Cisco's Customer Collaboration Solutions Help Customers Offer Better Service, Fill Orders Faster and Realize a Competitive Edge

Cisco\'s Customer Collaboration Solutions Help Customers Offer Better Service, Fill Orders Faster and Realize a Competitive Edge

What is the real cost of a network? Don't be fooled into only looking at the CapEx costs.

When looking to invest in hardware, all too often it is the intial capital expenditure that influences the hardware selection, however, research has shown that this is only a small part of the overall cost of the network.

Cap Ex only rates as 28% of the overall cost of the network.
More importantly, other factors need to be taken into consideration:

Labour Costs - this amounts to a staggering 49% of the overall cost of the network
Bandwidth - 14% of the operating costs of the network comes from connectivity costs
Service/Maintenance - amounts for 8% of the operating costs
Energy - with rapidly rising pricing, the current 1% of the running costs could be on the increase

So what do you need to consider when making your hardware selections?
Labour costs are the greatest factor when considering Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) so it is important to consider how you can reduce the labour required to maintain and operate your network.

1) Look for ways in which you can reduce network management - opt for a converged network with data and voice sharing the same platform reducing administration
2) Opt for hardware that provides scalability, with longer refresh cycles and choose hardware that provides multiple features e.g routing, switching, wireless, security in one box
3) Consider device uptime - highly performing, reliable, up to date devices should be more reliable and reduce the time required for management and issue resolution
4) Opt for highly secure devices - not only will the risk of data breaches and subsequent time and cost considerations be reduced but less money will be required to maintain and manage them
5) Only consider devices that support centralised management, particularly if a multi-sited business. Once you are able to centrally control and update devices, you will save an enormous amount of time and effort.
6) Know your network - if you don't know how your network is set up, what devices you have or what software and warranties are in place you could be looking at a very time consuming task. Increase your network knowledge by carrying out an audit or enlist the services of an external IT provider to audit and document your network. Once you know what you are dealing with you can ensure that your time and money is used wisely.

Top 10 tips to get technology working for you..

Here are 10 tips for using network technology to help your business work more efficiently, cut costs, improve customer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.


Give employees secure, consistent access to information.
You have an advantage over larger competitors because you can react quickly to business changes. But you can quickly lose this edge if your company network is frequently down, sluggish, or unsecured. A secure, reliable network based on intelligent routers and switches lets your employees access the information and tools they need to keep ahead of competitors.

Deliver anytime, anywhere access to employees on the go.
To stay productive on the move, your employees need to be able to reach the people and information they need—anywhere, anytime. With tools like virtual private networks (VPNs), your employees can work outside the office and still enjoy safe access to the business network.

Create effective business processes with partners.
Some large companies make efficient, secure business processes a prerequisite for doing business with them. To meet the business needs of your partners, you need a secure, reliable network.
Make it easy to work together. Smooth collaboration between employees, partners, suppliers, and customers is a sure-fire way to boost efficiency while also reducing costs. An intelligent network lets your business take advantage of interactive calendaring, videoconferencing, unified communications, and other technologies for easy collaboration.

Enable employees to take their phone systems wherever they go.
Missed calls create project delays, wasted opportunities, and lost revenues. With a networked voice and data solution, your employees can have one phone number that rings simultaneously on multiple devices, so customers reach the right person the first time. Your staff can access all their communications from anywhere, checking for e-mail, voicemail, and faxes from just one inbox.

Streamline customer communications.
Delivering fast, knowledgeable service is the best way to keep customers satisfied. Linking your network phone system to a customer relationship management (CRM) solution is a great way to enhance customer communications. When a customer calls, a pop-up window with their records appears on an employee's IP phone screen, computer screen, or both.

Reduce unproductive travel time.
All too often, time spent on the road is time lost. A networked phone solution that offers video calls and Web conferencing can help reduce the time and expense of traveling to offsite meetings and training sessions. Instead of spending time traveling, you can use the time to get work done with technology.

Employ a managed service provider.
Is managing a network the best use of your employees' time? In some situations, it is advantageous to hire a managed service provider for network administration. Working with a managed service provider can free your IT staff to focus on other IT tasks and use their time more effectively.

Improve employee satisfaction.
Aging phone systems and slow networks can frustrate your employees and annoy your customers. In some cases, an employee might become burned out and decide to move on. To help ensure that employees are productive and satisfied, your business needs a secure, reliable, and fast network.

Develop a long-term technology plan.
The process of replacing obsolete hardware can interrupt your employees and bring the office to a standstill. You can minimize such disruptions by carefully determining short-and long-term business objectives and working with your network vendor to deploy technology that matches them.

Taken from the Cisco Small Business Blog