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How to protect yourself from connectivity issues

Avoiding network issues – ensuring system integrity

The key to system integrity is to identify network issues pre-emptively. It's about staying ahead of potential problems with ongoing oversight. And it's about optimizing your Internet connection to avoid unforeseen issues. It's also important to ensure consistent, reliable backup Internet. Automated rebooting is a fairly effective option for avoiding prolonged Internet interruptions. By no means is it a fail-safe option, but it's certainly helpful in reducing Internet downtime. Will it completely solve the connection problem? NO! Do you still need some backup Internet – YES! With connection issues, there's nothing more important than ensuring data backup. A network or system failure can be catastrophic when data is lost, so backing up records and safeguarding data is fundamental. The prudent approach would be to install a resilient backup Internet platform. With any operation, large or small, cautious oversight and regular maintenance will forewarn of potential problems. It means closely monitoring hardware issues, third-party applications, and corrupted files. These are all good options, but with no guarantee of 100% Internet connectivity.

SmartCONNECT™ ensures network integrity with 100% guaranteed Internet connectivity

Yes – network precautions and IT safeguards are absolutely necessary. But nothing beats 100% Internet connectivity. And that's where SmartCONNECT™ comes into play – guaranteeing full connectivity regardless of the network issue. With SmartCONNECT™, your primary Internet connection is continuously monitored, always on guard for potential interruptions. In the event that there is an outage with your primary Internet provider, SmartCONNECT™ “saves the day”. SmartCONNECT™ is a leading-edge technology, fully protecting you from connection issues 24/7. Whatever the interruption, the technology switches you over to a secondary connection within a matter of seconds – and without any impact. The minute your primary Internet connection is restored, SmartCONNECT™ activates a FIVE-MINUTE monitoring cycle that ensures your connection is healthy. Once the connection is confirmed, you're switched back to the primary provider.

SmartCONNECT™ provides fully secure backup Internet with a host of benefits

Internet downtime is very expensive in any business. With SmartCONNECT™, business owners have peace of mind with 100% uptime. Today, you have to be connected 24/7 – anything short is a recipe for lost productivity and lost business. SmartCONNECT™ is proactive – with real-time monitoring that's seamless and automated. Best of all, there's never a need to expend valuable hours engaged in troubleshooting or problem-solving. It's all happening quietly and behind the scenes.

Switching over to secure and reliable Internet with guaranteed connectivity

Switching over to secure and reliable Internet connectivity is easy with Vivant Corporation. NO need to shop for a new provider. No need to set up a new service. And NO need for paperwork. We do it all on your behalf and we make sure that everything is customized to suit your needs. With Vivant, you're guaranteed 100% uptime – you're never without an Internet connection. We provide hassle-free customer service, along with FREE maintenance, upgrades, and tech support. Vivant Corporation makes it easy – ONE company, ONE bill, and ONE national support team.

Internet Outage kills Profitability, Invest in Backup Internet Service

What is a backup internet Service?

Backup internet is simply a secondary path of communication to the internet so when your primary internet is down, you are still able to connect and transact. Today, nearly all payments are processed over the internet, phone service is delivered over internet (VoIP phone service), Online Ordering Services, Sales Reporting Software, Business Operation Software and more. With this much traffic crossing your internet service, it is extremely important to have a backup internet plan that allows you to operate your essential service.

Different Types of Backup Internet

Not all solutions are created equal so when shopping for a backup internet service, it is important to ensure it will actually work when you need it the most. If you pay for abackup internet serviceand it does not work when you need it, no matter how cheap or expensive, it is worthless. With that, it is important to understand the different options and plans available in order to make an informed decision.

Fiber and Diverse Route Backup Internet

Most people are familiar with different types ofprimary internet services, those are dedicated fiber internet service, coax internet service, shared business fiber internet such as FiOS or AT&T business fiber to name a few of them. The same services can be used as a secondary internet or backup internet, so for instance, you can have a dedicated 250/250m fiber internet service and also have a secondary 50/50m dedicated fiber as your backup internet. You can mix and match any of these internet services to serve as primary internet and backup internet. Since we always think a few steps further, we want to minimize the cost and offer 100% up-time guarantee and in order to achieve this, we get very creative through several methods which some people completely ignore. For example, if you have a 250m and a 50m fiber service through Spectrum, when one goes down, of course the second one goes down, so there is no redundancy here. Same goes if you have two coax or shared fiber internet service. It is imperative that your internet service providers are different and are completely independent of each other, i.e. not using the same path to enter your building or business.

LTE or Wireless Internet Service

The other type of internet service is the traditional LTE service that your smart phone uses. This tends to be the most accessible option for majority of backup internet services depending on your physical location. There are very few things to consider when going with a LTE backup internet, Data or Time Limits and Speed.

Data Limit or Time Limits

Some companies offer backup internet that is limited by either data or time which defeats the purpose. For example, if your primary internet is down for 10 hours but your backup internet has a time limit usage of 4 hours, it is not serving the purpose it had intended. The same can be said with data caps, most specifically with LTE based backup internet solutions.

Speed, latency and jitter

As you are well aware, the LTE speed can vary from location to location so where you are, how far from the nearest towers, how many towers are nearby, all play a key role in what type of speed you get, and how low is the latency and jitter. After all, if you get a 1mbps and you are 25 people in your office and you are running a VoIP phone system, it is useless. LTE internet services usually do impose a data limit which throttles your internet speed to DSL speeds so it is important to ensure you do not use a company with speed limits.

Hardware Requirements to Manage Primary and Backup Internet

As of now, not all firewall or routers support dual internet connections which means you will have to have the proper hardware required to manage a secondary internet connection. You want to ensure that your backup internet provider uses proper hardware to minimize the risk to your business. The more that the process is automated, the better and seamless it is for your staff in an event of emergency where your primary internet connection has failed. In summary, you want to ensure you have the right primary internet, the right backup internet service and the proper hardware to manage your internet service in order for everything to work seamlessly without any added stress to your staff or loss of profits to your bottom line.

About Vivant Corporation

AtVivant, we have created the perfect set of solutions to meet the need of any type of business. As the need of every industry is different, our SmartCONNECT technology can be adopted to work for a small restaurant operation whose need may be met with a coax primary internet and LTE backup internet service, or to meet the needs of a medical or car dealership where a backup LTE internet is not a viable option. SmartCONNECT works with both LTE, FIber, Coax or DSL internet services in order to provide a 100% up-time guarantee for your business at a competitive cost. SmartCONNECT is a seamless solution that monitors your primary internet connection every 15 sepconds and in an event of an outages, automatically and seamlessly switches to the secondary connection in order to keep your business connected, your payments processed, online orders completed and phone service to continue as normally. When the primary internet service is restored, SmartCONNECT automatically monitors the connection for a period of time, and if it is stable, it will automatically switch back. From today, you will never notice any internet outages anymore, sign up for SmartCONNECT today and say goodbye to internet outages.

PCI DSS Compliance Checklist 2024

If your organization handles card data through online portals or POS (Point of Sale) devices, it must adhere to PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards) to avoid penalties and damage to its reputation. However, achieving PCI DSS compliance is a complex, time-consuming, and costly process.

This article aims to simplify this process by explaining the PCI compliance framework, outlining the different levels of compliance, briefly discussing the 12 PCI DSS requirements, and providing steps toachieve PCI DSS compliance

Overview of PCI DSS compliance

PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance consists of security standards established by credit card companies to ensure that businesses processing, transmitting, or storing credit card information do so securely.

The primary goal of PCI DSS compliance standards is to prevent data breaches and safeguard sensitive cardholder information.

In 2004, the founding members of PCI DSS, including VISA, MasterCard, JCB International, and Discover Financial Services, collaborated to create a regulatory framework aimed at protecting user credit card data from fraudulent activities.

Why was PCI DSS implemented?

The PCI DSS compliance framework was put in place to enable organizations processing electronic transactions to implement necessary processes and policies to maintain a strong security posture and protect cardholder data.

The latest version, PCI DSS version 4, introduced in March 2022, brought reforms to existing security rules, making the framework more flexible and user-friendly. It can be easily implemented with the help of the PCI DSS compliance checklist.

PCI DSS Compliance Levels


To better understand the PCI DSS compliance checklist, it's important to determine the level at which your business operates. This assessment will help you evaluate the PCI requirements.

Level 1: Processes over 6 million transactions annually, and any organization identified as Level 1 by VISA must implement Level 1 grade controls.

Level 2: Requires Level 2 security for 1 to 6 million yearly transactions.

Level 3: Handles 20,000 to 1 million online transactions yearly. Needs Level 3 security measures.

Level 4: Processes up to 20,000 e-commerce transactions a year and handles up to 1 million total transactions a year. Implementation of controls and policies at Level 4 is mandatory.

PCI Compliance Level Annual Transactions
Level 1 (High Difficulty) Over 6 million
Level 2 (High Difficulty) 1 – 6 million
Level 3 (Moderate Difficulty) 20,000 – 1 million
Level 4 (Low Difficulty) English

PCI DSS compliance checklist: Objectives and Requirement

Depending on the PCI DSS requirements of your organization, the complexity of managing your PCI DSS compliance journey will differ.

Organizations need to implement controls, security policies, and administrative processes to protect card data and achieve PCI DSS compliance.

Here is the PCI DSS Compliance Checklist for 2024:

Here's a bullet-pointed PCI DSS Compliance Checklist for 2024:

1. Install and Maintain a Firewall:

  • Protect security systems from unauthorized traffic.
  • Filter and permit only authorized traffic.
  • Secure POS devices on wireless networks.
  • Control outbound traffic from card storage areas.
  • Log all changes with justifications.

2. Avoid Default Vendor Settings and Passwords:

  • Change default usernames and passwords.
  • Configure settings for security, not convenience.
  • Use strong passwords.

3. Protect Cardholder Data:

  • Safeguard all cardholder information.
  • Understand data flow within the organization.
  • Store, access, transmit, and dispose of data securely.
  • Mask PAN to show only the last few digits.

4. Encrypt Transmission:

  • Use encryption for card data during transmission.
  • Protect data on all channels, including the internet.

Automate all the PCI DSS requirements with the help of Vivant. Talk to our experts

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5. Use Updated Antivirus Software:

  • Keep antivirus software up-to-date.
  • Install advanced solutions on all devices with network access.
  • Ensure continuous operation and log scanning.

6. Keep IT systems and software secure and up-to-date:

  • Conduct internal risk assessments.
  • Identify and patch vulnerable areas.
  • Apply continuous patches and remediation measures.

Remember, managing PCI DSS compliance depends on your organization's specific requirements and the complexity of your systems. Regularly reviewing and updating these practices is crucial for maintaining compliance and protecting sensitive data.

7. Limit Access to Cardholder Data:

  • Control employee access based on need, seniority, or role.
  • Document access control procedures.

8. Unique User IDs:

  • Assign unique IDs to employees for security and tracking.

9. Control Physical Access:

  • Restrict access to physical data assets.
  • Use RFIDs and surveillance to secure data.

10. Monitor Network Access:

  • Secure network resources against unauthorized access.
  • Log and review network activity daily.
  • Keep audit trail records for one year.

11. Test Security Systems:

  • Regularly scan for vulnerabilities.
  • Use ASV for external domain scans.
  • Conduct quarterly and annual penetration tests.

12. Information Security Policy:

  • Develop policies for employees and third parties.
  • Require policy acknowledgment from all employees.
  • Perform background checks to secure card data.

These points cover the essentials of controlling access, monitoring activities, testing security measures, and maintaining policies to protect cardholder data as per PCI DSS standards.

How to Achieve PCI Compliant: Understanding the 12 Requirements of PCI Security Standards

To achieve PCI compliance, you need to fulfill the 12 PCI-compliant requirements, which consist of 300 sub-requirements. These requirements encompass security systems, organizational processes, testing, and policies aimed at safeguarding cardholder data.

12 PCI DSS Requirements Step-by-Step

The PCI DSS provides a 12-step plan forprotecting customer data and achieving compliance. It includes steps such as installing and maintaining a firewall, avoiding default settings, protecting stored cardholder data, encrypting payment data transmission, updating antivirus software, deploying secure systems and applications, restricting cardholder data access, assigning user access identification, restricting physical access to data, tracking and monitoring network access, ongoing systems, and process testing, and creating and maintaining an infosec policy. Each step involves specific actions and considerations to ensure compliance with PCI DSS standards.

5 Best Practices for PCI DSS Compliance

  1. Data Transparency:PCI-DSS Requirement 3 emphasizes the need to store credit card data in specific, restricted locations. Organizations should map data flows and conduct regular network scans to prevent unauthorized storage of credit card information.
  2. Overlaps between GDPR and PCI DSS Compliance:Adhering to PCI DSS best practices can lead to GDPR compliance. Both standards limit the storage of personal customer data, aligning with the principle of only storing necessary personal data.
  3. Focus on Employee Training:Employee awareness is crucial for PCI DSS compliance. Investing in training employees to understand compliance requirements and the consequences of non-compliance is essential.
  4. Review Cloud Architecture Regularly:Cloud environments undergo frequent changes, potentially impacting PCI compliance. Regular reviews and planning changes with security experts are necessary to identify and address risks.
  5. Leverage SIEM:Ongoing monitoring of security controls is a central requirement of PCI DSS. Utilizing a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tool can help collect logs, monitor networks, and create alerts for suspicious behavior, meeting PCI DSS rules.

Benefits of PCI DSS Compliance

PCI DSS compliance offers several key benefits:

  1. Reduces risk -Compliance with PCI standards shields businesses from breaches. According to a Verizon study, compliant businesses have a 50% higher chance of successfully withstanding a breach attempt.
  2. Boosts customer loyalty -Customers are more inclined to make purchases, particularly online, from businesses that prioritize data security and maintain PCI compliance.
  3. Helps avoid additional costs -Businesses may face fines from banks in the event of a breach, as well as the need to replace credit cards or compensate customers. Fewer breaches result in reduced risk of fines. If a breach occurs, businesses are elevated to PCI Level 1 and required to undergo a comprehensive, costly certification process.
  4. Aligns with industry standards -PCI DSS compliance ensures that businesses across the board adhere to the same rigorous security standards. By aligning with these standards, businesses ensure that their information security meets industry-wide expectations.

The future of PCI compliance

The PCI DSS launched version 4.0 in March 2022, replacing version 3.2. Organizations compliant with 3.2 have until March 2024 to become compliant with version 4.0.

How Vivant Helps You Achieve PCI DSS Compliance Requirements

MeetingPCI compliancerequirements can be difficult, especially as they continue to change. However, failing to adhere to these regulations can result in costly penalties and harm to your reputation. That's why it's crucial to depend on comprehensive solutions such as Vivant to ensure complete compliance across your network.

Vivant simplifies compliance by overseeing and examining access to infrastructure, a crucial aspect of PCI DSS. Additionally, you can access a free set of tools and templates to quickly obtain SOC 2 certification. While SOC 2 differs from PCI DSS, there are several operational similarities. Both certifications require actions such as conducting regular vulnerability scans, implementing annual security awareness training, and conducting an annual risk assessment.

The benefits of a cloud phone system will amaze and impress you

Chances are that cloud technologies are already part of day-to-day activities, likeGoogle Drive®, Dropbox®, and Microsoft Office®.Cloud phone systemssimply ad added technology – hosted in the cloud with data stored digitally. That means no hard wiring, no central server, and no technical management. Cloud phones are less expensive, more advanced, and more secure than any of today's conventional phone systems.Cloud-basedphone systemsprovide many more features and benefits than traditional built-in systems. The big advantage is that all services are managed by a cloud provider, without any of the annoyances and troubleshooting of in-house equipment. You will be amazed and impressed.

Big surprise -office phone systems for smallbusinesshave been profoundly transformed

For small and medium-sized businesses,cloud phone systemsdramatically expand IT resources simply because everything is managed by a third-party. With or without internal IT resources, your company benefits from the flexibility of a cloud system and the ease of implementation. In most cases, traditional phone systems require a substantial upfront purchase of hardware and equipment. The physical requirements, the installation requisites, and the technical obligations can be challenging. None of the above is needed when you commit to a cloud phone system.Migrating overto a cloud-based phone system profoundly transforms communication efficiency and overhead cost management. More importantly, cloud-basedoffice phone systemsfor small businesses make it much easier to meet future business communications needs ahead of time.

The real question: why NOT use acloud phone system (VoIP platform)

When compared one-on-one, traditional phone systems cannot compete with the many benefits and advantages of a cloud phone system – and it all translates into a much-improved bottom line.

Potential for scalability

Cloud-basedphone systemsallow you to grow according to your needs. In other words, you scale your system according to your business needs at the time. You don't have to wait for additional phones or phone lines, and you certainly don't have to bother with downloading your phone data.

Customer engagement

Today, cloud phone systems significantly elevate the customer experience. You can monitor call volumes for better customer engagement. You can integrate customer data for the benefit of in-house personnel. And you can send text reminders about future appointments or payments due.

Mobility with features

With a cloud phone system, a user can be anywhere – you never miss a call and you always have access to features. With added functionality, cloud systems allow for compatibility with tablets and smartphones, including call transfer, extension dialing, conference calling, even video calls.

Performance reliability

Aweb based phone systemensures both reliability and resilience. Whatever the most common problems of a traditional system, cloud phone systems don't suffer the same fate. From the network, to infrastructure, to applications, third-party providers practically guarantee no points of failure.

It's a whole new world ofoffice phonesystems for small businessenterprises

If you've been considering a cloud-based phone system, then you probably understand how a VoIP telephone platform can dramatically enhance your business activities. The features are above and beyond any conventional phone system that you've had in the past.With easy customization, telephony solutions are designed to upgrade operational performance. The best part is the abundance of built-in features – from the auto attendant, to call recordings, to ring groups, to voicemail, to conference calls, and even video conferencing.

Read the blogRecognizing the Role of VoIP Phone Systems in Online Business

Internet connection downtime – the perfect recipe for lost profits

If your business relies heavily on the Internet, then you know only too well how downtime can impact your bottom line. You're handcuffed – everything that drives your business is frozen, including POS terminals that depend exclusively on the Internet. In short, it all has a direct impact on your revenue and your profits.

The truth is, you're not alone. The cost ofInternet downtimeaffects every business and the pain in dollars and cents is dramatic. Not surprisingly, industry statistics are staggering, with the cost of “single hour” downtime rising year after year. Industry associations report that “single hour” downtime rose by a third in the last decade.

Today, it's important to have a business continuity plan

Needless to say, broadband connectivity is a lifeline for practically every business around the world. That's whyInternet uptimeis so indispensable. Every business owner needs to generate revenue, create profit, reach customers, and access data – it all requires 100% uptime.When Internet connectivity is down for even a short period during business hours, there's more at stake than just lost revenues. Customers who are inconvenienced will go elsewhere. The in-house will be looking for a fix. And here again, it's your bottom line that's being affected.

Preventative measures are the key to assuring uptime

In understanding the painful cost of Internet connection downtime, measures can be taken to avoid the pitfalls. In fact, 100% uptime is actually possible. Today, with SmartConnect, your business can experience 100% uptime for all of your various Internet and phone services.SmartCONNECT™technology keeps your connection active, even when there's an outage from your Internet Service Provider. Everything is up all the time – from cloud accessibility to online ordering, to payment processing, to incoming sales calls. Your business is protected.

Businesses with high-volume calls and online orders

Businesses with high volume calls and online ordering can suffer big when there's an Internet outage. Everything is affected by customer service, from sales calls, to order processing. Clearly, this all translates into a lost business that may be irretrievable.By implementing technology that ensures 100% uptime, businesses can guarantee 24/7 business activities. That makes for unlimited payment processing; continuity of online ordering; consistentphone service; and complete access to data saved on the cloud.

Downtime costs you. Uptime keeps you in business

It presents challenges for businesses every day. Connection downtime is one of the more damaging challenges. The ultimate cost – is lost revenue While prevention is a viable option, a proactive action plan is even better. The best scenario, of course, is 100% uptime.The cost of downtime is painful, with direct and indirect costs that vary with specific business activities. While lost sales and lost profits are of urgency, disruption costs are also considerable – like lost employee productivity, additional overtime costs, and critical loss of valuable data.Business owners might put their focus on downtime prevention or perhaps on creating an action plan for a potential outage. In the end, however, the most productive approach is to implement a sound backup prevention plan, with long-term sustainability that will be 100% guaranteed.With the latest technologies fromVivant,your business can rest assured that both the Internet and phone service are never down. That means everything is working 100% of the time, without costly interruptions, and with business humming. You just focus on the business of doing business.

5 reasons why Desktop-as-a-Service is a must in Re-launching Businesses

In response, more and more business leaders are eliminating existing infrastructures in favor ofDaaS.

Desktop-as-a-Serviceis now a game-changer

Certainly influenced by the reality of COVID-19, businesses are realizing the benefits ofDesktop-as-a-Service. There's much less reliance on high-performance hardware. There's considerably less cost associated with software applications. And there are no anxieties with data breaches.

Migrating to cloud-based

Regularly upgrading hardware and software can get very pricey overtime – not to mention the technical nightmares and potential security challenges.Desktop-as-a-Servicetotally eliminates these challenges, allowing for a world without data center infrastructure. At the same time,DaaSempowers users to benefit from a flexible, secure, and low-maintenance operating platform.

Reduced computing costs

Considering the weight of end-user computing costs,Desktop-as-a-Servicesubstantially reduces those costs right across the board. Moreover,Desktop-as-a-Serviceprovides a cloud-based platform that protects against long-term investments (like on-premises infrastructure). In fact, with a reputableDesktop-as-a-Serviceprovider, the customized subscription allows for “pay-as-you-go” pricing (only pay for what you use).

Highly enhanced security

It's no surprise to anyone in business that data security vulnerabilities are pervasive. While the software updates and patches are time-consuming, they can also be costly. WithDesktop-as-a-Service solution for small businesses,vulnerabilities are dramatically reduced – like data breaches, cyber-attacks, and malware infiltration. Data is safe and sound on the cloud-based platform.

Simplified management

With today's work-at-home environment,DaaSstreamlines computing management from end to end. Countless users are supported, in any manner of devices, anywhere, and at any time. Even more,Desktop-as-a-Serviceallows various software applications to run on a variety of operating systems. Work-at-home teams can rest assured that valuable data is safe and secure on the cloud.

Improved user productivity

End-user productivity is one of the big when benefits adopting aDesktop-as-a-Service solution for small businesses.There is simply no equal when comparing performance, data access, mobility, and flexibility – all without compromising data security. Without the threat of data breach, work-at-home teams are productive, allowing business activities to continue, without interruption.

Choosing the very bestDesktop-as-a-Service

Choosing the rightDesktop-as-a-Service provideris critical for business success – you're creating a new business model and setting the stage for future growth. While the market leaders like Citrix, Microsoft, and Google dominate, there's much to be said for the smallDesktop-as-a-Serviceproviders.VivantSmartDESK™ does it all – with impressiveDaaSfeatures – far better client support – and measurably better pricing. This is a cloud-basedDesktop-as-a-Service solution for small businessesthat will deliver effective worker collaboration along with guaranteed data security.

Mobility

SmartDESK™ allows work-at-home teams to experience the typical PC desktop experience on any device of choice, from any location, and at any time. Employees are productive and responsive.

Security

With SmartDESK™ the risk of data breach and cyber-attacks is dramatically reduced. There's no anxiety over information loss because all data is cloud-based – very safely secured and stored.

Flexibility

SmartDESK™ has the technical flexibility to allow different software to run on different systems. Work-at-home teams can easily access cloud-based data with no chance of being compromised.

Continuity

Once deployed, SmartDESK™ guarantees business continuity – there's no threat of losing files – no fear of compromised applications – and never any stress worrying about viruses or malware.

Bottom Line

WithSmartDESK™DaaSthere's no investment in hardware or software. A “pay-as-you-go” option allows business owners to pay on a transaction basis – the best way to maintain the bottom line.

Read this blogDesktop-as-a-Service is a game changer for the future.

Things to Keep in Mind for Choosing the Right SD-WAN Service Provider

Factors Need to Consider When Choosing the Best SD-WAN Service Provider

There are a number of important factors that customers need to get acquainted with before making a decision. When connecting your computer networks over large distances to data centers it is important to be aware of the quality of service platforms you connect to. Modern video conferencing, streaming and virtualized applications require low latency. Thus, it is also very important to choose a provider who solves problems related to network congestion, packet delay v href=“https://vivantcorp.com/sd-wan-service-providers/" previewlistener=“true”>SD-WAN service provider. It is important to think about security maintenance, as you do not wish to have undesirable decays during network operations.Management simplicity is a key requirement for SD-WANs. Effective administration and troubleshooting of network servers and traffic flow are very important. Thus, it is important to consider all the above-mentioned factors to choose theright SD-WAN service provider.

Advantages of Our SD-WAN Service OffersReal-time Monitoring

There are a number of advantages that our SD-WAN networks provide over other service providers. One of them is Real-Time monitoring which is a key factor considering the speed and stability of the connection. We monitor internet connections 10 times per second for packet-loss, latency, jitter, and throughput. This decreases the possibility of having any troubles while using any of your routers or smart devices.Our intelligent routing system automatically adjusts in real-time without any downtime or loss of connectivity.

Save Money

SD-WAN services are a way better choice than MPLS circuits based on cost-effectiveness. Changing to SD-WAN will provide you better reliability than an MPLS circuit and saves you money.SD-WAN services are a contemporary solution to outdated and expensive connection services.

Dynamic QoS & Intelligent Load Balancing

Quality of connection is one of the first features to be tested. With our intelligent SD-WAN software, all traffic is automatically detected, prioritized, and routed according to its required performance. We can even route traffic across multiple Internet connections at the same time to improve the quality of service.Choosing the rightSD-WAN service provideris very important, and knowing the right questions to ask is key to find the best fit for your business. We provide network connection with every single point checked and maintained. We work with a number of big and small companies and provide the best quality SD-WAN services.

Restaurants survival during COVID-19: Online ordering

Online ordering

Governments have temporarily suspended the restaurant business at once as they realizedCOVID-19is spread via human-to-human contact. On the 18th of March, Texas Governor decided to close all the restaurants and bars in the state, as Texas confirmed 3rd virus death. Over 50,000 restaurants are closed across Texas. About 1,4 million people working in the foodservice industry lost their job temporarily. This is a very high index, as they represent 12% of employment in the state.Many restaurateurs, chefs, and business owners scramble to accept this new reality. Mr. Smith has spent the last 32 years of his life in building and improving his restaurant. “I never could have imagined that one day, our Governor would appear on television and tell us we had to close our businesses.”
Unfortunately, this state of emergency could be the final blow to restaurant businesses. Restaurant turnover has always been high but this situation threatens to put a lot of restaurants out of business. It will be extremely challenging for many of these restaurant owners to continue paying the staff when they are not serving customers. On the other hand, the Texas economy is in great danger, as restaurants are a strong driving force in Texas's economy.A lot of restaurants have found the only solution to their survival: online ordering. They have realized that if they stop their service until the end of the pandemic, they will lose their customers in the end. Online ordering is the best solution for eateries to keep their customers loyal and have some profit during these critical days. Though online ordering is a tiny slice of restaurant sales in normal times, restaurants have found out that during this pandemic situation, their order numbers have grown drastically.Since restaurants realize that offering online delivery service is the only survival during these pandemic days, they invest a lot of resources and efforts to organize fast online ordering. Several fine dining restaurants are trying to offer extra conditions for delivery, adjusting their menus. Some restaurants allow no-contact delivery options to improve customer satisfaction and gain their trust. Others in the industry are getting more creative and sending some interesting promo emails to attain more customers. But after all, fast response and delivery are what every hungry customer wants the most, right?

Today when it comes to your restaurant business success, it's easy to believe that you mustn't afford to miss any online order and should treat each customer individually because it is the only way of generating revenue during these critical days. Restaurateurs are convinced two factors affect the speed of online ordering: having a sufficient number of workers and being connected to uptime guaranteed internet. Three days ago one of the largest pizza delivery companies has announced that it plans to hire 20,000 workers to deal with the rising demand for pizza delivery across the country. Its main challenge is filling the rush with orders from customers who are stuck at home and want to eat something delicious. When the coronavirus situation in China became concerning the restaurant owner has realized the upcoming pandemic and decided to invest in a backup internet connection to ensure against potential risks. The backup service is a safety net, that makes it possible to have an uninterrupted internet connection unless the primary connection experiences a failure. Since having the backup internet connection, therestauranthasn't missed any order and achieved success in fast service and delivery.Taking into account the backup internet service reliability, here are some reasons for your eatery to start using uptime internet:

During the pandemic, your concurrents have only one solution for not getting out of the competition: to offer perfect online ordering and delivery service. All the players in the restaurant industry offer the same benefits, so what's your customer's motivation for choosing your service? The answer is clear: fast response and individual approach. Withbackup internet service, you will never experience connection downtime and will become your customer's best friend during these hard times.

Governments and researchers exhort people to avoid using paper money during this period and to choose an online payment method. Backup internet will ensure fast transactions and safe payments from your customers.

Connection outagescan throw a wrench in the working rhythm of your restaurant. If the point of sale is unable to send orders to the kitchen, there's a great chance of missing an order. WithBackup internet your restaurantwill never face the problems of order delay or cancellation.Hard times are coming and you should spare no effect for your restaurant to survive. Get SmartCONNECT™, our cutting edge solution for a 100% connectivity uptime. Keep your connection up even when there is an internet outage and don't miss a single customer.You must survive the pandemic! SmartCONNECT™ is here for you!

What pushed Jimmy John’s franchisees to go with fully guaranteed Internet connectivity?

In fact, in this brisk business environment, some 50% of all orders are either by phone or online.Before upgrading the company's technology platform, Jimmy John had regular and ongoing issues with both his Internet service provider and his phone service provider.According to Jimmy John Franchisee, “there were all kinds of problems with hardware and connection”.Worse still, in a business that depends so much on customer relationships, franchisees were dealing with poor connection quality and unreliable connectivity. From a bottom-line point of view, there were concerns about our “price-to-value”proposition.

Lost connectivity means serious business losses

For Jimmy John franchisees, Internet connectivity is a lifeline – even a few hours ofdowntimeis an unrecoverable business loss. “We were experiencing downtime almost every six weeks”, explains John. “When our ordering system goes down, we lose business, upwards of 50%”.Today, particularly for businesses that operate with online and phone orders, it is crucial to have a secure, reliable, and guaranteed Internet connectivity. Anything less is a prescription for disaster – lostrestaurant profitlost productivity and even business failure.For Jimmy Johns, Internet downtime was calamitous. “The minute our Internet connection went down, we were in trouble. Even when we were back online, we were totally backed up with our orders, and customers were getting frustrated – not a very good situation”.

Solving downtime with guaranteed connectivity

In searching for a sustainable solution to connectivity issues, the team at Jimmy John set out some criteria – a worry-free phone system – a seamless Internet connection with 100% reliable backup – and an excellent price-to-value cost for the entire system.“We want the business to be flow smoothly”, explains John. “We want to efficiently process credit cards; we want to ensure simplified customer ordering; we want to easily access emails; we want to manage our back-office, and we want to connect with vendors.”As forphone orders,guaranteed connectivitymeans that customers can always contact a store to place their orders. Besides that, it's possible to pay with a credit card over the phone and feel secure about the transaction – all the better for customer contact.

Switching over to Vivant for technology solutions

In an effort to achieverestaurant business profitability, Jimmy John has switched over to Vivant for a new approach to technology. “With Vivant, we don't have hardware costs”, explains John, the owner of one of Jimmy John's franchisees. “Best of all, our monthly fees are much less than our previous provider”.One of the most fundamental benefits of Vivant technology is 100% connectivity. For Jimmy John outlets, any Internet interruption activates an automatic switchover to a backup connection. Once the Internet comes back online, the backup system retreats seamlessly.

SmartCONNECT™ is the answer to your needs

SmartCONNECT™was the answer for Jimmy John franchisees – a cutting edge technology that ensured 100% Internet connectivity. Franchisees enjoy worry-free phone orders, online orders, payment processing, and more. Even when there's a service outage, SmartCONNECT™ switches to a secondary connection within a matter of seconds – there's never any noticeable impact.WithSmartCONNECT™,restaurant business profitabilityis sustained with secure, reliable, and guaranteed connectivity. If there's any type of interruption, the systemactivates, monitors the connection until it fully recovers, and then switches back to your primary system. There's no impact on customer sales, employee productivity, and most of all, yourrestaurant's profit.For the team at Jimmy John, switching over to Vivant has been a trouble-free experience. “From our phone service to our Internet connectivity, we're operating at full productivity”, explains John. “And when we do have an issue here and there, the remote support from Vivant is very responsive. Our issues are immediately addressed, diagnosed, and remedied online.”

Read the blogDowntime Disaster: How Internet Connection Interruptions Lost Profits.

Changing your Internet provider? It doesn’t have to be a nightmare!

If you're fed up, and you've reached a breaking point, it may be time for a new approach. But you need to be sure about your reasons for switching providers, and it shouldn't just be a reaction to “dissatisfaction” – there are a host of good reasons.

Switching from one provider to another

A prime consideration for switching from one ISP to another is COST. Understandably, the majority of customers are motivated to switch for budget considerations. At the same time, it's not just a matter of dollars and cents – it's a matter of VALUE.A good proportion of business customers want to switch providers to improve their Internet connection measurably. This would be relevant for businesses that want to enhance theirsmallbusiness phone systemwith better connectivity.For some business owners, lousy customer service is reason enough to switch. Small businesses that rely on theirbusiness phone systemsfrom day to day simply need helpful and responsive service at times when problems compromise productivity.

Smart decision-making when switching

Before making firm decisions on switching yourInternet provider,it's important to understand cancellation policies and contractual obligations. You certainly don't want to experience painful penalties unless the long-term benefits make it worthwhile.For those who have rented or leased equipment from their provider, there may be specific rules for returning the equipment after contract cancellation. Here too there may be additional costs incurred if the equipment is returned late or even damaged.Whatever the reasons for switching ISP companies, it's wise to fully understand your contractual agreement, including service add-ons, data limits, and the like. The better the understanding, the better the chance of exiting an agreement without a battle.

Making the right choice for your next ISP

In comparing providers and assessing advantages, upload and download speeds should be a high priority. Your new provider should guarantee Internet speeds and provide a method for checking from time to time.Equipment compatibility is another key consideration, especially for companies that employphone systemsfor small businesses.You certainly don't want to start re-investing in any additional tech equipment.Internet services are no different than other contracted services. You owe it to yourself to “make a deal” – in other words, negotiate, and then negotiate again. The bottom line is to attain the best possible value.

For a fast and reliable Internet connection,you can trust the professionals at Vivant

When it's time to take a break and switch to a newInternet provider, you can count on Vivant for a whole new approach to technology, connectivity, and customer support. We have removed the headache and hassle of switching. No more searching for a service provider – NO more setting up a new service – and NO more paperwork. Vivant does it all for you.

When you work withVivant, we find you a new provider; we shop for the best value and price; we place your order, and we ensure timely installation. Because we customize everything to fit your business priorities, you get exactly what you need. With Vivant, you can upgrade to a high-techsmall business phone systemalong with our100% uptime guarantee.Vivant can provide you with Dedicated Fiber Internet, Broadband Internet, and Shared Fiber Internet – each one focused on fast, reliable, and uninterrupted Internet connectivity.