Building an organization network architecture
Businesses today run on technology—and the strategies that drive the selection, design, and implementation of that technology must be spot-on. For businesses of nearly any size, success or failure rests largely on the performance and reliability of the network. To thrive in a competitive environment, your business deserves nothing less than a network architecture that’s designed for your business’ unique needs.
Network architecture is the design of a computer network. It is a framework for the specification of a network’s physical components and their functional organization and configuration, its operational principles and procedures, as well as communication protocols used.
Key to network architecture design: understand the needs of the business upfront
As with most complex technologies, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to networking. The needs and resources of each unique organization will correlate to a different set of networking solutions. This means that an individual or team that knows their organization and the relevant options will need to carefully consider the situation and determine the optimal network design for their situation.
This includes identifying the specific business application software that will run your business. Software dictates all technology decisions that follow. For example, if you start talking about hardware first, you risk purchasing too much or too little equipment, or worse, something that won’t work at all.
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Types of network architecture: Cloud vs. On-Premise operations
The modern software buyer will find dozens, if not hundreds, of different solutions in almost every category of business IT. As mentioned, no software is one-size-fits-all, so the key is to know what you should be considering during the research phase.
Your priorities will vary depending on what industry you’re in and the nature of your data and workflows. One decision that’s vital across every line of business is choosing between on-premise or cloud-based software.
There are plenty of solid arguments on both sides of the fence, so it can be difficult to decide. Maybe you’re attracted to the versatility of mobile access, but concerned about data privacy and security. Or maybe you prefer a desktop-based system, but can’t afford a massive capital expenditure. Learn more about some key areas to consider.
High quality Internet service
Internet is the lifeblood of contemporary business, and it’s hard to imagine how a business could run its operations efficiently without an Internet connection. Today’s organizations rely on Internet connectivity to communicate internally with employees and externally with customers and partners.
Whether you opt for an on-premises or Cloud strategy, your business and your people depend on an Internet connection that is fast and reliable. Without a reliable data connection, your entire business can come to a hard stop – including your sales, customer relationship management, and business profits.
Develop and deploy a data protection and disaster recovery strategy
Data protection and DR services are insurance policies for human error and attacks from hackers. Ask yourself, how often do I need to have my data backed up? Once every hour? The answers to this question often depends entirely on your the requirements of your business and what you consider to be mission critical to your business. Different applications can have different data protection and DR schedules depending on their importance to you.
Servers, folders, and files should be backed up locally and offsite at least daily. They should be encrypted at rest and in transmission. In a disaster, how long can you afford the network to be offline? Make sure your plan addresses and specifies these things.
Properly secure your network
Properly securing your computer network is more critical than ever before. And it’s definitely not something you should tackle on your own. Cybercrime is increasing exponentially, and the tactics hackers use are much more sophisticated than in years past.
Without the right solutions and control measures, your business is under constant threat of a security breach. And if you think your business is at low risk of a cyberattack because it’s too small for cybercriminals to notice, it’s time to change your thinking.
Work with an established expert to provide ongoing support
Establishing or adopting a method of monitoring network activity is essential to ensuring the continuing success of your company and the security of your organization’s information. This requires solutions that can automatically detect and respond to threats and performance issues in real time, as well as predict possible issues in the future.
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If you’re looking for network infrastructure design and implementation for your business, request a network assessment to get started.
About Plow Networks
Plow Networks is a leading IT services provider, connecting businesses to technology since 2012. With deep expertise in network, cloud, and end user support services, we partner with clients to leverage technology in ways that simplify operations and fuel growth. Plow Networks is based in Brentwood, Tenn.
