Professional Computer Network Management Services
Your computer network is the lifeblood of your business. Everything flows through the network. The internal flow is occupied by reports, databases, resource management, and shared project files. The external flow includes communications, customer service, scheduling, orders, operations, and marketing. In today’s world, businesses don’t have a choice in building an IT network, but you can choose who manages it for you.
Tech companies and large corporations often have a significant internal IT team to manage their networks, but most companies aren’t tech companies and aren’t large enough to arrange a full-scale IT department – even when one is needed. The modern business environment places heavy demands for digital infrastructure and cyber-security on even the smallest companies. But what if your company focus and team expertise isn’t IT? How do small and medium businesses meet the mounting need for technical performance without investing in an onboard IT department?
The answer is network management services. By partnering with a team of IT professionals, you can not only build but also maintain and defend your company’s network, performance, and data at a far more reasonable level of investment than building a department.
What is Network Management?
- Network Infrastructure
- Network Optimization and Performance
- Network Monitoring and Security
Network management is a bundle of services that, together, form everything a business needs to have a strong and well-maintained network. The reason we call it network management instead of network setup or network consulting is because management is continuous. It’s not a “set it and forget it” service like IT outsourcing of the past. We know that modern business networks are part of your living, growing company.
Your network adapts and grows with every software update and company strategy change. New data is stored, new programs are added to your tech stack, and hackers learn new tricks. For these reasons, network management is like outsourcing your IT department instead of hiring a consultant. We’ll not only make sure your network is set up to give your company the best possible performance, but make sure that structure stays secure and optimized month after month, and year after year of business partnership.
Why Network Management is the Solution to the IT Shortage
As the need for IT roles increases, we find not enough admins, techs, and engineers available to take the job. The causes of this shortage are myriad, but the solution is clear.
Outsourced network management and IT services make it possible for tech professionals to form teams that can fill needed IT roles for multiple businesses. With many small businesses in need of well-rounded IT without full-time network demands, the practical answer is to spread the expertise instead of siloing technicians in onboard roles. Network management services make it possible to gain 100% of the IT expertise, engineering and support you need without the hassle, competition, or cost of hiring onboard techs in a high-demand market.
Network Infrastructure
The first stage of network management is building your network infrastructure. We know that a well-managed network starts with a well-built tech stack. We will help you hone your current stack, improve the technology you are using, and ensure every piece works together through expert networking infrastructure.
Integrated Tech Stack
Your tech stack is the unique combination of programs that make up your workflow. Your EMS, CMS, sales platforms, mobile apps, and all other software that your team uses to get the job done must work together in a synergistic stack, sharing data swiftly while maintaining absolute internal security. Network management starts by ensuring your network tech stack is built and working to perfection.
Cybersecurity Measures
Once your tech stack is complete, we will build you a cybersecurity structure designed to defend not just one program, but all your program and network functions together. Modern cybersecurity goes beyond firewalls and virus scanning. We’ll use the latest tools and standards to ensure your data is secure and you are as protected as possible from both automated malware and live hacker cybersecurity attacks.
Network Optimization and Performance
With your infrastructure built and secured, the next step in network management is optimization. Your network should hum with productivity, delivering data and efficiently managing networked projects without lag, delay, or errors. We will fine-tune your network to reduce program performance conflicts, minimize data siloing, then get right down into the bits and bytes, ensuring that every data packet is provisioned in the most efficient way possible. From there, we can smoothly keep your network maintained, updated, and at the cutting-edge of industry performance.
Network Operations
Network operations is live and active network maintenance. We focus on making the network function well on every level, identifying possible issues and resolving them before they have a chance to cause problems, errors, or security breaches for your business.
Network Provisioning
Network provisioning is how we configure the back-end of your network via the modems and routers that direct actual data from one machine or server to the next. We will optimize your network configuration to support your most vital or high-demand processes This is data traffic control, ensuring that your network is both working at optimum capacity and that there will always be an “open lane” for your most important bandwidth demands so that little things like company email or background processes never slow down a stream of data when you need smooth performance the most.
Network Updates
The final piece of network maintenance is regular updates. The software you use likely has a live team, issuing both major version updates and smaller patches for better performance or security within your current version. We’ll keep an eye on opportunities to upgrade and improve your network so you don’t have to. We’ll make sure you’re working with the latest and best versions of your network stack and install the security patches you need to counter the latest wave of malware on the market.
Network Monitoring and Live Network Security
Finally, we will actively benchmark, analyze, and watch your network via Network Monitoring, a method of tracking every technical detail of your hardware and network activity. Network monitoring can observe everything, including your server CPU temperature, data packets moving through the network, and logins to your company software. Live monitoring will allow us to catch network performance issues before they cause company issues and has become the advanced method of catching even the most advanced malware and hacker attacks.
Network Benchmarking
Network monitoring starts with benchmarking. First, we will record your network activity for a period of time to determine what is ‘normal’. How data moves through your network, who logs in at what times, and which files are regularly accessed. From this benchmark, it becomes possible to identify when something is not going according to plan, whether a program is suddenly using too many resources or if unusual and suspicious network access has occurred.
Expert and Automated Monitoring
Network monitoring is then performed both by live experts, keeping an eye on your network performance and optimizing as needed, and by pattern-matching programs that can alert any time network activity strays outside of normal patterns.
Catching Hacks with Behavior Anomaly Detection
While network monitoring has many applications, like performance optimization, it is also your best defense against hidden malware and skilled hacker infiltration. Network monitoring can detect if a virus has begun running off your network resources, even if it is well-hidden in your file system. By watching every port and router in your network, monitoring also detects when suspicious access occurs, like a user logging in from a new and distant location or network access without using an approved login, to catch live hackers in the act.
Network management goes beyond setting up your company computers and answering break-fix calls. We are ready to become your network team or extend the onboard IT you already have to ensure your network is optimized, secured, and managed to the high standards required to operate successfully in your industry. Contact us today to build the network management plan ideal for your business.
