New technology is wonderful for organizations. It allows users to be more effective, provides cost savings, and keeps the company ahead of their competitors by allowing them to provide better customer service. Experienced network administrators, however, know that the more capable technology gets the harder it is to keep it running. Managed network services can provide the required support.
Companies know that they have to hire consultants to design, deploy, and train them on new technology. They are also accustomed to paying yearly maintenance for manufacturer’s support on software or hardware. What is normally left to the Information Technology department is the knowledge and capability to know how everything works together. What companies are starting to figure out is that the ongoing support necessitates a higher level of knowledge and experience than internal Information Technology staff typically possess.
That is why there is such a noticeable trend toward hosted IT services. The hosted service providers have a good point in their marketing that it takes advanced skills to operate advanced technology.
What is often not discussed is that having outsourced applications means that a business’s internal network has to be even more reliable and secure while operating at a higher level than ever. It demands a lot of skill and experience to be able to operate today’s advanced LAN’s and WAN’s, especially when they are running converged applications over them like voice and video, while keeping everything secure.
Due to these advanced operational requirements, many businesses are contracting with a managed network service to assist them in maintaining their advanced data networks in optimum working order. It is tempting to turn over the responsibility for the entire network to a big service provider that will promise to handle any issues. Unfortunately, because many of these service providers offer remote support only, when it comes time for design, deployment, or having someone on site for local troubleshooting, they are not able to handle it.
Most organizations would like to work with a local managed network service provider, for many of the same reasons that they use local companies for other services they contract out. To get good quality managed services from local providers, it is best to find out what they specialize in, and inquire if they partner with other local providers for other aspects of support. Another possibility is to contract with a local provider who resells and provides local on site services for a larger service provider.
Think of these local providers as an extension of the organization’s IT staff. Manufacturer support on products is still important. The manufacturer’s support most often includes product upgrades, phone and/or email technical support, and product replacement within either a 4 hour or next business day timeframe. This is an important part of maintaining system uptime.
When evaluating managed network services providers for extended support, check their references with care, make sure all costs, services, and expectations are agreed upon in writing up front. Moreover, make sure there is a clause to cancel the agreement within a reasonable timeframe.
Look at this Cisco managed services description from a managed network services provider.
Tags: cisco, computer, hardware, internet, IT, managed services, network, network services, outsourcing, Security, software, VOIP