Modernize the Network
Merely replacing yesterday’s equipment will not prepare your network to meet the needs of tomorrow.
- Business units, functions, and processes are inextricably intertwined with less and less tolerance for downtime.
- Business demands change rapidly but the refresh horizon for infrastructure remains 5-7 years.
- The number of endpoint devices the network is expected to support is growing geometrically but historic capacity planning grew linearly.
- The business is unable to clearly define requirements, paralyzing planning.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Build for your needs. Don’t fall into the trap of assuming what works for your neighbor, your peer, or your competitor will work for you.
- Deliver on what your business knows it needs as well as what it doesn’t yet know it needs. Business leaders have business vision, but this vision won’t directly demand the required network capabilities to enable the business. This is where you come in.
- Modern technologies are hampered by vintage processes. New technologies demand new ways of accomplishing old tasks.
Impact and Result
- Use a systematic approach to document all stakeholder needs and rely on the network technical staff to translate those needs into design constraints, use cases, features, and management practices.
- Spend only on those emerging technologies that deliver features offering direct benefits to specific business goals and IT needs.
- Solidify the business case for your network modernization project by demonstrating and quantifying the hard dollar value it provides to the business.
Member Testimonials
After each Info-Tech experience, we ask our members to quantify the real-time savings, monetary impact, and project improvements our research helped them achieve. See our top member experiences for this blueprint and what our clients have to say.
9.0/10
Overall Impact
$12,999
Average $ Saved
10
Average Days Saved
Client
Experience
Impact
$ Saved
Days Saved
City of Phoenix
Guided Implementation
8/10
$12,999
5
Town of Normal
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
14
Nothing to complain about. I appreciated having a subject matter expert helping me understand the gaps I had in knowledge. It made this project a l... Read More
Donor Network West
Guided Implementation
10/10
$30,999
5
confirmation that our strategy and implementation plan are heading the right direction. Vendor selection was sound and we should be successful.
Corporation Of The City Of Orillia
Guided Implementation
10/10
$2,000
5
Great call it is hard to estimate how much time and cost this will save me at this point in the project as we have quite a way to go. Best part was... Read More
MyMatrex Group LLC
Guided Implementation
9/10
$13,000
10
Best parts was the understanding about which blockchain tools and how they were leveraging strategic positions within specific market segments. Wor... Read More
Honda de Mexico
Guided Implementation
9/10
N/A
N/A
best: have a unbiased view about our current situation and next steps
SIM Group
Workshop
8/10
$10,000
10
Best - great facilitation. Worst - was hoping for some more practical application
Thornton Tomasetti, Inc
Guided Implementation
9/10
$6,366
5
The analyst was very knowledgeable about the subject matter, and was able to clearly answer the questions I asked. The feedback was valuable and di... Read More
Anthony & Sylvan Pools Corp.
Guided Implementation
10/10
N/A
N/A
Not sure if it will save us tome or money per se. But Fred's insight to the market is helping us narrow down the field somewhat and is helping us ... Read More
Workshop: Modernize the Network
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Assess the Network
The Purpose
- Understand current stakeholder and IT needs pertaining to the network.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Prioritized lists of stakeholder and IT needs.
Activities
Outputs
Assess and prioritize stakeholder concerns.
Assess and prioritize design considerations.
Assess and prioritize use cases.
Assess and prioritize network infrastructure concerns.
Assess and prioritize care and control concerns.
- Current State Register
Module 2: Analyze Emerging Technologies and Identify Features
The Purpose
- Analyze emerging technologies to determine whether or not to include them in the network modernization.
- Identify and shortlist networking features that will be part of the network modernization.
Key Benefits Achieved
- An understanding of what emerging technologies are suitable for including in your network modernization.
- A prioritized list of features, aligned with business needs, that your modernized network must or should have.
Activities
Outputs
Analyze emerging technologies.
- Emerging technology assessment
Identify features to support drivers, practices, and pain points.
- Prioritize lists of modernized network features
Module 3: Plan for Future Capacity
The Purpose
- Estimate future port, bandwidth, and latency requirements for all sites on the network.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Planning for capacity ensures the network is capable of delivering until the next refresh cycle and beyond.
Activities
Outputs
Estimate port, bandwidth, and latency requirements.
Group sites according to capacity requirements.
Create standardized capacity plans for each group.
- A summary of capacity requirements for each site in the network
Module 4: Communicate and Execute the Plan
The Purpose
- Create a presentation to pitch the project to executives.
- Compose key elements of RFP.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Communication to executives, summarizing the elements of the modernization project that business decision makers will want to know, in order to gain approval.
- Communication to vendors detailing the network solution requirements so that proposed solutions are aligned to business and IT needs.
Activities
Outputs
Build the executive presentation.
- Executive Presentation
Compose the scope of work.
- Request for Proposal/Quotation
Compose technical requirements.
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Speak With An Analyst
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 7 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation 1: Assess the network
- Call 1: Assess stakeholder and IT/network concerns.
- Call 2: Prioritize stakeholder and IT/network concerns.
Guided Implementation 2: Envision your future network
- Call 1: Learn about emerging network technology and usage trends.
- Call 2: Build your network modernization solution.
- Call 3: Plan for future capacity needs.
Guided Implementation 3: Communicate and execute the plan
- Call 1: Communicate to stakeholders.
- Call 2: Prepare the RFP.
Modernize the Network
Build or Refresh the Wireless LAN
M&A Runbook for Infrastructure and Operations
Enterprise Network Design Considerations
Passwordless Authentication
Network Segmentation
Initiate Your Edge Computing Journey
Evaluate and Select Alternative Network Solutions