Is a T1 Dedicated Line Right For Your Business?

Is your business considering an upgrade to a T1 line? If so, there are a couple of factors to consider before replacing your DSL connection.

Most businesses consider reliability as the single most important factor when deciding what kind of network connection to purchase. If this applies to your business as well, then definitely replace your DSL connection with a T1 line. While DSL is easy to install and affordable for businesses, it isn't set up to handle commercial applications or large numbers of users. However, a T1 line is geared for larger applications and users.

Reliability of a business's network is key to quickly responding to customer's and employee's needs. Customers utilizing your connection to access your company's databases, server or internet depend on it to be reliable. Employees using the company's e-mail and internet server also depend on a reliable network to get their work done. Reliability and timeliness are key factors in driving your business to success. A business cannot afford to risk employees' productivity levels or the loss of customers due to sub-par network connections. A company needs to think beyond "saving money" on their network connection if it can't support it's staff and customers. If a DSL connection isn't making the grade, then a business needs to seriously consider upgrading to a T1 line.

The second factor when considering an upgrade from a DSL connection to a T1 line is cost. Because the monthly cost of a T1 line can be several times more than a DSL connection, residential customers shouldn't consider a T1 line unless they can write off the expensive on their taxes. What most people don't understand is a DSL connection, when not oversubscribed, can be as fast as a T1 at 1.5Mbps. SDSL (Synchronous DSL) is a business class DSL connection, therefore ranked higher in priority than residential DSL. SDSL isn't oversubscribed to the extent that residential DSL is, resulting in fewer bandwidth restrictions.

In summary, if price is your guiding factor then sign up for DSL, but if reliability is crucial to your business, then purchase a dedicated T1 line.

The Coming of Age of Video Conferencing

The art of meetings has come a long way. It started with two people standing face-to-face to talk. It progressed to people from different place sitting down together in a boardroom to people in different places talking on a conference call at the same time. The pinnacle - so far - is taking those people in different places in a conference call, and adding video through their computers so they can both see and hear each other.

What if you are already using conference calls to save money? Why would you want to add video as well? On a conference call, you can hear the tones and inflections of your participants and gauge their demeanor, mood, and attitude. If a picture is worth a thousand words, how much is live video worth? You could be able to see the subtle expression changes in your participants and see what they really think. You could look them in the eye and know they will get the job done.

Another reason to do video conferences is to deal with a naughty human behavior trait almost everyone has: multi-tasking. When someone is talking on a conference call, the temptation is almost too great not to check your email, finish that memo, or look at your schedule for the day. We are probably all guilty of this at one time or another, but the tell-tale signs are there. We suddenly hear our name spoken on the conference call and are jerked away from an email and we say, "I'm sorry, could you repeat that? What was the question?"

While multi-tasking is an excellent skill to have, there is a time and a place for it. On a video conference, you can't be looking away for long periods of time, or under your desk fixing those pesky wires. You - and your participants - are held accountable by video to stay in the moment and at the meeting. Studies have shown that video conferences extend participants attention span and allow much less distractions. This means that your meetings will be much more productive.

And let's not deny it, having people from all around the world looking and talking to one another is just plain cool!

Once you've decided to take the next step to video conferencing, what equipment will you need? Of course there isn't just one solution for every company. You'll have to look at what kind of video conferences best serve your company's needs.

The top of the line, full body or life-size from the chest up video conference experience fits nicely into the old saying, "You get what you pay for." You will have the most realistic picture, no choppy pictures, no hang-ups and it will cost many thousands of dollars. Setups like these require dedicated T-1 lines, special equipment and monitors on ALL sides of the conference, and they cannot be moved.

Let's look at other, more feasible options. If the quality and clearness of the view is your primary concern, you may want to consider a digital video camera. This would also be a good choice if you want to have an entire board room in your shots. These cameras are the more expensive choice, but electronics prices get more and more reasonable each day. Look for one that has USB or firewire outputs -- faster than USB - and of course, can connect with online applications.

The final option for video conferencing is the webcam. Webcams are inexpensive - up to $200, but average is $30 - and easy to use. In fact, many laptops are being made with a webcam built-in. Your ideal webcam has 640x480 resolution, 30 Frames Per Second, and uses CCD technology. All of these specs will be listed on the side of the box. Webcams may be your ideal solution as their picture quality is good, they are inexpensive, and are easily transportable.

Video conferencing is not new, but the level of quality, expense, and ease of use are now such that it makes good sense to add it to your business arsenal.