O2 Business rebrand targets UK firms' tech complexity

O2 Daisy has rebranded as O2 Business following the merger of Virgin Media O2's business unit and Daisy Group.

The new brand brings together a business serving hundreds of thousands of UK customers, from small firms to larger organisations. Its customers include Sainsbury's, British Sugar, the RFU and Southampton Football Club, as well as organisations across policing, education and the NHS.

The rebrand comes as new research points to mounting pressure on UK business leaders. In a survey of 502 leaders, 66% said technology decisions are becoming harder to navigate, while 49% said their technology set-up is more complex than necessary.

That complexity is feeding broader concerns about performance. The survey found that 30% said technology challenges had increased operational costs over the past year, 26% said they had put pressure on leadership time and focus, and 19% said they had slowed growth.

A confidence gap also emerged between smaller and larger businesses. Just 68% of sole traders and very small businesses said they were confident in long-term growth, compared with more than 90% of mid-sized and larger organisations. Overall, 16% said they were not confident in their organisation's long-term prospects.

Pressure points

The findings suggest many firms are trying to balance cost control with technology investment amid wider commercial strain. The survey found that 76% of business leaders had experienced increased personal pressure over the past two years, while 33% reported rising costs.

O2 Business will focus on simplifying how customers buy and manage connectivity and communications services. Plans include fewer product choices, a more streamlined onboarding process, and more consistent service and support.

The business combines Virgin Media O2's network infrastructure with Daisy's service and support operations. Its portfolio includes connectivity, communications and IT products, including cloud-based services and Teams Phone Mobile.

Jo Bertram, Chief Executive Officer of O2 Business, said: "Most businesses don't feel short of technology - they feel weighed down by it. Too many systems, too many suppliers and too much time spent trying to make everything work together.

"At O2 Business, we think it should be simpler than that. We're breathing simplicity into the way business works by bringing connectivity and communications together in one joined-up experience that just makes sense. When technology is easier to deal with, businesses get back time, focus and confidence - and that's when real growth happens."

The rebrand marks the next stage in integrating the two businesses after their combination. It is intended to present a more unified offer to organisations that need a mix of mobile, fixed-line, cloud and IT services.

For Virgin Media O2 and Daisy, the move also reflects a push to strengthen their position in the UK business telecoms market. Operating under a single business brand should reduce fragmentation in how services are sold and supported across customer segments.

Market context

The UK business telecoms and IT services market has become increasingly competitive, with providers seeking to combine connectivity, collaboration tools and managed services. For many customers, the challenge is less access to technology than handling multiple contracts, platforms and support arrangements.

That issue appears especially acute for smaller organisations, which often have less in-house technical expertise and less room to absorb added costs. The survey findings suggest complexity may be weighing more heavily on small firms than on larger businesses with bigger technology budgets and dedicated teams.

Matthew Riley, Chairman of O2 Business, said: "UK businesses are the engine of our economy, but too many are being slowed down by complexity they never asked for. When organisations are tied up managing systems instead of strategy, productivity and growth suffer."

"Simplifying that landscape isn't just a technical challenge - it's a commercial opportunity. With our combined scale and expertise, O2 Business is uniquely positioned to help organisations operate more efficiently, unlock real value and compete with confidence in an increasingly demanding market."