» Business broadband

Many companies have already adopted broadband as an essential technology within their business. In the current digital-centric market, broadband is crucial for accessing the internet, sending and receiving email, networking offices, accessing web servers, and so much more.

However, many companies make the important decision of which business ADSL provider to choose based on material factors; the brand name, the provider's location, or the cost being classic examples. Interestingly, the core issues are often overlooked: the issues that separate the high-performance business broadband providers from the chaff.

In this article, we attempt to provide you with all the necessary information, so that you know what you require from your next broadband provider. Making the right moves could get you and your business low contention rates, fast network access, reliable service and a friendly support team, as well as all the right network and management services to complement your business broadband.

The business broadband provider you use will critically impact your business and the standard of service you offer to your customers. The quality of your business ADSL also has a direct effect on staff productivity and even effects morale in the business.

When it comes to business broadband, value is not defined by the price. Low quality, poor resilience and security, support by email or a call centre that keeps you on hold for hours are all faults that could spell disaster for your business. Luckily, with the right provider your business could avoid all this.

Here are seven questions that you could ask of your current business broadband supplier, and should certainly ask any future prospective supplier:

1. Does the business broadband provider offer a guaranteed level of service?
2. Do they focus on high-performance connectivity?
3. Can the provider offer added services such as voice over IP, bonded broadband and VPNs?
4. What is the business broadband provider's network contention policy? Be careful of any more than 5:1!
5. Do they have a technical support service, and how fast do they answer the phone?
6. What level of after-sales and technical support does the business broadband provider offer: will you be speaking to a qualified professional, and will they provide you with personal dedicated support?
7. Do they provide you with value for money when compared to competitor services?

How Managed Communications answers these questions

1. Our business broadband comes with a 99.9% Service Level Agreement or SLA, guaranteeing a high standard of service.
2. Our method of bonding ADSL connections to create Bonded or MAX ADSL is perfect for businesses. This extra-wide connection allows quicker and more efficient transfer of data for your business. We also offer leased lines and SDSL.
3. We have several business broadband options to choose from according to your bandwidth needs, including single or bonded ADSL and SDSL, and leased lines. We also offer managed firewalls, hosted email exchanges, voice-activated IP and ultra-secure virtual private networks, giving your company an infrastructure you can rely on.
4. Our business broadband contention rates are as low as 1:1.
5. We aim to answer the phone within three rings, from our UK-based support centre which you can contact 24 hours a day on 0870 803 4645. Alternatively, you can request a call-back from one our telecoms experts.
6. Our support team are qualified telecoms and data network experts, whilst our technical team are Cisco-qualified. We pride ourselves on providing the highest possible level of customer support, whether we're installing business ADSL on your premises or answering the phone to you.
7. When it comes to cost, Managed Communications is one of the best value choices. Considering we provide exceptional and reliable service and products, we are sometimes an incredible 40-50% lower in price than our competitors. You have to contact us for a quote, because our personalised and individual service means our final prices are tailored to your precise business broadband needs.