The Measuring the True Cost of Network Outages study found that almost half of IT decision-makers ranked “improving network resiliency” as their first priority. According to the study, 31% of companies lost more than $1 million due to network outages in the past 12 months. Monetary losses result from interruptions to productivity and damage to the company’s reputation.
IT teams may struggle to monitor company networks. Monitoring and managing networks is a 24/7/365 job. Ensuring a network stays resilient also requires specialized expertise. Entering into an engineering services agreement (ESA) for managed network helps you meet your organization’s network challenges.
Here’s a closer look at 3 ways an ESA can help your business:
1) Improving Network Resiliency
After an outage, every second counts. The longer your network is down, the more money your company loses due to interrupted productivity, missed revenue opportunities, and possibly negative media publicity.
Organizations have difficulty responding to a network outage quickly enough to avoid costly downtime. With an ESA, your network managed services partner responds quickly to any outage, restoring your network before traumatic effects can snowball.
An ESA can include around-the-clock monitoring services to ensure a rapid response. Network monitoring also promotes a proactive approach to network outages and malicious activity. Network interruptions and cyberattacks can be stopped in their tracks before any damage is done.
2) Augmenting Your In-House Staff
Your company’s in-house IT staff members may be talented and capable. But let’s face it, they can’t do everything. They need time to work on meeting business goals and innovating. Your IT team’s focus should be on transforming your IT architecture and developing new applications.
With an ESA, your company gains access to engineers who are network experts. As with most managed services, the goal of an ESA is to augment your staff, not replace it. Network engineers act as consultants and project managers. They can help your organization optimize its network resources and implement networking hardware and software.
3) Increasing the Level of Network Support
An ESA means your business has access to more than just network break and fix. The ideal network services provider offers 24/7 support through a network operations center (NOC) staffed with experts. The ESA potentially supports your business throughout the lifecycle of your network.
In addition to traditional support, an ESA may provide network health checks and assessments. These evaluations of your network help your company to transform and optimize its network based on expert guidance. Assessments also ensure that your network is as secure as possible by taking into account the current threat landscape and suggesting improvements that target relevant attack vectors.
Saying Yes to an ESA
Before entering into an ESA, weigh your options carefully. Working with a managed services provider is like forming a partnership, so don’t be hasty. Make sure the ESA promises to deliver all the features and benefits your network needs.
FirstLight has a long track record as a trusted service provider. We maintain a Cisco Managed Service Provider (CMSP) designation, meaning we invest heavily in certifications, specializations, and training. FirstLight also offers a NOC staffed with highly qualified technicians and engineers who are based locally.
Our ESA covers service requests, break and fix, incident management, and problem management. Our commitment to network monitoring is reflected in our implementation of multiple SolarWinds® modules and investment in hardware, software, and network engineering expertise.
See how a FirstLight ESA helped one of our customers optimize their network. Read our case study A Well-Known Transportation Services Company Remains Focused on Its Commitment to Quality by Leveraging FirstLight’s Engineering Services Agreement (ESA).
