Everything you need to know including options for SME’s and larger organisations.
Is your business at risk should your connectivity fail? Are you in need of a reliable backup broadband system but don’t know where to start? According to recent research conducted by Magnet+, Ireland’s largest independent connectivity network, broadband being ‘unstable’ or ‘down’ is the biggest issue for 30% of businesses nationwide. When a broadband interruption occurs, having no back-up system in place can leave your business wide open to substantial losses from a business continuity, revenue and reputational perspective. Given these potential losses, we were even more surprised to learn that our research also revealed that up to 80% of Irish SMES do not have the appropriate back-up in place.
So, WHY are businesses not prioritising a connectivity back-up system?
The reasons for this vary depending on the size or type of business, however, more often than not they include at least one of the following:
Lack of knowledge
Many business-owners simply don’t know where to start when it comes to connectivity, particularly when it comes to larger businesses as naturally there is an IT department that manages this area. At Magnet+, we would recommend that whether you have an IT team or not, it is essential for you as a business owner to understand the intricate detail of the connectivity system on which your business relies on a day-to-day basis.
This doesn’t have to be an arduous process; we recommend that you start with the basics to determine your system requirements. At Magnet+, we will help you establish your business’s main needs and priorities such as the size of the business and your reliance on the internet – both internally and externally. At Magnet+, you will always speak to a real human at the end of the phone – no bots – who will walk you through this initial learning period.
Financial expense
Another key consideration which can often discourage businesses from prioritising connectivity is the perceived financial expense of a backup system. Business owners, particularly smaller operators, may feel that this money would be better spent elsewhere. At Magnet+, we provide a managed failover service with a choice of two back up options – one which is a guaranteed internet connection suitable for larger scale businesses and one which is specifically designed for smaller SMES with more limited funding. Either way it’s money well spent as a connectivity outage – whether it’s for two hours or for 24-hours – can be detrimental to a business, causing an instant loss in revenue and leading to customer dissatisfaction along with other potential long-term business impacts.
Lack of awareness
When talking to business owners about the importance of having a back-up system, a common response we hear is ‘my internet provider is reliable, isn’t that enough?’ The simple answer here is no. Even if you have a reliable internet provider that hasn’t dropped your connection before and no matter how confident you are that your business won’t experience network outages, there are many factors outside of your control that can cause connectivity issues. These include unforeseen events such as floods, damage to underground cables and unscheduled network maintenance. This is before we even touch on potential cyber-attacks or system failures, both of which have increased significantly over the past 12-16 months in both large and smaller companies nationwide. For example, last September Aer Lingus has a “major incident with a network provider” which caused substantial reputational and financial damage to the business.
Another case study we looked at involved a popular amenity which welcomes hundreds of visitors by car and train daily. They experienced a connectivity outage with no back up in place which resulted in their parking barrier malfunctioning. As a result, the barrier had to remain up and visitors parked for free while the business waited for the connection to be restored. Not surprisingly, this led to significant financial loss. While this mightn’t seem overly damaging to some, there are business who would be hit hard by being such an unexpected situation with financial repercussions.
So, where can I get connectivity back-up?
At Magnet+, we have created options for both small to medium businesses and larger scale operations. Our latest product, Magnet ‘Always-On’, is an affordable 4G back-up that keeps your business operating even if your main broadband connection fails. You can have peace of mind that if your broadband malfunctions, Magnet ‘Always-On’ will kick in automatically when it detects that your main connection has failed. Speak to a member of our team today about getting started.
How does it work?
Magnet ‘Always-On’ operates via an entirely separate 4G wireless network. This means that it keeps essential services like phones and Electric POS Terminals operational if your main broadband line fails. You might wonder how you will know when your main connection is down if essential services continue to work? That’s where we come in. Our engineers are alerted as soon as Magnet ‘Always-On’ is triggered and will start working to resolve the issue on the main line. Once the fault is fixed, your primary connection will take over again automatically. You can trust that your business is always in safe hands with Magnet+.
What are the Benefits of Magnet Always-On?
Cost effective
Magnet ‘Always-On’ offers affordable reassurance for businesses with prices starting at just €25.99 per month.. With Magnet ‘Always-On’, you can have peace of mind that your business can continue trading and operating as normal even during internet outages and disruptions.
Easy Installation
The set up for Magnet ‘Always-On’ is quick and easy. Very little equipment is needed to back-up your primary broadband link. A change to your current router is usually all that’s needed and you’re good to go!
Eliminates Downtime
As highlighted above, internet interruptions and downtime can be detrimental to businesses. Having a back-up in place eliminates stress in the event of an outage. Having a consistent internet connection will allow employees to continue to work and ensure customer satisfaction. Magnet ‘Always-On’ is effective and will allow business continuity and employee productivity to proceed during outages.
No matter how big or how small your business is, whether you have five employees or 500, it is crucial you have a failsafe back-up for your main broadband line to ensure essential services can continue to operate at all times and your business doesn’t suffer. Every minute counts when it comes to internet downtime. You wouldn’t drive a car without a spare tyre, so why run a business without a backup? Think of Magnet ‘Always-On’ as a spare tyre for your business, a safety net to keep your business operational at all times.
A broken connection is a headache you don’t need and can easily avoid. Let us give you peace of mind through the provision of an always on experience: that’s the Magnet Always-On promise.
