We live in a world that has been through the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging out of those dark times with a hybridized workplace as a result of the stay-at-home orders during the height of the pandemic.
Working remotely requires today’s eCommerce enterprises to have impeccable internet access with wifi speed to power video conferences, 4K streaming, and terabytes of cloud computing storage. For many, the answer is dedicated internet access, often offered as fully managed solutions.
A sluggish connection is only one of the problems that you can quickly solve using a competent, managed internet service.
A solution suited to your organization gives you high speed, bringing benefits that include improved customer service, higher dependability, and enhanced security, among other perks.
Understanding What DIA Entails
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Dedicated Internet Access is a symmetrical internet connection secured by a service level agreement (SLA).
DIA is most commonly transmitted by fiber, although it may also be supplied wirelessly or via copper. DIA bandwidth is also offered as constant/fixed or burstable bandwidth.
In contrast to a regular internet connection, where you share your bandwidth with other users, DIA gives constant bandwidth from a source set aside just for your business.
For these reasons, DIA is the industry standard for business or corporate internet access, where a dependable connection is critical to company success!
What Is The SLA, And Why Is It Important?
In defining DIA, we deliberately included that the SLA backs it. Why is the service level agreement SLA important?
A service-level agreement, often known as an SLA, is a contract between a service provider and a consumer. They are commonly used in the corporate sector, but retail establishments like internet providers may also employ them.
Service levels are quantifiable requirements that a supplier pledges to meet. Customer assistance response time, service uptime, equipment replacement speed, and more are all included. SLAs are crucial because they create unambiguous obligations between the DIA provider and the consumer.
Service-level agreements are ubiquitous in the telecommunications business and guarantee that specific criteria will be met.
They also benefit the provider since they give a precise framework of expectations. This structure serves as a deterrent to unrealistic customer requests while protecting the customer’s business from any lapses in service levels or how incidents are handled.
That brings us to why businesses opt to have dedicated internet access.
The Benefit of Dedicated Internet Access for Businesses
Before paying money to have your line, knowing what you will get from it and if those benefits justify the cost is essential. The following benefits are par for the course when using a DIA.
- Scale As Needed
Businesses can choose a bandwidth of 10Mbps to 100Gbps to meet their needs. A ‘burst’ option allows more bandwidth to meet unforeseen surges in demand, while throttled ports allow you to plan for anticipated development.
- Get Everything You Pay For
You will receive 100% of the bandwidth you pay for; exclusive symmetrical circuits guarantee that you do not share bandwidth with anybody else and that your uploading and downloading speeds are the same.
- Have Insights into Performance
Evaluate how your online assets function by accessing a customer management site and a variety of data, including port utilization, availability, and connectivity performance.
- Enjoy Superb Personalized Security Features
Optional security features, such as Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection, managed firewalls, email security, resilient service, and internet proxy services, are all offered with your connection to keep your data secure.
- Access The Internet with No Limits
Businesses are not limited to data caps or forced to pay extra fees for huge files, making DIA an excellent option for handling tasks like hosting your own website or supporting mission-critical applications.
- Stay Connected All the Time
Critical business applications can remain connected with 24/7 assistance and service monitoring that detects problems before they occur, as well as multiple access connections which keep your business always online.
What To Keep in Mind When Switching To DIA
Like any other vendor/supplier/provider, there are always questions regarding what you should know going in. Here are some of the crucial factors to keep in mind:
- The Initial Cost
The hardware needed to get you a dedicated internet connection might be expensive at first. However, the improved productivity of faster internet can result in considerable cost savings for organizations over time.
A business needs to start with a cost-benefit analysis to see if transitioning is profitable or if sticking with shared internet is more economical.
- The Complexity of Installation
Dedicated internet service providers might take anywhere from 30 to 90 days to implement a functional dedicated internet connection, depending on your technological setup and other considerations. This is because dedicated internet connections require network setup and the installation of specialized equipment.
Some businesses happen to be located in areas where the infrastructure is set up already, significantly reducing the time and cost of DIA installation. However, those who do not can look forward to some unavoidable wait time.
- Choosing Your Provider
The market has more dedicated internet access providers than ever, making choosing the ideal solution for your business a daunting task. Before making your selection, consider the following:
- Read reviews from comparable businesses to assess whether a service can meet your demands.
- Service levels such as response prioritization, network availability, and connectivity are critical considerations when selecting a business internet provider.
- What happens if you have a technical problem and need to contact customer service? Will the company give you 24-hour help or force you to listen to prerecorded messages?
As with any form of due diligence, this step is about cross-checking claims made and narrowing down the choices to what works best for you.
Final Thoughts
Dedicated internet access is an excellent investment that will pay for itself over time if you want to give your staff the best tools to enhance their work and productivity. Customers will also see your firm as competent and trustworthy, allowing you to establish a loyal clientele and expand your business.
Your business should get DIA only if it stands to benefit from the perks it offers over time.
Andrej Fedek is the creator and the one-person owner of two blogs: InterCool Studio and CareersMomentum. As an experienced marketer, he is driven by turning leads into customers with White Hat SEO techniques. Besides being a boss, he is a real team player with a great sense of equality.