Businesses that rely on a single network provider for their connectivity are putting themselves at risk, according to Louis Jardim, commercial director at Turrito Networks, who says small- to medium-sized businesses are particularly vulnerable.
“Large enterprises are valuable customers and can usually count on receiving excellent service,” says Jardim. “They can expect a senior dedicated account manager with the power to fast-track solutions to any problems they might encounter.
“But as a smaller customer you’re more likely to be one of a hundred or more clients in a single account manager’s portfolio. When there are problems — and in complex systems problems are inevitable — you could find yourself on your own.”
In the quest to manage this risk, “businesses that have nothing to do with IT or networking are being forced to acquire this knowledge so they can manage their service providers,” says Jardim. “But they shouldn’t have to.”
“Networks are great at managing networks,” adds Jardim. “They’re often less good at managing business needs, and the gap is immensely frustrating for their customers. When one network doesn’t meet their needs, they move to another one, often at great trouble and expense, only to find themselves facing exactly the same problems.”
Jardim says he believes the Turrito Networks approach, of adding a layer of service delivery between clients and any network they wish to use, is the best way for businesses to mitigate the risk.
“As a business owner or manager, you shouldn’t need to understand the dynamics of the IT industry to get reliable connectivity. If one network is no longer serving your needs, you should be able to move to a new network, or even a combination of networks, without changing your service provider. This is the link that’s been missing in the industry.”
“We’re helping to build resilient networks. For example, when ICASA confiscated equipment from a wireless service provider earlier this year over a fee dispute, their clients were stranded. But for our customers it was just a brief hiccup: We were able to switch them over to new networks almost instantly.”
This rapid response time is mirrored by rapid installation, adds Timperley.
“The typical delivery time for new wireless installations is anything from 30 to 60 working days. Thanks to our contacts with multiple networks we’re able to cut that to 72 hours. The difference between 72 hours and 60 days can be the difference between a business succeeding or failing.”
