TechRadar Pro Best for Business Awards 2019: Best communication and security services

(Image credit: Future)

Last month we gave our readers a chance to cast their vote to help us narrow down our extensive longlists of the best B2B tech and accessories for the TechRadar Pro Best for Business Awards 2019, in partnership with Avast Business. 

The votes have now been counted, and here are our picks for the best communication and security services in 2019.

(Image credit: Vodafone)

Best Mobile SIM for Business: Vodafone 100GB Business Premier 36 Months

This year’s pick for the best mobile SIM for business is Vodafone’s 100GB Business Premier plan. In addition to 100GB of data per month, you also get unlimited minutes and texts as well as the ability to take your home plan abroad. Prices start from £24.30 a month, and worry-free roaming is built-in which makes it an excellent choice for business users as they can use their UK plan across Europe and in over 60 destinations around the world at no extra cost.

(Image credit: Virgin Media)

Best Wired/Wireless Broadband Package for Business: Virgin Media Business broadband 500Mbps

Virgin Media Business launched its Voom 500 business broadband earlier this year to help improve the connectivity of SMEs by offering download speeds of up to 500 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 35 Mbps. For just £62 per month, businesses get unlimited downloads, five static IPs and a Hitron WiFi router. You can also bundle a business landline package with your plan for just an extra £8 per month. 

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Best Comms Solutions: Microsoft Phone System

Microsoft’s Phone System is this year’s choice for best comms solution. While cloud phone systems and PBX are deployed by many businesses, Microsoft’s Phone System is an add on to Office 365 which provides users with PBX capabilities without the need for complicated and expensive equipment. In addition to basic calling features, you can also configure the Auto Attendant feature to create a menu system for your business that allows both external and internal callers to place or transfer calls to different departments or members of your organization. 

(Image credit: Cisco)

Best Comms Hardware for Business: Cisco IP Phone 8861 VoIP phone

Although a cloud-based VoIP system may work for some companies, others still prefer making their calls from a physical device such as the Cisco IP Phone 8861. Not only does the Cisco IP PHone 8861 offer crystal clear voice communications all of your calls are also encrypted for enhanced security. A 5-inch widescreen color display makes it easy to see who’s calling and you can even connect the device to your router or pc using the built-in Gigabit Ethernet switch. To top things off, the Cisco IP Phone 8861 is even wall-mountable to keep your deskspace free of cords. 

Best Business Security Solution: Avast Business Antivirus Pro

When it comes to security, this year’s pick for the best business security solution is Avast Business Antivirus Pro. Avast has created a powerful and configurable antivirus app that runs on Windows, Mac and even Windows Server. Avast Business Antivirus Pro is simple to set up and the company even offers a 30-day trial build for you to test it out for yourself. 

NordVPN on laptop

(Image credit: NordVPN)

Best VPN for Business: NordVPN

A VPN can be a valuable tool for any business looking to add an extra layer of security to their network or who has staff that travel frequently. NordVPN is this year’s pick for the best VPN for business because of its fast speeds and impressive list of features. With clients for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and Linux, no matter what device you’re using NordVPN has you covered. You also get browser extensions for most popular browsers and the company’s no-logging claims have even been backed up by a third-party audit.