Peruvian police say Van der Sloot, long suspected in the 2005 disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway, has confessed to killing 21-year-old business student Stephany Flores on May 30 after they met playing poker.

But according to a Chilean police report obtained by The Associated Press through Peruvian authorities late Saturday, Van der Sloot gave a different account of events while in custody in neighboring Chile, where he was captured after the killing and quickly extradited.

In the version offered to Chilean investigators, Van der Sloot said he and Flores were surprised in the early morning by two robbers in an apparent assault.

“A man came out of the bathroom blocking the access door with a knife in his hand. On the bed was another man with a gun,” the Spanish-language report quotes him as saying. “The man with the knife said to be quiet, but Stephany began talking in a loud voice and he hit her in the face, making her nose bleed.”

It also says Van der Sloot told Chilean agents that the previous day, he and Flores had been extorted by apparent police officers who demanded $4,000 and a wristwatch he brought from Thailand.

Chilean police told their Peruvian colleagues that the 22-year-old Dutchman responded in English to their questioning but refused to sign a declaration after learning he would be expelled to Peru.

On Friday, a Peruvian judge ordered Van der Sloot jailed on first-degree murder and robbery charges.

Police in Peru say he confessed to beating Flores to death after she learned details of the Holloway case from his laptop. He allegedly broke her nose, strangled her, threw her to the floor, then emptied her wallet and drove away in her SUV, said Gen. Cesar Guardia, chief of the criminal police. He then traveled south to Chile by bus.

If convicted on the murder and robbery charges, Van der Sloot could get 15 to 35 years in prison.

Joran van der Sloot

Van der Sloot’s newly hired Peruvian attorney, Maximo Altez, has asked the judge to declare his client’s confession void on the grounds it was made in the presence of a defense lawyer appointed by police.

Van der Sloot remains the lone suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway on the Caribbean resort island of Aruba.

Peru’s criminal police chief said recently that Van der Sloot told interrogators he knows where Holloway’s body is, but Aruba’s attorney general said Friday he is skeptical Van der Sloot was telling the truth.

___

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The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined to 10.4 percent in April, down one-tenth of a percentage point from a revised 10.5 percent in March. This is the 31st consecutive month Georgia has exceeded the national rate, which is now 9.9 percent. The state’s April jobless rate was up 1.2 percentage points from 9.2 percent at this same time last year. The jobless rate in metro Atlanta in April 2009 was 8.6 percent.

Also in April, 29,361 laid-off workers in metro Atlanta filed initial claims for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits, a decrease of 4,938, or 14.4 percent, from 34,299 filed in April 2009.

Statewide, 60,661 laid-off workers filed initial claims, a decline of 23,685, or 28.1 percent, from 84,346 filed in April 2009. Most of the first time claims were filed in trade, manufacturing, construction, and administrative and support services.

The state showed a modest increase in new jobs in April for the third consecutive month. The number of jobs increased 26,900, or seven-tenths of a percentage point, from 3,794,700 in March to 3,821,600. However, the number of jobs remains less than in April 2009, when there were 3,912,700 payroll jobs, 2.3 percent or 91,100 more than this year.

Metro Atlanta’s job market also showed a modest improvement for the third consecutive month. The number of payroll jobs in metro Atlanta increased 18,100, or eight-tenths of a percentage point, from 2,246,700 in March to 2,264,800.

Local area unemployment rates are not seasonally adjusted. Georgia labor market data are available at www.dol.state.ga.us

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The contribution approved Thursday is in addition to the $6 million pledged by the Athletic Association to academic programs last year, to be paid out over three years.

Under a proposal by Athletics Director Damon Evans, the latest donation allocates $500,000 for need-based scholarships, $500,000 to launch a new merit-based scholarship program and $1 million to fund four professorships.

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Gwinnett – Off

Mississippi 3, Mobile 9

• D. Linares 1-4 HR(7), 2 RBI, .262 Avg
• M. Daniel 1-3 HR(1), 2K, .333 Avg

Richard Sullivan got rocked again and the offense couldn’t catch back up from the early deficit. There appears to be a lot of new guys cropping up in the Braves system lately, the newest being tonight’s addition Mike Daniel. Hey, he made his presence felt. Donell Linares remains the most consistent hitter on this team. His overall numbers look pretty mediocre but in May he has an .813 OPS with a much better looking .354 OBP. He didn’t walk any in April but has 9 in just under 100 PAs this month.

Lynchburg 1, Myrtle Beach 2

• L. Sumoza 2-3 2B, .206 Avg
• J. Teheran 6IP 4H 0R 2BB 2K 0.69 ERA
• B. Pruneda 1.1IP 0H 0R 0BB 2K 3.47 ERA

Myrtle Beach’s couldn’t muster much offense even with an early morning start (what that has to do with offense I don’t really know), but they didn’t need much with Julio Teheran laying down the law. He didn’t strike out all the guys that he has been in his last few games but it didn’t much matter as he was just as dominant. I’d like to see him get a round through the league to see if he can sustain this pace, but he really has established himself as one of the best pitchers in the minors.

Rome 2, Augusta 3

• M. Jones 2-4 2B, K, SB(5), .227 Avg
• J. Hanson 1-4 3B, RBI, K, .333 Avg
• C. Masters 5IP 4H 3R 2BB 4K 1.56 ERA

I finally got to see a Braves team in action this year and it was the fastest played game I have ever been a part of with the official time clocking in at exactly two hours (though I think it was actually about 1:50). I will post some detailed thoughts about this game tomorrow when I get back home. Chris Masters pitched solidly if not spectacularly. Myke Jones continues to best the best hitter on this club since May started (.929 OPS). I really like Myke Jones and even though he is a little old for the league I think he has the tools to succeed, he may just have to adjust to each level. Jorge Bucardo held the offense in check for most of the night and only gave up some runs when the LF just stood in place as Jake Hanson hit a triple down the line that he thought was foul. Otherwise that guy was just dominant striking out the first 4 batters of the game swinging.

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Chipper Jones

One thing that I have always said is that I’ve never played this game for money. I play it because I enjoy playing it and I’ve been pretty good at it for the last little bit. The reality is that I have a lot of things pulling at me away from the game. I’ve got four little boys at home and a wife who has sacrificed a lot during my team in the big leagues. I make no bones about it. I am seriously considering it no matter how this year ends up for the Atlanta Braves. It’s something that’s still in the works, but hasn’t been ruled out for the end of the year. I’m not going to stick around and hamstring this organization if I’m not playing well and not enjoying myself… I’ve committed to play this year. I’m not going to walk out on the club. But at the end of this year, if I don’t feel like I can contribute at a high level like I always have, then it is a possibility that I will walk away… There’s no line. It’s just a feel of whether I’ll be able to continue to do this at a high level past this year.

Here’s a link to the MP3 of the audio interview from 790 The Ticket in Miami. As is usual with Chipper, it’s a pretty good interview.

I’m going to go ahead and state what I’ve been thinking for some time. If Chipper continues his current pace, then he should hang them up after this season. That will free up a lot of money for the Braves. My ideal scenario would be to move Martin Prado to third base, re-sign Omar Infante (or someone else) to play second base, and sign Jayson Werth to play left field (yes, I have a baseball man-crush on the bearded outfielder). But that’s way down the road. Chipper’s still got time to turn it around… and I really hope he does.

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Escobar was hitless in his last 15 at-bats before stepping to the plate in the seventh inning Wednesday night.

He led off with the single, one of two he had in a six-run inning that lifted the Braves past the Florida Marlins 7-3.

“This might be the game that sparks everything and helps me move forward,” said Escobar, who had three hits in his previous 36 at-bats since coming off the disabled list on May 15. “I know the team counts on my offensive production.”

Troy Glaus(notes) drove in two runs during the inning and Escobar added another single as the Braves sent 11 men to the plate, recorded five hits—all singles — and drew three walks.

Troy Glaus(notes) drove in two runs during the inning and Escobar added another single as the Braves sent 11 men to the plate, recorded five hits—all singles — and drew three walks.

“We just couldn’t get through that seventh inning,” Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said.

With the Marlins leading 2-1 heading into the pivotal inning, Burke Badenhop(notes) (0-5) relieved starter Nate Robertson(notes), who struck out five in six innings, and gave up singles to the first two batters before Nate McLouth(notes) sacrificed.

“You create a mess out there with a one-run lead against a good ball club, that’s not what you want,” Badenhop said. “You don’t want runners on and have crazy things happen.”

Dan Meyer(notes) relieved and walked Eric Hinske(notes) to load the bases. Brian Sanches(notes) came on and gave up a sacrifice fly to Martin Prado(notes) that tied the game. Sanches walked the next two batters and allowed three straight run-scoring singles, including a two-run hit by Glaus. Escobar’s second single of the inning gave the Braves a 7-2 lead.

Tommy Hanson(notes) (4-3) picked up the win, allowing two runs over six innings. He struck out four and walked five.

“I’ve always said he’s tough and he can figure things out,” Braves manager Bobby Cox said. “A normal young kid would bend and break. He didn’t break.”

The Marlins pulled within 7-3 on an RBI single by Ronny Paulino(notes), but left two runners on in the eighth and Billy Wagner(notes) pitched a perfect ninth.

Hanley Ramirez(notes) lined a fastball over the right-field fence for his eighth home run to give the Marlins a 1-0 lead in the first. Hanson walked the next three batters before striking out Paulino to end the inning.

“After I walked three guys, I tried to get back in the zone and make pitches again,” Hanson said.

Hanson settled down after the first and helped his own cause by delivering a sacrifice fly in the fifth that scored Melky Cabrera(notes), who singled, advanced on a passed ball, then moved to third on a deep fly ball.

The Marlins made it 2-1 on a hit by Jorge Cantu(notes) after Hanson intentionally walked Ramirez to load the bases. Cantu’s single to left scored Robertson, but Cabrera easily threw out Gaby Sanchez(notes) at the plate to limit the damage.

“(I’m thinking) I’m probably going to be out, I’m not thinking why did they send me or anything like that,” Sanchez said of being waved home by third base coach Joe Espada. “He’s the coach and he’s going to use his judgment.”

Ramirez homered, singled, walked and stole a base for the Marlins.

NOTES: Following the game the Marlins sent OF Bryan Petersen(notes) to Triple-A New Orleans. A corresponding roster move will be announced Wednesday. … The Marlins snapped their errorless game streak at seven on a fielding error by Robertson in the first. … The Braves drew six walks, giving them a major-league best 207 this season. … The start of the game was delayed 21 minutes due to rain. … Escobar recorded his first multihit game since April 29 against St. Louis. … Ramirez is second on the Marlins all-time stolen base list with 168. Luis Castillo(notes) is the franchise leader with 281.

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Steinway Artist Harry Connick, Jr. and his band performed at the 2010 Governor’s Ball hosted by President and Mrs. Obama on Sunday evening, February 21. Due to a packed East Room of the White House, the usual piano that occupies the room (a 1938 Steinway Art Case piano) was replaced with a smaller Steinway Model O Grand piano that was provided by Steinway Piano Gallery, Washington, D.C. for the event.

During the day, Connick, Jr. and his band performed for (and with) a group of Washington-area music students at a preview of the night’s event led by Mrs. Obama. Prior to the performance, Mrs. Obama paid tribute to Connick, Jr. for his humanitarian efforts in co-founding the Musicians’ Village, part of the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity rebuilding effort following Katrina.

On December 3, 2009, President Obama and a group of world-renowned performers were on hand for the National Tree Lighting Ceremony. In a tradition dating back to 1923, the President was on hand at the Ellipse near the White House to light the tree while bringing a message of peace and hope to the world.

For this year’s event, a group of talented performers were selected to perform, including Steinway Artist Brad Mehldau, Grammy award winner Sheryl Crow, hip-hop artist Common, country artist Ray LaMontagne, American Idol Jordin Sparks, jazz artist Joshua Redman, and the all-female music ensemble Celtic Woman.

All of the event’s performers who played piano or had piano accompaniment used a Steinway Model D concert grand piano (identification number CD-381) that is part of Steinway’s famed bank of Concert & Artist pianos stationed around the world at Steinway dealers. The piano was delivered from Steinway Piano Gallery in Washington, DC for the event and technicians spent over 9 hours preparing the piano so it would be in perfect playing condition for the performances.

Steinway and the White House have a long and storied history. In 1903, the 100,000th Steinway grand piano was presented to the White House as a gift. It was featured in the East Room of the White House until 1938, when it was replaced by the 300,000th Steinway grand — an Art Case piano with gilt American Eagle supports that is undoubtedly the most famous piano in the White House. The 1938 grand piano is still featured in the East Room (and sometimes in the Entrance Hall) of the White House. The original 1903 grand piano now resides in the Smithsonian Museum.

The next stop for the Steinway concert grand piano used at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony is the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. It is one of three Steinway grand pianos that are being provided for the Kennedy Center Honors Program, which will be televised on CBS, Tuesday, December 29 at 9 p.m. EST.

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ALPHARETTA – Two years ago, AMG Medical of Alpharetta needed a year to give away 5,000 of its Hugo folding canes to U.S. military veterans, doing all the work on its own.

On Veterans Day this year, the company gained help from Sam’s Club, several other corporate sponsors and VFW Post 12002 to start giving away 25,000 canes in a program called “Hugo Salutes Our Veterans.”

The national program kicked off with additional help from Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas at the Sam’s Club off Mansell Road near Ga. 400. Every Sam’s Club in the nation was participating in the program.

Letchas thanked the company for what it has done for veterans. He said everyone needs to pay tribute to all veterans, especially on Veterans Day, which was chosen for the program’s kickoff.

“To us, every day is Veteran’s Day,” said Al Lipphardt, commander of VFW’s District 3 in Georgia.

Robert Gurecka, AMG Medical’s general manager, said the Hugo folding canes were designed with assistance from the non-profit Georgia Research Institute. It normally retails for $29.99.

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Desktop Applications for Twitter

• Seesmic – allows multiple Twitter (and Facebook) monitoring
• Twhirl – allows monitoring of multiple Twitter accounts
• Snitter – for Mac and Windows
• Twitterriffic – for Mac OS
• MadTwitter – for windows
• Spaz – open source twitter client

Twitter Organization

• Tweet Deck
• TweetMixx – shows tweets and summary of links out

Manage Multiple Twitter Accounts

• Splitweet

Twitter for Companies

• CoTweet

Firefox Plugins

• Twitbin
• Twitterfox

Send Messages to Twitter using Voice

• Twitter Fone

Blackberry Client

• TwitterBerry

iPhone Twitter Apps

• Tweetie for iPhone
• Twinkle for iPhone
• Twitter for iPhone
• Hahlo
• Pocket Tweets

Twitter on any Mobile device

• Tiny Twitter – phone needs java
• Twitter Mobile – only go here on your phone
• iTweet
• twibble

Twitter on Windows Mobile

• Pocket Twit

Post via Mobile

• Twitterscan

Send via eMail

• Twittermail

Counter to show your twitter followers

• Twitter Counter

Enhance your Tweets

• Twitter Keys

Un-follow Someone for Just a Few Days

• Twitter Snooze

Find out who Stopped Following You and Why

• Qwitter
• Twitterless

Manage who Follows You and Who You Follow, Recommendations Also

• Friend or Follow
• Mr. Tweet – Recommendations

Top Twitter Lists

• Twitter Counter Top 100 List
• twInfluence Top 50 List

Visual Map of Twitter Posts

• Twitter Vision

Share Files, Pictures & Videos via Twitter

• Tweetcube – files
• Twitpic – pics
• Visual Twitter – pics
• Twixxer

Share Quotes and Bits from Webpages

• Tweet All About It

Monitor Twitter for Keywords & Whats Hot

• PeopleBrowsr – filter, sort, follow, post, repeat
• Tweet Grid – monitor keywords
• Monitter – monitor keywords
• Twitscoop
• Flaptor Twitter Search – search twitter for a keyword
• Twitspy – monitor twitter public timeline in real time
• Tweetscan
• CityTweets – follow tweets by City

Monitor Conversations

• Tweet 2 Tweet
• Twitalks – find out what two users are saying about you

Monitor Trends

• Twist

Autoresponder & Setup Automatic Tweets

• Tweet Later

Autopost your Blog entries to Twitter

• Twitterfeed

Evaluate your Twitter Profile

• Twitter Grader
• Twitter Ratio
• Tweet Value

Twitter Statistics and Graphs for a Twitter Account

• Tweetstats
• Twitgraph

Twitter Dictionary

• Twittords

WordPress
There are a bunch of plugins for twitter and wordpress, will make that another article.

Special Thanks
Thank you to the following for their suggestions:
@iamrasa, @sumaya, @zebb, @tessneale, @SeanMarler, @david_tinney, @officemate.

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By BuyerZone.com Editorial Staff – BuyerZone.com

Internet access introduction

With the Internet such a vital part of everyday business, the speed and reliability of your Internet access is more important than ever. Solutions such as T1 lines and business-grade DSL provide always-on broadband connections, giving your employees the ability to consistently communicate and exchange data with co-workers, customers, and vendors at speeds much faster than standard dial-up.

In addition to providing seamless access to the Internet and faster downloads of large files, a high-speed connection lets you access a wide range of applications – web hosting, streaming video, voice over IP (VoIP), video conferencing and virtual private networking (VPN). And the good news is that prices have dropped, making broadband more affordable than ever.

This BuyerZone.com Internet Access Buyer’s Guide is designed to explore the various Internet access options available to you, how to choose an Internet access vendor, and the costs of getting your company up and running.

High speed internet access options

You have multiple options for setting up high-speed Internet access for your company. The one you select will likely be based on your company size, data requirements, budget, and proximity to the central office of the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Here are the most common solutions:

DSL: An inexpensive and distance-sensitive solution that provides Internet and telephone access on the same lines. While a standard dial-up connection transmits data at speeds up to 56,000 bits per second (56 Kbps), DSL speeds range from 384 Kbps to 1,500 Kbps. This is one of the more popular options for small businesses, supporting up to 20 employees who need only basic Internet applications like web surfing or e-mail. (See “DSL service for business” for more details)

T1: A service that supports data connections up to 30 times as fast as a 56 Kbps dial-up modem with digitized voice capabilities over the same lines. This is the most popular option for small-to-medium-sized businesses with up to 50 employees, and can support all basic Internet functions as well as large file downloads and uploads. (See “T1 internet service” for more details)

T3: A T3 line offers the combined bandwidth of 28 T1 lines – up to 43 megabits per second (1 Mbps=1000 Kbps). It’s a good option for mid-sized to-large businesses with 100 or more employees. T3 lines run on fiber optic cable and can support 30,000 times the traffic of standard copper phone wires. While T3 is available in fractional increments like T1, it is more expensive than having multiple T1 lines bonded together to produce the same speed.

Frame Relay: An alternate solution for customers who can’t get DSL or cable service. Frame relay is fast and flexible and sends digital information between one or several destinations at T1 speeds. While the service is inexpensive, the equipment and setup can be quite pricy. It’s not a recommended option for small-to-medium businesses.

Cable: A high-speed option that uses the same connection as cable television. It offers data transfer speeds around 1.5 Mbps, but is not really considered a business-quality service. Because many people in your area share a cable network, performance dramatically decreases as multiple users go online at the same time. Also, many high-tech applications of broadband – VoIP and streaming video, for example – do not work well over cable.

Satellite: Internet access using a satellite dish. This technology can be deterred by bad weather and the speeds can’t handle large applications such as web site hosting, video conferencing or multiple file downloads. This is only a worthwhile option for very remote locations such as boats at sea.

DSL service for business

A digital subscriber line (DSL) is an inexpensive digital solution that transports high-speed data from your phone company’s central office to your company’s network. The data is transmitted over the same copper wires used by most phone systems.

DSL is very distance-sensitive. The closer your company is to the phone company’s central office – where phone lines connect to switching equipment – the faster your connection. It is generally recommended that your office be located within 2-3 miles of the central office for faster, more affordable service. Beyond 3 miles, you would only qualify for low-speed DSL service – if any at all.

You can find out if you are within range for DSL by calling your local ISP, or looking up your location online. There are many Internet sites that allow you to check if your area can get DSL and how fast a connection you qualify for.

Types of DSL There are various types of DSL (referred to as xDSL). The two most common are Symmetrical DSL (SDSL) and Asymmetrical DSL (ADSL).

ADSL uses your existing copper phone lines to transmit data, but limits upload speeds to as little as one quarter of download speeds. SDSL is a more robust (and more costly) version of DSL that supports equivalent upload and download speeds. This is good for companies that regularly upload large files, but requires dedicated wiring.

The downsides of business DSL Reliability is the primary concern with DSL. On average, the uptime for DSL isn’t as good as it is with a T1 connection. Service level agreements (SLAs) that ensure your connection will always be running are often not offered with DSL service. And while a DSL connection can support many simultaneous users for sending e-mail and surfing the web, it’s not optimal for applications requiring a lot of bandwidth such as large file downloads or streaming video.

DSL also runs into the problem of slow connections due to oversubscription – the act of selling more bandwidth than is actually available. DSL providers will sign up more subscribers than they have bandwidth for, with the expectation that not all users will be online at the same time. While you’ll get faster connection rates – up to 2 Mbps – when there aren’t a lot users online, your connection will lag when more customers connect. This can be highly frustrating, to say the least.

In the end, the savings you may gain from using DSL can be offset by how much you compromise critical business applications like internally maintained e-mail server or web servers.

Necessary equipment
Most business DSL customers use a router to connect their local area network (LAN) to the Internet. While more expensive than a standard DSL modem, a router provides data security and data filtering services, which are valuable in business environments. If you have fewer than 10 computers to connect, you can opt for a less expensive DSL modem, although you will still need to purchase firewall software to secure your network. Your DSL provider will lease or sell you the appropriate hardware.

T1 internet service

A T1 connection is the most popular method for Internet access among businesses. It is fast and reliable – most providers can guarantee 99.99% uptime – and features increased security. Like DSL, T1 connections are “always on,” meaning that as long as your computer is turned on, you will be connected to the Internet.

T1 is symmetrical connection, allowing for downloads and uploads of up to 1.5 Mbps, which is about 30 times as fast as dial-up. The quality of a T1 line is much better than analog phone lines, which translates into a clearer signal and faster connections to websites and quicker downloads.

Since T1 lines are dedicated, you will always have access to the full amount of bandwidth you are entitled to. However the actual performance you experience at an individual level will drop depending on how many users are online at that time. A single T1 connection can support dozens to hundreds of users, but the speed and efficiency will drop as more people use it simultaneously.

Levels of T1 service
There are multiple flavors of T1 lines. At its most basic, a T1 line can be used to handle either your voice or data needs.

An integrated T1 line provides voice and data on the same digital circuit. With this service, you can decide how many of the T1 connection’s 24 channels will be reserved for voice calls, and what’s left is used for data.

You can also purchase a fractional T1 line, which provides only a portion of the total bandwidth. However, with prices of T1s as low as they have ever been, many companies are selecting full T1s because the price difference is almost negligible.

Another option to consider is burstable T1 – a type of “pay as you go” service where you pay for a specific amount of bandwidth you intend to use. If you exceed that amount, you can still tap into the ISP’s total available bandwidth and pay a premium above your standard rates. Think of it as going over your allotted minutes on your cell phone plan. Pricing can be very expensive but could be worthwhile for companies that know their data traffic patterns and have highly seasonal activity. Consider investing in a full T1 – or multiple T1s – before looking into burstable options.

For even better speed and performance, ISPs offer bonded T1 lines. Bonded T1s allow you to use the full bandwidth of multiple T1 lines at once. For example, two bonded T1 lines can provide up to 3 Mbps of data transfer in a single connection. By combining the speeds of individual T1s into a single pipeline, you allow for more bandwidth than two separate T1 lines.

Downside of T1
The most obvious drawback of a T1 connection is the cost. You will pay far more for T1 access to the Internet than for DSL. In fact, actual connection speeds of T1 and DSL are very similar. However, T1 provides a much more reliable connection and you are paying for that guaranteed uptime. For businesses that rely heavily on employee and customer access to data and applications, T1 is likely the best option.

Choosing an internet access provider

Signing up for high-speed Internet can be as easy as calling an ISP directly or working through a vendor. If you’re able to evaluate the customer service, pricing, and technology of multiple providers and choose the best one yourself, you can call that provider directly. If you want expert help in comparing the various ISP offerings without having to contact each one, a broker can do all the legwork for you.

Internet access brokers
As a middleman, Internet access vendor will consult several ISPs to find the best combination of price and services for your needs. This service is conducted at no charge to you — instead, the Internet service provider pays the commissions.

Have your broker furnish you with three to five quotes from various providers. Reliable brokers should have no problem doing that for you. When reviewing recommendations, find out how long the broker has worked with each ISP. If they have worked with the provider for a long time, you can be more assured of a reliable setup since the recommendations are driven by firsthand experience.

Definitely ask for a broker’s references before doing business with them. A reliable broker will provide you with this information and allow their previous work to speak for itself. Contact at least a couple of references and ask questions such as:

• Were they readily available to answer any questions you had?
• How quickly did they resolve problems?
• Did they clearly detail everything written in the contract?
• Did they try to sell you additional equipment that you didn’t need?

You can also gauge the level of service you’ll get from an Internet access vendor by how much attention they pay you. If they follow up with you and ask good questions rather than simply throwing quotes out, it is a positive sign that they care about your satisfaction above their bottom line.

Brokers continue to work with you after the contract is signed. You should demand – and a broker should offer – an ISP that provides 24/7 live person customer support. Once you’re connected, the vendor will continue to monitor your setup remotely. They will install any patches and keep system upgrades configured.

They should also provide e-mail contacts and be proactive when it comes to letting you know when there is a network problem and your Internet access is slow or down altogether. If something isn’t working right, the vendor should work with the ISP to get your network up and running.

Service Level Agreements
Reliability is probably the most important factor in choosing an ISP. While it is impossible to maintain 100% availability, most service providers aim for the lofty standard of “four nines” – 99.99% uptime over the course of a year. Service level agreements (SLAs) protect businesses by making access providers pay penalties to the customer for downtime that exceeds a specified total.

Until a few years ago, SLAs were not widely offered by Internet access providers. Now, they have become a standard for quality high-speed Internet access like T1 connections. In fact, SLAs are one of the main reasons T1 lines are the most popular choice for Internet access among businesses.

It is difficult to get an SLA on DSL access. The reason is that DSL’s sensitivity to the distance between the company and ISP’s central office, coupled with the often-low quality of the wiring, makes it difficult to maintain a sufficient level of guaranteed uptime. Even so, some vendors do provide SLAs for DSL, but it is uncommon.

To ensure your provider is abiding by this 99.99% performance level, request monitoring reports that track downtime. Most providers will make this information available to you upon request.

Broadband internet access contracts

It definitely pays to read the fine print when it comes time to sign a contract for Internet access. The contract you sign should be comprehensive, with no unwanted surprises or hidden fees – detailing all costs, length of service, and the SLA. (see “Service Level Agreements” in Choosing an Internet access provider for more details)

The standard contract length for Internet access is three years. In most cases, this will include all setup fees (including the wiring for your phone connection to the phone company’s central office, known as “local loop” charges), installation costs, and equipment rental. Shorter-term contracts may require you to pay additional fees. We don’t recommend signing contracts longer than three years because prices could fall, leaving you locked into paying a higher price for the duration.

Also keep in mind that there are severe penalties for breaking a contract before it expires – it can cost your company anywhere from several hundred dollars to the entire balance of the contract left on the contract.

Find out how long an ISP has been in business before you sign any binding contract. Companies new to the business may not have the experience to deliver the quality of services you need. Also, make sure that the ISP you use is financially sound. The last thing you want is to find your Internet access – and ultimately, your business – was compromised because a provider was in fiscal trouble.

Getting set up
Once you sign a contract, the vendor will arrange an installation time. A telecommunications contractor will come to your office to set up and test the necessary circuits. Then, the broker will install the routers and connect your LAN. They also configure your IP addresses and firewall security, as well as any other equipment noted on the contract.

Once the broker works out the best deal for you, it takes the service provider 30-45 days from the day the client signed the contract to setup up your office for access. Plan accordingly.

Business ISP pricing

DSL prices vary depending on how close your business is to the provider’s central offices. Prices, which are higher than residential DSL rates due to lower limits on subscribers per line, range from $30 to $250 for both initial setup and monthly service fees according to the bandwidth you choose. In addition to these flat rates, expect to pay additional charges for “bursting” -using more than your allotted bandwidth.

Standard T1 Internet prices include the phone company’s local loop charge – typically $150 and up – the phone circuit that connects your location to the ISP’s point of presence (POP), and the Internet bandwidth access port. All in, monthly T1 prices range from $250 to $1,000 – expect to pay that much for initial setup as well. Pricing varies according to whether you select data, voice, or integrated service, and how many channels you wish to activate.

Fractional T1s can be obtained for as little as $100-$200 per month. Bonded T1s are typically priced at a multiple of a regular T1 line; 3 bonded T1 lines, for example, would cost $750 to $3,000 monthly.

As mentioned earlier, the typical contract length is three years. Most vendors will either provide the equipment – routers, T1 pipes, Ethernet cables – for free, or tie them into the monthly pricing. Certain setup fees – including local loop charges and installation – may also be waived based on the length of a contract.

Internet access tips

Plan ahead. It is always best to purchase more bandwidth than you need so your company is adequately prepared for increases in employee size and bandwidth requirements.

Hidden agenda? Keep in mind that brokers who sell products like computers and routers in addition to Internet access may steer you to ISPs that don’t provide them as part of their service.

Lease, don’t buy. If possible, do not purchase equipment for your company’s Internet access. Make it part of the deal and let the company own and maintain them so they can fix problems when they arise.

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