These days building and maintaining an efficient business requires a growing emphasis on the technology that powers your people. Speed, collaboration and connectivity reign supreme in the modern global economy. In order to achieve best practices and maintain a level playing field with your competition, you must always be on the lookout for ways to empower your employees to work smarter. Any modern business without a technology plan is destined to reduce their competitive edge and under perform the potential of their human capital.
The advent of the global economy and the age of the internet requires a proactive plan to get your employees connected to the web and connecting to each other. While IT departments spend much of their time and budget on personal computer equipment, choosing your company’s network hardware infrastructure is a critical business decision.
When planning your network infrastructure always consider how employees will share access, what type of records you would like to maintain, what type of flexibility your company demands such as wireless access and how you plan to incorporate peripherals. Your network hardware and configuration are the key elements to driving employee collaboration and connectivity.
Price and performance are two key metrics that should dictate where you begin your search. The current market for network hardware contains a wide variety of manufacturers including Cisco, Juniper, Extreme, Foundry and more. New systems from the top manufacturers can provide incredible performance and security, but they can also be expensive. If you want a balance of top performance and price look for vendors of refurbished network equipment. Many companies specialize in providing price-conscience businesses with brand-name network equipment like used cisco.
Remember, when you begin the process of buying network hardware, keep your eyes open and look for the option that suits your company best. If the company is selling pre-owned equipment always examine the level of additional services and support they offer. If you are in the market for new equipment, make sure you choose a manufacturer with a good reputation. Whatever your decision may be, keep your company’s best interest in mind and you are sure to succeed.