Most people in the computer consulting business working with small businesses are noticing that dial-up Internet connections are becoming obsolete.  In order to keep up with the competition, small business owners and even other types of employees working from home or telecommuting are being forced to ditch dial-up and move onto alternatives.  

Computer Consulting:  Five Observations About Dial-Up

1.    Getting rid of dial-up Internet service is scary for a lot of telecommuters and home-based business owners.  DSL and cable modem service provides excellent performance for the price, but does not necessarily guarantee reliability.

2.    In any area, but particularly in those areas that are susceptible to weather disasters such as tornados, hurricanes and general storms, there can be many business days annually – sometimes 20 or 30 – during which there is no DSL or cable modem service for hours or sometimes days.  Many computer consulting experts suggest getting both DSL and cable modem service to give small business owners a backup plan in case of disaster.

3.    For small business owners with less critical needs to stay on-line at all times or lower budgets, dial-up is the only option for backup.  Many older cities and neighborhoods are still waiting to be DSL and cable ready.  While most have one or the other, some do not have both.

4.    Many phone companies and cable companies, sparked by cost/benefit analysis are thinking seriously about whether upgrading the whole infrastructure to deal with broadband is worth the money.

5.    The death of dial-up is in sync with other current trends in technology.  Even ten years ago, there was barely a Worldwide Web.  Google had not yet come into being and PDA’s were gadgets of the future.  Teens did not have myspace.com or cell phones.  And a corporate IT manager would not use Microsoft or use a big server.  

Computer Consulting: The Bottom Line About the End of Dial-Up

The death of dial-up is a social debate about the benefits of subsidizing universal Internet access.  Computer consulting professionals are finding themselves talking about dial-up as people used to talk about providing telephone service to poor rural areas.

Blogged By:  Computer Consulting 101 Professional Kit