Tips on Creating an Expandable Network Infrastructure

One thing we can be sure of – change. Businesses come, go and expand. The overall economy runs in fairly predictable cycles - some good, some damaging. With the advent of information technology, most businesses must get on board. From data creation and storage to sales transactions, an increasing number of business operations are taking place on-line. As a result, it is essential that a business plan for and anticipate that its network needs will grow. What is the best way to ensure that your network will be able to handle future growth? 1. Long-term thinking in system design and selection: The question to ask when selecting a network infrastructure is “How quick and easy is it to expand?” This will require selecting a server rack that has an expansion plan and flexibility. Often times, companies will run into problems like finding a server rack that can be supplemented with additional capacity and applications or one that can handle the expansion of additional servers. In other words, the specific plan for enlarging your system should be defined before choosing a server rack. The operational term is scalability – can the system efficiently be modified to meet increasing needs? 2. Don’t always seek lowest initial cost: While the cost to purchase and install a system should be considered, you must also consider the long-term costs. For instance, you may find a specific solution that provides an acceptable cost for number of users or number of transactions. However, consider the unit cost for expanding the size of the infrastructure. Costs to expand may escalate out of proportion with a low initial expense. Thus, look at not only initial, but long-term costs to enlarge the system capabilities. 3. Plan for expanding tech support: As system requirements grow, it is essential to anticipate changing tech support needs. Computer problems result in downtime, which translates into lost productivity and revenue. How do you plan to adapt to changing system requirements? This may require upgrading staff professionalism or maybe even outsourcing work to specialists. One size may not fit all circumstances. The overall guideline is to anticipate how the network infrastructure will change. The least efficient and costly way to grow a company is to replace hardware and software. Your goal, from both a cost and productivity standpoint, is to plan for system changes. While predicting the future of technology is difficult, failure to think and plan ahead can be costly. Getting the best advice, either in house or with an external consultant is essential in navigating your current and future network needs.