Unlocking the power of Managed Network Services

Businesses rely on connectivity 

In an era of growing digital reliance, connectivity has never been more important. Irrespective of size, organisations are reliant on a powerful and robust network for all their day-to-day activities.  

Networks are the engine of the business. Without them, basic functions start to crumble and lines of communication begin to break down.  

While they are of integral importance to an organisation, creating and maintaining an efficient network infrastructure can be a resource-intensive endeavour. This is where the transformative benefits of managed network services come into play.

The realities of self-managed networks 

While running your own network services offers significant benefits, there are also a host of challenges associated. These challenges can be categorised into 3 areas: Network, Hardware, Bandwidth. 

Network: 

Network downtime is not just incredibly frustrating, it also actively impacts financial performance. In order to remedy this, there needs to be constant monitoring, quick troubleshooting and efficient maintenance. 

Similarly, network security can be a source of frustration for many organisations. 

As such, there must be continuous updates against data breaches, malware and any other cyber risks. 

Managing a network is a time-intensive task. Minor changes and tasks, such as configuring, monitoring and troubleshooting quickly add up, and can divert IT teams away from important transformative initiatives. 

Hardware: 

As hardware evolves, organisations are left with a choice: either integrate legacy hardware into modern network architectures or complete expansive network transformation initiatives. Regardless of which option is chosen, both require careful planning and expertise and both have a resource and financial cost associated. 

Bandwidth:  

Networks are always limited by the available bandwidth. Organisations must optimise network performance to prevent any bottlenecks and ensure consistent performance, especially when supporting a myriad of on-demand application requirements. 

As an organisation increases in scale, or as demand increases due to seasonal changes, it must be mindful of network bandwidth. 

Empowerment through managed network services 

As overwhelming as these challenges can seem, managed network services can help. Dedicated service providers are able to leverage the expertise and experience they possess to find solutions that work for any organisation. 

These service providers maintain a team of highly skilled network engineers who possess up-to-date knowledge of industry best practices and emerging technologies. From questions about SD-WAN compared to MPLS or general network architecture, these experts will ensure you are always at the cutting edge. 

Scalability is a major benefit that managed service providers excel in providing. As businesses experience growth, so do their network requirements. Managed service providers have the technical knowledge to ensure resources scale seamlessly, ensuring that increased demand is met without any major disruptions. 

Predictability of cost is another upside of using managed service providers. Traditional self-managed networks can often result in unpredictable costs. These can include unexpected maintenance costs and the need to hire additional staff to manage tasks. Conversely, managed service providers offer pricing models that are predictable, allowing organisations to budget more effectively. 

This expertise and flexibility also extends to cyber security, where a managed network provider will stay ahead of the latest cyber security threats. 

Download Interactive’s eBook – A Software-defined future – for more.