THE CHANGING FACE OF BUSINESS COMMS - ADDING VALUE THROUGH TECH

To help businesses cope with the fast-paced nature of communications technology, Atlas have decided to use our 30+ years of experience delivering business communication solutions, to put together our guide on how technology can help operational and economic performance within your business.

Part 4 – Adding Value Through Tech

What can businesses do now to help prepare themselves as communication technology keeps evolving?

For some cynics, the answer is very little. The argument is made that the technology changes so fast that once you invest in the latest and greatest it doesn’t take long for the next best thing to emerge.

However, according to analyst firm IDC, 45% of UK small businesses see digital activity as a necessary cost. IDC also noted that 20% of those small businesses saw investment in technology as a source of competitive advantage.

So who is right? Is the hassle of trying to understand and manage this area worth it? As a small business ourselves, we understand the difficulties of knowing where to invest your limited budget but both our customers and us have seen real operational improvements through digital transformation.

The Truth about Digital Transformation

The unstoppable digitisation of the UK economy rolls on and small businesses that don’t undergo a digital transformation are at a risk of losing out to more savvy players. For businesses to remain competitive in the modern economy, you need to both invest in and educate yourself about digital technologies.

Demand for greater and greater digital connectivity is set to accelerate in future years. With online business applications & internet connected devices, including cloud data storage, VoIP, video & cyber security systems, requiring more and more support from your existing Internet connection.

Despite, the UK now having a 95% coverage of Superfast Broadband (speeds of 24Mbps or higher), most superfast connections still depend on copper telephone wires, which are limited in the speeds they can support. It has been recognised by business and by government, that something better is required, something that can deliver greater speeds and can grow when the customer needs it. Whether it is 5G, Fibre to the Premises or advanced wireless technologies, a rock solid recommendation is to look at your connectivity - what is it doing today? What is available? What happens if it goes down for a day or even just three hours

Invest in Ultrafast

A straightforward fact that many seem to miss is that Internet access costs money. In a world of inclusive data bundles, free Wi-Fi here and there, the idea of connectivity and, oodles of it, for next to nothing predominates. For a businesses the stakes are much higher and if your Internet goes down, things grind to a halt.

30% of UK small businesses still rely on a standard broadband connection, which has been likened to entering Formula 1 on horseback – everyone is going to overtake you. In addition, the Service Levels on such services come as a shock to many, when they realise that the commitments from vendors for fixing is in days, not hours.

Considering faster Internet access is not just a matter of cost but also of reliability and opening up of opportunities. It doesn’t just mean that you can load pages faster; Ultrafast internet means you can capitalise on new opportunities and be more responsive to your customer and staff needs, for example via flexible working or deployment of technologies such as video for product demos.

The increasing adoption of cloud software services also provides a way for businesses to take a pay as you use approach to technology. To work though, this too needs a connection (or connections) that is not only fast but also are reliable.

In short, to be successful over the coming years, there has to be a shift within a business, regardless of its size in order to take advantage of digital transformation opportunities. You have to look at how to future-proof your business in the digital age & the best starting point is to review your underlying infrastructure and how this can support changes.

If you have, a specific question about upgrading your Internet that is not covered in this piece, please contact us on 028 9078 6868 or get in touch to find out more.

*This blog post is part of a series focusing on the changing nature of business communications and how technology can help address operational issues.

Our telecoms are 24/7 critical services and we need our suppliers to be full & proactive partners. In our many years of working with Atlas, we have found them straightforward to work with, responsive and focussed with getting the job done.

Telecoms Manager,

Northern Health & Social care Trust

A very easy company to work with. We have been working with Atlas for many years and have had nothing but confidence in their ability to deliver.

Director,

Property Services Company

Atlas is a long term, supportive & always approachable supplier to our practice and has helped us navigate changes in telecoms technology.

GP Practice Manager,

Co Antrim

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