Your communications network sustains the flow of information in your organisation, and so how it is implemented and maintained is of critical importance to your business.
While the initial infrastructure and capabilities of a network are of primary concern and often dominate decision making, considering all phases of installation and management can help ensure a smooth operator and user experience and reduce the potential for future issues.
Why do I need a managed service agreement?
When investing in a new network it makes sense to have expert consultation for the selection and installation process, and a provision in place for the maintenance and repair of that network.
The primary benefit of a managed service approach to communications infrastructure is peace of mind for you and your staff in the field. Not only will this approach ensure that you get the best technology for your needs, whether it be infrastructure focused on supporting voice or data communications, it will also ensure engineers fully integrate the new technology into your existing systems, and gain an understanding of your network that will assist with ongoing support requirements.
What does a managed service contract involve?
When it comes to designing communications networks there is no off the shelf solution. Whether you need voice, data or a unified communications network combining both, every network is different and should be designed to accommodate specific business needs. Similarly, the ongoing service aspects of a managed service contract should be tailored for your requirements too. There are three key areas to focus on. These are:
- Consultation
Possibly the most important stage of a managed service agreement is the initial consultation. This is a chance to assess existing communications channels against your needs and review what technology and network infrastructure would best suit your organisation. This is where you can lay out your objectives and strategic goals for now and the future, and work with consultants to determine the required capabilities of your network. There will often be a number of different pathways available and a technology agnostic approach is crucial to ensuring you are left with an application rich network. This might involve the use of a gateway, for example, that combines typical radio functionality, such as network resilience, with advanced data driven features, such as email messaging. - Installation
The installation process associated with a mission critical communications network can be complex. Effective planning and management is key to ensuring your project is brought in on time and on budget. Facilitating a seamless changeover as well as anticipating any potential pain points is key to being able to minimise disruption too. A managed service agreement can help anticipate issues and ensure network development is handled smoothly at all stages. - Ongoing monitoring and support
After your new technology has been installed and integrated into your business a managed service agreement will ensure you have access to a bespoke package of ongoing maintenance and support services. This means that you can focus monitoring on the areas of greatest risk or concern and can request regular maintenance checks, updates, and access to a 24/7 emergency callout for serious issues.
As providers of mission critical communications networks and technology, we have helped a huge range of businesses and public sector organisations implement best in breed technology to fulfil their communications requirements. Find out more about our managed service approach here.
