Assessment of Your Network, Is It Time to Switch?

Your IT company should take care of your network. How can you know your IT company is not taking care of the existing network's infrastructure? 

Assessment of Your Network, Is It Time to Switch?

Your IT company should take care of your network. How can you know your IT company is not taking care of the existing network’s infrastructure?

Your network is an integral part of your IT infrastructure. It keeps your computers and other equipment connected to the internet, enabling you to have smooth operations. The network facilitates decision making, helps employees in their tasks, and it supports your staff in serving your clients better.

Network challenges can affect your operations. For example, slow speeds and downtimes can hinder your service delivery. Network challenges can influence your staff’s morale and productivity, as most departments need it to facilitate their activities.

Are you having network challenges? A network assessment can help you analyze your IT security, infrastructure, management, performance, and processes. This in-depth analysis provides valuable information that can inform your decision on whether to change IT companies.

Clients always ask Integrated365 what a network assessment is and whether it can inform them if they need to switch IT companies. Integrated365 provides IT solutions to organizations. This article will help you discover what a network assessment is and if it can tell you whether you need to switch IT companies.

What Is Network Assessment?

A network assessment is a comprehensive analysis and report of your company’s IT infrastructure, security, management, performance, and processes. The evaluation identifies areas for improvement, gives an extensive view of your existing network, and you can use the feedback to make strategic business decisions.

Organizations can conduct network assessments when they realize their IT systems have developed to where one is not sure what is happening everywhere on the network. They may also do it to identify the specific causes of network challenges or to understand their setup before significant configurations.

Managed IT service providers can help you do a network assessment. Most MSPs can help you with it for a small fee. Integrated365 can help you with your network assessment.

When Should You Do a Network Assessment?

It may be time for a network assessment if:

  • Your employees have been complaining about lagging or slow performance.
  • You are scaling or introducing new programs to your network.
  • You are not happy with the lack of documentation of components of your IT setup.
  • You have an upcoming audit.

A network assessment can help you identify areas you can improve and the cause of your problems. It can help you ensure everything works well before an audit or upgrade.

What Does a Network Assessment Cover? A network assessment covers several areas to determine the reliability, health, and security of your system. It covers:

  1. Infrastructure: network assessment evaluates your operating system version, circuits, application types, and other hardware that comprise the design and implementation of the network.
  2. Security: network assessment evaluates all external and internal entry points and vulnerabilities within database servers and programs.
  3. Management: network assessment will analyze the network management strategy, including schedules for maintenance, monitoring, and patching the system.
  4. Performance: network assessment combines all the information collected for a comprehensive analysis of traffic to know availability issues or over-utilization.

Benefits of a Network Assessment: Why should you do a network assessment? Analyzing your network can benefit you.

  • See What Is Going on With Your IT Setup: a comprehensive analysis of your IT infrastructure can help you make informed decisions about system upgrades and maintenance. It can provide accurate evaluations of your IT assets, such as capabilities, weaknesses, and maintenance status. Your team can enhance the useful life of optimal systems and phase out those that do not benefit your company.
  • Develop a Strategic Road Map for Your IT Infrastructure and People: a picture of your IT infrastructure can show opportunities for network simplification, consolidation, automation, and cost reduction. You can progress with a precise plan to a new, software-defined, and virtualized setup. This blueprint frees your IT staff for strategic activities.
  • Improve Your Security: a comprehensive understanding of your networks enables you to protect your IT infrastructure better. You will know how users interact with it and vulnerabilities that attackers can use to infiltrate your system. This awareness empowers you to develop a proactive security strategy that protects your system from external threats and limits end-user vulnerabilities.
  • Uncover Cost-Saving Opportunities: if you provide capacity based on estimated maximum resource requirement, you may have periods when resources lie idle or when they are not enough. A network assessment enables you to design a new setup that may include cloud computing. Cloud technologies allow users to access the capacity they need, which ensures they have support, and you only pay for what your company uses.
  • Identify Protocol Enhancements: a network assessment uncovers vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructure. You can fix these gaps and improve your operations. For example, when your employees access data on a flat network, a breach can spread across your company. A network assessment can help you segment your system, which lessens the attack surface and can facilitate your company’s compliance reporting.

Does Your IT Company Take Care of Your Network?

How can you know whether your IT company is looking after your network?

A network assessment can uncover issues that show your IT company is not taking care of your network. These issues can include:

  • Flaws in the network’s design
  • Complications or breaches that have occurred
  • Sources causing bottlenecks or congestion on your network
  • Life expectancies to catch unsupported hardware
  • Security vulnerabilities caused by software or hardware configurations

If a network assessment uncovers these issues, you may need to switch to an IT company that will take excellent care of your network. Integrated365 provides IT services and managed IT support. We offer reliable, customized, and proactive services.

Integrated365 can help you do a network assessment. Our professionals can help you do a comprehensive analysis of your network and guide you, depending on the report for your network. If the findings reveal your IT company is not looking after your system, we can help you have a successful switch of IT companies.

Are You Ready for a Network Assessment?

Contact us now and let our Dallas IT services team help you with your network assessment.