While there may be businesses that don’t need the internet — though it’s hard to envision that being possible in this day and age — internet access opens up a world of opportunities.
That’s not hyperbole since the internet means your business is no longer limited to consumers within a modest radius of corporate headquarters. An online storefront means people worldwide can potentially patronize you. You’ll have access to approximately 5.56 billion internet users worldwide.
But the type of internet you have is essential — in fact, it could make or break your business. So, it’s not just about getting any plan from an internet service provider. You need stable, high-speed internet access so your company can maximize uptime and reduce downtime.
While shared internet service might be doable for smaller companies or independent contractors working remotely, businesses on a growth trajectory need something more robust. That would be dedicated internet access that offers private, secure, and stable internet connections.
If you are assessing your company’s internet situation, here are three reasons why dedicated internet access is a good idea.
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Guaranteed Speed and Performance
When selecting shared internet services, you must deal with fluctuating bandwidth. Service reliability will be hit-and-miss if you go that route. The reality is that speeds can slow to a sloth-like pace if multiple businesses share a single internet connection.
That will cost you more in inefficiency and lower productivity than you save by choosing shared internet service over dedicated internet access.
When your company chooses dedicated internet access over shared internet service, you’ll get consistent speeds that aren’t adversely impacted by network congestion. Your workers can operate cloud-based software, upload big files, and stream video calls without slowdowns.
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More Security and Data Protection
Another benefit of dedicated internet access is that it can help your business safeguard against cyberattacks. According to one source, the average expense for a data breach in the U.S. last year was $4.88 million. That’s a boatload of money — an amount that could sink many businesses.
While there’s no way to eliminate cybersecurity risks, you can lower the risks. One way to reduce your company’s risk profile online is to use dedicated internet access rather than shared internet services. Going with the former over the latter can help when dealing with sensitive customer information, protecting proprietary data, and conducting financial transactions.
Dedicated internet access connections are more secure than shared internet services since they afford a private, exclusive link to the internet. That will help safeguard against cyberattacks and data breaches that could wreak havoc and cause reputational harm.
You can get dedicated internet access with built-in encryption, firewalls, and dedicated IP addresses. Don’t take the security and integrity of business data for granted — dedicated internet access can help.
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Improved Reliability and Uptime
Few things strike fear in the hearts of business leaders more than unplanned downtime. It can cost them a ton in lost efficiency, productivity, and profitability. And, if that weren’t enough, it can cause a great deal of reputational harm if customers shrug their shoulders and go elsewhere. Consumers want what they want when they want it. If you’re unavailable, they may patronize one of your competitors instead.
If you select shared services, instances of outages or slow speeds are part of the package. The internet service provider might not tell you that upfront, but it’s the nature of that type of internet access. Meanwhile, internet service providers offering dedicated internet access often offer service level agreements that guarantee an uptime of 99.99% or more. That means your business can depend on the internet access needed for ongoing growth without frustrating downtime.
If your business is on an upward growth trajectory, you need dedicated internet access. Finding the right internet service provider offering such internet access is your best bet. Your business will have one of the things needed to achieve its growth potential.