Business Tips

Taking Control of Your WiFi: Understanding the Basics of Managed Business WiFi Services

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Managed WiFi.

Maybe you’ve heard the term in passing on your latest company Zoom call. Perhaps you’ve attempted a little research on the subject to try to dive into it further. Maybe this is the first time you’ve ever even read the term before. No matter where you’re at in your managed WiFi definition journey, know this—you’re finally in the right place.

In this article, we’re planning on providing you with the latest—and most important—step of learning how to take control of your business WiFi—investing in Managed Business WiFi Services.

We know that, when it comes to internet jargon, terms like this can be confusing—we also know that the sheer number of business WiFi services out there can be overwhelming. That’s why we’re taking a stab at breaking down some definitions to help you better understand what Managed WiFi solution are, how they differ from some of your more basic business WiFi options, and most importantly, what kind of benefits you can expect when you invest in high-quality, Managed WiFi.

What is Managed WiFi?

To keep it short and simple, we’ll start off with a basic definition of Managed WiFi. Though it is considered a type of business or enterprise connectivity, it’s ultimately so much more than that. Managed WiFi services do provide you with cutting-edge connectivity (a requirement for small businesses that seek success), but it also provides you with a managed team that tackles any and all of your internet needs, issues, goals, and solutions.

Managed WiFi is a type of service that small businesses can invest in that ensures a dedicated team (via your internet provider or another third party) is managing, maintaining, and constantly enhancing your internet. Managed WiFi services include things like proactive security, on-call IT teams, propelling cost-cutting solutions, enabling in-depth reporting and monitoring data to help drive more research-driven decisions, brand personalization, and simplified internet connectivity solutions for guests, employees, and beyond.

Business WiFi vs Managed WiFi: What’s the Difference?

It’s important to realize that there are distinct differences between managed WiFi and business internet. While we certainly believe that managed WiFi options are typically some of the best services you can include for your small business internet strategy, it does vary distinctly from the specific service of small business internet.

As we explained previously, managed WiFi services are outsourced network solutions where (in most cases) providers will manage and monitor your internet’s functions by improving operations, cutting expenses, providing security measures, enhancing experiences, and performing other on-demand services that improve the health and wealth of your business internet.

On the other hand, business internet services—or business WiFi-is a type of WiFi connectivity that is specifically designed for small businesses. This type of connectivity supports your small business needs, gives you so much more than a simple residential internet connection, and can provide you with additional tools that make a difference in your company’s ability to grow and scale.

But it is not the same as managed WiFi.

The main difference? Manage WiFi systems and services are built on a foundation of support and service. Traditional business WiFi is typically managed with switches, routers, and beyond that need to be taken care of manually. Managed WiFi services are tackled by your internet provider remotely and proactively. In other words, managed WiFi services are designed to take care of all of your business WiFi issues, questions, and needs so that you don’t have to.

Let’s Talk Benefits: What Are the Advantages of Business WiFi Solutions Like Managed WiFi?

Choosing to invest in Managed WiFi services can provide all sorts of advantages for your business. And of course, because every business is different with unique goals and pain points, it’s impossible to point to each and every lasting benefit that could result.

Still, there are numerous, blanket benefits that go hand-in-hand with Managed WiFi solutions—no matter what your business might be, how large you are, what industry you specialize in, or what your goals are.

We’ve laid out a few of the most basic—but important— Managed WiFi advantages you can expect when you invest in this type of solution for your small business.

Cost-Effective Solutions

If you have business internet now but do not invest in a dedicated in-house IT team, it’s likely you tend to outsource your IT issues to a third party, right? With Managed WiFi services, your IT team is built into your offerings—that means at the first sign of trouble (or even before that since much of managed WiFi is proactive monitoring), your IT issues can be resolved without calling in a separate team, dropping a ton of extra money, or attempting to round up an in-house team to tackle the issues.

In the long run, this aspect can save you a ton of money in a few ways. Firstly, your IT issues are already being paid for with your managed service subscription. Secondly, you won’t have to curate an in-house team that requires salary, benefits, healthcare, and beyond. And thirdly, even if an upfront cost for installing your managed WiFi is substantially higher than average business WiFi, you’re guaranteed (in almost every case) remote and immediate fixes to your IT issues—that means you don’t need to hire out a team to come to your location, all the while trying to juggle your business with your internet down (and losing you money).

An additional cost-effective standpoint? The lack of downtime and the continuous support through proactive measures means that your internet will likely never experience gaps in service or coverage—that means the odds of you losing money during a downed internet episode is highly unlikely.

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Propels Peak Productivity

As we just touched on, less-than-reliable connectivity means that you’re losing money. Why invest in business WiFi that could inhibit revenue generation? Managed WiFi ensures that you can operate at peak productivity at all times—no downtimes or issues will get in your way. Further, with a constantly reliable internet solution, you can free up your operations team and your IT team to focus on other issues and operate at their own rates of peak productivity.

Proactive and Protective Security Measures

With managed WiFi services, your internal network could be more secure than ever. Managed WiFi is designed to equip you with a team of experts that are monitoring and resolving any security issues that could arise—that means not only do they know how to respond should a security breach or leak occur, but also that much of their time is spent preventing from that issue ever arising. Your customers and employees can rest easy knowing that all of their information is protected and safe—and you can rest easy, too.

In-Depth Monitoring and Reporting

Make better, data-driven decisions with access to detailed reports and insights about your performance, network utilization, and other key metrics. Not only can you monitor the reliability of your internet, but also all of your network management tools. This type of insight can help you make better decisions for your company’s future, improve where necessary, and provide a level of customer service unlike any you’d been able to offer before.

Enhanced Customer Experience

With easy-to-use WiFi portals, reliable connections, fast service, and simple connectivity, your customers will be happier than ever with your managed WiFi services. Scalable growth doesn’t happen in a vacuum—to find success, you need to successfully appeal to your customers, too. Fast, reliable, and secure WiFi is a big part of that necessary customer experience.

Suddenlink Business—Your Go-To Managed WiFi Partner

Deciding to invest in managed WiFi services is a big decision on its own—choosing the right managed WiFi partner is another altogether. At Suddenlink Business, we believe that your managed WiFi solutions should make your business more seamless and successful than ever—and we can help you get there. Our cutting-edge services and next-level solutions empower you to take your business further than you ever imagined—and we’re proud to be a part of that mission.

Ready to learn more about our managed WiFi services, our PRO WiFi offerings, and our other small-business-centric internet options that can bring your company to new heights? Reach out to our team today for answers to your burning questions, business internet knowledge, and help picking the perfect services for your company’s success.

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