Reliability in technology tops SMB priorities in a new digital age

At our recent Telstra Wholesale customer webinar, we invited external experts to confirm what Australian businesses need from us in in a new digital world.

Ross Cameron, head of Cameron Research, shared his insights on what Australian business owners are prioritizing. Ross has conducted more than 700 group discussions and 3,000 face-to-face interviews with SMB owners over decades of research. He believes business owners are now seeing more than ever that the reliability of their technology cannot be compromised. “COVID-19 forced a hand to making changes in their business”, he says, and “technology has been central throughout this period”. His research has also revealed a mentality shift in SMB owners. Where they may have previously separated physical office spaces and business operations from technology, in an increasingly digital workplace, “they’ve never been so reliant (on technology) and they’ve never so clearly seen the benefits of it”.

“They’ve never been so reliant (on technology) and they’ve never so clearly seen the benefits of it”, Ross says.

Ross says the key message is not to consider reliability a commodity. When a single day offline can put an entire business at a standstill, “if there are differences in quality, it doesn’t come down to price”. With technology, he says, it comes down to reliability.

Tony Hughes, B2B sales trainer and co-founder of Sales IQ Global agrees that network reliability is paramount. “I don’t regard the network as a commodity”, he says. “It’s an essential part of me being able to represent my brand and drive revenue in my business”.

So when it comes down to a matter of ensuring peace of mind and business continuity, it’s apparent that SMB owners need durability in the networks, and the mobility to handle the unexpected. At Telstra Wholesale, we help ensure reliability for your customers at a time where it’s more important than ever before.