Fusion Blog

Interested in contactless shopping? We detail how contactless shopping works and various contactless shopping methods available for retailers.

2020 has brought challenges at 'warp speed' for IT Administrators, including throwing "remote work" into the mix. Fusion Connect lists out the top five challenges that can occur.

What is a next generation firewall (NGFW) and how can it benefit your business? ✓ Fusion Connect details all you need to know to secure the ultimate protection.

Discover what SD-WAN, NGFW, UTM, and SASE are, and why and how these four networking solutions are essential to the modern work environment.

Flexible work arrangements are becoming more popular, even in industries where it was once thought unsustainable.

A business continuity plan may not protect against every threat, but having one in place gives your business a better shot at survival.

Today, working from home is the new normal. It has completely changed the way we live and work. We know what you're thinking, "How do I work from home without affecting my productivity AND sanity?" We've got you covered with these 7 tips.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many companies to keep people at home for work. As your organization prepares for a remote workforce, now or in the future, consider these top priorities to achieve success.

Businesses often neglect to prepare for disasters until they are hit full on. But to have the best outcome, companies need to prepare for emergencies. Below are five things to consider in your Disaster Recovery planning.

Remote working is here, due to health and generational demands. What are some things managers can do to promote connection across their distributed workforce? 

Traditional landline phone service is in steep decline. Business VoIP phone use is skyrocketing. Take a look at our infographic for why businesses are choosing Hosted VoIP and how they are benefiting.

"Why is my internet slow?" Don't get frustrated. Get answers! Join Fusion in investigating the most common causes and solutions for slow internet connections.

In today’s blog we’ll examine the benefits of SD-WAN vs MPLS, so you can make an informed choice for your network.

We're excited to share that we have officially emerged from the Chapter 11 process.

We’re excited to share that we’ve reached a major milestone in our restructuring process. We’re looking forward to completing the final stages of this process and emerging as a financially stronger company.

When evaluating communications providers it is important to ask about the these three key solutions to determine if you are selecting the right partner.

Much has been written about the increased agility, customer service, and productivity benefits of using Cloud-based business communications services.

As we approach Thanksgiving, we want to take time to express our deep gratitude to Fusion’s many friends – our valued customers, Channel Partners, vendors, and colleagues.

In this article we explore what 4G means, how fast it is, the technology behind it, and why it’s important.

In this article we explore what a 3G network is and what 3G means to both consumers and enterprises around the world.

Let’s explore what streamlining communication means in business, as well as five of the most effective strategies you can use.

With software and technological solutions making every part of running a business more convenient, you must have a network connection that allows for transfer of large amounts of data, and communicates between office branches. Learn about the benefits of SD-WAN.

By using a Virtual Private Network, your employees can connect to the web securely, and ensure that nobody can access their device.

DSL vs cable internet - both often referred to as 'high-speed internet' or broadband, they are very different. We compare and break down the differences.

What is the fastest internet speed in the world? Who has the fastest internet in the world? We look at internet speed by country to determine the answers.

There are a lot of factors involved in making your business Internet robust. This guide by MegaPath details what it is, how fast it is, how much it costs, and more.

Looking for info on 300 Mbps internet service? This guide by Fusion Connect details what it is, how fast it is, how much it costs and more.

Looking for info on broadband internet? This guide by Fusion details what it is, how it compares to DSL and cable internet, and more.

Looking for info on Mbps? This guide by Fusion details what it is, how it’s defined, and how many megabits per second you really need.

Too many devices on WiFi? This guide by Fusion helps you understand what can slow down WiFi speed - from low bandwidth to network interference and more!

Fiber vs Cable internet: which is better? This guide by Fusion helps you navigate the differences in cost, availability, speed, and more!

Need to speed test mobile internet? This guide by Fusion helps you understand what goes into gauging performance and how to do it.

Looking into Google Voice for business needs? This guide helps you understand what it is, its advantages and disadvantages, and much more.

What is bandwidth? This guide by Fusion helps you understand what it is, how it works, how it differs versus “speed,” and much more.

Here are answers to the most commonly asked support questions about Fusion Connect PCI Compliance service.

Your most common questions about the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, answered.

What is VoIP? This guide by Fusion helps you understand what it is, how it works, its advantages and disadvantages, and much more.

The IT disaster recovery sector tends to be highly reactive, rather than proactive, in nature.

Software-defined WANs are transforming how businesses manage connectivity.

As companies invest in the cloud, they must carefully assess what actually goes into creating a reliable ecosystem with a high availability rate to ensure their vendor can live up to its promises.

With DRaaS solutions gaining popularity, organizations must ensure they clearly understand what to expect from the service model and what to look for in vendors.

Customers enter your store with cell phones in hand. Discover the customer data that retailers of any size can gather using Managed WiFi.

Mergers and acquisitions happen – it seems every other day – in the telecom industry. If your Unified Communications provider has been acquired, what will be the impact to your business?

The days of static, inflexible networks are gone. Instead, organizations increasingly rely upon on-demand network scalability to keep users connected in a cost-efficient way.

The rise of cloud communications creates the opportunity for MPLS solutions to become more valuable than ever.

By 2018, 60% of companies plan to run all of their IT systems in the cloud. This means more businesses will expect cloud partners to deliver complete cloud solutions.

Most SD-WAN providers offer over-the-top SD-WAN solutions, but few offer on-net SD-WAN applications as well. Here are the benefits of each solution.

If you’re an IT leader of a distributed organization, you might have a need for SD-WAN for Dummies if you faced some of the following challenges when delivering enterprise class voice and unified communications (UC) services over your wide area network (WAN.)

If you are interested in the Network-as-a-Service solution, below are four business uses you can relay to the executive team.

Selecting the right Internet service for your business starts with understanding how your employees will use your connection to accomplish your business goals. Our Infographic walks you through the choices.

Selecting a business Internet provider involves more than a quick comparison of broadband speed and pricing. To help you find a provider that will best serve your business needs, take a look at our Infographic.

The need for Internet connectivity is indispensable for business. In fact, it could be argued that it’s a basic requirement that underpins successful global commerce and economic progress.

Cloud communications services are today’s mainstream alternative to on-premises phone systems. Here we look at 10 popular reasons why businesses are moving to the Cloud.

With video conferencing finally becoming a standard expectation in business, how can you ensure a great audio and video experience? 1: an intelligent device on site is essential. 2: A service provider that can support it all is key.

More than half of IT workloads will be hosted by 2018, making dedicated internet access more feasible for companies with cloud-dependent operations.

Process and service disruptions, whatever the cause, can have a devastating economic impact on businesses. Take Hurricane Sandy, for instance. In the fall of 2012, this catastrophic storm impacted more than 300,000 businesses in the United States alone, with total economic losses estimated at 72 billion dollars.

As digital innovation continues, the differences between working in the office, a coffeehouse, your own backyard or even at the lake will soon fade away. People won’t have to work remotely if they don’t want to, but the office is already becoming just one of many locations where work occurs.

Redundant Internet connections as well as circuit monitoring, load balancing, and failover services are becoming mainstream. That’s because a solid Internet connection is mission-critical for most businesses. And even the most resilient business-class Internet services are vulnerable to the unexpected.

Email is useful but very linear and one-way. It’s also difficult to manage. Many workers are overwhelmed by their burgeoning Inboxes, and actually waste time trying to manage them. The answer, for many companies, could be collaboration technologies that combine multiple real-time communications technologies into a single interface.

You’ve likely experienced it at least once: either a brief or persistent slowdown in your Internet download or upload speed. What are the possible causes? What can you do to discover the cause?

Whether your business adopts consumer-grade technologies (or the business counterpart), there are advantages for both IT and the company at large. Here’s a look at some of the anticipated next-generation technologies we may see in the workplace a few years from now.

SIP Trunking is becoming more popular with IT teams, but what is it about this technology that's gaining this new found popularity?

Digital leadership is a buzzword that is trending in many businesses today, and some people are of the mistaken belief that the practice is all about technology. In fact, the injection of technology into the leadership-relationship mix simply provides companies with a host of advantages and a few challenges.

According to Apple, for every iPhone sold, about 119 apps have been downloaded. Yet fewer than a quarter of those apps are actually used in any given month. How about you? Are you dealing with app overload? Check out these tips to regain control of your Smartphone.

The newest generation to enter the workforce is the driving force behind workplace change. These tech-savvy workers have some great things to teach businesses about communication and engagement. Are we ready to learn?

Employee engagement and organizational culture issues are top-of-mind for employees and their leaders. In fact, a Deloitte study revealed these issues are the number one concern around the world. Could standard phone systems be part of the problem?

As unified communications (UC) services become the norm, how much thought have we given to UC etiquette? Consider this advice before you hold your next video conference.

Key performers in every organization need easy access to a wide range of individuals and teams in order to make the greatest contribution. But optimizing their valuable time is also important. Consider these tips on reducing collaboration friction.

You need to establish a contact center ecosystem that leverages multiple technologies and capabilities if you want to truly provide a perfect omnichannel customer experience.

Every business needs to be ready to handle any contingency that could affect operations. In this post, we discuss a few more leading solutions that are making IT preparedness planning easier.

Many of the features and capabilities of today’s cloud communications and connectivity solutions boost productivity in the best of times, and provide business continuity capabilities in the worst of times. In this post, we discuss some of the specific best practices and leading solutions that are making IT preparedness planning easier.

Make sure your cloud provider has what it takes to keep you in business at all times.

Setting up your own site-to-site VPN lets you maintain control of your WAN, but can be fraught with unforeseen costs and risks. Learn some of the technical and organizational challenges and risks as well as available VPN options.

With the SMS Text capability in Fusion Connect Unified Communications, you can send and receive business texts using your business VoIP line.

Tied to your desk by conference calls that won't end? Or, find yourself scrambling to the office for early morning calls? With Fusion Connect Unified Communications, you can move active calls seamlessly to another device on the fly.

Sending large files can sometimes be a hassle, with email attachment size limitations. If you have Fusion Connect Unified Communications, the solution is already on your desktop. You can send large files in a few simple steps using FusionWorks UC.

Screen Share is a lesser-known but incredibly powerful feature of Fusion Connect Unified Communications. With UC, you can share your screen with up to 100 online meeting or conference call participants. There’s no client for your meeting participants to download, and they do not need to have Fusion Connect UC.

We’ve put together a short list of questions and answers to help you get to know SIP Trunking and its benefits.

A contingency plan that includes telecommuting can add an ounce of prevention when the cold and flu season arrives in full force. Learn about cloud-based technologies that are designed to let your people transition from your offices to their home office and back, easily.

Every business needs to be ready to handle any situation or event that could affect operations. Here are eight steps you can take toward developing your own business continuity and disaster recovery plan.

The shopping season looks promising, especially for companies that engage with consumers over mobile. Discover the trends, and a few tips to help retailers head into this make-or-break time of the year with a great game plan, great partners and solid solutions that will improve their cost position.

Cloud-based Voice and Unified Communications services offer tangible business benefits including cost savings and increased mobility. A key decision factor is whether to go with a fully managed Hosted Voice / UC service or one that is delivered over-the-top. Compare and contrast the strengths of each in meeting the communications and collaboration needs of today's workforce.

Employees are bringing their favorite cloud services into your network. What kinds of risk could these consumer grade apps pose?

These five events prompt many companies to move infrastructure, data, or applications to the cloud.

The adoption of Wireless devices presents challenges for IT and unprecedented opportunities for businesses. Consider a Managed WiFi solution and these tips for choosing one.

The ‘bring your own device’ trend is bound to continue bringing new challenges for already overtaxed IT departments.

Avoid the “fine print blues” (also known as buyer’s remorse) when buying a Hosted Voice service. Our list of insightful questions can get you started shopping smartly.

Seat belts, insurance policies, and savings accounts: these are all examples of things we do to prepare ourselves for the unexpected. Has your organization taken the necessary measures to protect your business’ critical data from unforeseen events that could wipe out your data—such as natural disaster, human error, and malicious attacks?

Learn about mobility features in Hosted VoIP that help you get away yet keep the ball rolling back at the office.

In this second part of a two-part post, we cover a few managed network services that owners and managers of growing businesses are relying on to pursue growth while keeping connections and communications strong in today’s fast-paced, mobile-first world.

Pursuing growth requires keeping connections and communications strong especially in today’s fast-paced, mobile business world. Part 1 of this two-part post discusses opportunities businesses are finding to stay accessible to customers amid growth thanks to cloud communications services.

If business conditions are ripe for a move or expansion, embrace the change. A Hosted VoIP system can significantly reduce the anxiety and chaos in your next move.

Hosted Voice continues to prove valuable to companies that adopt it.

Like many workers, you might be wondering how to manage one more device in your life. Hosted Voice offers new ways to manage calls including switching an active call from one device to another, without interruption.

Watch our recent webcasts to learn the value of UC and why so many of our Hosted Voice customers are also adopting Fusion Connect Unified Communications.

As you consider Hosted Voice services and providers, avoid surprises and buyer’s remorse with these tips.

As you consider Hosted Voice (Hosted PBX) services and providers, avoid surprises and buyer’s remorse with these tips.

Would you like to recover 32 minutes in your work day, every day? This is just one of the many benefits of Unified Communications (UC).

Companies everywhere are proving the value of Unified Communications.

These features and others available with Fusion Connect Hosted Voice promote collaboration and enhance your professional image for less than you’d pay to buy or lease and manage a PBX.

Increasingly, businesses are making the decision to adopt a Unified Communications (UC) platform. Why? The reason is simple: UC saves companies time and money and increases productivity.

In today's always-on, mobile business environment, companies that adopt Unified Communications are experiencing tangible benefits.

Cyber-attacks, electronic espionage, and intellectual property lawsuits make headlines almost daily, making strong email security more important than ever.

As merchants turn to reliable third-party service providers to help secure and process cardholder data, PCI DSS 3.0 compliance has increasingly become a shared responsibility.

Outsourcing your email can mean one less hit to your budget and far fewer ongoing maintenance headaches if you choose a reputable cloud services partner.

During periods of growth, it can be difficult to juggle the influx of new business and new hires alongside the systems and infrastructure needed to support growth. This post gives three business communication 'rules' for helping you allocate your resources and attention where they'll have the biggest impact.

Although most Hosted VoIP solutions offer a set of standard features, providers vary in the features and services they offer, and how they offer them.

Preparing for PCI DSS 3.0 and maintaining ongoing compliance promises to be a daunting challenge, especially for companies that lack the necessary resources or expertise. In this second part of a two-part blog, we discuss the advantages of partnering with a service provider that offers expertise and services for PCI compliance.

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) 3.0 raises the bar on data protection standards. In this first part of a two-part blog, we describe some of the ways PCI DSS 3.0 is different and the rationale behind the stricter requirements.

Although mobility typically brings flexibility, it doesn’t always result in greater employee productivity. In part, this is because the business communication tools in use don't support the demanding pace of business. To close the communications and collaboration gap, many businesses are implementing Unified Communications.

Shellshock Bug Customer Advisory: The advisory includes information about Fusion Connect's security practices and the outcome of Fusion Connect's security audit relating to the Shellshock bug.

Fusion is pleased to introduce our new Unified Communications (UC) service. UC is a feature set available within Fusion Hosted Voice that integrates voice telephony with other communication technologies across mobile and desktop devices, including IM, Presence, Screen Share, SMS Text, and HD Video Calling.

Fusion has made some exciting new enhancements to our Hosted Voice service and supporting tools, including the introduction of Unified Communications features, a new faster installation option, and portal improvements that make it even simpler for our customers to order and manage their services.

Fusion leads the industry as the largest provider of on-net Ethernet over Copper services in the U.S. And we’re building on that achievement every day.

With Fusion Connect’s Managed WiFi solution, it’s now easier for businesses to provide WiFi access without the burden of setting up and managing the wireless LAN.

Some organizations have reservations about switching to a cloud-based business phone system. This post dispels some of those concerns.

While it’s clear that downtime costs your business, what some businesses are learning the hard way is that not all Cloud providers have adequate safeguards in place to avoid or prevent outages. Consider these questions to inform your selection of a Cloud provider.

Hosted services such as SharePoint provide enterprise-class communication and collaboration solutions without the costs and issues often associated with managing them in-house.

Many businesses have discovered the customer service and revenue opportunities that are available when they accurately analyze and leverage big data.

Understand Quality of Service before you implement Hosted VoIP services.

Be sure to inquire about customer service and support when you are shopping for IT and communications services such as Internet Access, Hosted Voice, Network Security, or Cloud Services for your business.

When you’re evaluating service providers, be sure to ask for a tour of a prospective provider’s customer portal. Having access to online account management tools could help you or your IT administrators get more done, more quickly, serve your internal customers, and uphold your service level agreements.

Fusion has issued a customer advisory to address the recently announced security flaw in OpenSSL, known as Heartbleed. The advisory includes information about Fusion's security practices and the outcome of Fusion's security audit relating to the Heartbleed bug.

A fast connection is great, but speed, alone, doesn’t guarantee that your broadband service will support all the applications your business is using.

Increased accessibility to cross-platform data sharing and ever-changing and increasingly malicious threats make Managed Security Services a necessity for businesses today.

Hosted VoIP offers better features than legacy phone technologies. It’s just one reason why companies are adopting VoIP and not looking back.

Increasingly, companies find it easier and more budget-friendly to outsource a growing array of services.

Right-sizing server infrastructure for the optimal balance of cost and performance need not involve guesswork.

The ads tout Cable as a viable business Internet service. A closer look, however, may reveal otherwise.

Data breach and data loss make headlines almost daily. Now, there's a calculator to help you understand the potential impact of a breach to your business.

Retailers gearing up to take further advantage of customer intelligence, mobility-based loyalty programs, and other trending retail technologies need a secure and reliable business network at the core.

With the right tech tools, employees can empower themselves as productive collaborators. Find out how to help them get there.

Collaboration boosts productivity and positive customer impact. Find out about the benefits of enhanced teamwork – and what’s holding companies back.

Companies that virtualize some or all of their infrastructure encounter a different set of security concerns.

With cyber threats becoming increasingly common, do you want a secure yet flexible way to access your corporate data and applications from outside the office? You need a VPN. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) secures a user’s Internet connection by encrypting all data that is sent and received.

You’ve probably heard cable Internet services touted as business-ready. Although these services are appropriate for some situations, they often do not qualify as business-class. When you are choosing an Internet Service Provider for your business, look for one that has built its services around the needs of businesses and offers a range of fast, reliable access services.

Let’s examine 5 ways businesses are streamlining communications and cutting costs by moving to a Hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) solution.

If you've heard the hype about cable Internet for business, here are three important questions to ask the provider first.

Many hosted VoIP providers just send a box and say “Good luck.” Find out why your business deserves a more personalized approach for installation and service.

Who will take advantage of hosted business VoIP’s productivity-enhancing features and cost savings first: you or your competitors?

Why is an Enterprise Cloud option so much better? Well, just consider these four key performance components...

The cloud has fully emerged as mainstream. It’s a “given” investment for businesses if they want to maintain a competitive edge.

If you haven’t said “goodbye” to traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) systems for your business, you will be. Probably sooner than you think.

A Top 10 list of the most broadband-connected cities in the United States and their average price per month.

Whatever the size of your business, enabling VoIP calling through your existing IP-PBX equipment may be the solution for you.

Voice over IP and FaceBook are the two defining communication technologies for friends and family online. Consolidation may be their future.

Technology is lengthening the tether of the modern corporate workforce, but with that greater freedom, businesses need safe, productive infrastructure.

Whether prompted by an accident, act of nature, or malicious attack, disruptions present a growing concern among organizations.

Have you ever wondered just how dangerous malware can be to your business? Take a look at the facts and trends on malware with our infographic.

The advent of wireless data connectivity isn't limited to smart phones. It also boosts how nimbly businesses can perform.

Server and connection issues are a common problem for businesses across the nation. Use this infographic to find out how much server downtime, data corruption, and security issues may be costing your business.

In Part 1, we explained four advantages of "Infrastructure as a Service." In Part 2, we look at the important "must have" qualities of a Cloud Services provider.

More than ever, business is about thinking O.T.O., Outside the Office. Your customers are "out there," aren't they? And your employees aren't clocking in at HQ like they used to. In fact, at least nine of ten companies envision flexible work environments by no later than the end of 2013

With mis-impressions overcome and concerns placated, more companies are opting for outsourced, virtualized IT infrastructure services because of clear advantages in four major areas.

Compliance programs can overwhelm the healthcare industry, given the complexities of regulations that address the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI). Fortunately, the cloud is coming to the rescue here.

Are your voice/data communications services getting muscled over by Bandwidth Hogs? Like a pack of loud motorcycle riders, the Bandwidth Hogs crowd the entire highway on your network. And, worse yet, you often won’t notice until the resulting clutter disrupts your business.

With so many internet service providers out there, it can be pretty difficult to decide which broadband provider is best for your business. Take a look at our infographic outlining the various connectivity options available and learn their nuances so you can pick the best ISP to cater to your business needs.

Simplify, streamline, and save with integrated communication and collaboration services.

Add a highly effective, additional layer of protection with “clean pipe” solutions by going to the cloud to secure network connection points.

Whoever said, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you…” obviously wasn’t referring to IT security.

Whether it’s Bullitt, The Fast and the Furious, or Gone in 60 Seconds, audiences have a need for speed. And that goes for getting access to breakneck Internet broadband. How fast is your home or business broadband connection? Find out now by taking Speed Test Plus for a spin.

This month, we reached an important milestone. As a result of our latest build out of Central Offices across the country, MegaPath, now Fusion Connect, is now the largest provider of on-net Ethernet-over-Copper (EoC) services in the United States.

Nearly a third of the world’s population is using the Internet these days. As more consumers and businesses leverage the web for a wide array of services, the number of online records and transactions continues to grow. With this growth come myriad information security threats that range from minor annoyances to devastating breaches of private records. Security failures cost businesses vast amounts of time, money, and customer trust. Check out just how pervasive the problem is and discover the steps you can take to prevent—so you don’t have to recover from—a costly security breach.

It’s only a matter of time before Ethernet over Copper (EoC) surpasses T1 in demand. In fact, the revenue from Ethernet services has already surpassed that from legacy data services.

The Mobile Age is transforming the very way we perceive work and when it starts and stops. Concepts such as "regular hours" and "face time" are fading into irrelevance.