards.  He won the award for Best Northern Finance Director of a Limited Company up to 25 Million.   Lancashire, UK – 2023 The Northern Finance Director Awards showcases and celebrates exceptional talent of finance directors and their teams across the North of England. The NFDAs recognise that often within businesses finance directors can be the unsung hero.   Ryan was been nominated for; – ‘Best Northern Finance Director of a Limited Company up to £25 million’  – ‘Northern Finance Director of the Year 2023 – Growth/Scale Up’. Ryan has made significant contributions to Evolve over the years. He successfully developed a multi-currency, fully customisable, in-house billing platform which is widely used across Evolve’s customer base.  Ryan launched his first managed network business at the age of 15, which has subsequently been merged into the Evolve brand. As Evolve’s youngest director, he demonstrates time and again that age is not a barrier to accomplishment. Ryan has a clear vision for the company’s future, and he possesses the strategic acumen and entrepreneurial spirit required to bring that vision to fruition. Ryan exhibits a truly exceptional degree of drive and ambition. The nominations for the FDAs went through a rigorous process, once nominated they were required to conduct an interview with the panel. From there in July 2023 the judging day commenced, and the finalists were announced in September 2023.  Evolve are proud to see Ryan receive this amazing recognition, and are extremely proud of the award successes this week and look forward to the future.  End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

Winners of ‘Business Of The Year – Investment’ Award at the Business of the Year awards hosted by TheBusinessDesk.    Lancashire, UK – 2023  The North West Business of the Year awards celebrate the very best business successes from across the region. The Business Desk are showcasing the companies across the UK that are innovative. disruptive and thriving.  TheBusinessDesk.com is the market leader for regional digital business news. They operate across five regions: Yorkshire, North West, West Midlands, East Midlands and South West and offer several different client services include business development and digital marketing.  Each company, including Evolve partook in a rigorous judging process that saw companies visited by members of the judging panel. Once shortlisted, each company was then invited to pitch to the desk why they should win an award.  Evolve are ecstatic to announce that they won ‘Business of The Year’ award in the Investment Category. Evolve was shortlisted for this award amongst several other industry leading business in several different sectors.    Evolve has put significant time and effort into this over the last few years, seeking to create the greatest workplace for its colleagues and a fantastic experience for its consumers. Evolve is a medium-sized, fast-growing Northwest company. Evolve has had 43% organic growth since its founding in 2005. What distinguishes Evolve is its pioneering innovation in the networking business, beginning with the development of its in-house Guest Wi-Fi solution, which was the market’s first of its type. After creating a collaboration with Mako in 2012, this innovation cleared the path for subsequent improvements, such as the PCI-compliant support offering and dominating the SD-WAN market. This introduced the sole Level 1 PCI device to the UK market, which is required for secure payment processing. Mako’s only platinum partner is currently Evolve. Evolve has made considerable investments in the company’s culture throughout the years. Following the global pandemic, Evolve realised that remote working did not apply to their line of business and thought it was better to invest £400K in a new office space outfitted with high-tech goods, modern furniture, and a popular pool table. This investment reflects the company’s dedication to its employees and gives them a reason to look forward to coming to work. Evolve understands the importance of having a decent workplace space for employee well-being and productivity. A well-designed, clean, and comfortable office can help decrease stress and boost morale. It also creates a professional and friendly environment for employees, making them feel appreciated and respected. Furthermore, a decent office space can improve employee health by encouraging movement and physical activity, and all of their workstations and portable seats should stand to guarantee they can accommodate everyone. Furthermore, a well-equipped workplace environment can encourage staff collaboration and communication, which can boost creativity and problem-solving abilities. Finally, investing in a nice office space is an investment in the success and contentment of employees, which can lead to higher overall business success. This change also contributed to the office’s lively atmosphere, which has made Evolve a remarkable working environment and is now sought after by both technical and non-technical professionals in the Northwest. Evolve is extremely passionate about investing in the future of the company and its employees, this award is testament to the dedication.   End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

Revolutionising Manufacturing with XGS-PON Connectivity. Lancashire, UK – 2023   To keep up with the dynamic landscape of modern manufacturing, organisations must embrace the very cutting-edge digital solutions to save costs and automate and streamline processes. One of the most effective ways to boost productivity and ensure a seamless connectivity solution that improves the production chain from end to end is deploying XGS-PON connectivity. Symmetrical upstream and downstream speeds are a game-changer for manufacturers, unlocking many opportunities that optimise operations and cut costs.  What is XGS-PON?   XGS-PON is an updated standard for Passive Optical Networks (PON) that can support higher speed 10Gbps symmetrical data transfer. XGS-PON is evolved from the existing GPON technology, it is essentially a higher bandwidth, symmetrical version of GPON.   IoT Integration    One of the most significant opportunities for manufacturing industries in the UK with the emergence of XGS-PON technology is the birth of the Internet of Things. The manufacturing industry already heavily relies on IoT technology to monitor operations, but IoT devices are bandwidth-hungry, and copper legacy networks need to provide more capacity to accommodate.  With traditionally only 80 Mbps up for grabs on copper networks, harnessing the full extent of the IoT was impossible. With XGS-PON capability via a full-fibre connection, manufacturing companies can harness the bandwidth needed to seamlessly integrate IoT devices and forget about latency infringing on their real-time data collection, as well as predictive maintenance, remote equipment monitoring and security systems.  Advanced Automation and Robotics    Symmetrical upstream and downstream connectivity is the backbone for integrating advanced automation and robotics systems. Manufacturers can use robotics for precision tasks, such as product assembly, to reduce error and speed up production time.  Without latency, robotics can assemble products without faults, improving product quality and customer satisfaction. This frees up time for employees to divert their attention to quality control and other time-consuming processes to drive industry development.  Supply Chain Management    XGS-PON opens up a new realm in supply chain management, offering the bandwidth and speed for real-time visibility across the supply chain. Manufacturers can easily track inventory levels that help them better communicate with suppliers to minimise waste and deadstock and track shipments and production processes. This enhances communications and optimises demand forecasting, reducing stockouts and efficiently allocating resources and investments.  Smart Factories    With XGS-PON, manufacturing businesses can link all their aspects of production on an end-to-end basis, connecting raw materials to end products. With this interconnected system, organisations can identify inefficiencies at any end of their production process and optimise accordingly. With no drop-offs or downtime and symmetrical upstream and downstream to keep data in sync, manufacturers can harness XGS-PON technology and take it to a new level!  Product Visualisation    When it comes to the product generation process, there is no more important stage than the design and creativity stage. However, multiple blueprints and liaisons between designers can make this process costly. Using limitless bandwidth connectivity to facilitate 3-D printers, projectors, and much more can grant excellent product visualisation opportunities, offering manufacturers and design teams better chances at identifying errors or inefficiencies before they enter the production stage. This real-time collaboration potential means XGS-PON can unlock the potential to re-invigorate product generation.  Fourth Industrial Revolution    XGS-PON allows UK manufacturers to place themselves at the forefront of the cyber-physical transformation in manufacturing. With increased speeds comes a remarkable ability to respond to market trends early, and automation to improve product quality means UK manufacturers can become marketplace leaders. Manufacturers can gain a competitive advantage while driving innovation and operational efficiency, helping them compete with overseas contenders.  End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

The Opportunities for the Construction Industry Using XGS-PON Connectivity.   Lancashire, UK – 2023   We all know that XGS-PON connectivity with a full-fibre network unlocks masses of opportunities for many kinds of businesses, but you might not be aware of how much the construction industry can exploit XGS-PON to its advantage. From streamlining monitoring and control to visualising builds and workflows using the latest technological advancements, XGS-PON has the potential to change the construction industry in the UK. Early-stage visualisation with VR and AR  XGS-PON can offer the construction industry incredible opportunities, even in the earliest stages. With high-speed connectivity, XGS-PON supports seamlessly integrating virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) into construction workflows.   Stakeholders and clients can use these two technologies to partake in more immersive design reviews, transcending the capability of 3D models and 2D blueprints.   Construction and site managers can also conduct virtual site inspections and engage with a more interactive project visualisation approach that can help spot errors and opportunities to optimise the build early in the process.   BIM and data-intensive applications   The construction industry is littered with bandwidth-hungry technology that results in network congestion and latency, one of which is Building Information Modelling applications. These are integral to modern construction projects, offering access to 3D modelling and design revisions for architects, contractors, engineers and more.   With up to 10Gbps of bandwidth, XGS-PON offers the symmetrical upstream and downstream speeds needed to support the rapid exchange of large BIM files between multiple stakeholders, helping to give construction projects a well-needed productivity and time management boost to accelerate decision-making.  Smart buildings  The emergence of smart city technology and inward investment projects to make the UK a smart-city dominant country offers the construction industry significant opportunities.   By implementing XGS-PON full fibre into their construction projects, the construction industry can support integrating smart building systems, including energy usage management, lighting control, heating, ventilation and air conditioning management devices and security systems. Not only does this mean that the construction industry can have a dominant influence on improving energy efficiency, but it can also impact the overall value of the constructed facility.   Evolve are partnering with ITS Technology to provide reliable, scalable and secure XGS-PON Connectivity. Visit Evolve’s website to find out more about why your business should invest in business grade connectivity and how it can benefit your business. End   About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

Lancashire, UK – 2023 In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, one of the critical decisions that companies must make is choosing between WAN and LAN to meet their connectivity needs. As a leading provider of secure and reliable SD-WAN solutions, we understand the importance of making an informed choice that aligns with your business goals. A WAN (Wide Area Network) is a network that connects devices over a large area, like between cities, while a LAN (Local Area Network) connects devices within a small area, like a building. WANs are useful for organisations with multiple branches in different locations, as they allow employees to communicate and share resources across locations. WANs can also be used for remote access, which allows users to access resources from a different location, such as when working from home or traveling. EvolveWAN is best used for optimising and securing network traffic between different sites, cloud-based applications, and remote workers. It provides organisations with an efficient and cost-effective way to manage their WAN connections, improve application performance, and enhance security. With EvolveWAN, organisations can prioritise traffic based on business criticality, dynamically route traffic to the most optimal path, and reduce latency by leveraging multiple network paths.  EvolveWAN also provides end-to-end encryption and security, protecting the organisation’s data against cyber threats. Overall, EvolveWAN is best used for tasks that require efficient, secure, and reliable connectivity across different locations, particularly in situations where traditional WAN technologies may not be able to deliver the required performance or security. A LAN (Local Area Network) serves as the foundation for internal communications within a limited geographic area, typically confined to a single office building or campus. LANs are typically faster than WAN as they span less distance and have less congestion however the reduced speed of a WAN network may not actually be perceived by users. Typically, a LAN network would be suitable for a smaller area than WAN for example home Wi-Fi. Whether you are a small business looking to expand or a large enterprise seeking optimised network infrastructure, Evolve’s expert team is here to support you every step of the way. With Evolve’s reliable SD-WAN solutions, your business can thrive in today’s competitive landscape, staying connected, agile, and ready to seize opportunities on a global scale. Let Evolve be your trusted partner in building a future-ready network that drives your business forward. End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s website to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn

The Central Role of XGS-PON in the Success of Forecourts.   Lancashire, UK – 2023 Forecourts in the UK must find ways to remain competitive in an ever-turbulent market. With so many amenities concentrated on one small bit of land, this integral industry must pull out all the stops to bring in customers. An undervalued option that forecourts can exploit is XGS-PON technology.  XGS-PON, with increased bandwidth and symmetrical upload and download speeds, can be indispensable in the success of forecourts, taking the customer experience to new heights!  Customer experience   A critical component of the success of forecourts is ensuring that the customer experience is as good as possible. The integration of advanced bandwidth and symmetrical upstream and downstream speeds ensures that customers can fill up at the petrol station, grab a coffee, and do some work using ultrafast speeds and seamless connectivity to the cloud. Forecourts can generate more income by encouraging longer stays, allowing them to build up investments to expand and improve facilities.  Digital Signage and Interactive Displays   With faster, reliable connectivity powered by XGS-PON full fibre, forecourts can introduce innovative marketing strategies with digital signage and interactive displays! With ultra-low latency, forecourts can display real-time promotions and other important information via digital kiosks and signage solutions, including order items and payment amounts. Food-to-go venues within forecourts can also benefit from this, using self-service kiosks to display their options and streamline the customer journey without lag or delay in payment.  Faster Point-of-Sales Systems   Faster connectivity with servers via an XGS-PON full fibre network ensures that point-of-sale terminals can complete the customer journey in record time. Reducing waiting times and queues via this incredible connectivity option is one way forecourts can take the customer journey to the next level and propel profits!  EV-Charging Stations   The rise of electric vehicles and the inclusion of more charging stations means that forecourts have had to make room for EV charging stations. To remotely process payments, monitor usage rates in real-time and conduct remote diagnostics, EV-charging stations require an ultrafast connection to gather data and communicate this with the customer. This means that XGS-PON technology is a central feature of making EV charging more efficient and accessible for customers.  Remote Surveillance and Security   To monitor customer payment and ensure staff are safe in sometimes round-the-clock businesses, forecourts with petrol stations, food and hospitality venues all require remote surveillance and security systems. XGS-PON technology allows forecourts to stream footage in 4K/8K resolution, improving safety and incident verification for remote and on-site security teams. This can help to deter theft, as well as protect customer and employee safety.    Evolve are partnering with ITS Technology to provide reliable, scalable and secure XGS-PON Connectivity. Visit Evolve’s website to find out more about why your business should invest in business grade connectivity and how it can benefit your business. End About Evolve Business Group and Evolve Evolve Business Group is an independently owned company that specialises in providing end-to-end IT and managed network solutions to a range of businesses. Evolve Managed Network solutions are helping businesses to reduce costs and simplify the management of services and give business owners and their teams more time to do what they do best. Founded in 2005, it has worked with a variety of clients across different industries around the world, building a team of highly experienced specialists to help create effective and efficient packages using any combination of different offerings. It keeps a range of cross-sector networks protected and connected. Explore Evolve’s fuel forecourt managed network solutions to find out more about how their Managed Network Solutions can help your business stay secure. @evolvebg Visit Evolve’s LinkedIn