UK economy grew by 0.7% in first quarter, statistics office says
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's economy expanded 0.7% in the first three months of 2025, the Office for National Statistics said on Monday, confirming a preliminary estimate.
(Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Sachin Ravikumar)
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Time Business News
26 minutes ago
- Time Business News
Optimising Hybrid Workflows: Must-Have Hardware & Connectivity Upgrades
The modern workplace has undergone a significant transformation, with hybrid work models becoming the new norm. According to the Office for National Statistics, around 29% of employed adults in Great Britain now work in hybrid roles, reflecting a major shift in how organisations think about location, flexibility, and the structure of the workday. This shift has necessitated strategic investments in technology and infrastructure to support distributed teams and ensure seamless collaboration between remote and in-office employees. The right hardware and connectivity solutions can eliminate friction points in hybrid workflows, enhancing productivity across teams. As organisations look to optimise their operations in this new paradigm, understanding the critical role of technology infrastructure is essential. This article will explore the must-have technology upgrades that enable efficient collaboration and productivity in hybrid work environments. Hybrid work environments have evolved substantially, driven by technological advancements and changing workforce dynamics. This shift has transformed the way organizations operate, collaborate, and maintain productivity. Research by Qualtrics shows that employees supported by effective hybrid workplace technology are 230% more engaged and 85% more likely to remain with their organization. The right tools help teams collaborate seamlessly, fostering a productive work environment. Technology infrastructure is critical for successful hybrid work models, connecting distributed teams and facilitating collaboration. Organizations with robust technology frameworks report higher employee engagement and retention rates. Effective infrastructure eliminates friction points, allowing teams to focus on productive work. The right technology infrastructure is essential for hybrid work success. It should integrate with existing systems, offer intuitive interfaces, and remain flexible to adapt to evolving needs. Beyond productivity, effective technology infrastructure supports company culture and team cohesion, creating equitable experiences for all employees. By prioritizing technology investments, organizations can reap the benefits of hybrid work while maintaining a connected and engaged workforce. As hybrid work continues to reshape the modern workplace, investing in the right hardware upgrades becomes crucial for productivity and collaboration. To support the evolving needs of hybrid teams, organizations must focus on acquiring the most effective tools that enhance communication, facilitate seamless calls and meetings, and foster a productive hybrid work environment. High-quality webcams and video equipment are vital for effective virtual communication. They ensure that participants in meetings are seen clearly, promoting better engagement and understanding. Recent data from Mordor Intelligence indicates that the UK office furniture market is expected to reach USD 3.43 million by 2025, driven by the demand for ergonomic and flexible home office furniture. Investing in ergonomic furniture is crucial for employee well-being and productivity. Dual monitor setups significantly enhance productivity by allowing employees to multitask efficiently. This hardware upgrade is particularly beneficial for tasks that require multiple screens. Active noise-cancelling headphones have become essential for hybrid workers dealing with unpredictable acoustic environments. High-quality microphones and wireless audio solutions also play a critical role in ensuring clear communication during virtual calls and meetings. Seamless collaboration in hybrid work settings hinges on robust connectivity solutions that enable teams to work together efficiently, regardless of their physical location. As organizations continue to adopt hybrid work models, the need for reliable and secure connectivity tools has become paramount. Businesses are turning to enterprise-grade VPN solutions to ensure secure and encrypted connections for their remote workers. NordVPN Teams is a prime example, creating encrypted tunnels for remote workers' internet traffic and protecting data even on unsecured networks. Mesh Wi-Fi systems are becoming increasingly popular for providing reliable home connectivity. These systems ensure that remote workers have a stable and fast internet connection throughout their workspace. Mobile hotspots with 5G capabilities are essential for providing backup connectivity for hybrid workers when primary internet connections fail or during travel. Organizations are also developing contingency plans that include mobile data allowances and backup solutions for employees in critical roles. Other connectivity solutions include dual-WAN routers that can automatically switch between different internet sources, ensuring continuous connectivity even during service provider outages. Satellite internet options like Starlink are also emerging as viable alternatives for hybrid workers in remote locations with limited traditional broadband access. The rise of hybrid work has led to an increased demand for smart meeting room solutions that enhance collaboration and productivity. As organizations strive to create more flexible and efficient workspaces, smart meeting room technology has become a vital component of modern offices. Microsoft Teams Rooms is a comprehensive meeting room solution that integrates with Microsoft Teams, allowing for seamless video conferencing, content sharing, and collaboration. This integrated solution enables teams to work more effectively together, regardless of their location. Digital whiteboards and collaborative displays are transforming the way teams brainstorm and collaborate. These interactive tools enable teams to share ideas, annotate content, and work together in real-time, enhancing the overall meeting experience. Room booking and space management systems, such as UnSpot, are essential for managing limited office space in hybrid environments. These systems enable teams to book spaces equipped with the necessary technology, such as whiteboards or video conferencing equipment, and provide valuable insights into space utilization and amenity demand. Advanced space management platforms collect utilization data, helping organizations optimize their real estate investments based on actual usage patterns. Mobile booking applications allow employees to reserve appropriate spaces before coming to the office, ensuring productive in-office days. Cloud platforms and unified communications are at the forefront of enabling seamless collaboration in today's hybrid workspaces. These technologies provide the backbone for modern businesses to operate efficiently across different locations. Unified communications platforms integrate various communication tools into a single, cohesive system. This integration enhances collaboration and productivity by providing a seamless experience across different devices and locations. Google Workspace offers an intuitive suite of collaborative apps like Docs, Sheets, and Drive, enabling instantaneous real-time collaboration without the need to email attachments, all made easily accessible through its cloud-based platform. Key features include: Cloud-based file sharing platforms that provide secure access to documents from any location while maintaining version control. Real-time co-authoring capabilities that allow multiple team members to collaborate simultaneously on documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Permission management features that ensure sensitive information remains protected. Integration between file sharing platforms and project management tools that creates centralized information hubs for distributed teams. Productivity and project management tools are the backbone of successful hybrid team collaboration. These tools enable teams to work efficiently, manage projects effectively, and maintain high levels of productivity. Task management software is essential for hybrid teams, allowing them to organize and prioritize tasks effectively. Tools like Trello and Asana provide visual boards and lists to track progress and deadlines. Time tracking software helps remote teams monitor how much time they spend on tasks, providing valuable insights into productivity. Tools like Toggl and Harvest offer detailed analytics to optimize work processes. Knowledge sharing platforms like Notion create centralized repositories for organizational information, making critical knowledge accessible to all team members. These platforms help preserve institutional knowledge and reduce dependency on specific individuals for information. Key benefits include: – Centralized repositories for organizational information – Structured wikis and documentation systems – Quick search capabilities – Integration with communication tools – Regular contributions and updates to maintain information accuracy Ensuring the security of hybrid work environments is crucial for protecting sensitive information and maintaining business continuity. As organizations adopt hybrid models, they face unique security challenges that require robust and adaptive solutions. Implementing a Zero-Trust Security Framework is essential for hybrid work environments. This approach verifies the identity and permissions of users and devices before granting access to company resources. Zero-trust security solutions minimize the risk of data breaches by limiting access to sensitive information. Effective password management and multi-factor authentication are critical components of hybrid work security. Solutions like LastPass provide enterprise-grade password management, storing passwords securely and enabling safe sharing. Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security, verifying user identities before granting access to company data. Endpoint security is vital for protecting company data across the diverse range of devices used by hybrid teams. Key features include remote device management, data loss prevention, and automated patch management. These measures ensure that all devices, whether corporate or personal, maintain up-to-date security protocols. Endpoint security solutions protect company data across various devices. Remote device management enables IT teams to enforce security policies and deploy updates. Data loss prevention technologies prevent sensitive information from being transferred to unauthorized locations. As the modern workplace continues to evolve, companies that invest in future-proof hybrid work infrastructure will be better positioned for success. The move to hybrid work is not just a trend, but a fundamental shift in how businesses operate. By adopting the right technology and tools, organizations can create a more connected and productive work environment, regardless of physical location. To achieve this, businesses must prioritize strategic investments in both hardware and connectivity solutions. This includes implementing enterprise-grade VPN solutions, mesh Wi-Fi systems, and cloud platforms that enable seamless collaboration. By taking a holistic approach to hybrid work technology, organizations can create a more cohesive and productive work experience. The key to successful hybrid work implementations lies in striking a balance between standardization and flexibility. This means providing employees with the tools and platforms they need to work effectively, while also allowing for diverse work styles and job requirements. Regular assessment and refinement of hybrid technology stacks are also crucial to ensure continued alignment with evolving business needs. By developing clear policies and best practices around technology usage, organizations can maximize the return on their hybrid work investments. Leadership commitment to supporting hybrid work through appropriate technology resources is also essential, as it signals organizational values and strengthens workplace culture. As hybrid work continues to evolve, organizations that create adaptable, employee-centered technology frameworks will gain significant competitive advantages in both productivity and talent retention. To ensure a seamless hybrid work experience, consider investing in high-quality webcams, noise-cancelling headphones, and ergonomic furniture to enhance productivity and comfort. Microsoft Teams offers a unified platform for messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, enabling teams to stay connected and collaborate effectively regardless of their physical location. Implementing room booking and space management systems can help optimize meeting room utilization, reduce conflicts, and improve overall productivity by ensuring that teams have access to the resources they need. Cloud platforms like Microsoft Azure and AWS provide scalable and secure infrastructure for hybrid work environments, enabling businesses to deploy a range of applications and services that support collaboration and productivity. When implementing hybrid work solutions, it's essential to consider security measures such as zero-trust security frameworks, password management, and multi-factor authentication to protect against potential threats and data breaches. Project management tools can help teams stay organized and focused by providing a centralized platform for task management, time tracking, and knowledge sharing, enabling them to work more efficiently and effectively. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
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Scale AI's rivals say they're going hard to win its contractors and clients: 'Our servers are melting'
Scale AI's competitors say they are seeing an uptick in client inquiries after Meta's investment. AI training companies like Appen and Prolific are pitching themselves as neutral platforms. Rival companies also told BI they have seen a rise in interest from contractors on their platforms. Meta spent $14.3 billion to acquire nearly half of Scale AI and level up in the AI race — but the startup's rivals spy an opportunity as well. Executives at five Scale AI competitors told Business Insider that they have seen a big uptick in client inquiries and job interest since the Meta deal was announced on June 13. Meta now holds a 49% stake in a company handling AI training data for many of its competitors, like Google, OpenAI, and xAI. In response, those three companies paused at least some of their work with Scale AI. Independence from Big Tech has now become a core part of the pitch for rival AI training companies vying for those contracts. In a blog post following the Meta deal, Scale AI reassured clients that it remains a "neutral, independent partner." Ryan Kolln, the CEO of data annotation firm Appen, told BI the deal would "create a pretty big disruption to our industry and create huge opportunities for Appen and our peers to fill the hole that's going to be left by Scale." "The added pitch is, 'hey, we are a publicly listed company and we're really focused on data neutrality,'" added Kolln, whose company counts Amazon and Nvidia as clients. "Our customers are really evaluating their vendor ecosystem." UK-based Prolific, which provides vetted freelancers for academic and commercial AI research, is also using neutrality as a selling point, its CEO, Phelim Bradley, told BI. "We don't build models. We don't compete with our customers. We don't have conflicting incentives," Bradley said. He added that clients are now reluctant to go all in on a single AI training provider. Big companies often spread their work among vendors, like cloud providers. "Scale benefited a lot from their awareness and being synonymous with data labeling for Big Tech," Bradley said. "Now, it's a much easier question to answer: 'How are you different from Scale?'" A Scale AI spokesperson told BI that "nothing has changed" about its customer data protection. "A lot of this confusion is being driven by smaller competitors who seek to gain from promoting false claims," they added. "Security and customer trust have always been core to our business, and we will continue to ensure the right protections are in place to help safeguard all of our work with customers." Meta did not respond to a request for comment. Jonathan Siddharth, the CEO of Turing, which trains models for major AI labs including Meta, Anthropic, and Google, said that discussions with customers have increased tenfold as frontier labs realize they need "top talent and impartial partners." "Labs increasingly want a Switzerland-like collaborator — someone model-agnostic — who can help them win the AGI race, rather than being tied to a single player," he said, referring to artificial general intelligence. He added that data annotation companies are often working on the exact capabilities that differentiate one AI model from another. None of the Scale AI rivals that BI spoke with quantified the number of inquiries they have received from Big Tech companies since Meta's investment. Scale AI's competitors are also moving to pick up its freelance workers, some of whom have had projects they are working on paused after clients like Google halted them. Scale has at least 240,00 gig workers globally who conduct AI training projects, such as flagging harmful chatbot responses. After some of Scale AI's projects were paused, the market became flooded with freelancers looking for work. Sapien AI CEO Rowan Stone told BI that his company had 40,000 new annotators join within 48 hours of Meta's Scale AI deal. "Our servers are currently melting," Stone said last week. "Our engineering team spent the entire weekend bolstering load balancers, spinning up new infrastructure, and getting us ready for the load that we're seeing." Many of these new sign-ups were from India and the Philippines — regions where Scale AI had long been a leader, Stone added. "The change in user signup pattern coincides pretty neatly with the Scale news," he said. Mercor AI's head of product, Osvald Nitski, said that the startup has received applications from full-time Scale employees, adding, "Our hiring bar is extremely high — we're only taking the best people." Mercor says it works with six of the "Magnificent Seven" tech companies and is picking up projects from clients leaving Scale. In terms of contractors, Nitski said the company is focused on recruiting elite-level annotators, like International Math Olympiad medalists, Rhodes Scholars, and Ph.D. students. Nitski said it's been a busy two weeks at Mercor, as it has seen a sharp increase in inbound interest from major tech clients. "There was simply no time for podcasts and blog posts these past few weeks with all of the demand to be fulfilled," Nitski said. Read the original article on Business Insider Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Gold prices edge higher as dollar weakens
Gold prices inched higher on Monday morning, and continue to trade near all-time highs, with weakness in the dollar offering support to the precious metal. Gold futures (GC=F) were up 0.2% at $3,293.30 an ounce at the time of writing, while the spot gold price climbed 1.4% to $3,286.03 per ounce. Meanwhile, the US dollar ( index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six currencies, was down 0.2% to 97.17. Gold tends to have an inverse relationship to the dollar, as it is typically traded in the US currency, so weakness in the greenback makes the precious metal cheaper for overseas buyers. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Markets higher as US-UK trade deal comes into force The rise in gold prices came despite more positive developments on trade, with investors typically turning to the precious metal as a safe-haven amid uncertainty. Susannah Streeter, head of money and markets at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Exuberance is set to continue at the start of the week, as more trade deal scores are on the doors and geopolitical tensions have eased off. "Talks between Canada and the US are back on the cards, after an agreement to scrap a tax targeting American tech firms," she said. "There will now be speculation that other countries, like the UK, will be forced to drop their own taxes targeting the biggest tech firms in the world when further talks take place." Streeter added: "The trade deal announced again between the US and China, has poured more optimism into glass half full attitudes. Even though it's still pretty scant on detail, the agreement looks set to give US companies better access to crucial rare earth minerals, exported from China." The pound dipped 0.1% lower against the dollar (GBPUSD=X) on Monday, to trade at $1.3694, as investors weighed the latest UK economic data releases. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) confirmed a preliminary estimate that the UK economy expanded by 0.7% in the first three months of the year However, the household savings ratio, a measure of how much people save, fell for the first time in two years, to 10.9% from 12%, as people spent more on fuel, rent and restaurant meals. Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell (AJB.L), said: "Confirmation that the UK economy delivered the fastest growth of any G7 country at the start of the year feels almost redundant. Read more: Trending tickers: Palantir, Boeing, UBS, WH Smith and Hikma Pharmaceuticals 'A mix of tariff woes and tax hikes have created a period of such uncertainty and instability that many businesses have simply pressed pause on their future plans, and in some cases taken the decision to cut labour costs in order to set them up for what might be down the tracks." "The early growth spurt looks set to be an anomaly rather than the sustained expansion the government needs if it's to pad treasury coffers without resorting to tax rises or further spending cuts," she added. In other currency moves, the pound was slightly lower against the euro (GBPEUR=X), trading at €1.1683 at the time of writing. Oil prices dipped on Monday morning, amid easing geopolitical risks, following sharp movements in the commodity last week. Brent crude (BZ=F) futures edged 0.1% lower to $66.74 per barrel, at the time of writing, while West Texas Intermediate futures (CL=F) fell 0.3% to $65.35 a barrel. Stocks: Create your watchlist and portfolio "With the Iran-Israel-US truce holding, geopolitical tensions have calmed and that's kept downwards pressure on oil prices," said Hargreaves Lansdown's Streeter. "Brent Crude has fallen 14% over the past week as the easing of supply disruption worries collided with expectations that OPEC+ nations would ramp up production. There is still expected to be fall out for global growth, due to the impact of US trade policies, so the expectation of lower demand for energy is also weighing on prices." More broadly, the FTSE 100 (^FTSE) fell 0.3% on Friday morning to 8,773 points. For more details, on broader market movements check our live coverage here. Read more: What to watch this week: UK shop prices, US employment, Constellation Brands, M&S and Sainsbury's Global economy to slow amid 'most severe trade war since 1930s', says Fitch UK economy grew 0.7% in first quarter of the yearError in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
