3 UK Launches Small-Business Offering

3 UK has announced the launch of a new small-business mobile proposition called Three Means Business. The multi-brand, multi-product offering is part of a strategy for the operator to expand its customer base.

Three Means Business includes 12 or 24-month contracts targeting entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as partnerships to offer customers free subscriptions and discounts on website building, accountancy, business cards and co-working spaces.

Partners include Wix, which brings a six-month free subscription to a website-building and logo-creator package; FreshBooks, offering a six-month free subscription to an accountancy package; WeWork, with a six-month free digital membership and two credits a month for workspace; and MOO, which gives 25 percent off business cards and other office products.

The package includes unlimited data bundles, free roaming in over 70 destinations and the Go Binge offer (unlimited use of apps such as Netflix, Apple Music, Soundcloud and Snapchat. A SIM-only business tariff starts from £9.00 (US $11.79) per month for 2 GB of data. For contract handset plans, customers can choose from a range of a devices, with prices starting from £41.00 (US $53.70) on a 24-month contract.

As we have written recently, SMEs are a lively and growing market sector for mobile operators that should be targeted as much as possible. They have special needs that are quite different from those of large enterprises on the one hand and of private consumers on the other hand.

Most small-business offerings focus on the typical features of mobile tariffs, that is to say, on traditional mobile services, packaged and priced in ways that are judged particularly appropriate to SMEs. Of course, that is an essential precondition to cultivating the business of small companies. However, there is more that operators can do, and we feel that this offering from 3 UK is a step in the right direction.

Due to their relatively small size and budget constraints, SMEs may face challenges in obtaining all the ancillary services that businesses need, such as office infrastructure, website design, accountancy, and so forth. In this offering, the operator has partnered with a number of companies that provide these services, so that subscribers can get those services free for six months. In addition, the packaged convenience of the services, in which they are provided through the operator, makes it easier and more seamless from the standpoint of the small-business client.

It should be noted that many of the free offerings included in Three Means Business are particularly appropriate for businesses just getting off the ground. The six-month duration of the free services may dovetail nicely with the period in which the SME is establishing itself. The inclusion of Go Binge in interesting in that it seems more appropriate for a consumer offer than a business offer; perhaps this speaks to the increasingly porous divide between businesses and consumers in the era of mass small-scale entrepreneurship and home-based businesses. 

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 If you have any questions about this article, feel free to contact our Editor-in-chief John Dorfman at jdorfman@tarifica.com

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3 UK Launches Wi-Fi Calling for Android and iOS

Mobile operator 3 UK announced that embedded Wi-Fi is now available on its network for both Android and iOS users. With it, customers can make voice calls and send texts over a Wi-Fi network when in the U.K. Users of Apple’s iOS phones need to have the latest software version, iOS 10.2, and then activate Wi-Fi calling in their settings. For Android users who have a compatible device and the necessary software, the Wi-Fi calling settings install automatically. Compatible devices currently are the LG G5, Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 edge, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge will be compatible beginning in mid-February. The new service removes the need for the operator’s former Wi-Fi calling solution, Three InTouch app. InTouch users will receive a pop-up message informing them that they can delete the app.

The rise of non-cellular voice calling technology was originally a threat to mobile operators’ revenue streams because it allowed users to bypass calling plans and get access to unlimited messaging and voice calls, both domestically and internationally. Operators responded in various ways, including tolerating, co-opting or co-branding various VoIP services. Another non-cellular voice calling system, Wi-Fi calling, now becoming prevalent, is another technology that lies outside the traditional cellular calling networks. Rather than constituting an end-run around the operator, Wi-Fi calling is a billable service that keeps the user within the operator’s ecosystem. Its primary utility is when the cellular signal is too weak or unavailable, so with Wi-Fi calling that is billed within an existing calling plan, the operator can keep its subscribers using voice and text services even when they are in so-called “not-spots”—which are, according to reports, still quite prevalent in the U.K. By making access to Wi-Fi calling seamless instead of through an app, the operator ensures that more subscribers will adopt it, and that those who used it before will now use it more often. Therefore, 3 UK’s decision to make Wi-Fi calling “native” to a wide variety of smartphones in both major operating systems is an excellent one. Easily, intuitively accessible Wi-Fi calling will aid customer retention because rather than becoming frustrated with the operator’s service when the cellular network is unavailable, users will be able to connect by Wi-Fi (given that Wi-Fi networks are sufficiently prevalent) and stay satisfied.

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

Free Telecom for Vodafone Portugal While 3 UK Asks Britons to Turn Phones Off

Vodafone Portugal is offering free communications on 24 and 25 December for its customers. They can choose one of two options: voice, SMS and MMS communications or free data for internet access. The offer is valid for the first 500,000 individual customers and must be activated by 21 December in the My Vodafone App, or by calling the number 1275. Meantime, 3 UK has launched a marketing campaign encouraging Britons to not use their phones at all on Christmas Day. The “Go Cold Turkey” campaign will run on social media, urging people to “properly enjoy the wonders of a delicious Christmas dinner, paper hats and watching TV repeats with loved ones,” the mobile operator said. A short film produced by the company—viewable on Three’s YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages—speaks of “a Britain afflicted with extreme device addiction” and shows the extremes to which people will go in order to use their smartphones, such as unplugging the Christmas lights to charge a phone.

 
 

Christmas has traditionally been a time for creative and generous promotions from mobile operators, who offer discounts and free services in celebration of the holiday. Such initiatives can increase customer satisfaction and loyalty and thereby boost retention—while costing the operators relatively little. This season, we were struck by the sharp contrast between two approaches by two operators in two different countries. While Vodafone Portugal takes the tried and true road of offering free communications—with a choice of either voice and text or data—3 UK is actually encouraging Britons—and not just its subscribers but all Britons—not to use telecom services at all during the holiday.

 

It certainly seems counter-intuitive and even self-destructive for a telecom operator to try and inhibit use of its core services, but arguably 3’s strange initiative could actually serve a similar purpose to that of the Portuguese promotion. By identifying “device addiction” as a social ill and making a token gesture toward fighting it, 3 UK will potentially accrue positive feelings from customers, which could have the effect of bolstering the company’s image and brand and thus helping with retention and even acquisition. And from a different angle, it is possible that taking a one- or two-day hiatus from mobile services could have the effect of increasing customers’ appetite for those services after the hiatus is over and end up driving up net consumption.

 

Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance.

To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com 

3 UK Announces Steep Increase in Cost of MMS

Mobile operator 3 UK has announced a steep increase in the cost of sending MMS messages. Starting 13 June, the cost of sending an MMS will rise from 17.4p (US $0.25)  to 40p (US $0.58). The company is advising customers that they can use other ways to send photo or video messages, including mobile apps such as Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Viber. Here is new chapter in the saga of the MNOs versus the OTT providers—an operator is actively pushing its customers toward the OTTs and away from its own messaging services. The operator’s recommendation about using Skype, etc., indicate that it views the eclipse of MMS by free or near-free OTT services to be inevitable, and therefore that there is no longer any real reason to keep the price of MMS down. The price hike brings 3’s MMS cost in line with those of rival operators O2, Vodafone and EE, but while 3’s MMS service may be competitive with those of the other MNOs in the U.K., it is anything but with those of the OTTs.   Tarifica is the global leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing. Covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe, Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. To learn more about Tarifica, please visit www.tarifica.com

Tarifica Global Insights Series

The pace of change in the mobile services industry is constantly accelerating. This means new opportunities will arrive faster than ever before and are likely to play out more quickly as well. Operators must watch carefully for these ‘waves of opportunities’ and quickly take advantage of them before they either become mainstream (and no longer have special value) or become obsolete as new disruptions impact the market.

The Tarifica Global Insights Series analyzes and reports on innovative practices in the development and marketing of consumer mobile plans. Each report describes a significant opportunity in mobile plan development and how operators are creating new plans in response to that opportunity. The series provides comprehensive, in-depth information that identifies best practices across more than 25 countries representing every region in the world, and enables operators to quickly and successfully take advantage of new strategies in plan development and marketing. The reports include case studies in multiple regions that describe best plan implementation and marketing practices that have enabled operators to quickly and successfully take advantage of new opportunities through innovative mobile plan development and marketing.

This series of reports is an important resource for operators that are searching for new and better ways to increase revenue and profits, desire to be perceived as leading edge ‘first movers,’ or need to defend their market share against disruptive offers from competitors. These reports enable operators to take advantage of Tarifica’s unique global vantage point to more quickly bring leading edge offers to market that capture new revenue opportunities.

The Tarifica Global Insights Series is an annual program comprised of four quarterly reports as shown below.

2016 Report Series 

QUARTER 1 (FEBRUARY 2016): Designed for Success – Developing Plans for the Youth and Student Demographic
 Globally, over half the world’s population is under the age of 30. While this percentage varies from country to country, the youth/student market segment has unique needs that must be understood in order to take advantage of this revenue opportunity. Moreover, when young people transition into adulthood and begin to make independent financial decisions, incumbency presents a unique opportunity for mobile operators to win long-term customers. This report will focus on the plans, promotions and other initiatives undertaken by operators to win and hold this key demographic.

QUARTER 2 (MAY 2016): Adapting to Changing Expectations – New Strategies for Pricing Smartphones and Pairing Them with Mobile Plans 
The practice of offering heavily subsidized devices tied to long-term plans no longer meets users’ needs for faster upgrades and shorter or more flexible contracts. As a result, operators are experimenting with numerous other models for selling high-end smartphones to their subscribers. This report will examine financing options, new phone replacement programs and other strategies aimed at helping consumers obtain smartphones and ramping up customers’ monthly mobile spend.

QUARTER 3 (AUGUST 2016): New Frontiers of Mobile Offerings –Partnerships with Streaming Audio and Video Services 
Operators around the world are exploring new revenue sources beyond mobile data. One approach is to partner with streaming media companies such as Spotify and Netflix. Mobile operators are increasingly offering plans with these services included or available as add-ons. This report will focus on the demographics and unique needs of this target market and their impact on plan structures, promotions, marketing practices and pricing. It will also analyze the differences among the various streaming services in terms of consumer perceptions.

QUARTER 4 (NOVEMBER 2016): Avoiding the ‘Dumb Pipe’ Trap – Innovative Approaches to Packaging and Pricing Data 
The decline in calling and messaging revenue has made many operators ever more dependent on data. This has made it difficult for operators to differentiate their offerings without lowering their per-GB price. Many mobile operators have been experimenting with new pricing models for their data to overcome this challenge. Among the many initiatives employed are offering time-limited data, having zero rated or dedicated data allowances for specific services/apps, offering rollover data, etc. This report will identify and analyze all of these tactics, with particular focus on their impact on consumer satisfaction, churn reduction and ARPU.

Analyst Support 

Every subscription comes with five hours of analyst support. Subscribers also receive one-on-one briefing sessions with Tarifica’s Analysts each quarter. Sessions, which include a Q&A format, are designed to help subscribers gain a further understanding of the strategies, innovations, trends and opportunities occurring worldwide in mobile plan development. A subscriber’s colleagues are welcome to attend these briefings.

Subscriber Benefits

The Tarifica Global Insights Series provides subscribers with two distinct layers of analysis:

First, the reports analyze how each service/strategy was deployed, branded and marketed. The reports dive deeply into every element of these plans (their included service volumes, one-time costs, recurring charges, restrictions, marketing campaigns, and more) to provide a comprehensive look at precisely how these plans are being designed and launched. This level of specificity is critical for operators seeking to create successful programs in their own market.

Second, these reports bring to bear worldwide examples and case studies analyzing the factors behind the success or failure of these new strategies. Subscribers to The Tarifica Global Insights Series will be able to learn from operators at the forefront of innovative practices and strategies. Subscribers will be able to view and compare many different versions of these strategies and understand the regional factors involved.

The Tarifica Global Insights Series provides meaningful business intelligence that can be used to design plans that decrease churn and win new customers. Each report evaluates the success/failure of strategies based on key performance indicators, assesses the ease/difficulty of replicating each approach and provides detailed sets of best practices for adapting the program to other markets.

The Tarifica Global Insights Series will facilitate subscribers’ efforts to increase revenue and profitability, gain market share, demonstrate innovative leadership and rapidly take advantage of new market opportunities.

Subscription Fee
The price for an annual subscription that includes all four quarterly reports, five hours of enquiry support and quarterly one-on-one briefings is US $15,000. The subscription fee will be reduced to US $10,000 for orders placed by 15 February 2016, representing a 33% early purchase discount.

About Tarifica
Tarifica is uniquely qualified to provide this series based on its singular focus on researching and analyzing mobile plans around the world. In maintaining the Tarifica Mobile Database, Tarifica’s research team tracks and catalogs every mobile plan, rate and offer from over 250 MNOs and MVNOs in 66 countries in every region of the globe. This effort enables Tarifica’s analysts to gain a broad understanding of the latest innovations in plan development occurring worldwide. With this new report series, Tarifica leverages this focus to highlight and analyze the most impactful strategies on a global level.

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Tarifica

Anywhere SIM National Roaming Service to Tackle U.K. Notspots

Anywhere SIM, a new U.K. MVNO launching this summer, has announced that it will offer services allowing subscribers to roam on any U.K. network. The Lancashire based startup will offer a SIM card that will enable users to make or receive calls on the networks of O2, Vodafone, 3 or EE. According to the MVNO, cellular connections will be automatically switched between carriers, depending on which MNO has the best signal in a given location. Anywhere SIM says its offerings will be a good option for users who frequently find themselves in areas of no connectivity (notspots). Initially, the MVNO will offer three different prepaid tariffs, which will not be available on 4G networks. The Anywhere Home tariff, which will cost £0.05 (US $0.08) per voice minute or per MB of data, will allow users to receive calls via any network, but they must make outgoing calls or access data on O2, which is the home network. The Anywhere UK tariff will cost £0.10 (US $0.16) per voice minute or MB of data, and subscribers can send and receive calls and SMS or access data on any network. The Anywhere EU tariff extends roaming access to 27 European countries. It will cost £0.15 (US $0.23) per voice minute or per MB of data. The cost of sending and receiving SMS on all tariffs will be £0.05 per SMS.

 Last year, U.K. consumers were optimistic that the country’s major MNOs would create a solution similar to Anywhere SIM’s offerings as a way to get rid of notspots. Sajid Javid, who was Culture Secretary at the time, tried pressuring the mobile operators to offer national roaming, after Prime Minister David Cameron complained about not receiving a mobile signal in his home constituency and when traveling around the country. The mobile operators rejected the idea of national roaming and instead agreed to the request from Ofcom, the U.K. regulator, to build out their infrastructure, particularly in the country’s rural areas. Anywhere SIM’s launch as an MVNO is a clear indication of the lack of mobile coverage that exists in the U.K. What is not yet clear is how successful the MVNO will be in solving the coverage problem, considering that its offerings do not look particularly appealing. MVNOs generally provide plans tailored to meet the needs of budget-conscious consumers, but all three of Anywhere SIM’s tariffs are priced relatively steep compared to offerings from other U.K. MVNOs and MNOs. In addition, network switching is not seamless when a user moves to a different location after establishing a call or data connection. While we applaud Anywhere SIM for trying to tackle the U.K. notspot problem, its attempt, while not the end-all solution may be the catalyst for a solution.


The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. Contact Tarifica for a subscription to the Tarifica Alert. 
Tarifica is the leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing, covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe. Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. Click here to contact a Tarifica Analyst.

3 UK Revokes Promise of No Mid-Contract Price Increases

Mobile operator 3 UK has recently informed consumers that it will not be upholding its commitment not to increase prices mid-contract for customers who have taken out a new contract or upgraded an existing one after 29 May 2015. These subscribers are being told the following: “Each May, your monthly package price will increase by an amount up to the retail price index (RPI) rate, published in February that year.” A 3 spokesperson elaborated that the operator’s new terms and conditions, which are being introduced this year, will be made clear to subscribers when they enter into their new contracts, and that subscribers will see their first RPI increase in May 2016. The institution of this new price increase by 3 leaves Vodafone as the only U.K. operator that is not raising its prices mid-contract.

This announcement from 3 is quite different from the original pledge it made in January 2014 in response to the guidelines of Ofcom, the U.K. regulator, which were intended to prevent fixed and mobile operators from increasing prices while customers were still within their contract period. Even with Ofcom’s one caveat, which allowed operators to impose increases based on inflation seen in the RPI, at the time 3 UK took a pro-consumer stance with regard to increases that could be made based on this index. Whether 3’s about-face on this point will have a negative effect on the operator through churn remains to be seen, particularly because other operators in the U.K. have mid-contract price increases. In 3’s case we cannot help but wonder if its recent acquisition of O2 in the U.K. played a role in bringing about the implementation of mid-contract price increases. While this merger will make 3 the largest operator in the U.K., it no doubt placed a financial burden on it. What is certain, however, is that a business will not hesitate to do what is necessary to react to changes in the economy no matter what type of price commitment it makes.

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. Contact Tarifica for a subscription to the Tarifica Alert. 
Tarifica is the leader in monitoring and analyzing telecom pricing, covering hundreds of operators in every region of the globe. Tarifica’s databases of mobile and fixed line data and voice tariffs are among the largest and most in-depth in the world. Tarifica is also a leading publisher of benchmark and other pricing reports, and its analysts are recognized authorities in the telecom industry, relied upon by operators and businesses worldwide for pricing insight and guidance. Click here to contact a Tarifica Analyst.

Google in Roaming Talks With Hutchison Whampoa

U.S. internet giant Google is said to be in talks with Hong Kong-based multinational telecom operator Hutchison Whampoa about gaining wholesale access to the latter’s mobile networks in the U.K., Ireland, Italy and several other countries. Google is understood to be planning to create a global network that will charge the same for calls, texts and mobile data regardless of the customer’s location. Describing it as a “small scale” project, Google previously announced plans to launch an MVNO relying on wholesale agreements in the U.S. and abroad. Neither Google nor 3 UK, Hutchison’s U.K. subsidiary, would comment on the matter.

In January Google announced plans to launch a U.S. MVNO running on two networks (T-Mobile and Sprint), and in March followed that up with an announcement that when the service debuts—originally set for March but now said to be within the next few months—it would initially be compatible only with the latest model of Google’s own Nexus brand smartphone. Compared to the potential agreement with Hutchison that is reportedly afoot, these are “small-scale” plans indeed. If the deal proceeds as projected, Google would be creating an international mobile cellular service that utterly ignores borders and, for its users in the included countries, would put an end to roaming as a concept. We have already written about the trend toward ending roaming in several regions, but this type of agreement could be a game-changer, given Google’s deep pockets and huge reach. And Hutchison, which is in the process of merging its 3 UK operation with Telefónica’s O2 to possibly become the U.K.’s largest mobile operator, would be a strong partner in such a venture.

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues or to speak with the research team: http://www.tarifica.com/contactus.aspx

3 UK CEO: Consumer Demand for Quad Play Still Uncertain

David Dyson, the CEO of mobile operator 3 UK, told the Financial Times this week that it is still not clear whether consumers actually want quad play services in the U.K. The operator’s parent company, Hutchison Whampoa, is currently in talks to buy Telefónica’s UK operator O2. Purported consumer demand for converged services was one of the arguments put forward by fixed operator BT when it announced its intention to acquire EE, the country’s number-one MNO. Dyson said that although there does not seem to be much demand for quad play now, customers could be encouraged to adopt it in the future if operators are willing to discount individual parts of the converged packages. “It depends how hard companies push it,” he said. We have written frequently here about growing demand for multiple play packages in many markets around the world and about the mergers between mobile operators and cable providers driven by that demand. Dyson’s statement is certainly a contrarian one, given the general perception in the industry, but he is doing more than just talking. His company is betting on the future of pure mobile service over converged service by moving to acquire another MNO, O2, rather than a fixed operator. EE and BT are pursuing the opposite strategy, following the more conventional wisdom. Cable provider Sky is taking the same approach, interestingly by doing a deal with Telefónica, to offer quad plays using O2’s U.K. network, starting in 2016. 3 UK, on the other hand, not only intends to buy O2 but to keep all of 3’s and O2’s cellular towers in operation after the merger instead of eliminating some to cut costs. This move indicates that 3 views mobile coverage as the most important factor in getting and retaining business. Whether Dyson is right about customer preferences remains to be seen—as do the outcomes of regulatory scrutiny of both the 3–O2 deal and the BT–EE deal.

The above item appeared in a recent issue of Tarifica's "The Story of The Week", a weekly report that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. For past issues or to learn more about The Story of The Week or to contact the Tarifica Research department:  http://www.tarifica.com/contactus.aspx

Many Consumers Unaware Of Throttling.

3 UK to Launch App for Calls, Texts Via Wi-Fi

Mobile operator 3 UK has announced a new app called Three inTouch that allows customers to talk and text over a Wi-Fi connection. The app will be available beginning in early August and will be offered free to all contract, SIM and pay-as-you-go customers. Any minutes or texts used are charged against a customer’s existing monthly allowance or prepaid credit. The Wi-Fi usage is not charged against the customer’s data allowance.

This is an interesting service option. The calls and texts and not carried over IP; rather, a Wi-Fi signal conveys the calls and texts to 3 UK’s cellular network, which then completes the connection. Unlike with a VoIP or other OTT service, the charges are made to the user’s existing voice and text allowances. So it appears that the purpose of Three inTouch is not to compete with OTT providers but to ensure connectivity for 3 UK customers, especially if they are in a place where cellular coverage is poor or nonexistent, as long as a Wi-Fi connection is available.

 According to the operator, once the app is installed, the transition from standard service to Wi-Fi-assisted service is intended to be seamless.

Also in the U.K., operator EE has announced trials of a Wi-Fi voice service that is intended to create a “zero-defect” calling experience in the country’s busiest regions and get rid of “whitespots,” or no-service areas. In the U.S., T-Mobile currently has a similar service in which calls can be placed over a Wi-Fi connection and are charged based on monthly plan minutes.

“Using Wi-Fi to fill in low- or no-coverage “whitespots” makes sense in a country like the U.K., where free public Wi-Fi is available in many areas. In other markets, it is an open question whether operators would do better to invest in expanding and strengthening their cellular networks or in promoting the proliferation of Wi-Fi. In truth, while apps such as Three inTouch can offer some advantage to users, they are, in the long run, no substitute for reliable, gap-free mobile networks. “

John Dorfman,

Editor-in-Chief,

The Tarifica Alert

The above item appeared in a recent issue of The Tarifica Alert, a weekly resource that analyzes noteworthy developments in the telecoms industry from around the world. To access all of the latest articles and issues:  http://www.tarifica.com/TarificaAlert.aspx