We are more reliant upon our communications and data networks than ever before. In fact, the stresses we place on networks such as rapid business growth, new service offerings, new technology, or complex network infrastructure -just to name a few- are compounding the pressure. And how do we ensure the network is always available? It takes specialized skills, knowledgeable support and 24×7 monitoring. These “Day 2” services keep a network strong. But what if an organization is not equipped to fully support ongoing maintenance, troubleshooting, optimization, and scaling of the network? What are your options to avoid network downtime and the loss that comes with that?
A clear option would be to seek expert help and outsource your Day 2, managed network services, network operations center (NOC), frontline and remote engineering. Below are 10 key indicators that may make your organization a prime candidate for outsourced Day 2 network services:
- Experienced a major outage: Nothing will make an organization reevaluate its processes and procedure quicker than a down network that costs revenue, reputation, or worse- life saving services.
- Lack of in-house expertise: If your IT team is primarily focused on day-to-day tasks and lacks deep knowledge of advanced network technologies, troubleshooting complex issues, cutting in new technologies, or managing large-scale network environments, augmenting their knowledge and experience makes sense.
- Network reliance: If your network is the impetus to your business (financially) or your customers rely upon your network for critical or life saving measures, failure’s not an option. Downtime is not an option. Is it worth the risk NOT to consider seeking help?
- You own your fiber network: Do you own your own network? Smaller companies or governments, where networks are not your bread and butter might consider an extra layer of support providing visibility to the performance you deserve.
- Rapid business growth: Has your company experienced rapid expansion? Does your network infrastructure need to scale quickly? Outsourcing can provide the necessary resources to manage the growing complexity.
- Cost optimization: Outsourcing can often be more cost-effective than building and maintaining a large internal network team, especially when considering the cost of hiring, training, and retaining specialized network engineers.
- Complex network environment: If your network involves multiple locations, diverse technologies, and intricate security requirements, outsourcing can provide the expertise to manage and even simplify this complexity.
- Need for 24/7 support: If your network is critical to your business and requires around-the-clock monitoring and support, outsourcing can ensure continuous availability through dedicated teams to monitor and advise field teams when service is needed.
- Compliance requirements: If your industry has strict network compliance regulations, a specialized provider may have the experience and expertise to navigate these requirements and be a backstop for SLAs.
- Avoiding Risk: If your organization is generally risk adverse in the way they operate other aspects of the business, why should the IT and network be an exception? It’s your business’s critical resource.
Important considerations when outsourcing Day 2 network services:
- The cost of downtime: It’s imperative to understand what 1 hour, 5 hours, or a day of network downtime will cost your organization.
- Your talent gaps: There is a skill labor gap, particularly when it comes to IT and networking professionals that is continuing to widen. What is your recruitment time, average tenure, turnover rate, and loaded cost of managing a team in house?
- Clearly define your needs: Understand your specific network requirements, service levels, and performance expectations before selecting a provider.
- Evaluate expertise: Choose a managed services partner with proven experience managing similar network environments and technologies and has or can integrate with remote engineering and front-line maintenance teams.
- Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Ensure the services partner offers robust SLAs with defined response times and performance metrics.
- Data security and privacy: Verify the services partner has strong data security practices and adheres to relevant privacy regulations.
- Communication and reporting: Establish clear communication channels with the services partner and ensure regular reporting on network performance and incidents.
Don’t wait for a problem to happen
Finally, the need for managed services support often is realized when it is too late. The cost of downtime will vary by industry and organization, but no matter what or who experiences it, there is a significant cost. Being proactive versus reactive with additional skilled labor (onsite or remote), plus monitoring and analyzing every issue will save you from those catastrophic events that any company should avoid.
The skilled labor gap continues to widen. Most organizations no longer have the right people or the right knowledge on staff to go it alone. Focusing on your core competencies and relying on experts is the peace of mind most businesses appreciate and yearn for.
Working with a team who specializes in Day 2 services brings in a professional outside perspective. The team at Kore-Tek oversees numerous networks to not only make it a point that they stay up, minimizing any downtime or performance issues, but they also apply their knowledge of networks to analyze the data to help you make the right decisions for your future. We aim to help you keep pace with demands in a dynamic technology environment.
Learn more here: https://kore-tek.com/services/