As we move into the new year and companies increasingly rely on the internet, your choice of Internet Service Provider (ISP) is more important than ever. Here are seven factors you should consider when choosing an ISP to support your business needs.
1. Quick Issue Resolution
Likely, your business can’t run without internet, so if you do have any issues, it’s critical to resolve them quickly. In fact, according to a recent study, quick issue resolution is almost 50% more important than the second most critical aspect of customer service – 24/7 real time support. Some good questions to ask concerning issue resolution could be:
- Do you have local customer support?
- What is the average time to answer the phone?
- Does a person answer the call or do you go into an automated system?
- What percent of issues are resolved by the person who first answers your call?
2. Reputation in the Marketplace
A company that is responsive and easy to work with will naturally form a good reputation in the markets they serve. You may consider how many business accounts they serve, partnerships they have formed with carriers, and local organizations that they participate in. Check with colleagues in your industry, and there may be some that stand out.
3. Reliability You Can Trust
Can the ISP demonstrate that they are engineered for reliability and fault tolerance, with a diverse infrastructure? Do they have multiple peering locations and a highly redundant core? What is the committed availability guarantee on their Service Level Agreement? For a frame of reference, WIN Technology’s committed availability guarantee is between 99.95-99.99%, depending on the customer’s circuit design.
4. Direct Peering with Major Cloud and Content Providers
Does the ISP connect directly with major cloud and content providers to ensure high quality, low latency and high reliability when you connect to hosted cloud services? WIN Technology, for instance, peers with over 500 autonomous systems across the continental U.S. and has several major peering points across the U.S. If you’d like to take a look, visit our PeeringDB page.
5. The Right Type of Connection
Cable and fiber internet are the most common internet connection types used by businesses. While both offer high speed and reliability, with cable you are sharing a line with others. This could result in slower performance during high traffic times. Fiber also delivers faster upload and download times.
6. Agility and Flexibility to Support Your Business Needs Over Time
Are the ISP’s circuits able to support a wide range of bandwidth needs? Ideally, the provider can offer speeds from 10Mbps to 100Gbps. In addition, they should support connectivity via IPv4, IPv6, BGP or static.
Can the vendor offer custom solutions based on your needs, whether you’re looking for cloud connectivity or diversity among internet providers? Some large ISP’s can’t offer the flexibility and provide a one-size-fits all solution. Look for a provider that is nimble enough to scale up your bandwidth if you experience issues.
7. Research customer reviews and testimonials to gauge the satisfaction levels of current clients
Consider the ISP’s reputation in terms of reliability, customer service, and overall performance.
By carefully considering these factors, you can make an informed decision when choosing a corporate ISP that aligns with your business requirements and provides a reliable and efficient internet connection.
If you have questions or would like to learn more about how selecting the right ISP can enhance your business performance and growth, get in touch with us for a free, no-obligation consultation.