Better Business connectivity is just the start
Why business connectivity is important
When it comes to business connectivity, it’s such an expectation that it needs to work seamlessly for organisations and their employees, that it should almost be forgotten about when we turn our devices on and begin work. It’s not until its not working how it should be that it becomes at the forefront and can have a huge impact on organisations, their workforce, and operations.
2020 brought about a sudden and unexpected change to the way businesses operate and organisations were faced with the challenge of having to quickly adapt to changes outwith their control.
One challenge that all businesses experienced in the early days of the pandemic was getting all of their staff connected from home rather than in the office setting, with no two environments or setups the same. The Working from Home model which was forced upon us has without a doubt accelerated the need for better business connectivity regardless of where employees are. The introduction of new collaboration tools, hosted voice systems, as well as new ways of working and new technologies, brought new demand and dependency on being “always on” and “always being connected”. Internet connectivity is at the core of every successful business.
For TeamIFB, the provision of connectivity solutions for business customers has been the very essence of our business for more than 25 years. With an increasing need for fast and reliable business connectivity solutions, IFB is playing a key role for businesses in Aberdeen and the wider UK by providing a wide range of flexible and reliable connectivity options.
How to choose the best business connectivity solution for your business
Business owners might feel overwhelmed when choosing from the different types of connectivity options that are available on the market and there isn’t a one fits all. Having better business connectivity is just the start, it’s what businesses need the connectivity for that enables them to operate the way they need them to. Whether they are in an office setting, have adopted a hybrid working model or are working from Home. They also need to consider whether they need a hosted phone system, unified communication, collaboration tools, the list goes on so it’s little wonder that businesses may feel overwhelmed when choosing right connectivity solution for them.
The first question to ask here is: What are the needs of your business?
Every business is different and has different requirements. Size, number of employees and the data you work with, or transfer can influence the type of the business connectivity you need to support your business operations.
One of the most important factors when choosing business connectivity for many is certainly speed and cost.
Speed is critical for supporting business operations and meeting the needs and demand of the business.
Price is another factor which influences the decision when choosing an appropriate solution.
Cheaper options can provide deals with limited speed options, which might negatively impact your team’s productivity. Choosing costly solution might leave you overpaying for the service that is not used in full.
Business Broadband and Internet Leased Line are the two most common options considered by businesses when looking for a connectivity solution. Mobile broadband supports not only private users but businesses too.
Business Broadband
Today’s options for broadband with ADSL, FTTC and FTTP broadband offer good options for most business users.
A contented service where the connection from central exchange is shared with other businesses, speed might vary depending on usage from the rest of the businesses.
ADSL – is considered as a good entry connectivity solution for small businesses or employees working from home. It is delivered via copper telephone line and provides good connectivity (up to 20Mbps download speed) especially in locations with not many users.
FTTC – is popular among business customers as it provides a reliable and fast business connection with download speeds up to 80Mbps. The business broadband connection is delivered by fibre optic to the local cabinet and from there by the copper wire to the premises. The distance between the cabinet and the premises might affect the speed of the connection.
FTTP – provides fibre optic connection from the telephone exchange straight to the business premises and offers better bandwidth. The speed and performance of the service is not affected by distance or peak hours as the connection is provided though fibre optic cables and offers a faster and more reliable internet connection.
4G/5G Mobile Broadband for businesses
4G/5G Mobile Broadband is fourth generation of mobile phone technology and uses the same signal as smartphone to access internet rather than telephone line. It is a secure and high speed, flexible and portable broadband connectivity option for businesses or their staff working from home. It is used as a great alternative to standard business broadband solutions, where traditional ADSL/Cable internet service is not available or too slow.
Dedicated business internet connection
Leased lines solutions provide dedicated full fibre connections from Internet Service Provider to the business premises. As uncontended service, it provides full download and upload speed chosen by the business customer, greater security, router monitoring and is a popular choice for mid-size and large organisations or businesses where the business connectivity is critical.
Reliability, Resilience and Support, together with Speed and Cost are the factors considered when choosing the best business connectivity for your business. Choosing the right solution will have a positive impact on business productivity and improve effectiveness of business operations.
If you are reviewing your current connectivity solution or have new connectivity requirements, contact TeamIFB and we would be delighted to help to find best business connectivity solution for your business, answer any questions you may have and share our expertise.