Internet connectivity is a fundamental element of nearly every type of business today. That’s why it is more important than ever that you choose the best internet connection for your business — both for today’s needs and to address future growth. We’ve put together a guide (this is part one of two), to help you choose the right type of internet connection for your business. In this section of the guide, we’ll help you assess the needs of your business so you can determine whether you would be best served by Fiber Optic, Cable, DSL or a Wireless connection when researching internet providers. We’ve focused on some of the essential needs that many businesses have — maybe some of these issues hit home for you, too.
Rise of Cloud Server Solutions
Today, cloud-based utilities are being used by more and more businesses. This includes storage, recovery programs and even apps and software. If you’re interested in exploring more cloud-based services, you will need the internet that can keep up with your demand and that will have the reliability to be there when you need it most.
Online Tools
You want speed sufficient to allow employees to get the job done quickly, connect with customers and develop and implement new ideas.
If your company utilizes Internet-based applications, such as Sales CRM’s, online scheduling, helpdesk programs and other programs, the internet is critical. You need a fast, reliable connection. Additionally, you may have the need for multiple users at the same time. Look at internet services that handle this flow of traffic seamlessly.
Employee Productivity
Depending on how many employees you have at the office, and the number of devices you power, you may need a higher-end service. Additionally, you want speed sufficient to allow employees to get the job done quickly, connect with customers and develop and implement new ideas. Productivity is key.
Reliability
At the end of the day, downtime equals loss of time and money by way of lost opportunities. Different connectivity solutions have varying levels of reliability, and they may have differing causes of downtime. Make sure you investigate all aspects of reliability before committing.
Backup speeds
Data backup is moving from hard backup to the cloud. This shift means that you need speed and reliability to connect and backup your data—not only as a whole company but for individual employees.
Having the ability to conduct voice conferences and VoIP conversations save you money and time.
Video Conferencing and VoIP
Having the ability to conduct voice conferences and VoIP conversations save you money and time. Not only can you connect with people near and far, but you can also reduce the expense of hardware, phone lines, and other upfront costs. However, you do need a fast, always available connection.
Compatibility
No company wants to go out and buy all new equipment or rewire the building to make it work with a new internet technology. This can mean finding an internet service that will work with what you have. Additionally, it may be possible to upgrade with minimal expense—depending on your current setup and planned growth.
Access & Availability
Not all services are available in all areas. It is important that you assess what is available in your city and even in your building and compare it with your other needs.
Cost
Internet service is becoming more affordable and is a “need” for most businesses today. However, your company’s bottom line may determine what route you will take in regards to choosing a service.
With more and more services moving to the cloud and more options becoming available for the internet, now is the time to start shopping and finding the right solution for your business. Each type of service offers different pros and cons including speed, reliability and cost. Keep all of these in mind when making decisions and find a balanced choice for your business. Our “part 2” will discuss Fiber, Cable, DSL, and Wireless Internet and help you decide which one fits your needs best.
Thanks for explaining the benefits of having a good internet connection for a business. It’s good to know that you need to make sure the speed is good enough for all employees to work efficiently. Perhaps it can be good to understand how many employees will be using the internet at a time to better understand what kind of connection you will need.
It’s great that you elaborated on the need for fast, reliable internet service connections if you have internet-based software applications. When my sister was back in high school, I remember how slow the internet used to be. I’m glad that technology has advanced to give us faster options. You did a great job of explaining how beneficial it is to have good commercial internet service for your business because it helps with office productivity.