Verizon announced today a plan to let small business take advantage of high-speed access through their Business DSL program. Rebates will bring the cost down on the first three months of a one-year contract.
With high-speed access spreading throughout the computer-using world, not everyone can swing a T1 line. This will give small businesses a more inexpensive opportunity to get a taste of life in the fast lane. Of course once they get it, they’ve got to keep it.
The plan works this way: A new customer signs up for one of Verizon’s Business DSL packages, one for either $59.95 a month or $79.95 a month. The customer is locked into the contract for one year. When the customer signs up, they will get rebates for the first three months and my bet is they would be in the form of credits towards the bill.
“This promotional rebate offer is meant to appeal to business customers with differing needs and experience levels,” said Mike Lanier, director of Verizon Online for Business. “Verizon’s business customers can choose from a variety of DSL speeds and services tailored specifically to the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses. Some will want to host Web sites or allow dial-up access, while others simply need to speed the conduct of business over the Web.
This package does offer some real benefits though. Small businesses will get the ability to get either a dynamic or a static IP address. Static IP addresses give the businesses a unique and permanent address on the Internet, the ability to host their own website and run an email server as well as allow employees to work remotely.
Practical uses include speedier email, ordering office supplies, streaming of audio and video like some stockholder meetings are done now, video conferencing and perhaps most importantly, the ability to move large files in a timely manner. The speed for downloads and uploads both is a night and day difference from the traditional dial up.
“Whether you’re a doctor sending confidential data, an engineer forwarding designs or a retailer gathering supplier data, DSL helps get the job done,” Lanier said. “A solid productivity lift is one of its top value propositions.”
The downside to all this is the additional cost involved. These prices could mean quite a large jump for small business that must mind their money but the increases in productivity could well be worth the extra money. Security may be a problem too since DSL is always on, it makes it easier for people to cause problems if you’re not careful but there’s great software out there to help protect your computer’s security. I would recommend a good firewall or two, maybe in both a hardware and software form. Also virus and spyware protection and keeping it all updated is a must.
One word of advice though, once you go to DSL, you’ll never, ever want to go back.
John Stith is a staff writer for murdok covering technology and business.
