Organizations are increasingly realizing their networks are growing in importance. As a result, some companies are determining that an upgrade for their older networks will be necessary in order to meet current and future demands. This article will discuss the three top reasons for performing a network upgrade.

1) Performance

Perhaps the most efficient way to improve a network’s performance is the improvement of LAN performance. Sound architecture will revolve around the deployment of 100-Megabit or Gigabit Ethernet switches with VLAN and Layer 3 capabilities. These network devices are technologies that will be very important for network components like VoIP, which require a greater standard of performance.
Unlike in the past, future networks will not be plug-and-play. Both latency and switching performance are increasingly growing in importance. As a greater number of features become layered upon the IP network, teams will find it more critical to deploy switches and a network core that is capable of supporting the increased workload.

2) Reliability

As organizations begin utilizing unified and multimedia communications over IP, including phones, video, and IM, the reliability of Internet connection from a top-performing, high-quality router will be essential. Its default settings can be adjusted and fine-tuned to effectively control a company’s traffic to the Internet.

3) Security

As traffic will be carried over the same pipeline and traffic will become increasingly unified, ensuring your organization has a dedicated firewall will become increasingly important. There are numerous network devices that are available in the market that feature an integrated firewall and router. In this kind of deployment, the firewall can concentrate on processing various types of traffic and the growing number of cyber threats that are coming over the network.
Alpha Engineering Business Support
Choosing an expert computer technology-support provider is an important decision for your business. Alpha Engineering Associates has been a trusted partner of many companies in the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis areas since 1990 and offer:

• 24/7 Managed Services for Business Computing Systems
• Network and Mobile Computing Support
• Disaster Recovery Planning
• Software Development

For affordable client-focused network consulting services and solutions, please call Alpha Engineering Associates today at (410) 295-9500.