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In discussion with Mark Kellett, CEO Magnet Networks, we ask is your business fit for 2018?

What should be front of mind to ensure your company is in the right shape and securely and safely primed for growth and expansion?

When it comes to the centre point of all business – communication – the four most essential starting points for 2018 are business broadband, phone, GDPR and cyber security connections.

If you’re a growing and ambitious business in Ireland, here are the most important considerations to get your business fighting fit and ready to expand, scale up and thrive right now:

GDPR – It’s Here – Ready or Not

While GDPR is considered to be complicated, confusing and time consuming, it cannot be ignored and Irish businesses are being advised to act now. One of the keys to GDPR and making your business GDPR fit is

to understand how your business handles and protects personal identifiable information (PII). This can be implicit or explicit and businesses must demonstrate ‘due consideration’ to customers, suppliers, employees and essentially everyone they interact with. They need to check how secure it is, how can it be anonymised, who has access to the information and ensure that there are answers to all these questions so that there is no danger of data breaches as there can be fines of up to 4% of global earnings.

Cyber Security – Are you Protected?

A massive 48% of all businesses in Ireland still have no cyber security policy in place and 171,000 businesses in the State could be vulnerable right now to crippling ransomeware attacks, according to a nationwide survey by Magnet Networks

Over 26% of businesses surveyed in the Magnet Cyber Security Survey stated that they have suffered from cyber-attacks in the past two years, with a further 18% “unsure” if they have been affected. The study found that only 13% of respondents think that their business is very secure. “This is worrying,” points out Magnet Networks CEO Mark Kellett, “as in the absolute world of cyber-attacks you are either totally secure or you are vulnerable in some way.”

Prioritise Your Phone Patterns – Never Miss A Call.

If your business has an element of being on the road either for you, or for employees, be sure not to miss that all important phonecall to the office. Take your office wherever you go with the support and help of the Magnet Voice App. Thousands of businesses are using this app to ensure that they never miss a call but by moving to a cloud-based app they do not need to pay phone line rental, resulting in cost savings too.

Business Broadband – Is it Fit for Purpose?

When was the last time you really looked at what your broadband line is delivering to your business? Are slower speeds holding you back from moving to the cloud? It’s advisable to think about how your business would be affected if your broadband service stopped working right now. Ask if all your employees are using the business broadband connection for the benefit of the business? Do you know how much of your business broadband bandwith is being used for personal use when you’re trying to access the cloud.

Some 62 per cent of Irish companies said they used social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter as their primary method for connecting with customers, according to figures from Eurostat, compiled by the CSO. The figures indicate that companies in Ireland increased their use of blogs and microblogs such as Twitter last year, with some 30 per cent of enterprises now saying they use such platforms. If your broadband isn’t fit for your business does it stop you processing orders, engaging with customers, marketing to potential customers and most importantly beating your competition?

Many businesses use a single broadband connection which is critical to their business but do not consider a backup, which is a risk. It’s advisable to really look at your business infrastructure in a forensic way and think about how vulnerable it is. What broadband connection is serving your website? ERP? CRM? Payroll? Billing? Accounts? Think about getting expert help to ensure you are not vulnerable. It is also a good idea to think about ‘Live Chat’ or Omni channel communications for better customer engagement and as a tool to increase sales.

Get your business fit for 2018.
Article Source: http://tinyurl.com/kbwqb42