How To Pick Your Internet Service Provider provided by pageland.com

Contents Overview Glossary of Terms Selection Criteria Technical Staff Connectivity Issues Technology Build Or Buy Network Center (NOC) Organization "Non-Profit" Customer Base Comparison Shopping Web Hosting Services Conclusion Other Links

Organization Find out how long the company has been in the IP business. Determine if they are going to be in business for the long run. Maybe that deal is a bit too good to be true for a good reason. Quality networks are not built on a shoestring budget. The pricing may look attractive now, but the passage of time often reveals hidden costs and price increases, the greatest of which can be having to switch providers. Ask about their financial stability. While you don't need to see copies of their audited financial statements, you should at least be comfortable that they have a positive cash flow and are going to be in business next month to provide your connectivity. Determine if they have one or two major accounts that provide a disproportionate amount of revenue and what impact losing those accounts would have on their ability to maintain your quality of service. Are they an independent operating unit with its own staff and facilities or are they run out of the back door of a larger organization that doesn't know they exist? How critical do you think having the support of the parent organization is to their long term viability?