Introduction
As a business owner, I understand the importance of having a robust and reliable network infrastructure. However, managing an enterprise network can be complex, time-consuming, and require specialized IT skills. That’s why many organizations are turning to managed network services providers. In this article, I’ll share my experiences and advice for getting the most value from managed network services.
Evaluating Your Needs
The first step is identifying your specific networking needs and requirements. Consider factors like:
- Company size and number of locations
- Applications and services utilized
- Compliance and security regulations
- Budget and resources available
Determining the current limitations or gaps in your infrastructure is key. A managed services provider can assess your existing network and provide recommendations tailored to your business goals. Being clear about objectives and priorities will help guide the process.
Choosing the Right Provider
Not all managed service providers are equal. Here are some key criteria to look for:
- Experience – Preferably expertise working with companies in your industry.
- Technical capabilities – Services offered should align with your needs.
- Security measures – Mature policies, technologies, and protocols to protect your network and data.
- Responsiveness – Timeframes and processes for addressing issues and requests.
- Scalability – Ability to adjust services as your needs change.
- Pricing model – Clearly defined costs and contract terms.
I would suggest evaluating a shortlist of vendors and having detailed discussions to gauge their fit.
Defining the Service Agreement
The service contract outlines the provider’s responsibilities and serves as an SLA (service level agreement). Be sure it includes:
- Covered network components – Firewalls, switches, routers, WiFi, etc.
- Management services – Monitoring, maintenance, troubleshooting, reporting, etc.
- Performance guarantees – Uptime, response times, incident resolution policy.
- Security provisions – Perimeter defense, access controls, compliance.
- Change request process – For adding/updating devices, configurations, policies.
- Ownership of assets – Who owns and manages equipment.
- Contract duration – Initial term and renewal options.
- Pricing breakdown – Recurring fees, one-time costs, overage charges.
Review carefully to ensure the agreement sets clear expectations and delivers the support you need.
Facilitating a Smooth Transition
When bringing on a new managed services provider, proper onboarding helps launch the partnership effectively:
- Inventory network assets – Create a detailed documentation of all devices, configurations, and infrastructure.
- Define escalation procedures – Pathways for resolving technical issues or service requests.
- Schedule knowledge transfer – Educate vendor staff about your environment and processes.
- Establish contacts – List key stakeholders and responsibilities on both sides.
- Review policies and procedures – Incident response, change control, reporting, etc.
- Validate user access – Confirm provider’s access to systems and accounts.
- Test connectivity – Ensure provider can remotely monitor infrastructure.
Careful preparation creates a solid foundation for delivering successful managed services.
Monitoring Performance and Optimization
To get maximum value from the relationship, I recommend ongoing:
- Performance reviews – Periodically evaluate service quality, system uptime, and incident response.
- Technology updates – Keep infrastructure current to address evolving needs.
- Usage optimization – Assess utilization to right-size or adjust services.
- Cost analysis – Identify ways to control or reduce expenses.
- Trend analysis – Collect data on network performance to guide planning.
- Policy review – Update configurations, security controls, maintenance, etc.
Proactively managing the contract will help ensure you fully benefit from their expertise.
Conclusion
With the right managed service provider, you can efficiently scale infrastructure, improve uptime, enhance security, and control costs. Defining business requirements, selecting a trusted vendor, creating a detailed service agreement, facilitating smooth onboarding, and optimizing usage are keys to success. Paying close attention to these considerations will allow you to offload complex network management tasks so you can focus on your core business goals.
