Step outside to improve your productivity

Research from BT Cellnet has found that as many as 80% of business professionals believe they could achieve more if at least part of their day was spent working in the fresh air.

Lack of up-to-date technology, it seems, keeps them closeted in the office. About 20% of those questioned said they never get a chance to get out during a normal day.

"There is evidence that vitamin D levels associated with exposure to sunlight reduces depression," says Dr Guy Fielding. "Working outside," he adds, "is likely to enhance our emotional intelligence - which in layman's terms means we are in a better mood for business."

No doubt these issues will be reflected in the 1000 jobs BT Cellnet aims to create over the next year in Bury. Most of these will be for customer service staff in a new call centre, a sign of continued growth in the market.

One in four people in the UK already owns a mobile phone, and this figure is expected to double in just two years.

Elliott Chase