There is no gainsaying that almost every company relies on internet connectivity for most of their operations. Thus they invest heavily in providing high end internet broadband for their daily activities.

According to a document released by the White House, there are over 500 million Internet - connected devices now in American homes and businesses. And annual investment in U.S. wireless networks grew more than 40% between 2009 and 2012, from $21 billion to $30 billion, and exceeds investment by the major oil and gas or auto companies.

Generally in setting up an office internet connection, the most important things to watch out for when choosing a broadband network are broadband speed, connection strength, and bandwidth. For a small business with centralized operations, the Local Area Network (LAN) is the preferred mode of communication. But for large organizations, a Wide Area Network can be setup to connect the various LANs, although this is very costly.

Although most Internet Service Providers (ISP) will probably give you a free router, these routers are not necessarily good routers. But if you need a reliable connection then you may wish to consider upgrading this important bit of kit. Using a wireless backup internet connection from Data2Go Wireless ensures safe and secure data, which is important for effective data management and business continuity.

With the cost internet broadband still considered to be on the high side, there’s need for effective management of broadband resources in line with the company’s finances.

Having set up your company’s internet connection, here are few things to do to ensure that the provided broadband is judiciously put to use.

1. Secure your data

To secure your data, you have to put in place various security measures. This will ensure that only authorized users can access your broadband network. For example, creating user groups with assigned login details and passwords will prevent external bodies from logging into your network indiscriminately.

Also, care should be taken not to reveal your login details, especially passwords, to prying eyes who can take advantage of your carelessness to use your data. Avoid using easily predictable passwords or weak passwords; only use strong passwords with a combination of alphanumeric and symbols.

2. Set a monthly usage limit

Every business should have a budget for internet. This will give the company a clear visibility on the amount spent on internet at the end of every fiscal year. It is also very important to get every worker to know this limit so as to align their activities with the company scope.

Once allocated broadband limit is set, an extra amount spent on broadband will be viewed as deficit. This is also effective if workers have mobile phones preloaded with data for remote usage. An employee should use his mobile phone data judiciously to avoid early exhaustion.

3. Set restrictions to prevent inappropriate use

Apart from stating a clear policy on acceptable data or broadband usage, you should also put some preventive measures in place. For example, if you don’t want employees to download games, watch videos, or access social media networks with data provided, you can configure each individual’s laptops or phones to block out such URLs. You should also make mobile data non-shareable or non-transferable to other users.

These days, every company uses the Internet. Even companies in traditional offline industries like real estate are getting online now and using the Internet to generate leads, close sales, promote their realtor franchise, boost brand visibility and engage their clients.

With that, it's vital that you protect your Internet broadband. Make every member of your organization understand that these measures are in the company’s best interest, and not a ploy to make life unbearable for them.