More than just speed
As service providers change their broadband marketing upwards a gear, the promises of ‘blistering’ or ‘lightning fast’ access speeds are overshadowing the technology’s other benefits. Access and downloads speeds of between 10 and 40 times faster than a 56k modem are undeniably important factors driving the adoption of broadband. Among the companies in the Highlands and Islands already taking advantage of the speed benefits are Song Galaxy and the Shetland IT teaching centre, Telecroft 2000. Ross-shire based Song Galaxy sell downloadable backing tracks to musicians, wannabe pop stars and karaoke fans. With support from the HIE network they were able to install satellite broadband and slash the time it takes to download and upload their music files. Telecroft 2000, meanwhile, have been able to increase efficiency and productivity by switching to broadband. They now enjoy real time email and can transfer documents in a fraction of the time it took previously. But the sharp focus on speed perhaps undersells the other advantages of broadband. What are apparently not so sexy as pure kilobits per second (Kbps), for the marketing gurus, at least, are the new opportunities opening up for business because of the always-on nature of broadband. Companies with branch offices can now network them together at an affordable price and do tasks that previously were time consuming or just simply not attempted online, such as:
Indeed, the only limitation is imagination. And while this may be a hackneyed and overused phrase in the world of computers, there really is evidence of broadband connected companies changing the way they work and capitalising on the new services and products they are able to provide. With the new applications currently available or under development, most companies should be able to win new business by making the switch to high speed broadband. Yet others are coming into being solely as a result of broadband availability. For example, because broadband makes video and voice conferencing a much more realistic proposition, online training companies are emerging with multi-media training packages which employees can undertake from their desks. Of course, the productivity gains are not confined to the office environment. Broadband’s remote access capability is allowing companies to extend remote or home-based working and benefit from this greater flexibility too. Speed, then, is just one of the factors that will consign as quaint the dial up modem. Links
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