Key Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing the Right Internet Connection

Let's face it, the Internet is an essential tool for just about every business these days. Even the smallest of companies rely on it for email communication, on-line ordering and gathering information. It is a simple fact that a business cannot survive if it does not have access to the Internet.

But the problem is, there are so many different types of Internet services, and many Internet Service Providers (ISP's), all of whom have their own variations on what is available. Terms and Conditions can also vary widely between ISP's and are often worded in such a way that they are not always that easy to understand.

Over the years we have seen all sorts of offerings, from dial-up, ISDN, ADSL, ADSL2+, 21CN, LLU, SDSL, EFM, Leased Line, FTTC, Infinity, EoFTTC, FTTP, MLLP, Bonded Internet to name but a few. So how does a business go about choosing the right product and ISP from this many and varied list of options?

Well, our first advice would be to answer a few key questions, in no particular order;

How Do You Use It?

This is simple really - what do you use the Internet for? These days, many companies are using it for so much more than web browsing and email.  Many are moving their entire IT infrastructure into the 'cloud', which means that the emails systems become hosted, documents and data are stored off-site and remote working is now commonplace. In fact, many companies are now using their Internet connections to run their telephony over it using VoIP technology, instead of the more expensive and traditional methods.

How Many People Use it?

An Internet connection is typically a shared resource, so the more people that are using it, either the slower it becomes or conversely, the faster it needs to be in the first place. A slow connection shared by many people can become unusable, whereas a fast connection shared by a few is probably overkill and is costing a company more than it should.

How Important Is The Upload Speed?

With many of the cheaper Internet connections, the upload speed is often far slower than the download speed, but a lot of people don't realise this and it becomes their downfall if they, as a business, need to upload content to the cloud.

Planning Ahead

It is important to not only consider how you use the internet right now, but also how you might use it in the future. There are a lot of emerging technologies out there and many companies are taking advantage of the 'cloud', VoIP and remote working. It is important to have a basic knowledge of these technologies and how they can potentially improve the efficiency of how you work. Furthermore, this may in turn influence your Internet connection requirements.

Do You Have More Than One Office?

If you have more than one office, and it makes better sense to make all of the office locations part of one network, then many companies will have just one big internet connection at one of the sites and then link the others back to this site using point to point services. This means that the satellite sites connectivity is routed through the main site and is often a far more cost effective and neat way of delivering a solution.

And here is the most important question of the all, underlined for added impact.........

How Much Will It Cost Your Business If You Lost The Internet For A Day?

This is key as for some; it would really matter in the grand scheme of things. Companies who rely on the Internet for order processing, communication, remote working, Cloud services, e-commerce to name but a few could all suffer serious financial consequences if they were suddenly left without their Internet connection for a day. Therefore, they need to invest in the Rolls Royce of Internet connectivity and even have a disaster recovery option in a backup service.

As a business, we accept that not everyone would be able to answer all of these questions before deciding on which product or ISP they choose to provide their connectivity, but that is what we at CCS are here for. Our sales team are committed to giving out the best advice for your business requirements, and we're proud that our reputation is built on giving good advice.

If you do need any help with any of the above then please do not hesitate to give our technical sales team a call on 0113 294 6699.

We're here to help.

Super Fast Internet Voucher Scheme Update

It is now just over 2 weeks since we were officially accpeted as being an approved supplier for the Superconnected Cities voucher scheme and we're pleased to say that the orders are now coming and and are being approved.

One thing which we are particulary impressed with is the speed and efficiency in how this happens.

For example, one company contacted us after they had checked their eligibility for the voucher scheme, and found that they did qualify. The process was simple and worked like this;

• They checked their eligibility at this link and were approved
• We provided a quotation for the desired service in PDF format
• They applied for the voucher on-line and uploaded our quotation
• Within a matter of 6 short hours they and us recieved an email stating that they had been accepted
• They also recieved a 'what happens next' document which explains the next steps
• We issued an electronic contract
• The customer signs and the order then goes into production

So all in all, the whole process took less than 24 hours, and was very straightforward.

If you have been thinking about upgrading your internet connectivity, but have previously been put off by the high installation and run costs, then why not check to see if you're eligibly for the voucher scheme and then get in touch? We're always happy to help.

Telephone - 0113 2946699
email - sales@ccsleeds.co.uk

Broadband Connection Voucher Scheme

We are pleased to announce that CCS (Leeds) Limited have now been accepted as an official supplier of Internet services to businesses who qualify for the government ‘Connection Voucher’ scheme.

For those of you who do not know what this is, ask yourself these questions;

• Would your business benefit from faster, better broadband?
• Would you invest in a faster, better broadband connection if someone gave you money towards the cost?
• Would up to £3,000 interest you?

In a nutshell, you may qualify for a FREE broadband Connection Voucher up to the value of £3,000 to cover your upfront connection costs.

The main criteria for qualification include the following;

• You are located in an eligible area in one of the cities taking part in the scheme
• You are a SME (Small or Medium Enterprise), Charity or Social Enterprise
• Your connection will cost over £200
• You are asking for a connection to your business premises. If your main work base is at home you can have a connection there, but not if you just work from home occasionally
• You are willing to sign up for a minimum 6 month contract with your supplier
• You select a service that delivers a speed or performance improvement
• You have not received more than approx £120k in grants in the last three years

You can check your eligibility by entering you post code at this link - https://www.connectionvouchers.co.uk/eligibility/

Please note that to date, 100% of our customers who have applied for the voucher, have been approved!

For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us either by telephone – 0113 2946699 (option 1 for sales), or by email to sales@ccsleeds.co.uk