I work for a small company that has yet to take up broadband.
How are other companies using broadband and in what business areas
do you expect broadband to have an impact?
Only you can tell whether your business needs
it
Roger Marshall, Elite
Like the old joke about lawyers, ask two IT experts what broadband
means and you will get three answers. My own definition would
involve a connection of at least 500kbps between your in-house
network and the internet.
Do any of your existing IT applications need a faster internet
response time or data throughput? If the answer is yes, then
upgrade your connection. It is cheap enough, so what is the big
deal?
The broadband hype bandwagon has more to do with national virility
symbols than real business benefits. Broadband roll-out is
important to the home computer market, enabling faster downloads of
large files. It is also important for rural areas, allowing them to
attract small businesses that need a high bandwidth at reasonable
prices.
For your company, make a cool business decision. Just because the
staff would like fast internet access to their desks does not mean
they will use it for company business. You could just be helping
them to find a cheaper holiday, or even a new job.
Everyone needs secure high-speed connections
Richard Woods, NCC Group
The advent of broadband has produced great opportunities for small
companies. Whether in rural or urban locations, the options of
copper, fibre or satellite enable high-speed connections, albeit
with an associated cost.
The foremost advantage is internet and e-mail access at faster
speeds. Other boons include becoming part of a workable supply
chain through linking into bigger companies' processes. For
example, a manufacturer of a component used in a larger product
could offer high-speed secure remote-working facilities through the
use of virtual private networks, enabling fixed-cost access.
Smaller companies now have the opportunity to host their own
e-commerce sites where connection speed will have less impact on
potential purchasers. With appropriate security or payment options,
products can be easily sold in a global market. Smaller companies
can even appear bigger with appropriate marketing.
Broadband is likely to have the most impact in small businesses
that are expanding but do not necessarily have the physical space.
The use of secure remote access will enable new staff to work from
home environments or share valuable desk space through hot
desking.
There are major benefits, but know the security
risks
David Hughes, Deloitte and Touche
Broadband allows businesses to send and receive e-mail almost
instantly and access web pages and transfer large files at speeds
that no longer mean extended tea breaks for employees.
The frustration of dialling-up is also a thing of the past as
broadband is always connected to the internet. Add to this the fact
that the phone line can be used simultaneously and networked PCs
can share a single connection, and the benefits of this relatively
cheap technology become obvious.
As the roll-out of broadband gathers pace, businesses are starting
to use its full potential. This may be through the use of
application service providers to run otherwise unaffordable IT
services. Equally, setting up faster communications links with
suppliers and customers has obvious advantages: using EDI for
swapping data; purchasing through online procurement systems and
auctions; using B2B exchanges; and handling customer queries with
CRM systems. In addition, you can more easily manipulate data and
content on your company web site, improving its effectiveness and
responsiveness.
If all this sounds too good to be true, then bear in mind that the
availability of ADSL - the most common broadband platform in the UK
- is currently limited to approximately 75% of businesses. While
other options exist, such as cable and satellite links, these are
more expensive and speeds for all types vary. Also, be aware of the
security risks that broadband brings - being always connected to
the internet means that your exposure to malicious attacks can
increase unless you actively manage the threats.
You will need to get it soon, or lose trade
Robin Laidlaw, Computer Weekly 500 Club
As broadband becomes widely adopted, users will quickly conclude
that companies not using it are lagging.
The speed with which data and information can be exchanged is so
superior that you rapidly lose concept of how it was before (I
speak as someone who was connected just last week).
If you are a supplier and do not have the fastest communication
speeds available for your clients, you will probably lose business.
Look at fax speeds, the frustration of sending to or receiving from
a slow fax says it all. From the end-user point of view, there is
evidence that slowness on the internet is a major reason for
transactions not being completed.
Broadband makes home working a reality
David Burden, Aseriti
The obvious benefit of broadband is speeding your internet
connectivity from the office. However, as a firm that has been
using broadband for some years, the real eye-opener for us recently
has been the business use of domestic broadband.
We are currently operating a home broadband pilot that enables
staff to use domestic broadband connections to access our company
network. Security is provided by encryption and SID token
authentication. With files getting larger, accessing these over a
broadband connection makes remote working far more feasible and
enjoyable. The broadband connection also allows the running of key
business applications, and access to our company intranet.
For many staff the icing on the cake has been using a suitably
secured Wi-Fi wireless network in their home to enable them to
access the company network from the lounge, kitchen or garden. So
when implementing broadband, don't only think about the office,
also think about broadband-enabled home workers and
customers.
The experts
Computer Weekly has put together a panel of experts. You can draw
on their specialist knowledge to solve a problem. E-mail your
questions (or your own solutions to this or the next question) to
computer.weekly@rbi.co.uk
Certus
www.certus.org.uk
NCC
Group www.nccglobal.co.uk
Deloitte
&Touche www.deloitte.co.uk
Cranfield School of
Management www.cranfield.ac.uk/som
Computer Weekly 500
Club www.cw500.co.uk
Henley Management
College www.henleymc.ac.uk
AMS www.ams.com
British Computer
Society www.bcs.org.uk/elite
Impact www.impact-sharing.com
The Infrastructure
Forum www.tif.co.uk
Dominic
Barrow www.dominicbarrow.com
Aseriti www.aseriti.com