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7THINGS TO CONSIDERWHEN SELECTING ANINTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERFOR YOUR BUSINESSFind out how Cox Business Can Help MakeYour Business More Competitive - Click Here
Things to Consider When Selecting An Internet Service Provider for Your Business7THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN SELECTING ANINTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER FOR YOUR BUSINESSInternet service is the heart of any business today, poweringeverything from telephone service to videoconferences. Becauseso much of your business depends on a reliable, fast internetconnection, it’s important that you choose the best internet service foryour environment. With several different options, though, professionalscan sometimes feel overwhelmed by the technical jargon.Whether you’re starting a new business orconsidering making an internet providerswitch, the more information you have, thebetter prepared you’ll be to make the rightchoice. This guide will walk you through thedifferent options to better prepare yourself tomake decisions about your internet service.because data is transmitted through cablelines that were designed specifically totransmit data. DSL, on the other hand, sendsdata over twisted pair cabling, a technologythat was originally developed for voice.Cable vs. DSLWhen it comes to internet speeds, cabledominates, providing a speed and reliabilitynot found with DSL. Companies like CoxBusiness offer high-speed internet tobusinesses through robust local areanetworks, offering speeds of up to 150 Mbps.Cable is often a better choice for businessesWHEN IT COMES TO INTERNET SPEEDS, CABLE DOMINATES,PROVIDING A SPEED AND RELIABILITY NOT FOUND WITH DSL.”2www.coxbusiness.com
Things to Consider When Selecting An Internet Service Provider for Your BusinessWhile DSL has improved in recent years, itstill lags behind cable in speed and reliability.As businesses increasingly depend onthe internet for core operations, this hasbecome an appealing feature. As DSL hasimproved, so has cable internet, offeringunprecedented speeds that are perfectfor everything from webinars to phonecalls. A slow connection in the middle of animportant videoconference can not onlybe inconvenient, but it can be humiliating,making a business look far less professionalthan they’d likely prefer.Wireless vs. WiredIn choosing an internet service, one ofthe main decisions businesses face todayis whether to go wireless. With so manyemployees and visitors working from mobiledevices, wireless functionality brings with ita mobility and convenience not offered bywired connections. If an employee needspeace and quiet to focus, he can move to anenclave or conference room with a laptopand keep working. Visiting clients can connectto their email from your lobby or conferenceroom, giving you the opportunity to providefirst-class customer service. If you don’t offerthis service, you’ll likely find your receptionistis having to regularly say “no” to clients whostep forward to ask about Wi-Fi while waiting.Even with the popularity of mobile devices,however, many businesses still choose toemploy wired LAN connections for officeworkstations. Wired connections are oftenfaster and more reliable than Wi-Fi, whichcan vary depending on how far users arefrom the equipment. In some cases, officesfocus on Wi-Fi in conference rooms, lobbies,and other shared areas while equipping eachoffice for a wired connection.Customer-Based Wi-FiHospitality businesses are rapidly realizingthat free Wi-Fi is no longer a perk, it’sa necessity. Customers will choose tofrequent a location based on the speed andconvenience of its free Wi-Fi, which meansbusinesses must offer these services toremain competitive. If your business servesthe public, you’ll be able to provide free3www.coxbusiness.com
Things to Consider When Selecting An Internet Service Provider for Your BusinessOnce you’ve decided to offer Wi-Fi in yourestablishment, commit fully to the service.Your Wi-Fi should be reliable enough thatyour customers will consider it worth cominginto your business. Fast Wi-Fi is part of theoverall environment of a business, leadingcustomers to choose that location forbusiness meetings or simply to get away fromthe office. Sluggish, flaky Wi-Fi will only forcecustomers to pick up their devices and walkout, leaving for one of a business’s rivals.Wi-Fi as part of your amenities to attractcustomers into your establishment. Medicalpractices and restaurants find this serviceespecially beneficial, since customersoften linger for long periods of time inthese places.Voice ServicesThanks to Voice over IP (VoIP) technology,the line between telephony and computersis vanishing, with businesses now able toaccess features that weren’t previouslyavailable. When you choose an IP-basedphone setup, you’ll have the flexibility thatcomes with moving conversations over datalines rather than traditional voice lines.When deciding whether to offer freeWi-Fi to customers, consider the ROI onimplementing the service. A restaurantor coffee shop may decide that free Wi-Ficauses guests to linger for hours, taking uptables that could be frequented by payingcustomers. But not offering free Wi-Fi couldresult in a business losing customers tocompetitors who offer the service. Thispressure to compete will frequently lead abusiness to cave and at least offer free Wi-Fiwith each purchase.4www.coxbusiness.com
Things to Consider When Selecting An Internet Service Provider for Your BusinessBusinesses can seamlessly route calls toworkers’ smartphones, letting them takecalls while on the road or at home, as well asin the office. This can give even the smallestbusiness the appearance of being a muchlarger enterprise.One of the best things about IP-basedtelephony is its scalability. As an organizationgrows, it can often feel challenged to keepup with that growth. With IP voice services,a business can dramatically expand its teamwithout incurring a large additional expense.VoIP also satisfies today’s disaster recoveryconcerns, providing a cloud functionality thatcan usually continue without interruptioneven in the worst of disasters.which means if any of your employees haveproblems connecting, they can contact aknowledgeable service representative whocan walk the employee through each steptoward resolution.In addition to one-on-one support, CoxBusiness Internet gives each customer accessto a full suite of helpful articles on a varietyof technical topics. Through the ISP’s website,businesses can go through a step-by-stepguide to help troubleshoot any problemsthey’re having without calling for help.Technical SupportBusinesses are increasingly outsourcingtechnology operations to outside providers,allowing them to reduce technologyspending by not requiring on-site staff.Today’s ISPs provide support that goeswell beyond troubleshooting problemswith your service. You’ll have access to24/7/365 tech support with your businessclass internet service by phone or email,FAST INTERNET MEANS YOU CAN ALSO BE INVENTIVE IN THEMETHODS YOU USE FOR PROVIDING IN-HOUSE SUPPORT.”5www.coxbusiness.com
Things to Consider When Selecting An Internet Service Provider for Your BusinessIf a business is having problems with itsequipment, there are multiple drop-offservice locations to allow someone toconveniently deliver the equipment for repair.Fast internet means you can also beinventive in the methods you use forproviding in-house support. If your businesshas multiple locations, you’ll no longer haveto dispatch technicians to travel to differentbuildings when a user has an issue that can’tbe resolved by your ISP. Through video chator instant messaging, your capable softwaretechnicians can work with users across theglobe to walk them through issues. WindowsRemote Desktop and other similar servicescan be used to take over a user’s screen andtroubleshoot from across the world, as well,as long as each user has a solid internetconnection. Even technical support stafflocated in the same building can use remotedesktop functionality, keeping them attheir desks and speeding up the process ofresolving tickets.services to their suite of services. This allowsbusinesses to remove all files from on-sitehard drives and move them to an off-siteserver, saving money on support staff andhardware. This also gives professionals thepeace of mind of knowing that all data issafely backed up in the event of a disaster orhard drive failure.BackupWhen contracting with an ISP, businesseshave the option of adding cloud backupEven when data is moved to the cloud,businesses are still completely in control,thanks to dashboards that allow anEVEN TECHNICAL SUPPORT STAFF LOCATED IN THE SAMEBUILDING CAN USE REMOTE DESKTOP FUNCTIONALITY.”6www.coxbusiness.com
Things to Consider When Selecting An Internet Service Provider for Your Businessadministrator to choose the desiredfrequency of dashboard backups. If a fileneeds to be restored, your administratorcan login to the dashboard and take careof it immediately, so there’s no need toput in a ticket and wait. This also allowsadministrators to remain aware of howbackups are being performed, preventingfailures that can lead to data loss. In theevent of a disaster, all of your data canbe restored instantly using any internetconnected computer.can set up a security suite that protects allconnected devices against viruses, spyware,and hacking attempts, keeping you fromlosing the data you rely on. Having the latesttechnology in place to protect you againstintrusions will help prevent an embarrassingdata breach. Security solutions provided byISPs cover your business’s computers andfile servers 24/7, with solutions customizedto the individual needs of each business.Service providers like Cox Business offer freesecurity licenses with each business account.SecurityBusinesses today have so many devices,individual instances of security softwareare no longer feasible. With an ISP, youAlong with control of backups, ISPs alsoprovide a dashboard to allow administratorsto control security features. Through thisdashboard, administrators can run reportsand change settings. All updates and patchesare downloaded automatically, saving manhours that can be directed toward othertasks. All connected devices are updatedthroughout the day to ensure they remainprotected from any new threats that emerge.To remain competitive and productive, yourbusiness needs fast, reliable internet accessfor each of its devices. By being aware of themany options and how they affect your dailyoperations, you can make the best choice tocarry you forward.7www.coxbusiness.com
not found with DSL. Companies like Cox Business offer high-speed internet to businesses through robust local area networks, offering speeds of up to 150 Mbps. Cable is often a better choice for businesses because data is transmitted through cable lines that were designed spe
