Building out an effective telecommunication and technology infrastructure that meets current needs in the most cost-effective manner possible while providing a base for expansion isn’t an exact science.
You need to account for future changes in the nature of work within your organization and with your partners, customers and suppliers, keeping in mind that working models are becoming more flexible and customer contact is increasing.
You also must consider specific needs, such as security, disaster recovery, technology performance requirements, public/private boundary controls within systems and networks, and critical tools and datasets.
If you underestimate your needs, you could end up needing a complete technology replacement — an expensive proposition. If you overestimate, you may be paying today for services you never actually need.
It’s no wonder that business owners find this a challenging task, especially when so many factors affecting growth are outside of their control.
Smart Business spoke with Kevin Conmy, regional vice president for Comcast Business, about implementing technology infrastructure that is geared for today and ready for tomorrow.
What are some key considerations to planning for growth?
You must first determine your current baselines with existing systems, hardware, software, policies, etc. Then, audit each to see how your infrastructure can serve as a foundation for growth. Plans should include benchmarks that trigger technology upgrades, but there should also be a budget built into the plan to ensure the business has adequate technology to achieve its initial growth targets and increase the chances of hitting those triggers.
Technology tends to get better and less expensive over time, so be careful about purchasing the ‘latest and greatest’ without careful analysis, such as creating a pro-and-con list. You may be surprised by what you really need. There’s a great story about Americans designing a special ‘space pen’ that could write in zero gravity, while the Russians used a pencil.
Remember that technology rarely solves a business problem on its own; it needs to be married to a core business process or user behavior.
How are the cloud and bandwidth affecting these infrastructure plans?
Cloud-based services are changing the game for all aspects of technology infrastructure, including telephony, Internet access and applications — allowing small and midsize business to more easily scale. With each technology system, weigh whether it’s more cost-effective to run services in-house or outsource them as third-party applications hosted externally.
Bandwidth is a key enabler. As users add Wi-Fi, move to cloud apps, stream video and bring devices to work, the demand for bandwidth is escalating exponentially. You need to consider the number of current users accessing your networks and the kinds of applications they are using, as well as the user growth you expect. If employees and customers both need Wi-Fi, you may want separate services so the public Wi-Fi doesn’t affect your private network’s speed.
This is a complex equation; do you have tips for the right approach?
Many companies that have implemented a technology infrastructure geared toward growth recommend that unless a particular technology promises to solve a major pain point, being a little late in adopting a new technology is conservative and smart.
Even with proven technologies and a carefully designed proof of concept, a phased rollout should be planned for any hardware projects. That same approach can be used for software and cloud services, but the phases can be more rapid because of the easier rollout and scalability.
Plans may vary by industry and your business’s circumstances, but it’s typical to buy the most basic package with the greatest flexibility first. Then, as your revenue grows, you can add bandwidth and expand your cloud storage and speed. And as personnel increases, you can implement portability and integration phases. It comes down to tying your selection criteria and implementation approach to your business objectives and the explicit assumptions about where your business and industry are going. ●
Kevin Conmy is regional vice president at Comcast Business. Reach him at (215) 642-6457 or [email protected].
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