All businesses may be diverse in terms of locations and focus, but the one thing that they are all likely to agree on is that they are not in the IT business. Windstream's response is a new managed router service that the ILEC will not only install, but also configure and maintain on the customer's premises. What will be music to the business user's ears is that they can not only purchase their data services (Ethernet, DIA, and VPN) but also equipment from one service provider.
Along with providing the equipment, Windstream is taking on an IT administrator role. In this IT administrator role, Windstream will offer configuration, installation, maintenance, 24x7x365 customer support and standard firewall functionality for built-in security measures to protect the router hardware from cyber threats and hackers. Business customers will be able to choose from a catalog of routers that best fit their needs and configuration requirements.
The debut of Windstream's managed routing service, which follows its 'lifetime price guarantee' for business customers, is another customer retention effort the ILEC can use to battle cable's ongoing move into the SMB and larger business markets.
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