The MegaPath Connectivity Blog

This requirement to protect and secure private data is more than a trend.  In fact, it is simply a best practice to protect any personally identifiable information that your business encounters.  Some states have taken the PCI DSS standard as a starting point, but here we see a government entity laying down the law on steps a business must take to make sure the data they handle is secure and encrypted, with a written plan on how they are doing so. BankInfoSecurity.com has a good post that discusses what businesses should be doing to ensure personal data is secured through encryption. The post points out that it is unlikely there will be proactive enforcement of the new law’s provision, as limited resources make it fairly impossible to see if everyone is in compliance.  It does point out, though, that if a data breach occurs, they [Massachusetts state government] will certainly check to make sure required procedures were being followed, and that companies who do not follow the law will face stiff penalties in such situations.

Security is something that you cannot afford to ignore, and using a managed SSL VPN service, combined with choosing a network provider who is PCI DSS compliant (pdf), is a great first step to ensuring critical data moving across your network is encrypted and secure.  Your business simply cannot afford the costs associated with a data breach, but not doing so at this point would be breaking the law.

Speak with your managed services network partner today to make sure both you and they are compliant.  If you find your current provider can’t meet your PCI and managed security needs, give us a call.  We’ll be more than happy to share our expertise in managed security solutions with your business.

With the end of the year coming up fast, it seems like it is a good time to take a look at what 2010 has in store for us.  Several trends in business connectivity have developed over the last year, and will continue to further evolve in 2010.  Here is a list of 10 topics you should take into consideration as you do your planning for next year.

SIP Trunking - VoIP really exploded this year, due both to the increased functionality and the cost savings it offered to so many companies.   In 2010, combining SIP trunking with MPLS and security is going to really take off.

Managed Security - Everyone knows that security is vital in today’s business climate.  In fact, in many instances it is mandated.  More SMBs and small enterprises, who don’t necessarily have dedicated IT staff, will be outsourcing this function to a partner whose 24/7/365 NOCs will monitor and ensure that communications integrity is maintained.

Extended Workforce - Several events over the last year, including the H1N1 flu pandemic and various disasters, highlighted the need for the workforce to be able to access corporate communications from their home offices.  Telecommuting will see large scale adoption in 2010. Make sure you work with a partner who can reach your team wherever they are, and with DSL, Cable, Satellite and Wireless options.

Enterprise Social Networking - Facebook and Twitter exploded in 2009, and the communication capabilities they offer will invade the workplace in 2010.  Look for various offerings in both internal and cross-company social networking in 2010, and make sure your network has the security and connectivity necessary to meed the demands of these applications.

Cloud Computing – We’ve been hearing about this one for a while, but I expect 2010 will be the year many companies move to adopt this technology.  With Google and Microsoft both prepared with web applications, and with many companies having broadband connectivity in place, it seems like this is the year this might all come together.

Business Ethernet - Ethernet has always been a simple, high speed bandwidth option used for the LAN. In 2010, we will see large scale adoption of Business Ethernet for the WAN by SMBs and Enterprises due to the new economics that allow you to leverage these large pipes for a low cost.

Enterprise Video - Telepresence, Video Conferencing, Video Surveillance  and Video Training will all see a major push in the next year, as businesses leverage these technologies to save costs, increase revenues and keep their workforces up to speed.  It is vital that your network partner be ready with QoS enabled across many bandwidth options so you that you can be sure the video gets through loud and clear.

Extended Enterprise - People now work wherever they happen to be.  In 2010, we will see more adoption by Enterprises of systems and policies that allow people to access anyone, from any location, on any device, at any time.  Managed SSL VPNs will enable businesses to realize such a goal, while lowering costs and ensuring the security of sensitive data at all times.

Wireless Data - The application of wireless technologies to business communications will continue to grow.  For years now, businesses have leveraged wireless voice applications to great success. In 2010, we will continue to see more deployment of data applications across wireless networks, both 3G and 4G.  Wireless data technologies can enable rapid provisioning of communications to a store, offer an excellent option for backing up wireline communications, and can be used by your mobile workforce to access corporate data on devices such as Netbooks.

Payment Card Security - Securing credit card transactions will be the focus of a great deal of activity in 2010.  The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) will continue to evolve (PDF), and changes in areas like wireless networking will need to be implemented in 2010.  All levels of merchants should be working with a PCI DSS Validate Service Provider (PDF) payment card extranet partner to make sure they are ready for the changes in the coming year.

The Holiday Retail Season is fast approaching, and smart businesses are preparing themselves to be able to better compete for the consumer’s dollar. The NPD Group has released their 8th annual survey, and the outlook for this holiday season indicates that consumers will be spending less, which they say reflects the overall state of the economy.  However, there are various factors that will come into play, and the top 10 items consumers intend to buy as gifts remain apparel, toys, movies, books, electronics, accessories, music, video games, fragrances and food.  The National Retail Foundation has released its eHoliday survey results, and they indicate that they expect many consumers may spend more of their money shopping online, indicating just how competitive the holiday retail season will be this year.

Black Friday, of course, will continue to kick off the biggest shopping weekend of the season.  Retailers need to be ready this year to handle these transactions securely and efficiently.  Consumers expect a fast transaction, and don’t want to wait for their credit card to be authenticated over a dial-up network as they stand at the register.  Stores with MPLS VPN connections from the right partner will have an advantage, as they are able to more quickly and more securely process the transactions their customers are making.  Not only will they improve their bottom line by saving money over those competitors who continue to use old-fashioned networks, but by working with MegaPath, they can be connected to a PCI compliant network (pdf) that  processes transactions over a secure payment extranet, directly connecting retailers with credit, debit, gift and loyalty card processors.

The bottom line is that retailers are looking at a competitive holiday retail season, and it is important they head into this busiest time of the year with a great game plan, great partners and secure solutions that will improve their cost position.  By working with MegaPath, they will have a partner with many years of experience in the retail sector, who can bring to the table Nationwide Broadband Coverage, who will serve as a Single Point of Contact, who has a Comprehensive Product Set, providing Secure Information Transport and a Managed Implementation, with 24/7 Proactive Customer Support, all with Best-in-Class Service Level Assurances.  MegaPath Sales & Marketing teams also assist franchisors with communication programs designed to help ensure network implementations are consistent across the franchisee organization.

Most people, if asked, could tell you that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is a busy time for the retail industry, with everyone doing holiday shopping.  But did you know that Halloween, the day before Thanksgiving, and Superbowl Sunday are incredibly busy days for the Pizza industry?  Papa John’s tells us these are the three busiest days of the year for them.  So, as you can imagine, it is crucial to these businesses that they stay connected to their customers on these days.  This year, Papa John’s will have more then 20,000 drivers  out delivering over 900,000 Pizzas on Halloween! 

In this day and age, Pizza is ordered on-line as often as it is ordered on the phone.  These on-line orders are received at the Papa John’s website, and then are sent to the local restaurant over the WAN, where the Pizza is prepared for fast and fresh delivery.  They know that if that on-line experience goes well, they will see return on-line orders.  These orders are only convenient and profitable if they get through!  To make sure this happens, they know that they need an infrastructure that can handle the dramatic increases in ordering activity they see at these critical times, and that they need to work with a partner who can handle the load, and keep them connected to their customers.

Any industry that sees seasonal spikes (such as retailers between Thanksgiving and Christmas, or candy and flower vendors on Mother’s Day) can benefit from implementing a network that can scale to meet demand, while providing secure, continuous communications that keeps them connected to the customers and partners.

Having a fully managed solution allows these companies to focus on their core competency (such as delivering truly  great Pizza), and not worry about keeping thousands and thousands of sites connected during a busy time. MegaPath’s customers know that we are here 24-7-365 making sure things are going smoothly, and they know they only have one call to make, no matter where in the country their business is located. 

Well, I need to get home.  The Pizza I ordered on-line will be arriving in about 20 minutes, and I don’t want to keep my Papa John’s delivery driver waiting.

Wired has an good story about how we are currently living ‘The Summer of Broadband.’  Specifically, the story speaks to the focus the new administration, through the FCC, is placing on America’s IT and communications infrastructure. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski has been busy this summer, meeting with just about everyone to discuss the development of the National Broadband Plan.  He has been quoted as saying that Broadband is this generations National Highway System.  With the various stimulus work underway, and the upcoming workshops on broadband, there is definitely a push to more widely implement the transformational technologies that can increase productivity, lower costs and increase our ability to communicate.

Now is a good time to review the way that your business is taking advantage of broadband technologies.  Whether you need to process payment transactions, lower telephony costs, secure your critical data, get closer to your customers and suppliers, or keep your employees more productive, it is in your best interest to review and update your technology initiatives.  One call to the right partner  and you can get the help you need examining which solutions can both lower your costs and increase your profits.

I always did like summer.