Broadband: it’s what you do with it that counts
Businesses often think about broadband connectivity purely on speed. How fast does it upload and download? How many employees will it support? How good is the connection?
But too few really think about the power and the range of benefits that great connectivity brings.
“I get really excited imagining what we can do in the future with broadband.”
–Julius Genachowski, MD of the Carlisle Group
With the introduction of the Connection Voucher Scheme (part of the government’s Broadband Delivery UK programme), super-fast broadband is now more accessible than ever. Businesses can receive up to £3000 to boost connectivity and improve the quality of their internet connection.
Latest figures from Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) show since April 1st, almost a quarter of the government’s allocated £40m for the scheme has already been committed to businesses around the UK.
But there’s more to broadband than just speed. It’s what you do with it that counts!
Broadband is more than web browsing, streaming music and videos – it’s a platform on which you can connect the activity and people across your business to help you save time, save money and streamline your business.
It not only starts you on a journey towards being a smarter business, but it unlocks many opportunities to be more productive and more profitable.
So how could your business really make the most of your connectivity?
Up in the cloud
‘The cloud’ has become a popular phrase in recent years. Yet many businesses only skim the surface of the power of cloud-based systems.
Connecting your business to the cloud has a number of benefits:
• Increased security
• Remote access to documents, software and systems
• Data backup and remote storage
• Disaster recovery
• Increased collaboration
Remote data storage using cloud-based solutions such as Dropbox or Google Drive is a great way to save, backup and share files and documents.
Even popular software such as Microsoft Office and Outlook is evolving towards cloud-based platforms. Their cloud-based software, Office 365, now incorporates the likes of popular programs such as Office, SharePoint and Outlook – just log into your account wherever you are and continue working on your documents.
Plus, cloud-based software often means you get the latest version and regular updates that keep your systems up and running as efficiently and securely as possible.
By exploring the range of cloud-based systems available to your business means you can take advantage of the latest and most innovate business solutions and tailor them specifically to your needs. You can increase your productivity without having to work harder and longer.
Cloud-based solutions make you work smarter.
De-clutter
What if a box held the key to your connectivity?
We often think about the office router just as the box in the corner that gives us an internet connection – we don’t see it as a valuable tool that helps improve our productivity.
With the right type of connectivity your business can integrate many traditional office-based systems through your broadband connection.
There’s no need for expensive servers and hard-wired telephone systems – it can all be reliably hosted through a remote server, offering all the benefits of cloud-based connectivity through one simple connection.
Improve Communication
Communication between colleagues, clients and customers is central to any business activity.
Hosted (or virtual) phone systems and Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offer reliable and flexible calls from multiple numbers (often at much cheaper rates than traditional landline systems), all through your broadband connection.
You can also assign multiple numbers all through one connection, without the expense of multiple lines and extra equipment.
Video conferencing is also a great way to improve communication between different locations. Super-fast broadband removes the need for those noisy and awkward conference calls between offices, so you benefit from face to face conversations, wherever your contacts are.
Be Flexible
Let’s remember, work is an activity, not just a place to go. In many cases your work could take you around the UK and across the globe.
You might have super-fast broadband, but if you’re business doesn’t have connectivity, it’s harder and more expensive to run your business remotely.
By thinking about the connectivity of your business instead of just having an internet connection, work activities stay connected and remain totally productive wherever they take place, at whatever time of day – there’s no need to be confined to the office.
You might even benefit from flexible working hours and allowing your employees to work from home.
Broadband Availability
Moving to another broadband provider is getting easier. Shopping for the best deals and best service provider is simpler than ever.
Businesses often ask if they can get faster broadband elsewhere. But they should be asking, how can I get the right level of connectivity for my business activity? How can I use my broadband connection to revolutionise my business? How can we be smarter about our connectivity to be more profitable?
The answer might be one of a range of connectivity solutions to improve your broadband capacity. But it’s often the case that you could be using your existing connection smarter.
Get the best connection for your business and make the most of your connectivity to create smarter business.
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For more information regards broadband and conenctivity or to discuss any of our cloud based solutions contact our team on 01302 260195 or email enquiries@katcommunications.co.uk
