7 Advantages of a Professional Network Assessment for your Business

As your business grows, so does your network. However, as your network becomes more extensive, it can be impossible to keep track of its security, performance, and processes. For this reason, a professional network assessment is essential for your business.

A network assessment is a comprehensive look or a thorough review of your company’s network, including its infrastructure, performance, procedures, management, and processes. It can make a difference in developing a robust cybersecurity strategy and creating strategic business decisions when done regularly.

Unfortunately, not all businesses recognize the value of network assessments due to a tight budget. Although it’s an extra expense, investing in a professional network assessment can benefit your business and may give you a competitive edge. If you’re unsure about it, ask for professional help, or if your business is operating within the area, you may click here for Boston IT consulting services to learn more about network assessment.

If you’ve decided to consider a professional network assessment for your business, here are the benefits you can enjoy:

Determines your Network’s Shortcomings and Capabilities

One of the ways to improve your company’s network is to understand the ins and outs of how it works. Evaluating your existing information technology (IT) processes, security, infrastructure, and performance can provide insights into your network’s weaknesses and strengths. It enables administrators to make necessary changes to tighten IT security and improve efficiency.

Suppose your network has several issues with capacity, speed, and coverage. In that case, a professional assessment can inform you what apps, devices, or users are utilizing the most bandwidth, and which parts of the network require changes. Moreover, if your business experiences traffic problems, there are probably pockets of user density, which can be mitigated and identified.

Helps you Avoid Fines and Ensure Compliance

If you’re working in an industry with stringent regulations, it’s crucial to keep your technology compliant. A professional network assessment may uncover areas with compliance problems that you didn’t know existed. It enables you to proactively address them before facing penalties or censure.

Improves your Network Security

It’s challenging to fight against cyber threats without getting insights into your network’s functions. With a reliable network assessment from industry experts, you’ll be able to uncover everything about your network, allowing you to develop a preventive and proactive security strategy. Remember, the best and well-planned security strategy protects your business against end-user vulnerabilities and global threats.

Locates Potential Network Bottlenecks

A network bottleneck can be due to several problems. One of these is processes and applications that require significant bandwidth, like running network updates and downloading large files. Such tasks significantly reduce efficiencies, and adding more bandwidth isn’t always helpful. A professional network assessment is the most efficient way to rectify and locate network bottlenecks.

A network assessment works by determining incompatible software, outdated servers, poor Wi-Fi infrastructure, or slow devices. Improving such aspects of your network can ultimately enhance your workforce’s productivity and limit network bottlenecks.

Streamlines New Technology Implementation

If you’re planning to replace your company’s current hardware or migrate to the cloud, you may benefit from conducting a professional network assessment first. It helps you understand the potential issues and advantages that may arise before making necessary changes to your network.

For instance, if you want to migrate to cloud-based software or servers, you have to know what your existing network traffic looks like before implementing a new system. This will help you know whether or not you need to change anything with your bandwidth.

Uncovers Cost-Savings Potential

When it comes to the traditional computing environment, capacity is often provisioned based on the average peak resource requirements. It leads to periods where costly resources are left idle and some instances where capacity isn’t enough.

A professional network assessment opens doors to designing new network architecture, including cloud computing. Using the cloud, it’s possible to access as little or as much capacity as you dynamically scale and need to meet the actual demand, enabling you to pay for what you use only.

Allows you to Develop a Strategic Road Map

Once you gain better visibility of the current state of your company’s network, your team can quickly perform network automation, consolidation, and modification. This way, your business can operate with a clear road map to a virtualized and modern infrastructure.

It also frees up your team to focus on strategic activities. Plus, it’ll allow your employees to work on value-added tasks without dealing with headaches from administrative tasks and backups.

When to Consider a Professional Network Assessment?

Businesses may consider a professional network assessment depending on the circumstances, but it should be done at least once a year. For example, before a massive roll-out that’ll change your network structure, you might want to get a network assessment from professionals.

You can also opt for a network assessment to update compliance. It’ll help you realize and know where you need to improve security and make improvements to stay on top of the necessary regulations.

Conclusion

Your network changes constantly, and it isn’t something you should take for granted. Investing in a professional network assessment, it can help ensure your network’s safety and security from vulnerabilities and cyber threats. It may also allow your business to align your IT systems with your strategy and goals, ensuring optimal network performance in the long run.