The availability of affordable and secure Internet connectivity is giving budget-conscious businesses access to the types of productivity-enhancing software applications that were once the preserve of large, cash-flush corporates.
That's according to Andre Joubert, GM of MWEB Business, who says virtually any kind of business application and productivity tool from project management, collaboration and customer relationship management software, to high-powered graphics, shipping, invoicing - the list is endless - are available either free of charge or at affordable pay-for-use charges in the cloud.
Joubert points out that the only barrier to accessing these powerful and useful tools is bandwidth - and that barrier has crumbled with the advent of high-quality, business-strength uncapped ADSL connectivity.
“Now businesses can start looking for new applications previously not available to them because of costs - provided their bandwidth is truly uncapped.
“The beauty of these applications is that if you don't like them, you just stop paying for them (if it's pay-for-use software) and delete them,” he adds.
Joubert maintains that the value these productivity tools can deliver will far outweigh any additional cost a business may incur by opting for business-quality uncapped as opposed to capped Internet access.
In addition, he says, uncapped ADSL enables a business to do far more with even standard business applications such as e-mail.
“Uncapped allows a business to stop working within the constraints capped Internet access imposes. It means being able to harness the full power of the Internet, rather than merely limit its use to (small) e-mails and occasional browsing,” he explains.
With uncapped Internet access, you can:
* Send and receive e-mails with large graphics or video attachments.
* Download and then submit that 50MB tender document - without worrying about running out of bandwidth just when the month-end invoices have to be sent out.
* Empower staff by allowing them to download the huge range of educational and training videos that are available online.
* Have videoconferences (using free video communication services like Skype) with customers and colleagues.
* Give your family access to the Internet via your business connection without ever having to scramble for a bandwidth booster on Monday morning because your children spent the weekend downloading music or movies; your partner decided to watch sumo wrestling on a Japanese TV channel; and you downloaded journal articles for your MBA assignment.
“Businesses have modified their behaviour according to the cap they have always had on their Internet access. Now they can 'unmodify' this behaviour and just let Internet access happen at a fixed, predictable and affordable monthly cost,” Joubert concludes.
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MWEB Business
Founded in January 1998 as the business division of MWEB, MWEB Business provides comprehensive solutions in areas of Internet Access, Application Services, network support and consultancy services to businesses.
We are dedicated to helping our business clients leverage the power of the Internet by providing a comprehensive solution for all their Internet needs along with the expertise and skills to successfully implement their ventures online.
MWEB Business has provided Internet services to 8 000 business clients, including Pick n Pay, Mango, 1Time, FlySAA, Netflorist, and many more.
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