Branch policies and governance
IT staffs have been working on branch policies and governance for the past two years. In doing so, they identify which technologies, products, and vendors are on the “approved” list for specific locations and/or geographies.
All-in-one devices, those that include routing, switching, security, wireless access and potentially voice communications in a single device, have won support among about 38% of IT staffs, who are either using or planning to use the products. The benefit of all-in-one devices is reduced space requirements in the wiring closets, reduced installation time, and limited staff expertise requirements. The disadvantage is vendor lock-in—companies may not have the greatest expertise across the entire spectrum of functionality. An all-in-one box may or may not be the right choice, but regardless, organizations should define standard configurations and stick with them.
