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Microsoft’s latest server
operating systems and the availability of inexpensive Broadband Internet
connections like DSL and Cable Modems have made wide area networking of
multi-location insurance agencies affordable and reasonably easy to
accomplish.
There are a couple of basic
principles of networking that need to be understood to maximize the speed and
efficiency of a Wide Area Network (WAN) used with The Agency Advantage.
First,
networks inside your office typically run on equipment capable of speeds of
100 Megabits. The typical DSL line has a maximum download speed of 1.5
Megabits or 1.5% of the speed of your office network. Consequently, if you
try to connect to your server from a remote office using a direct connection
like VPN (Virtual Private Network), you will experience extremely slow, most
likely unacceptable, performance.
That’s
where the new Microsoft Server 2000 and Server 2003 operating systems can
help. Their Terminal Services feature keeps all of the programs and data in
the main office and only transmits the necessary “bits and bytes” to display
your information on your remote computer screens. It provides a very fast,
safe and easy to use connection.
The
Terminal Services solution is in use by many Agency Advantage customers and is
our recommended solution for Wide Area Networking. If you are considering a
WAN, then you should make sure your computer tech is familiar with this
technology.
We do
not recommend VPN for the reasons mentioned above.
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