Businesses rely on IT networks for access to digital
platforms and resources that enable their production and service delivery
processes.  Networks give workers shared
access to useful data, allows them to collaborate on projects, and support
in-house and B2C communication.

In simple terms, these networks are the foundation for the
structure and functioning of many an organization.

That’s why businesses are willing to spend a fair fraction
of their revenues on setting up and maintaining them. One report suggests that companies
across the globe devote up to 7% of their earnings on IT services including
their networks.   

But it’s also true that businesses want to incur lower costs
on these things if such reductions don’t come with a dip in the quality of service.
Leaner costs will give room for wider margins and deeper bottom lines.
Unfortunately, they don’t always know where the cost-reduction opportunities
are. 

This article points out where some of those opportunities
may exist for your business.

Ways to Save Costs on Your Networks

1. Prioritize Network
Surveillance

If you’re not tracking activity
on your networks, you may fail to spot suspicious trends that indicate an
impending breach…until it’s too late. For instance, a
DDoS attack could bring your network down; it would cost you a significant
sum to fix it and get things back to running normally.

There’s also the threat from
malware, which could spread through your network and wreak havoc if not
detected and dealt with early enough.    

You can avoid this needless drain
on your resources by monitoring your network, and watching out for unusual signs.
Sharp increases in incoming traffic often happen in the lead up to a major DDoS
flood. If you can’t reasonably pin such a spike down to something, you’ll want
to take preemptive measures against a possible DDoS strike.        

It’s always a good idea to have
firewalls and antivirus programs up, to fend off malicious intrusions. 

2. Ask Questions About Service Fees

Unless you’re already steeped in the technicalities of
networks, you’ll be tempted to go with anything your network solutions provider
tells you.

Don’t take this approach. There may be costs within the
entire service package that you could forego if you discuss it with the
provider. This is the case with service bundles, a situation in which the
service firm offers you a range of things in one package. By asking questions,
you could spot items in the package that you could either drop (or not pay
for), or renegotiate.  

3. Evaluate Your
Vendor Regularly

Even if you’ve done your due diligence before signing up
with a particular vendor, you should continue to look at their offerings to see
if you can get more out of it. There may be things you missed earlier that you
become aware of when you use their service for an extended period. 

By regularly comparing your vendor with available
alternatives, you’ll know whether you’re getting fair service for your money,
or if there are better alternatives you can try out. And if the firm handling
your network issues knows that you’re up to date with what the market has to
offer, they may be less inclined to raise their rates without good reason.

4. Spend to Improve
Application Performance

In the end, you’re spending on your network to make your
applications work better for you and your team. Have this in mind when you
prospect for vendors or solutions. Thinking this way will help you define your
goals more clearly.   

This should also a basis for evaluating the success of your
vendor’s service. Team members who rely on the applications on your network
shouldn’t have trouble with downtimes and preventable disruptions. If their
need for reliable access isn’t being met often enough, you’re not getting value
for your money. It could also result in real, negative consequences for your
company’s performance.

5. Invest In Your
Team

You could tick all the technical boxes, but fail to keep
network costs down. One reason this could happen is that your IT department
isn’t motivated enough to maintain your infrastructure (including your
network). If they aren’t, they probably won’t give their best. The demoralized
staff could let their guard down and allow a lot of waste, even without
intending it.

The solution here isn’t necessarily pecuniary (although
incentives in this class count). By simply recognizing the work your technical
team does, you could raise their morale and willingness to do more quality
work.

Training is important too. If there are courses that will help
your IT team improve, you should consider letting your team take them.    

Your aim should be to keep your technical team at top level
productivity so that they continue spotting and plugging potential
cost-draining faults in your networks.

6. Plan for Growth

It’s easy to get stuck with handling present concerns and
forget the long term. But without planning for future growth, you may get
caught unaware by increased traffic and the demand for expanded capacity that
it makes. In such situations, you’re less able to properly consider your
options before spending. Overspending becomes very likely.

You will want to plan for things like greater
bandwidth and more hardware, just in case your company grows faster than
you anticipate. When you know how much of these things you will need for each
level of growth, you can also tell how much you should spend on your networks
when you need them.

Final Words

Taken together, the steps we have discussed here can help
you drive down the costs you incur on maintaining your networks.

While you work at your end to balance higher
quality network performance and lower (or stable) network costs, you’ll
prefer that your service provider gives you service that’s worth your money. If
their offerings aren’t doing this, your cost-reduction efforts may still prove
futile.

At Layer3, we are keen on
delivering full value to our clients, whatever their network needs may be. Our
network solutions are enabling businesses across Nigeria to access useful
resources, support their teams’ collaborative work, and consistently deliver
high-grade service to their own customers.

We understand that networks should be cost-effective and
drive enterprise growth. Our products are tailored to make this happen.

If you would like to find how to make the most of your
business’s network, click here.