By Blake Britton
The
purchase and search for IT products and services to make the
business operate more efficiently can be a daunting task. While
eMazzanti Technologies is pleased to be able to help our clients with
this “search”, there are questions that need to be asked when
looking at a replacement or even a new technology. The main
question: What is the strategy of the business from an IT
perspective? I have selected a few products that have recently been
upgraded or purchased new by some of our clients. In each of these
cases I have given a few strategic questions that should be asked
before the solution is selected.
Firewall/Security Appliance: This device is used to protect your network resources from outside threats. Its primary purpose is perimeter security but can also be used to provide deeper levels of security depending on the business acceptable use policy for Internet browsing. Here are a few questions to ask:
- Does this appliance provide a deeper inspection of data other than what I get with a router or low end firewall appliance? (This is sometimes referred to as deep packet inspection.)
- Can I block specific content I do not want end users browsing during business hours?
- Can I scan all emails for viruses before they get to my mail server and onto my network?
- Can I limit the ability for end users to download and install music or other non-business related content? (On some sites content filtering is not enough, and the firewall needs the ability to look at the application level.)
Network Switch: For the non-technical, this is the unit that is responsible for providing connection to all resources on your network. When replacing a switch or a hub the questions to be asked are:
- Is the current cabling Gigabit capable?
- Is the new switch manageable where network engineers can research issues concerning slow performance within the network?
- Does the new switch support Power over Ethernet? (This will allow you to power certain voice over IP phones, wireless access points, and video cameras.)
- Can I segment wireless traffic, video traffic, and even departments? (This is the process of creating a separate virtual Local Area Network.)
Remote Connectivity: There are many ways to connect remotely to our network resources. Remote connectivity solutions depend on what the end user needs the ability to do while away from the office. When looking at your options here a few basic questions to consider:
- Can I run my business applications over the remote connectivity solution without a severe performance hit?
- If you need the ability to access data from a hotel connection, will there be any issues with this type of connection?
- Is the connection secured? (Some connections require end users to login each time and some connections maintain their previous login info.)
- Will I have to open ports on my firewall that will leave me vulnerable to the public Internet?
While these are just three of the technologies that we are seeing a lot of turnover in existing equipment and solutions, there are still several more. If you are interested in looking at any of these three technologies then give me a shout via email or phone. I would be happy to answer any of these questions or provide you with a few more. eMazzanti Technologies is here to help.
Next month we will focus on questions to ask your partner, IT manager, eMazzanti Technologies Account Exec when looking at new backup technologies, expanding storage capabilities, and workstations.