For most businesses, a speedy Internet connection is absolutely essential—nearly as fundamental as air itself. You depend on it to collaborate with vendors and partners; to deliver information to your clients; to communicate internally; and even to conduct research. The list goes on and on.
Naturally, your productivity goes up considerably when you have reliable and secure Internet access. The question is, how can you be certain there’s enough Internet to go around? Or, to put it more technically, what’s the bandwidth your team requires for optimal performance?
What is Bandwidth, Exactly?
First things first: When we talk about bandwidth, what exactly do we mean? Often, the term is used interchangeably with “Internet speed,” and that’s pretty close to the truth. More precisely, bandwidth refers to the speed at which data can be sent over a wired or wireless connection. If you have a larger bandwidth, that means you and your team can process larger quantities of information at one time, and that you can do so more expediently.
So how much bandwidth is enough? You need your connection to be fast enough that your employees can all complete their work in a speedy, efficient way. With that said, you don’t want to pay too much money on Internet speed that you don’t actually need.
How to Determine Bandwidth Needs
At TelWare, our consultants can help you map out the optimal bandwidth for your enterprise, ensuring peak performance but also efficient use of your company resources.
There are a number of factors our consultants will consider as we assess your bandwidth needs. Some examples include:
Number of Users
The more people who use your network, the greater your bandwidth needs. Remember to count up not only your employees, but also any customers or vendors who may need to log in. The rule of thumb here is that you’ll want 10 to 15 Mb per user.
Number of Devices
In addition to the total number of users, you’ll also want to think about the number of devices you’ll have connected to your network. You may have 10 total employees, but if each employee has two devices connected to the network (say, their laptop and their smartphone), that will increase your bandwidth needs considerably.
Network Activity
Another important point of consideration: How are your employees or customers actually using the Internet? Simple Web browsing and email usually doesn’t require much bandwidth, but video or more rigorous applications will call for higher speeds.
Determining Your Bandwidth Needs
Our consultants are prepared to assess your needs and help design a bandwidth plan that works well. This will include a determination of your total bandwidth requirements as well as a suggestion for the best bandwidth delivery method.
The best way to get started is to reach out to TelWare directly. We’d love to get to know the needs of your small business or larger enterprise, and to help map out a bandwidth plan that will maximize your efficiency and productivity while also accommodating your budget.
To learn more about staying current with the latest communications technology, contact TelWare at 1.800.637.3148 or email us at sales@telware.com. TelWare is a national leader in the installation of voice, video, data, and unified communications solutions.