Do you have the need, the need for more speed? Maybe not. Just because your computers include a 1GB card doesn’t mean you need to upgrade your network to accommodate that speed. When designing or upgrading your network, use the 10x rule. Find out more from Jimmy Ray about that rule and other factors you should consider when determining how fast your network needs to be.
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Tags: network, network speed, small business
Eliminate dead spots with the right wireless networking techniques
Most offices have at least one annoying zone, where a weak signal and dropped connections prevent laptops from staying online. A wireless router or access point can send its signal about 300 feet, but obstacles such as walls, ceilings, and even other devices can block the signal or cause interference , creating a dead spot. Whether you’re in the midst of designing your wireless network or you’re wondering how to improve your existing wireless LAN, follow these five steps to eliminate dead spots and improve the wireless coverage in your workspace.
Tags: connection, LAN, network, small business, wireless
Is your office struggling with dropped connections and unexpected network outages? See how our hero Will Wallace overcomes these challenges by switching to the Right Network. The team can now experience the freedom of reliable access and enhanced business productivity from implementing a secure network. Without a doubt, the Right Network changes everything.
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Tags: network, right network, small business, Will Wallace
Until the good times return, it’s likely that you, I and buyers of IT equipment everywhere will continue to look carefully at price labels. That’s the nature of things in these uncertain economic times, right?
Well, maybe not. Before we get carried away with economizing, perhaps we should reflect on the words of the author Josh Billings:
“Economy is a savings-bank, into which men drop pennies, and get dollars in return,” said Billings. In other words, the wise invest now to earn later.
That pretty much sums up the contrasting propositions of the Cisco ‘Next Generation network’ and the H-P ‘Good Enough’ network. With one (H-P), network buyers save a few bucks up front knowing it will cost them more (financially and in terms of capabilities) in the future.
With the other (Cisco), they invest a little more up front, knowing that the future return (and ability to grow with their business) is superior and safeguarded.
The infographic below details exactly what’s at stake.
Cisco HP Networking Total Cost of Ownership Comparison
You can learn more about the real economics of networking in this blog post by Ross Fowler, VP, Cisco Borderless Network Architecture.
Tags: Cisco, HP, infographic, network
Cost always plays a big part in purchase decisions. It’s certainly a factor as I consider buying a new car. As you’re well aware, purchasing a new car isn’t just about the initial cost. In my case, I’m considering reliability, speed (not that I need to go that fast carpooling my kids to school), mileage, and looks to a certain extent. (I just can’t bring myself to drive a minivan.) But what does buying a car have to do with your customers, or IT spending for that matter?
To put it simply, customers often cite initial cost as a big factor in their network decision-making, too. But if they are looking only at CapEx when purchasing new equipment, it’s the same thing as only looking at the initial cost of a car: They’re not seeing the entire picture.
Total cost of ownership, or TCO, is a better metric to assess network cost, because it considers the full impact on IT spend, including CapEx, services, labor, bandwidth, and energy consumption. And TCO is not just a measure of the initial expense, but of how much equipment will cost over its lifetime.
In June 2011, Cisco commissioned a third-party business consulting firm to analyze the true TCO of the network, comparing the quantitative costs of acquisition, support, labor, bandwidth, energy, and product longevity. The firm also assessed qualitative business benefits like network uptime, user productivity, and security.
The quantitative results alone show that a network built on Cisco’s architectural approach can yield up to a 13% better TCO, building a powerful business case for you to take to your customers about why the choice of networking gear matters.
Here are some facts drawn from the findings, which support Cisco’s firm belief that a strategic next-generation Cisco network architecture delivers superior value and lower TCO: Read More »
