Monday, July 26, 2010

Cost-effective Network Management: Its Characteristics And Features

With the advent of Information Technology in business came the feature of business automation. Automation not only within one's own sphere of work or operation, but in synchronisation with operations outside the local sphere also. This gave rise to networks. To manage individual networks as an integrated entity came in Network Management and nothing on earth this day is worth if it not be cost effective. We therefore end up with Cost-effective Network Management as a necessity for the day's activity. A network comprises of individual objects, both hardware component and the application or software component. The plethora of objects that make up a network is to be experienced to be believed. A network administrator's job is never a post of envy but one that poses the administrator with problems uncanny. When called upon with a problem being experienced by a customer at some remote location the first necessity that the network manager requires is the visual picture of the complete network.

Volatile is the market and so is the functioning of a business house to cater for these market changes. The network being used by the business house in turn also faces a rapidly changing scenario. The network map drawn on the hard board one day would turn, out of place, in a few days span.

A tool that would continuously check the network and be able to report the current status of the network along with its breakdown components becomes mandatory for a network manager for his or her functioning. The network manager also uses this tool to manage the components from the remote location..

One such class of software which provides the various programs that are running across a network as well as the networks hierarchical view is called Managed Services Provider programs (MSP). There are some MSP which do not need any user intervention and called fully automated MSP and there are others which need human intervention at each step. There are MSP which are a mix of these two also. The Network manager's availability and capability would decide which MSP be best suited for a client. The software solution for managing networks accrues high cost saving to the business house. Instead of separate network managers managing every individual network, it could be substituted by just one network manager sitting at one location with this tool to manage the entire network.

The power and ability of MSP software is judged mainly by the reporting capability of the software and by the view spectrum of the entire network that this MSP software is able to project. However there are various other factors and features that each individual company would indicate in their product manifesto. Features like ease of deploying the MSP software itself across the entire network. The demand for system resources that the software be inherent with. For increased profit margins a cost-effective network management system is a deciding issue to any business house. This is especially so given the 'e' factor that has attached itself in every facet of a business in today's world. A Managed Service Provider is capable of bringing down price incurred by the business house in network management, in turn assuring increased profit margin to the business house. It could therefore be concluded that MSP is a cost-effective tool.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

How Companies Find Cost-Effective Network Management

 

Managed Service Providers are the modern corporation's way of maintaining cost-effective network management in today's technological, information-based era. These systems alleviate the need for micro-management by the company over the details of computer and network efficiency, and service anything that needs fixing, reporting, or eliminating for better profit. Activity Monitoring- One of the most common and underrated means of losing revenue is through the slacking of employees during working hours. MSP can catch any violations of company code when there are accesses to such places as video streaming or chat sites so supervisors may take a more serious look. Complete System Diagnoses- Any and all performance flaws will be caught and reported by cutting edge software, and come with suggestions and fixes to keep business operating smoothly. By keeping applications, databases, and internal information as tightly packed and clean as possible, MSPs ensure all computers in the systems run at top speed. The software digs deep into the system, checking constantly against all known history of activity, to find and fix the initial cause of the problem. Parameters- Business leaders can edit the flood gates of their network as much as they like using MSP software. Stricter boundaries can be placed around access into the database, emails, and outside networks. Likewise, very loose parameter can be set to allow for greater freedom through the database and the internet, such as may suit smaller or more media driven companies.

Organized Reports- On regular intervals, data from each computer in the network, and the overall processes of the network itself are gathered into easily read charts and lists for the company head to view. It displays patterns that may need further investigation and attention by keeping track of connection speeds, access history, malfunctions, and changes in the system.

Data Storage- In the event of a total system crash, almost everything a company has accomplished on its networks could be erased. MSPs take that fear of loss away by constantly backing up the accumulating data on every computer in the system, and storing it in its own network location for safe keeping. This can also be used to free hard-drive memory and processing speed by storing old, archival data for a company that does not need constant accessing.

Baseline Adaptability- Like a sentient guardian of the system, MSPs posses the ability to literally learn the basics of normal company behavior and accessing. This makes the software less inclined to raise red flags about usual activity, and makes it adaptable to new norms as well. Adaptability eliminates a great deal of programming responsibility from the company mainframe, and saves plenty of precious time.

Business Made Simpler-MSP software makes for cost-effective network management like never before, by bringing together all of the control over a massive system, and the streamlined presentation of reports and information. Time and money wasting expenditures can be discovered and eliminated faster then ever by watching the patterns of functionality, and MSP fixes of application error. Profits could be greater than ever with this technological advancement, and no business should go without.