How to get your office connected

As an entrepreneur, setting up your own office - be it for one or multiple work stations - has never been easier. The ideal connectivity solution for any business depends on the nature of the company, its budget and its Internet requirements, which could range from sending regular e-mails to large graphics files.

MWEB, South Africa's leading Internet Service Provider (ISP), provides some helpful hints for small business owners on how to set up their office.

Business tools

The essential tools for any office are a telephone line, PC or laptop and Internet access. MWEB offers a variety of Internet connection options to suit your business needs and to connect you to your corporate network. MWEB also offers a free Total Protection anti-virus service powered by McAfee, which includes managed anti-virus and allows for the scanning of incoming and outgoing e-mails and firewall protection, as well as a managed spyware service.

ADSL: ADSL is a fixed line connection that uses ordinary telephone lines and a special modem to provide an Internet connection that can transmit high-bandwidth information to your computer. An ADSL line can carry both data and voice signals. The data part of the line is a dedicated connection to the Internet and does not interfere with use of the telephone so you can receive calls and faxes whilst online. It is a high-speed connection and you are always connected to the Internet.  ADSL is the ideal option as the speeds are fast and your connection is generally very stable.

3G/HSDPA connection: This connection is ideal if you require mobility.  If you are in transit to meet clients or suppliers and need to surf the Internet while on the move and wirelessly, this is the option for you. If you are in an area with a cellphone signal, you can use your laptop and wireless card for fast, wireless Internet access.

iBurst

Another wireless Internet option that you can use to access the Internet is iBurst. This option uses radio frequency to transmit signals from a base station to your computer. The iBurst network coverage is available in all major metropolitan centres and facilitates fast broadband speed.

Other useful tips and tools for your office

Domain Registration

This provides your company with a unique identity that can be used for Internet-based communication, and this is the first step in establishing your business presence online.

Website Hosting

MWEB provides a minimum of 50MB of shared hosting space on one of their servers for their standard website hosting service. Your business' website is hosted in a secure infrastructure directly on their network to ensure fast download times and protect the site against hackers.

Webcall

Using a normal phone handset, or an MWEB-supplied cordless phone, that is plugged into an ADSL router, Webcall allows you to make cheaper national, international and cellphone calls. MWEB offers unique packages of bundled minutes or convenient pay-as-you go options. Calls between local Webcall subscribers are absolutely free. 

Bulk messaging

Bulk messaging is ideal for businesses that need reliable, quick and automated communication to a broad customer base. It allows you to send and track messages from anywhere in the world while managing your e-mail lists, recipient information, message content and mail batches.

Mobile Voice 

To ensure that you are never out of touch with your clients and employees, MWEB also offers mobile voice packages. Besides being a more economical option than buying Internet and cellular products separately, business owners have the convenience of dealing with a single service provider, leaving them more time to focus on their business. 

Online backup

Saving your business's critical data, such as customer details and confidential company information, to your service provider's remote server protects it against potential dangers like fire or theft at your place of work. Online backup saves money as you won't need to buy your own server and also helps maintain productivity levels as you are able to access the information when you are away from your desk or in the case of load-shedding - MWEB's server is serviced by generators.