A lapse in internet coverage can be a costly and unwelcomed disruption that could screech business to a halt and damage client relationships.
Many small- and mid-sized accounting firms rely on cable and DSL to connect to the internet, which makes them vulnerable to service disruptions that are out of their control. Unexpected outages can lead to operational downtime that Gartner reports can cost companies $5,600 per minute.
Luckily, there’s a failsafe to protect your firm from this ever happening. A failover internet service is a preventative measure that helps accountants avoid lapses in coverage by serving as a backup cellular network that kicks in when the main internet connection goes out.
By constantly communicating with the main router, the secondary router springs instantaneously into action when it detects anomalies in service. Given how vital the internet is to productivity and security, this service can be a lifesaver during times of uncertainty.
So, why should your firm consider subscribing to a failover internet service?
Reliability: Maintain a Consistent Connection at All Times
The pandemic has shifted the way people work and expedited the adoption of cloud-based technologies. Nearly half of all accountants are currently working from home at least part-time, ushering in a new era of hybrid remote workforces.
However, with this digital acceleration comes an increased dependency on the internet. Many of today’s modern business tools require a strong internet connection. This can include everything from productivity and file sharing apps, such as Microsoft 365, to mobile devices, VoIP, video calls, cloud-based accounting technologies, such as Quickbooks, and customer relationship management software like Keap.
As you can imagine, an abrupt disruption of any of these could bring operations to a stall. Without warning, your firm could lose the ability to answer emails, host meetings with clients, send or receive important documents, and collaborate on projects. By installing a failover internet service, your firm can rest easy knowing it will always maintain a reliable and consistent connection.
Security: Building & Security Systems Rely on Consistent Internet to Function Properly
Another risk of losing connectivity is the havoc it can wreak on your physical security systems. With the advent of IP cameras for security and remotely managed security surveillance that relies on internet connections, an outage could cause a company to abruptly lose access to its office security cameras. If security video is stored on the cloud, an outage would disrupt the automatic upload of these videos, causing periods of time to be lost forever.
Further, a company would lose access to all other Internet of Things devices in the office, such as cloud-controlled thermostats, smart locks, lights, and printers. Losing access to cameras and smart locks could pose a security threat if no one is there to physically monitor the space. However, an outage affecting these devices could also lead to property damage if, say, the heat stops working on a freezing cold day, and screech workflow to a halt if, say, team members are unable to upload data into the cloud or use cloud-based collaboration software.
By installing a failover internet service, accountants can keep their businesses secure and their smart devices powered no matter what happens. Even if one of their internet providers is hit by a Denial of Service cyberattack, which essentially jams their system and disrupts their ability to provide connectivity, a failover service will keep your accounting firm undisturbed.
Productivity: Avoid Costly Lapses in Workflow
An internet outage can be expensive because of the sheer loss of productivity. Companies can lose $5,600 per minute during network downtime, which can extrapolate to $300,000 per hour, according to Gartner based on industry surveys.
Workflows can screech to a halt with the loss of cloud-based productivity tools such as file-sharing apps, VPNs, and accounting software. This could impact revenue and even push some clients to competitors. This is especially true of the clients who spend a lot of money with your firm and might have short fuses for disruptions that could cause important deadlines or meetings to be missed.
With a failover internet service, productivity won’t miss a beat and clients will never know that an outage rattled your main internet connection.
Take Your Firm to the Next Level
Not sure where to begin? Tech Guru has helped accounting firms all over the country adopt technologies that protect their businesses from all sorts of digital threats. Schedule an intro call to learn more about our complimentary technology workshop.