Centric News
How secure are your businesses passwords?
Swine Flu - Adieu!
Centric Systems install wireless network for the London Continental Hotel
Voice over IP - Far fetched technology for Small Businesses?
Maidenhead, U.K. – January 29, 2009 – Is Voice over IP really a far fetched technology for Small Businesses?
An article in the January edition of the monthly Networking magazine indicates that small businesses are being held back from taking up technology such as Voice over IP due to the poor ADSL services provided in the UK.
The study, by voice and data services provider Viatel, found that 64 per cent of the SMB technology decision makers it surveyed believe converged services are likely to remain the domain of the enterprise unless cost, reliability and performance issues are addressed.
Of the 54 per cent who have not installed VoIP, a staggering 95 per cent of SMB’s say they will but only if concerns about VoIP call quality over traditional broadband (69 per cent) and the high price of adequate leased lines (47 per cent) can be addressed.
But Minal Patel, Network Consultant at Centric Systems believes that it simply comes down to knowing what connectivity to use and how. “Many small businesses that we have come into contact with have the same fears but after we explain that with a balance of the right connectivity along with some form of backup in the event that the main Internet connection was to fail, the business could continue to make and receive calls without too much interruption.” He continues with “Easynet has the UK’s second largest network, along with the service level you’d expect from such a company. They offer an affordable SDSL service which is managed and comes complete with a service level agreement. I believe the issue with SMB’s to be more that most of them feel they can get away with an ADSL package that is aimed at home users and does not have any service level guarantees. This has to change and SMB’s need to be educated that for a business with more than 2 to 3 employees this just isn’t satisfactory. A better pre-planned budget will help the business in many ways.”
If you would like further details about how an effective and reliable VoIP solution can be packaged to suit your small business needs, please contact us.
For further information please contact:-
news@centricsystems.co.uk or call 0845 2266031