Voice and video traffic prioritised with QoS

Companies relying on video and conference calls may want to consider looking at taking out a virtual private network (VPN) with QoS (Quality of Service) through Managed Comms.

A VPN within a company is generally faster than the wider internet and is obviously more secure. This is because it is free from outside intrusion so there is not a large virus or hacking threat.

Just because a VPN has been installed within a company, that doesn’t mean it can only be accessed on the business premises. It is possible to incorporate remote access, which is particularly useful if your company employs people working from home or if travelling to important meetings is a large part of the job. A VPN means employees can have access to company documents and files anywhere. Furthermore, with the QoS offered by Managed Comms, it is possible to use the high-quality Managed Comms connection for video and voice conferencing tasks.

Companies who turn to Managed Comms for their VPN needs can be assured of impressive quality and excellent service. The company is a Cisco partner and all of its technicians are fully Cisco certified.

Installing couldn’t be easier either – Managed Comms can have a VPN set up and running within 15 days, meaning you and your company could be barely a fortnight away from enjoying a high-quality internet service and a secured private network.

If you are interested in picking up a quote from Managed Comms, feel free to get in touch today.

Managed Comms can keep your online infrastructure safe from collapse

For a small-to-medium sized business, security and stability is paramount. It’s important to know that your systems are safe and cannot be penetrated by an outside source, and that all data is not lost in the event of a physical disaster.

This is why a virtual private network (VPN) from Managed Comms is such a good idea. Due to the remote access options it gives companies, it is possible to save money in office costs by having employees work from home. In addition, a UK VPN makes it possible to keep harmful intrusions away from your data, as it does not operate over the general internet.

Carl Melvin, managing director of Affluent Financial Planning, was recently incapacitated with illness and had to rely on a VPN, just like the one provided by Managed Comms.

“We operate a VPN (virtual private network) which allowed our part-time administrator to work extra hours from home. This meant the workload could still be handled and the administrator was able to fit in the additional hours with minimum disruption to her usual routine,” he told Money Marketing.

He added that a VPN is a good idea for companies if they constantly need to be in touch with clients, claiming that it also helped the firm deal with an “unprecedented event”.

He concluded: “Our team made sure clients were kept abreast of the situation and everything was done that could be done to ensure they received an acceptable level of service.”

If you are interested in receiving a quote from Managed Comms, feel free to get in touch today.

A managed VPN from Managed Comms offers high levels of security

Companies the world over are turning to managed VPN solutions in order to ensure their network connection is top-notch. The latest firm to make the switch is Japanese car manufacturer Honda.

The firm has installed a managed VPN, like those available from Managed Comms, in an effort to improve its security. A managed VPN can prove to be very effective for companies looking to protect their data because it is very difficult for hackers to penetrate.

Another important managed VPN feature that can prove invaluable to companies is remote access. This means that employees can view company files and folders without needing to be in the office. As a result, companies can then save money on office costs and supplies.

This factor was touched upon by Honda infrastructure implementation manager Paul Kidd. He said: “The new routers mean our teleworkers can connect wirelessly at home - this gives them access to all our systems so they can work as effectively as they do in the office.”

A managed VPN SDSL from Managed Comms can also prove to be a more accessible solution for companies in out of the way locations.. This is because Managed Comms has access to more local exchanges than BT.

If you are interested in taking out a managed VPN solution from Managed Comms, feel free to call up today and get a quote from one of our highly trained advisers.

Smaller companies fail to appreciate managed VPN benefits

Some managed VPN providers are struggling to explain the service to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it has been suggested.

Despite having existed for around a decade, unmanaged and managed VPN solutions still have significantly higher subscription rates at large companies, reports TechNewsWorld.

Many SME decision-makers apparently worry that they will not be able to deploy the network technology correctly or set aside enough time to train staff in its use.

However, we are at the forefront of industry efforts to extol the virtues of a managed VPN.

At Managed Comms, we want to help SMEs save time and money in this period of economic uncertainty.

Our telecoms experts can talk business owners through the benefits of a managed VPN and, most importantly, help them understand the huge impact it will have on their balance sheets.

All advice is completely free and our UK-based helpdesk is waiting to take your call.

We decided to take this proactive approach for one simple reason – too many companies do not understand managed VPN.

Jason Leung, senior product line manager for small and medium-sized business security at technology provider NetGear, seems to share this point of view.

“The industry needs to do a lot of evangelising about the benefits of VPN,” he explained. “Things like client endpoint enforcement, patching control, etc.

“Small businesses always lag behind by several years the adoption of technology.”

A VPN service offers a secure data exchange between two locations using an encrypted connection.

What this means in practice is that would-be hackers find it much more difficult to intercept emails, documents and files sent over this type of network.

“VPNs are a way to build a secure channel between your usually mobile location and the corporate office,” Mr Leung concluded.

But devices may lack the proven reliability of a hardware VPN

The development of a USB stick that allows secure access to business bank accounts from multiple machines has got observers looking towards virtualising VPN connections.

Technology specialist IronKey’s new hardware has been designed to give companies flexible access to corporate bank accounts.

However, a number of analysts are already looking to use the technology for VPN access, something that has for some time been described as the next generation of VPNs.

Whatever the future brings, Managed Comms will remain at the cutting edge of the UK VPN industry to ensure its customers always benefit from the very latest technological innovations.

It may be true that USB sticks could have practical advantages for a company, not least the fact that employees would be able to more readily access networks from home.

In theory, the USB stick would make VPN connections possible from any computer without the need for additional drivers or supporting software.

Such a development would not, of course, be without problems.

Concerns have already been raised about the potential for hackers to infiltrate these fledgling VPN connections.

Experts are currently testing several ways to protect a virtualised VPN connection from criminals, although most companies will no doubt wait until they receive assurances that the system is watertight.

For now at least, switching to USB sticks remains a distant prospect and the best way to keep your VPN connections secure and reliable is with a professionally managed package from a proven operator like Managed Comms.

Technology correspondent explains virtual private networks

The subject of UK VPN has moved centre stage after being discussed in a top-selling newspaper.

A virtual private network is described in the Los Angeles Times as a tunnel permitting data to be transferred online without detection until a destination server is reached.

That might not sound like the most exciting technology but research by Managed Comms – a Nottingham-based provider of UK VPN solutions – confirms that it has many interesting applications and can help businesses save money.

Indeed, technology correspondent David Colker noted that they are employed by users for a variety of reasons.

“Businesses use VPNs to allow far-flung employees to access secure company computers as if they were in the same building,” he said.

“Dissidents use them to get around electronic firewalls erected by censors. For international TV watchers, a VPN can fool a network into thinking a computer is located inside an allowed area.”

In terms of business applications, a UK VPN is a highly effective remote conferencing solution.

The service provided by Managed Comms has been specifically designed to handle demanding functions like voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and video calls.

Managed Comms’ low latency allows for seamless conference calls, while reduced contention means that traffic does not overwhelm the network at peak times.

Finally, this is one UK VPN that will not let down customers at the critical moment because it comes with an industry-leading Quality of Service that prioritises VoIP and video.