| gularly have business customers ask us about | | | | downloads but it will costs you thousands per |
| their business communications services and what | | | | month. ADSL 2 Business grade should give |
| they can do to improve their efficiency. If you | | | | excellent speeds at manageable cost with good |
| have a business phone line you want to get the | | | | quality service based in your home country. |
| most of the price you pay each month | | | | Support staff should be well trained and have the |
| We have compiled a list of the Top 10 Broadband | | | | ability to understand your needs and the |
| features you should make sure your service | | | | importance of the service to you and your |
| provider can deliver. | | | | business. Nothing worse than getting unhelpful held |
| 1. Reliability of the Broadband Internet Network. If | | | | desk staff. |
| you can find a Internet provider with ADSL | | | | 5. Static IP. Make sure your business grade ADSL |
| Business Broadband who proves you with Service | | | | plan has a static IP address included. This is |
| Level Agreements SLAs and backs those SLAs | | | | beneficial if you host your own servers for |
| with refunds available for downtime, you know | | | | services such as web, email, VPN and many |
| you have a reliable network. Not many Business | | | | more. |
| Internet companies do this. | | | | 6. Reverse DNS. Having reverse DNS on your : |
| 2. Speed. It’s no use having a reliable and | | | | Business Grade Internet will allow you to host |
| slow ADSL service. Make sure your Business | | | | email servers while remaining compliant. |
| ADSL is on a reputable network with adequate | | | | 7. Additional IP addresses are important to many |
| backhaul capacity that will provide you with the | | | | business when have multiple web, email and other |
| speed you require. Do you need higher upload | | | | IT infrastructure that they support. |
| speeds? If so you will need to have SHDSL | | | | 8. High grade support located in the country you |
| service or get a ADSL service with Clip M access | | | | operate from. Everyone has the horror stories |
| which provides for up to 2Mb upload speeds. | | | | surrounding the offshore "support" centres with |
| 3. Low Contention ratios. Another important | | | | massive wait times and the service and language |
| factor to take into account is the contention ratio | | | | barriers can be appalling. You should not have to |
| of your Internet Service provider. This is the | | | | wait more than 1-3 minutes in a call queue to get |
| number of users on any one port at the | | | | friendly and helpful support. |
| exchange. Low cuts users put hundreds and | | | | 9. Flexibility to change plans and speed of your |
| hundreds on. Quality Business Broadband | | | | Business Internet plan without massive variation |
| Companies will have anywhere between 1 (for | | | | fees. Make sure your business ISP can be flexible. |
| dedicated Full Blown Business Grade …. high | | | | Business needs change and so should your |
| end high cost) and up to 50 for typical business | | | | Business : ADSL plan be able to change with |
| use and costs effective ADSL. Budget carriers | | | | those needs. |
| often have 200+ customers on a single node at | | | | 10. Built in Anti Spam and Anti Virus monitoring. |
| the exchange where the quality providers will | | | | This can sometimes cause minor problems with |
| typically have no more than 1`00 users | | | | your email delivery but are vital to ensure your |
| 4. Price. You obviously need to strike a balance in | | | | network is not affected by malicious viruses or |
| what you are paying for and what you get. Sure | | | | over loaded with spam. |
| you have top of the range speed, reliability and | | | | |