Let’s journey a bit into the past, just before Wireless LAN
became commonplace.

At that time, business offices had computers linked to a
local network by a mass of cables. The connections were untidy; internet access
could get disrupted by twisted or disconnected lines, and there were only a
small number of network access points available.

Then Wireless LAN arrived. And the large stream of cables
littering our office floors has slowly shrunk away.

Today, numerous computers can connect to a localized
network, without ‘hooking up’ with physical wires. Employees within a company’s
premises can also have their smartphones linked to their network.

Instead of sending and receiving data over cables, users can
now do these things through invisible radio waves.

The Benefits of
Wireless LAN

Tidier office spaces are not the only advantage that comes
with Wireless LAN. Here are some other benefits that users of WLAN enjoy over
older alternatives.

•It’s relatively easy to install

•Allows mobility over wider areas

•Enables easier scalability, as scaling doesn’t involve more
cabling.

•Reduces the cost associated with installing and repairing wired
LAN infrastructure.

What is
Managed Wireless LAN?

Managed Wireless LAN is a service offered by IT service providers.
It involves organizations outsourcing the set up and management of their
Wireless LAN to a service provider that has expertise in maintaining such
infrastructure.

This service exists because many businesses can’t take care of
their WLANs on their own. They already struggle with overstretched IT teams and
are devoting significant resources to other internal concerns. Such
establishments will not want more responsibilities piled on their tech
departments.

So they transfer the responsibility of managing the Wireless LAN
to a managed
service provider, which oversees and maintains the WLAN
ecosystem remotely.

But these managed service providers don’t just take care of user
access. They are often involved in the whole journey to putting up the WLAN,
and the other things that happen thereafter. This includes surveying the
proposed location for the network, planning and designing the setup, deploying,
and fixing problems that may arise.

The
Advantages of a Managed Wireless LAN

We have already mentioned one reason why you’d want a managed
WLAN: to lessen the workload on your IT teams. That’s something that managed
services can help you achieve, even for other aspects of your organization’s
IT.

There are other reasons why you may need an expert firm to manage
your Wireless LAN:

1. Growing
Use of the Internet

We are using the internet a lot more these days. Forecasters say
this trend will continue, as we warm up to virtual meetings and the Internet of
Things (IoT).

Offices will have larger volumes of data passing through their
expanding networks—and fewer companies will be able to take care of these
things without some help from specialized IT firms.

But this isn’t just a prediction for the future. It’s already
happening. And that’s why more organizations are hiring third-party firms to
manage their WLANs.

2. More
Users and Devices

The number of users and varieties of devices that on-premise
networks can take has grown over time. WLAN pushes the limit well beyond what
wired LAN allows. This has been helped in recent times by the rise of the Bring
Your Own Device (BYOD) rule.

It means that there’s plenty to track, and (potentially) not
enough people to do the watching in-house. On the other hand, outsourcing the
monitoring and repairs to a specialized service provider could ensure that
there are expert eyes on the networks.

3. Freer
IT Teams

When you outsource the management of your WLAN to a qualified services
provider, you relieve your IT staff of a big burden. They will be free to focus
on your core IT issues, and produce better quality results at work. This could
benefit your company as a whole.

Does Your
Business Need Managed Wireless LAN?

There are several good reasons to hire a managed services provider
to take care of your networks. But should you?

Here are some questions you should consider before making a
decision:

•Do You Need Centralized
Management for Your WLANs?

If your company has several offices and you want them to be
managed from a single central dashboard, a managed WLAN may be right for you.
It will cut out the need to travel long distances just to fix an issue with the
networks in particular branches.

•Would You Like a More
Cost-Effective WLAN Solution?

You may not have enough network management expertise in-house to
help your organization use it cost-effectively. When the right working
knowledge is available, you could maximize your network resource use and spend
far less in the process.

A managed services provider could apply that sort of knowledge to
enable your WLAN ecosystem to run in a way that makes the most of your
resources.

•Is Network Security a
Priority for You?

Network security should be a priority for everyone who uses WLAN.
But if you’re not satisfied with your internal security arrangements, you can
ask third party firms with the appropriate capabilities to oversee this on your
behalf.

•Do You Want Dedicated
Monitoring and Reporting on Your Networks?

Your IT department may not have the time or resources to keep a
detailed record of your network activity. This limited tracking and record-keeping
could leave gaps unattended to, and increase your networks’ security risks.

•Would You Like Immediately
Accessible Technical Support?

Managed services providers offer their clients technical support,
including troubleshooting and operations advice.

Quality
Managed Wireless LAN: How Layer3 Can Help

Layer3 is helping
businesses in Nigeria transit to more secure Wireless LAN. For over 14 years,
it has served organizations with first-rate IT products, including managed services
that take a lot of burden off its clients’ IT teams.

Layer3’s managed WLAN service covers:

•Site surveys, designs, installation, and ongoing management of
the WLAN

•Remote monitoring and fixing problems

•Reporting on network
utilization and performance

•The option of an on-premise or hosted controller (the controller
allows wireless devices to connect to the network).

We work with client businesses to ensure that their wireless
networks are secure, efficient, and able to support organizational growth.

If you would like to find out more about our managed Wireless LAN,
click here to contact us.