The Critical Importance Of Reliable Business Internet Connectivity
It’s difficult to keep up with the rampant and ongoing advances in technology and telecommunications. But one thing is for sure: If you don’t ensure your business Internet connectivity keeps up with the evolving needs of your business, you cannot hope to stay productive, competitive and profitable.
Today, reliable connectivity is as essential to your business as electricity and telephones, but how do you know which package to choose? Is your existing service provider meeting your needs and, more importantly, can they adapt so that they continue to meet them as your business scales? And do you even know what your connectivity requirements are?
Key Considerations To Ensure Optimal Business Internet Connectivity
Bandwidth
Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) try to dazzle us with how many “Megs” of bandwidth they offer. But do you really need as much as they say you do? Or will you end up paying for something you don’t use? Check your current traffic graphs to see how much bandwidth you’re currently using, and what times of the day your usage peaks. If the peak is during normal office hours, the chances are you’re at the top of your usage limits, and should definitely think about upgrading. If peak usage happens after hours, or during lunch, then your current package is probably sufficient for your needs.
However, don’t forget to think about scaling. Will you be buying more computers or tablets in the near future? Are you planning to adopt a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy? Or are you going to soon migrate your business into the Cloud, using Microsoft 365, for example? All these expansion plans require bandwidth, so ensuring your business Internet connectivity expands to meet your growing needs is vital to the ongoing success of your business.
Multi-Site Businesses
Your business might have offices in more than one city, perhaps you have branches located internationally, or you may simply have a number of employees working remotely. In any or all of these scenarios, you need to ensure your networking resources meet your needs. Whether you choose to run a single domain network or share resources between businesses, your business internet connectivity will always be at the core of how this is managed. VPNs, MPLS or SD-WAN technologies all rely on a reliable, always-on Internet connection to ensure resources can be shared between offices without delays. This is how you stay productive and profitable.
Security
You don’t have to look far to find stories of hacks, data breaches and other security concerns that cost businesses all over the world heavily – both financially and reputationally. Making sure your business internet connectivity provider offers a safe and secure service is one of the most important considerations. Your chosen provider must be able to meet or exceed the data protection policies you have in place.
Internet Solutions
Once you’ve worked out these first three considerations, the not-so-simple task of choosing which Internet solution is best for your business is the next item on your list. Let’s look at some of your options:
Cable: Fibre or ADSL?
This may not always be a choice, as fibre isn’t yet available across the country. But if you do have the luxury of choice, how do you know which one will give you the business internet connectivity you need?
ADSL is usually the cheapest option, but what you gain in cost savings you often sacrifice when it comes to bandwidth speeds and signal. You also have to have a telephone landline to use ADSL services. Fibre, on the other hand, offers superior bandwidth, quality and performance. It is, however, more expensive, and is not as widely available.
Wireless: Satellite, LTE Or Fixed?
If you don’t have a landline and are not in an area serviced by fibre, wireless business Internet connectivity is an excellent alternative. LTE and 4G are up to 10 times faster than 3G, and you have the added advantage of increased capacity. Both satellite and fixed wireless use a dish or antenna to give you a high-speed internet connection, but fixed wireless is not as affected by adverse weather conditions, as the signal doesn’t have to travel as far. If your business is conducted mainly via Cloud-based applications, this can have a significant impact on latency and lag.
At Huge, we understand that the world of reliable business internet connectivity is fraught with jargon and confusing tech-speak. Don’t fall victim to information overload – contact us today to chat about your business needs and how we can help you meet them.
