UK, 22 September 2026 – Everon UK announces the appointment of Joe Storey to lead the UK business as Head of UK as part of a planned leadership transition.
The appointment reflects Everon Group's commitment to continuity and long-term growth in one of its most important markets.
Joe takes on the role at an important time for the sector. The UK analogue telephone network is due to be switched off at the end of January 2027, which means that analogue alarms and telecare devices still in service need to be replaced or upgraded before then. It is a significant change for care and housing providers alike.
"We are pleased to appoint Joe Storey to lead our UK business. Joe knows our customers, our operations and the market exceptionally well. The UK is a strategically important growth market for Everon. His leadership will help us carry our customers through the switchover and, beyond it, keep developing digital solutions that allow people to live safely and independently at home for as long as possible." – Milja Saksi, CEO of Everon Group
With more than five years at Everon UK, Joe Storey has played a key role in building the company's operations and customer delivery capabilities.
"I am honoured to take on this role and to build on the strong foundation we have in the UK. We have long-standing customer relationships and a shared commitment to keeping people safe and independent in their own homes.
The switchover is a starting point, not a finishing line. Replacing analogue equipment before the deadline is the immediate task, but the real value comes afterwards. Digital technology gives care and housing providers far greater visibility of how their services and residents are doing, enabling earlier intervention and more proactive support where it is needed most. The transition to digital opens the door to continuous development.
As technology evolves, so do the opportunities to improve safety, efficiency and quality of care. Our focus is not only on helping customers through the switchover, but also on working alongside them to unlock the long-term benefits of digitalisation and create better outcomes for residents and care providers alike.” — Joe Storey, Head of UK
Everon would also like to recognise the contribution of Peter Kerly, who has played a key role in building and leading Everon's UK business over many years. Peter continues to play an important role within Everon, supporting the business, customers and team with his extensive experience and expertise. Everon warmly thanks Peter for his valuable contribution to the company, its customers and the wider sector.
“This has always been the plan, and it marks a natural next step for the business. I will continue supporting Everon, our customers and the team as we move through what is likely to be one of the most significant periods of change this market has seen. Our customers can be confident that they will continue to receive the same commitment, expertise and support they have always relied on.” — Peter Kerly
Everon Group invests in technology that makes care and support more proactive and preventative. Through digital solutions, data and insights, Everon helps care and housing providers see earlier when something changes, respond faster and make better use of limited resources – so that more people can live safely and independently in their own homes for longer.
The digital switchover is fast approaching . By January 2027, the UK's analogue telephone network will be gone, and behind it sits a second, quieter deadline: the retirement of the 2G networks that still carry the connection for thousands of personal alarms, fall detectors and telecare devices. For most people, the transition will be seamless. However, for health technology specialists, it represents one of the biggest changes the sector has faced in a while.
Network performance is already declining ahead of the planned switch-off dates, and this is likely to continue as operators reduce support for older networks. This means the risk to services doesn’t start when the networks are switched off – it must start now.
Understand what is still using 2G
Before migration can begin, providers need a clear picture of which devices are still relying on 2G and where they are being used. Many telecare devices have been in place for years, and it might not be apparent which devices are still relying on the older networks. Understanding this is the first step to identifying the people and services that could be most affected when the digital switchover takes place.
Test before migrating at scale
Moving away from 2G can affect devices differently depending on type, location, and power supply. Testing in stages helps identify any issues early and allows enough time to resolve any issues before migration is rolled out more widely. This is particularly important where a reliable connection is essential to keeping a telecare service user safe.
Housing providers can begin testing by piloting the switch with a small number of schemes, checking that alarm calls actually reach the response centre rather than just confirming whether the line it relies on is still live.
Work closely with network operators
Some networks have announced the proposed switch-off dates, which are a useful deadline, but it isn’t as simple as that. Network performance is likely to vary between locations, and telecare providers need to be prepared for how these changes will affect different devices across different sites. Working closely with network operators can help identify potential issues earlier and make sure that services remain connected throughout the switchover.
For example, when a leading mobile network provider restricted 2G access in last October, Everon’s devices automatically switched to the strongest available network, while its teams worked behind the scenes to upgrade users without disruption. This demonstrated the importance of devices being able to move between networks and the need for providers to plan for changes before they affect service continuity.
As an international provider, Everon faced this challenge on two fronts at once, navigating O2's 2G sunset in the UK. The team surveyed every installed device remotely to see which networks it could actually reach, then scored each one green, orange or red depending on how well it would cope once O2 disappeared. Devices with strong backup coverage were left alone; those with weaker options were queued for upgrades; and any device at risk of losing connection altogether was prioritised immediately or swapped out.
This process was repeated regularly, since network conditions kept shifting in the run-up to switch-off. Alongside this, Everon moved its devices onto VoLTE and VoIP, both of which carry voice calls over 4G rather than 2G, giving the whole fleet a long-term, sunset-proof foundation. The result wasn't just a fix for the O2 deadline. It was a service now ready for every 2G switch-off still to come, wherever it happens next.
Look beyond the switch-off deadline
The move away from 2G should not simply be viewed as a deadline to meet. It is an opportunity for healthcare providers to move to more reliable, longer-term connectivity and reduce the risk of any future disruption. Starting the process ahead of the pending deadlines allows providers more time to test, resolve issues and make sure service users don’t even notice the change, it should be a seamless transition for them.
Being prepared
For most industries, losing a network connection is an inconvenience, however for telecare, it can have serious consequences. A reliable connection is essential to ensuring calls for help reach the right people when most needed. Preparing early means the transition can happen without service users noticing a change at all.
This month, our Business Development Executive, James Ashcroft, joined industry leaders at Housing LIN's inaugural TAPPI Hour webinar to discuss how housing providers can use the analogue to digital switchover as a catalyst for delivering better, more connected later living services.
The session demonstrated Everon's ongoing commitment to supporting housing providers through digital transformation by not just replacing legacy technology, but by helping organisations create safer, more resilient and resident-centred environments that are fit for the future.
While the January 2027 deadline is drawing closer, the conversation is increasingly shifting away from compliance and towards opportunity. The analogue to digital switchover should be seen as more than an infrastructure upgrade; it presents a chance to rethink how technology supports residents, empowers staff and enables more proactive approaches to care.
So, where should housing providers focus their attention?
Too often, digital transformation begins with specifications and equipment. Instead, housing providers should begin by defining the outcomes they want to achieve.
Whether that's improving resident safety, supporting independent living or enabling staff to respond more effectively, technology should be selected to support those goals and not the other way around.
By designing services around residents' needs first, organisations can ensure digital investment delivers lasting value beyond compliance.
Moving to digital provides an opportunity to create connected, interoperable environments that are capable of evolving as resident needs change.
Fully digital, cloud-based platforms provide greater visibility across schemes, improve resilience and enable information to be shared more effectively between housing teams, carers and alarm receiving centres.
Rather than simply responding when an alarm is raised, providers can begin using data to identify patterns, recognise early indicators of risk and make more informed decisions before situations escalate.
Importantly, this isn't about replacing the human element of care. It's about giving staff better information and greater confidence to deliver the right support at the right time.
Digital transformation shouldn't be something that's done to residents or frontline teams; it should be developed with them.
At Everon, this principle is reflected in our partnership with East Kent College, where students test products in realistic care environments and provide valuable feedback that helps shape future innovation.
Similarly, our work with Home Group and Progress Housing Group demonstrates the value of designing solutions around real operational needs. Both organisations recognised the importance of creating fully digital platforms that not only support today's requirements but also provide a foundation for future service development.
The digital switchover is the beginning of a new chapter, not just the finish line for advancing standards.
Providers that invest in flexible, standards-based digital platforms today will be better positioned to adapt as resident expectations, workforce pressures and care requirements continue to evolve.
By focusing on collaboration, co-design and data-driven insight, housing organisations can move beyond simply replacing legacy systems and begin building safer, more connected and more proactive environments for the future.
At Everon, we work with housing providers to design fully digital, cloud-based solutions that support resident safety, operational resilience and proactive care.
Get in touch with our team to learn how we can help you build a future-ready digital here: everon.net/contact-support/
We're delighted to announce a new partnership with national housing association Home Group, which will see Everon Group deliver a fully digital telecare equipment upgrade for the majority of its sheltered housing schemes.
Work will begin imminently, with Everon Group's UK division responsible for completing the contract, which will run until 2029. This digital upgrade will ensure that Home Group's technology is not only fully compliant ahead of the analogue-to-digital switchover scheduled for January 2027, but also aligns with its long-term plans for service design and delivery.
As part of the programme, Everon Group will supply and install digital telecare hubs, providing Home Group with a robust, cloud-based solution designed specifically for independent living environments.
As a cloud-based wireless solution, the system operates using a mesh network that continuously monitors signals from the telecare units installed in each home and the communal areas of the scheme. Tenants can wear a pendant or wristwatch that sends an alert signal when pressed, either to Home Group’s Alarm Receiving Centre or to the independent living coordinator when present on-site, enabling them to communicate or get help if it’s needed.
By moving to Everon's digital platform, Home Group will also benefit from enhanced monitoring capabilities, providing greater visibility across its schemes and enabling the earlier identification of potential incidents, such as falls. This supports a more proactive, preventative approach to resident safety and wellbeing.
Peter Kerly, Managing Director at Everon Group UK, says: “We’re proud to be partnering on this contract with Home Group - one of the UK’s largest housing associations. We look forward to working with the team to enhance tenants’ quality of life as well as bolster Home Group’s digital systems ahead of the analogue switch off, due early next year.
“We'll be providing Home Group with 3,500 of our digital hubs to ensure digital readiness and ongoing resilience for alarm systems. Everon’s vision is centred on building scalable, interoperable digital solutions that align with long-term public sector needs.”
Andy Hall, Regional Director at Home Group, says: “We are pleased to have agreed this contract with Everon to deliver upgrades to our sheltered housing schemes.
“It is very important to us that our customers can continue to live independently in their homes, while remaining safe and able to alert us if they need assistance. Technology like this helps us ensure we have robust systems in place and improves our customers’ quality of life.”
