Strengthening your core with network infrastructure upgrades

Many organizations are cautious when investing in anything new -- especially technology. Familiarity often leads companies to stick with what they know or have always used. Holding on to the past, however, can be costly. Stepping out of your comfort zone is crucial if you want your IT department, and your organization as a whole, to stay competitive in today's business world.

One of the most common changes organizations make in their IT infrastructure is an upgrade of their network infrastructure. While a complete overhaul is no easy feat, the benefits are often worth the investment, increasing both efficiencies and capabilities within the IT department.

REPORT: No single-vendor networks for you

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Many organizations are cautious when investing in anything new -- especially technology. Familiarity often leads companies to stick with what they know or have always used. Holding on to the past, however, can be costly. Stepping out of your comfort zone is crucial if you want your IT department, and your organization as a whole, to stay competitive in today's business world.

One of the most common changes organizations make in their IT infrastructure is an upgrade of their network infrastructure. While a complete overhaul is no easy feat, the benefits are often worth the investment, increasing both efficiencies and capabilities within the IT department.

REPORT: No single-vendor networks for you

In most cases, there are two reasons why organizations decide to upgrade or overhaul their network infrastructure:

➢ The business is expanding. Many businesses start small, both in numbers and in budget, and purchase basic IT equipment in the beginning to get off the ground. As they begin to expand, they realize their current network no longer fully supports their evolving needs.

➢ The need to consolidate space and data. Whether an organization is downsizing or just trying to cut costs, virtualization is often a critical step in the consolidation process. Virtualization, however, drives significant increases in IT network traffic, and many organizations lack the network capacity to support virtualization. As a result, they have to upgrade their network infrastructure before implementing newer technologies like desktop or server virtualization.

Not all IT budgets are capable of absorbing the cost for such an upgrade. Understanding your budget and network needs is critical before moving forward. Establishing expectations up front enables businesses to determine what they can actually afford and prioritize accordingly. No matter your business's situation, consider the following best practices before you make the move.

Networking

Establishing and maintaining reliable connections is critical to the success of any business. While some may opt for wireless over cabling due to purchase and installation cost advantages, it is not always the best solution. A wireless router can be an easy fix, but its total bandwidth is limited, making it unreliable for organizations that require high bandwidth.

Ideally, organizations would either use Ethernet or wire the network through their data center. For those who want to stick with wireless, investing in 802.11n routers is the best option, because this standard allows for more throughput than the older 802.11b or 802.11g standards. 802.11n is intrinsically faster and it works on two different frequencies, enabling greater throughput when used efficiently.

Most businesses reach a point when they need to move their computing technology to the next level. Whether that means upgrading the internal network or investing in a larger Internet pipeline, procuring the right level of Internet service for growing businesses is essential. Keep in mind that growing businesses will likely require more bandwidth and a more comprehensive network to account for increased network traffic.