As the National Broadband Network rolls out across Australia, many small and medium businesses are already taking advantage of the services and applications available over high-speed broadband.
Beyond faster upload and download speeds, feedback from business owners has shown that the NBN is providing a platform for businesses to enhance their services, improve productivity, create new market opportunities and cut costs on business phone, internet and inter-office communication.
Feedback from small business owners who recently attended NBN Co Business Forums in Queensland, New South Wales, Australia Capital territory and Victoria point to four common benefits high-speed broadband delivers.
More flexible and affordable IT
Accessing and sharing data is easy with consistently high-speed broadband. Employees can access office applications and services including cloud computing wherever they are, quickly and easily.
Keeping applications and data such as office documents in the cloud means small businesses don’t need to invest in expensive servers and software as their workforce and data storage needs expand.
Fast speeds over the NBN mean you can access and use applications in the cloud quicker than ever.
Expanded business reach
Having an internet presence allows your business to provide value-added services to your customers wherever you are located.
Since the internet allows millions of users worldwide to access information, people will be able to find out more about your products and services and, in a high-speed broadband world, you will be able to offer those products and services through new, exciting and digital rich channels that you may never have thought possible.
With more businesses turning to video and social media to build their brand and create a conversation and to e-commerce to deliver services, high-speed broadband has never been more important.
More productive ways of working
With increased bandwidth, you can use more applications and devices at the same time. You can send large files via email without dividing them up and even memory hungry files that used to take hours, like HD video, can be downloaded in minutes.
For one NSW-based entrepreneur, the ability to connect to the NBN was a key factor in his decision to move his animation business and family from bustling metropolitan Sydney to the more relaxed and peaceful environment of Kiama.
From here he can still share large animation files and conduct high definition video conferences with clients in Sydney and Melbourne, all over superfast fibre broadband.
Reduced operating costs
One way NBN-connected businesses have reduced the costs of their monthly ICT bill is by cutting the expense associated with meetings. For most businesses, the cost of conducting formal meetings (either internal or external) incorporates not just employee’s time, but also hard-costs associated with travel, parking, fuel etc.
HD video-conferencing over superfast fibre broadband can re-create the feeling of sitting in a room speaking with people, without the need for travel.
For one South Australian small business connected to NBN fibre, HD video conferencing has allowed them to change the way they engage with clients across the country and reduce travel costs and face to face meeting time without compromising on the quality of their relationships.
