How Robust Data Services Can Help Facilitate Remote Employees

Working remotely is becoming increasingly popular amongst both businesses and their employees. Employees save on commute times, gain autonomy and get to work in their pajamas while employers save on operating costs and improve employee morale. This new way of working is only possible through leveraging new technologies and data services, something many businesses are discovering is impossible without increasing data speeds.

A Need For Bandwidth

Having employees work remotely requires robust communication abilities. There are many affordable options out there including Skype and Google Talk for video conferencing and Dropbox and Google Drive for file transfers. Employees can even access their work computers remotely if necessary. The only caveat to all of this is that you need a respectable level of data service bandwidth to make these applications usable.

High speed business data plans have changed a lot in the past decade and not all businesses realize how inadequate their service is until they begin to experience issues. When you do begin to adopt cloud applications and video conferencing to stay connected with remote employees you may see some problems if your data plan is not robust enough. This can be especially true when it comes to upload speeds.

You are no longer just focusing on downloading large files anymore. Services like Dropbox require you to upload large files to the cloud for access anywhere, essentially a requirement for remote employees. The more data you have moving back and forth the greater chance you have of experiencing lag. You want to be able to move information quickly between your business, the cloud and your remote employees, but you will only be able to do so if you have true high speed business data.

Keeping Up with Technology

Even if your business does not have any plans for employees to work remotely, the realities of business technology demand high data service bandwidth. If you hope to stay current, you need both the download and upload capacity to use emerging technologies. At Integrated Communications we can help you find affordable Internet speeds that will meet your needs, both now and in the future.

The Advantages of Having All Your Communications Needs Met By A Single Provider

You have a lot of options when it comes to your business communication providers. From landline phone service and Internet data providers to videoconferencing and VOIP, you can pick and choose who you prefer to keep your company connected. There are times though when more options are not necessarily better, at least when you want to focus on actual communication and less on screening numerous service providers.

Advantages of a Single Business Communication Provider

Simplicity is always a focus for companies seeking an edge over the competition. The fewer steps you have to take to reach your goals, the more efficient you can be at keeping your company competitive and improving your profitability. It is this type of simplicity that is one of the major advantages of seeking a single source for your telecommunication needs.

At Integrated Communications we work to bring everything you need straight to you. This drastically reduces the amount of time and effort your company spends on sourcing telecommunication services. We find you the web conferencing, landline and data/internet solutions you need for your specific business practices. This can save your company up to 25% off of your monthly telecommunication costs and guarantees you are getting the best options for you.

One Call Vs. Many

Having a single company to call to find all the services you need is quite a bit easier than screening numerous providers in hopes of finding a winner. You do not have to make multiple phone calls to discover who has what you need and you do not have to ask the same questions over and over. We take care of all of this for you.

We also have a good grasp of what companies excel in specific areas, meaning we can match your company quickly with the service provider that will have what you want and need.

If you would like to learn more about how you can save money on your communication services, please contact Integrated Communications today.

The Importance of Adequate Bandwidth for Business Performance

A prudent businessperson knows the importance of saving money. You want to avoid spending unnecessarily if you can help it because it lends stability to your operation. As important as it is to be frugal, though, there are some areas where it pays to spend a little more — your Internet being one of them. The demand on your business’ bandwidth is rapidly increasing, and is only expected to grow. Failing to account for this can slow down your operations and cost you money.

Increasing Demands on Bandwidth

Depending on how long you have been in business, you may remember the days when you did not even need an Internet connection. Even once you did begin using emerging technologies, your bandwidth needs were probably not very intensive. Now, though, it is practically a necessity to be constantly connected and have the fastest speeds you can afford — and not just for watching cat videos.

The usage of online applications is skyrocketing, and for good reason. They provide a new level of reliability and accessibility never seen before. Services such as cloud backups, hosted storage like Google Drive or Dropbox and video conferencing are all becoming standard for businesses that want to leverage the best technologies out there.

The problem is, your old data package is probably not up to the challenge of this level of Internet usage. This becomes especially true when you consider that download speeds used to be the priority, with a very minor focus on upload speeds. Using cloud backups and Dropbox-type services quickly and effectively requires serious upload capabilities — something older data packages just do not have.

Money Now or Money Later

You want your employees and your business moving as quickly as it can while maintaining quality standards. If your Internet speed is not up to par, it makes efficiency impossible. This causes your entire system to bog down unnecessarily and will inevitably impact productivity. The increased cost of a more robust data package is worth it for any business that wants to stay competitive.

Could Net Neutrality Impact VoIP Telecommunications Services?

The often debated topic of net neutrality is usually approached from the angles of online censorship and web services, but there are also very real ramifications for the Internet-based industry of VoIP telecommunications. Put simply, “net neutrality” is a principle by which internet service providers cannot discriminate against the data that they transmit. Under net neutrality, all data is required to be transmitted with equal fidelity and at the same price. Without net neutrality, an ISP can alter its pricing structure and bandwidth prioritization based on type and source of traffic.

There are two sides to net neutrality: charges to the consumer and charges to the content provider. Without net neutrality it would be possible for an ISP to charge someone more for having VoIP telecommunication services with another telecommunications provider. Further, the ISP would also be able to prioritize the data sent to and from this other telecommunications provider as less important, thereby lowering overall call stability. The ISP would also be able to charge VoIP companies more regarding the amount of data it transmitted. This could increase the overall price of VoIP communications.

Many companies do not contract services for VoIP telecommunications directly with their Internet Service Provider; commercial VoIP services tend to be contracted specifically through telecommunications companies, while residential services are more likely to be contracted through an ISP. Should ISPs desire to limit this type of traffic or promote their own commercial services, a lack of net neutrality could become costly for corporate VoIP clients. Other clients may see the stability or the speed of their telecommunications service slow down drastically.

Restricting external VoIP services in this way may seem unlikely, but it’s exactly what many individuals are concerned ISPs will do regarding streaming video services, which have become competitive with the television services provided by cable-based Internet service providers. At the same time, Internet Service Providers are assuring consumers that a lack of net neutrality will not significantly alter their product offerings .