Continuous Internet Connectivity
Over the last ten years we have seen the emergence of the global phenomenon, the Internet, which has revolutionized normal living and transformed our business lifestyle. Dependency on the Internet and other Wide Area Networks (WAN) has increased to the extent that the Internet has become indispensable. Owing to its ubiquitous nature and information availability, businesses gain much benefit from a continuous Internet connection. The quality of ‘always on’ connectivity ensures the core component in businesses – Business continuity
A continuous Internet connection allows end users to accomplish their online tasks without interruption. For businesses, a continuous Internet connection supports web applications such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), peer-to-peer file sharing, email, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems, VPN connectivity, and other critical services and applications. Any possible threat to downtime can lead to loss of revenue and productivity, and have a negative impact on customer services and consumer confidence. Due to the heavy use of Internet and the reliance on online applications for the use of day-to-day business communications, it is important to have continual Internet connectivity. Organizations such as government agencies, educational institutions, hospitals, and other enterprises require a constant Internet connection that is stable and reliable.
Internet penetration is constantly on the rise among businesses, and is considered to be the backbone of the information evolution. The Internet enables large enterprises as well as Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to conduct their businesses online, exchange information, real-time communication across the globe, interlinking with existing as well as potential customers, and numerous other advantages. To ensure always up connectivity for these businesses, it is important to have more than one Internet Service Provider (ISP) for their WAN infrastructures. Companies that run mission-critical web applications address the need for WAN reliability by using networking devices that can combine two or more Internet connections into a virtual single connection for speed and reliability. A standing example is FatPipe Networks, the inventor and multiple patent holder of Router Clustering networking devices. FatPipe technology provides WAN reliability, redundancy and speed for businesses worldwide. Its products not only provide continuous Internet connectivity by using patented methods for automatic line failover between aggregated lines, they also dynamically load balance the traffic among the multiple lines, creating a more efficient WAN.
The widespread use of the Internet has established a virtual world of information and equipped consumers with a powerful tool for everyday commerce. The vision to provide Internet access to consumers anyplace and anytime was the top priority in the early days of the Internet era. Developments in technology have furthered the quest for an advanced business environment that has continuous Internet connections, which can yield constant uptime. In critical business applications, there is the need for a continuous Internet connection in order to ensure business continuity, the determinant of a successful business. When there are interactive applications that run across the Internet, it is important for packets of data to maintain the flow, which will be possible only by having continuous Internet connectivity. A loss of packets or dropped packets will lead to a loss of information. This will have a profound impact on the business productivity and revenue, too. It is a chain reaction that erupts when the Internet connection breaks away or is faulty. Having a stable WAN infrastructure will avert such technology-based disasters.
Innovative, cost-effective solutions are sought by businesses that require ‘always-up’ availability of their WANs for business continuity, without compromising the integrity or security of data transmissions. Refinement in WAN reliability, WAN redundancy, speed, and dynamic load balancing will pave the way for continuous internet connectivity.
