What Businesses Need from Internet Service Providers

Sufficient Bandwidth

Sufficient Bandwidth is one of the key requirements that business owners and managers should thoroughly evaluate. Of course, your bandwidth needs will depend on the nature and size of your operations. With this in mind, begin your assessment with the following questions:

• How fast do you really need your Internet connectivity to be?
• How much bandwidth do you anticipate requiring?
• How many devices do you estimate are going to need to transfer data?
• Do you need point-to-point connectivity?

Once you've answered those questions, your next step is to learn about the different types of high-speed Internet options. Here's a primer of your options:

Focused on Security

This is another variable that should be on top of your list. Sure, there are lots of provider options out there, but not everyone can guarantee that you will be protected from spam, spyware, viral threat, and even intrusion. The company should be committed to security, even down to doing background checks on their own employees. A good guide is to see if the company undergoes an audit such as an SSAE 16 validation which does address how security is managed and maintained.

Shorter Installation Timelines

Most ISPs take 30 to 60 days for them to set up a connection to a new location. When shopping for your business ISP, you and your provider should be working closely with regards to timetables and expected delivery times.

Accessible Support

When things go south on your connection, you need customer support who goes the extra mile. Yes, it's all about computers, servers, and bits of data, but if your ISP lacks that human touch, it's probably high time that you switch providers. In most cases, solid customer support is even worth the extra expense.