Your network and IT infrastructure are an important part of your daily operations. The more your business grows, the more complex these things become, taking away the visibility you once had into your network. Over time, inefficiencies and security gaps can find their way into your systems, creating bottlenecks and opportunities for hackers. Network Assessments help keep your networks functioning optimally.
What Is a Network Assessment?
Offered by a managed services provider, a network assessment is an in-depth analysis of the components that make up your network. This procedure plays a key role in eliminating issues and aligning your network to your business goals. During the process, a technician uses network assessment tools to take a look at every element of your network and gain a detailed understanding of your IT environment. The information gained from the evaluation tells the technician about the strengths and weaknesses of your network.
The point of a network assessment is to help you get the most out of your IT solutions. Using the data from the assessment, the technician can create and present a plan to improve your network performance and help you find ways to use your resources more effectively. Going through a network assessment can save you from a number of technology headaches.
The Benefits of a Network Assessment
A network assessment can help you uncover and solve common IT problems. This leads to a number of benefits like:
- Better Security
- Cost Savings
- Improved Lifecycle Management
- Elimination of Bottlenecks
- Compliance With Regulations
With these benefits, it’s easy to understand why a network assessment is important for business—but when is the right time for such an intensive analysis?
Signs You Need an Assessment
If you’re wondering whether you need a network assessment, there are a few ways to tell. Infrastructure that needs optimization often provides a variety of warning signs. The sooner you are aware of these warning signs, the faster you can fix your network problems. Here are just a few red flags that suggest your organization is ready for a network assessment:
Frequent Device Failure
Technology isn’t perfect. Your equipment is going to break down for one reason or another, especially as it gets older. However, this isn’t something that should be happening frequently. If you’re constantly calling your IT department to resolve a device failure, then it’s time to dive a little deeper and see if there’s an underlying issue causing your equipment to fail.
Declining Network Speeds
Whether you’re a giant corporation or a small retail store, you need a speedy network that can keep pace with your business. Over time, however, inefficiencies can find their way into your network and slow it down noticeably. If the situation is bad enough, these inefficiencies could even choke your bandwidth and cause your network to crash. A network assessment can easily identify any bottlenecks responsible for slowing down your internet speeds.
Climbing Expenses
The goal of any business is to run as efficiently as possible and strike the ideal balance of spend and profit. To accomplish this, you need to create budgets for the various parts of your company. But a budget only works if you’re able to stay within it.
If your IT budget seems to be getting out of control, that’s a telltale sign you’re not spending as efficiently as you could. A network assessment gives you more visibility into your infrastructure so you can see exactly where your money is going. The more you know about your IT environment, the easier it is to create an accurate budget.
Security Problems
Have you experienced a cyberattack recently, or maybe you’re anxious about the strength of your cybersecurity? If you have any questions about how secure your IT is, then you need a network assessment. The first step in performing a security risk assessment is to recognize that your network isn’t as safe as it should be. Through the assessment, you can uncover any vulnerabilities hiding in your network. Having this information gives you the opportunity to implement fixes that bolster your security posture.
Unclear Direction
As a business owner, you need to have a clear vision for the growth of your organization. IT plays a major role in that growth, but many business owners are unsure of how IT fits into their organizational goals. If this includes you, you probably need an assessment.
Network assessments aren’t just about improving the performance of your network. In addition to improving functionality, a network assessment allows you to create short- and long-term strategies for your IT so you can align your network with your current and future business objectives.
Your Business Is Being Audited
If you operate in retail, finance, healthcare, or other industries subject to strict regulations, you are expected to show proof that you’re staying compliant with those regulations. Proof comes in the form of an audit, often done by a party outside of your organization. If you are expecting to be audited, a network assessment can help you prepare by ensuring your IT meets the set requirements.
Start Your Network Assessment
Net3 IT is an industry-leading managed services provider located in Knoxville, Tennessee. We specialize in helping clients overcome their IT challenges. If you suspect there is anything wrong with your network, we can perform a network assessment. Our assessments are designed to uncover issues and help you bring out the full potential of your network.
Contact us today to learn more about our network assessment services.
