Broadband Internet access is now taken for granted by many of us, both at home and at work. Thanks to ADSL, the technology that enables fast data transmission over telephone lines, it's easy to get connected for a fixed monthly fee.
For smaller businesses, a standard consumer ADSL account is an attractive choice, offering a basic level of service at a low cost. However, when you look at the range of functions that can be handled by your connection, and how important they may be for your day-to-day activities, there are many reasons why a business-grade service is likely to prove more appropriate.
Reliable connection
THUS, through Demon Business Broadband, provides the familiar ADSL type of connection, with the facility to use existing telephone lines for quick and simple installation, but with a higher level of service and a number of significant benefits.
Unlike with some consumer tariffs, there are no limits on your usage. The amount of data you can upload or download isn't capped in any way, and there are no additional charges for high traffic.
Some providers will 'throttle' your connection – reduce the speed available – if you exceed a certain amount of data transfer. They say this is to protect other users from slowdowns. With Demon Business Broadband, your connection will never be throttled. On the contrary, your traffic is prioritised, so at busy times, when many users are competing for bandwidth, your service remains more consistent. Your staff and customers are less likely to be kept waiting, even when downloading large files.
Because we know how critical your connection may be, we've produced Standards of Service (http://www.demon.net/helpdesk/producthelp/broadband_sos/index.html) to define what you can expect from us. Demon Broadband Business users can expect service availability of 99.5% within our network. In the unlikely event that you report a fault, we aim to resolve it within four hours. If it takes us more than twice that long, you'll be entitled to request a £25 service credit (http://serviceclaimform.demon.net/).
Secure settings
Included with your Demon Business Broadband subscription, you can choose a wired or wireless router to connect multiple computers, Voice over IP telephones, printers and other devices simultaneously. Not only is your router free of charge, it's also supplied pre-configured with your settings to ensure you get set up with the minimum amount of hassle.
Every computer on the Internet is identified by an IP address. Most consumer ADSL accounts have a 'dynamic IP', meaning that each time you reconnect you may be allocated a different address. Many business applications require a fixed or 'static' IP, which comes as standard with Demon Business Broadband. Your router will normally use network address translation (NAT) to connect multiple devices, gaining extra security from the fact that each isn't identified to the outside world by an individual IP address. If required, however, non-NAT configuration with multiple IP addresses is also supported, at no extra cost. This also enables you to run your own mail server, with the safety net that we'll hold on to your inbound mail if for any reason your server is unavailable.
Another advantage of being with Demon Business Broadband is the reassurance of dedicated support, 24 hours a day. Our experienced technical support teams are available by phone, email or online chat, whichever suits you. Phone lines are at local rates, not premium rates.
Standard extras
To help you get the most from your broadband, we also include the extra services that businesses are most likely to need. We'll register an Internet domain name for you free of charge, and give you 60MB of commercial web space to host your website - so you save money and avoid having to deal with a separate hosting company. Our spam filtering, also provided as standard, helps avoid your email inbox being cluttered with junk mail.
While fax has been superseded by email in many areas of business, there are still times when you may need it. Demon Business Broadband includes our Fax to Email service, which gives you a dedicated fax number that delivers pages electronically to your inbox.
We've even got you covered when you're away from the office. Demon Dial Companion provides a simple way to get basic Internet access anywhere there's a telephone socket (subject to pay-as-you-go charges).
As your business grows, you may need more from your broadband. Whatever your needs, as part of THUS plc, one of the country's leading telecommunication providers for business customers, we'll be there to provide the next solution and help you move up to it.
Business Broadband options
Demon Business Broadband has a choice of two tariffs providing different maximum speeds, from up to 2Mbps to up to 8Mbps. Right now, the faster Business Broadband 8000 is on offer for the normal price of Business Broadband 2000 - just £34 plus VAT per month.
This offer is available to new customers, to those upgrading from Demon HomeOffice tariffs, and on additional services purchased by existing Demon customers. To take advantage of this offer, call 0800 027 0587 or visit http://fusion.demon.net/issue16/broadband_offer.
To find out more about the benefits of Demon Business Broadband, see the table below or visit www.demon.net/demon/products/internetaccess/businessbroadband.
* Maximum speeds. Actual speeds subject to factors including distance from the telephone exchange and quality of existing wiring.
** Subject to THUS' Fair Use Policy: see www.demon.net/helpdesk/producthelp/aup/thusfup/