Most businesses depend on reliable internet and telephone connections to run efficiently, but recent events have highlighted the dangers associated with solely relying on one network.

Optus, Australia's largest telecom provider, experienced an outage which left an estimated 400,000 businesses without phone or internet connectivity.

This article will examine the consequences of an outage and underscore its significance, while providing insight into how managed service providers can assist businesses when faced with such disruptions.

Optus Outage: The Impact

Optus' outage was felt throughout Australia by businesses of all types. Payment machines that depend on Internet connectivity became inoperable, leading to significant sales disruptions and missed opportunities for many companies.

Businesses operating with razor-thin margins were particularly hard hit by this outage, as each missed transaction meant revenue lost and payment processing could wreak havoc with customer relations as customers were left unable to purchase.

Optus Outage Serves as a timely reminder of the importance of network redundancy, defined as multiple independent connections that can seamlessly take over should one fail.

One example of independent Internet connections would be using wired internet with one provider and wireless internet using 4G with another.

Redundancy will be especially essential for businesses that rely heavily on internet connectivity to do their business, such as e-commerce sites, online service providers and remote teams.

Optus' outage may be relatively rare; however, its impact can have serious repercussions for business. Redundant networks offer protection not just against outages but also from slow networks, planned maintenance schedules or other unexpected circumstances that arise unexpectedly.

Managed Services Providers

Can Aid It can be challenging for companies without dedicated IT departments to implement and manage network redundancy effectively. A managed services provider (MSP) can be of immense assistance here as these experts specialize in comprehensive IT support solutions - including redundancy for networks.

MSPs specialize in finding reliable network backup providers and setting up failover systems that ensure seamless transitions.

Proactive Monitoring and Support Proactive Network monitoring by an MSP ensures immediate assistance should there be any outages or problems, thus minimising downtime while providing assurances that backup networks will always be in place in case necessary.

Conclusion: Implement a Business Continuity Strategy

The Optus network outage serves as a powerful reminder to businesses of the importance of redundancy in their networks.

Network redundancy can help ensure that your business remains online and provides an uninterrupted customer experience in this age of connectivity.

Our IT specialists can help your business avoid network interruptions and remain online with tailored IT solutions designed to keep everything running smoothly and securely despite unexpected challenges.

Reach out to us at (404) 932-5940 and we can assist in the development of an accessible and reliable network infrastructure.