There is Fiber-optic Internet connectivity and there is mFiber Internet. Both provide many advantages to companies of all sizes, particularly organizations that use the cloud for apps or data storage. mFiber, or managed fiber Internet, is a powerful next-generation fiber Internet service that uses advanced monitoring and Internet routing techniques to significantly enhance the end-user Internet experience and security posture without the added cost. Below are 8 areas your company can experience the mFiber advantage:
1. Speed
Fiber-optic Internet is many times faster than even the highest-speed copper and wireless Internet connections, with options available that range from 5 Mbps to 100 Gbps. During periods of high demand for Internet access, those on fiber should not notice the Internet slowing down. mFiber takes Internet speed to the next level by connecting directly with other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and choosing the fastest and most reliable Internet path available to increase our client’s productivity and bottom-line.
Research indicates that slow Internet connections cost employees “one week per year of productivity.” While the time your teams spend waiting on slow Internet can seem minor, it adds up significantly over time. Your Internet connectivity should never inhibit productivity. It should be a tool that supports your employees’ desire to work productively.
2. Cloud Access
From customer relationship management (CRM) tools to data storage, the cloud is an important business tool for apps, hosting, and more. 96% of organizations are now using the cloud in some capacity. The speed and bandwidth capabilities of fiber Internet mean faster access to your data and applications stored in the cloud. mFiber connects directly to other ISPs and software/applications providers through our data center peering relationships. Direct connectivity to CRM providers and other applications is essential to a fast and secure experience for our end-users and IT company partners.
With mFiber Internet, your business can benefit from fewer delays in accessing cloud-hosted information via your software-as-a-service (SaaS) tools and other platforms, which means your sales and customer service representatives will no longer face delays with communicating with prospects or customers. As businesses move more and more services to the cloud, mFiber Internet has become even more critical.
3. Reliability
Fiber Internet offers significant reliability advantages over copper (cable modem and DSL) and wireless Internet connectivity. Fiber-optic Internet is much less susceptible to inclement weather conditions, which can damage or stall data transmission via copper cabling. Fiber is also resistant to human or electrical interference unless fibers are physically cut. mFiber has connectivity with multiple ISPs allowing us the ability to redirect traffic when individual ISPs have fiber cuts and/or back-end equipment or power failures leading to prolonged Internet outages. The very foundation of mFiber’s network management algorithm was built on the customer’s high demand for more reliable fiber Internet. Proof is in the pudding; with many layers of redundancy, Metro Fiber business has increased over 35% in markets that have experienced major weather events because mFiber has been far more resilient than the competition when such events occur.
Unreliable Internet connections can have real costs to businesses. Any amount of unplanned downtime can bring business communications and productivity to a complete stop. If your company requires an Internet connection to make phone calls or access applications, reliability is a necessity.
4. Bandwidth
For businesses with a high need for data transmission, it’s relatively easy to “hit the cap” on your cable Internet bandwidth. While fiber-optic Internet for business is not truly unlimited, the bandwidth availability is significantly higher, and speed does not decrease as high demands are put on the network. mFiber’s system actively monitors Internet traffic utilization down to the customer firewall to ensure maximum bandwidth is provided on a consistent basis. More importantly, mFiber has the ability, through its highly proficient and experienced engineering team, to offer recommendations from the gathered data on the appropriate bandwidth level needed and on what clients and our IT partners can do to enhance bandwidth efficiency. The following user activities can place particularly high demands on business bandwidth:
– SIP Trunking
– Web Conferencing
– Streaming High-definition Video (example… training video)
– File Sharing
– Cloud Applications
Signs of low bandwidth availability can include slow speeds, delays, and pixelated video quality.
If your current Internet connection is not sufficient to support your company’s legitimate bandwidth demands for telephone service via SIP trunking, video conferencing or accessing cloud applications, you could significantly benefit from an upgrade to mFiber Internet.
5. Symmetric Speed
“Symmetric speed” is a term used to refer to equal upload and download times on an Internet connection. With mfiber Internet, your employees can benefit from more consistent upload and download times than with the big box ISP providers. We monitor down to the client firewall to ensure symmetric bandwidth is being provided to our clients and utilized appropriately.
TechZine writes that improvements in symmetric speed are improvements that reflect “how networks are really used.” Today’s employees are more likely to upload video content, files, or make phone calls while downloading content while they work than they were a decade ago. Symmetric speed enables users to accommodate heavy demands on downloads and uploads simultaneously via their data connection. mFiber allows our clients and IT partners to comfortably
– Move more apps to the cloud
– Add more devices like surveillance cameras, access controls or on-site servers
– Plan the downloading and uploading of huge files with less disruption.
6. Latency
Latency is a term used to describe delays that occur while processing data over an Internet connection. Fiber-optic Internet eliminates many of the latency issues users experience on cable Internet, particularly when downloading or uploading video or high-definition content. mFiber improves latency because of its direct peering relationships to other ISPs and software/application providers and its ability to pick the best Internet path. The business benefits of lowering your latency include:
– Better voice quality for VoIP users
– Improved experience with CRMs and cloud applications
– Improved collaboration between employees
7. Security
Would-be hackers and information thieves can gain access to business cable Internet with relative ease, due to cable tapping or other relatively simple methodologies. The only way to penetrate fiber-optic Internet is to physically cut the fibers, which will cause the signal to disappear. Fiber-optic Internet is one powerful way to increase your company’s protection against cyber crime. mFiber takes it a step further by providing DDOS services as an included feature and by allowing clients and IT partners (with design/implementation guidance from our engineers) the ability to create private cloud networks between their locations and servers (in our data center location) often times without ever going out to the Internet. This has been a game changer for our physician practice and cyber security clients.
The average cost of an information security breach is $3.8 million. Companies who leak protected information can face stiff financial penalties and customer defection. While media coverage of high-profile security breaches often focuses on large organizations, companies of all sizes are at significant risk of an attack. While an upgrade to mFiber Internet connectivity won’t mitigate all of your organization’s risks, it’s certainly an important means of protection.
8. Cost Savings
Fast Internet is “widely considered” to be a productivity tool for businesses. As mentioned above, eliminating speed issues could result in a week’s worth of productivity increases each year. If your business suffers from unreliable connectivity due to region or weather, you could be losing thousands of dollars each year. Productivity issues that are directly attributed to slow or unreliable cable Internet would essentially disappear with mFiber Internet.
Perhaps more importantly, your business will gain flexibility and scalability with mFiber connectivity. If your IT team is hoping to move more applications and services to the cloud, an mFiber connection would best support these initiatives. Software-as-a-service (SaaS), cloud storage, and VoIP are all business services that have enormous potential for cost savings and benefit significantly from mFiber connectivity.
To ensure the best Internet connectivity, consider switching over to mFiber today.