Operating a small- to medium-sized enterprise poses many challenges, one of the most notable being stiff competition. If a company is to compete and thrive in a predominately digitised business world, robust and scalable IT network solutions are crucial. Ensuring one adopts the proper network infrastructure will ensure its smooth operation and provide the necessary scalability to cater to future growth while enabling the system to adapt to new and innovative technologies.
That said, choosing the most suitable network installation from the many available options can pose a few challenges. The following guidelines will list and explain the key considerations for SMEs when evaluating those options and thus help them to make more informed decisions.
Meeting Core Business Needs with Network Solutions
Before delving into the technical details of a network, you must decide what you want from it. What are your specific business needs? How big is your business, and how many people does it employ? The networking requirements for a small consulting firm with three or four personnel operating from a single office will differ substantially from those of a retailer with multiple outlets and several hundred employees. It will, therefore, help to begin by asking yourself these questions:
- How many connected devices must the network support?
- What kind of data will be shared? For example, sensitive client details or large multimedia files.
- Must the network support remote access for staff on the move?
- How much downtime is acceptable?
The answers to these questions will help the engineer understand your core network requirements, but this is only the first step.
Effective Network Solutions Should Cater to Future Needs
Scalability is one of the most crucial factors when setting up IT network solutions. What may work today could become inadequate as your business grows and employs more people, and your network must support additional devices. The following considerations are essential to future-proof your network:
- Bandwidth: The chosen system must support easy bandwidth upgrades without major infrastructure modifications.
- Modularity: All hardware and software should support modular expansion so new components can be added without disrupting existing network operations.
- Cloud Integration: This is an optional extra, but it can also offer a business some significant benefits. By integrating with facilities like Amazon Web Services (AWS) for a modest fee, a company can use its online facilities for expansion without the need for costly investment in additional hardware.
- Security: Digital technology proved invaluable for streamlining business operations and simplifying many aspects of our daily lives. However, IT network solutions are also a target for cyber-attacks, so network security must be a priority for SMEs, particularly if they store sensitive third-party data. Interns of the Data Protection Act, a data breach resulting from inadequate security measures, could incur significant financial loss and legal action. The chosen network should include the following:
- A firewall with intrusion detection and prevention capabilities
- Encryption of data in transit and at restRobust access control measures, including multi-factor authentication, role-based access control, and network segmentation, to ensure only authorised personnel have access to critical network resources
- Choose IT network solutions that provide regular security updates and patches to ensure protection against emerging cyber threats.
The importance of security can never be overstated. Investing in a system with comprehensive security features and staying informed about the latest cyber threats and best countermeasures is vital.
Where to Source Tried-and-Tested Network Solutions
CCI Technologies is a leading South African provider of connectivity solutions with almost 40 years of experience in providing robust networking solutions for businesses of all sizes. We are more than a hardware supplier; we partner with our clients throughout the planning, installation, and testing phases and beyond to ensure ongoing optimum performance and business benefits. Contact us and let’s design the perfect network solution for your business.
