subject: What To Look For When Hiring A Computer Networking Firm [print this page] If you are just going into business and need to get your networking infrastructure designed and operating at peak efficiency or if your system is antiquated and needs some tweaking or a complete overhaul, it's probably time to hire a computer networking to do the dirty work for you. Even if your firm is big enough to have its own IT department, those professionals are probably better suited to providing maintenance rather than installation services. Here's what to look for when you're ready to hire a computer networking firm.
A full range of services
Your computer network will be the lifeblood of your business, and you will want to hire a team that offers a complete range of services and that will be able to set up virtually anything you need.
-- Design: A properly designed network will work for you now and will also be flexible enough to allow for scalability and upgrades as technology expands and changes in the future. You are looking at making a substantial investment, so make sure that you network's design gives you optimum ROI over the long term.
-- Analysis of an Existing Network: If you already have a network in place, but there are periodic system bottlenecks that are impeding your workflow, a good computer networking firm should conduct a 3rd party audit to pinpoint the problems and then resolve them on demand.
-- Integration: If you are basically pleased with your existing system but think it needs some updates, an experienced computer networking firm will know how to integrate new network devices or remove obsolete ones with the least possible downtime. A good team will understand that time is money and will make the changes swiftly and unobtrusively.
-- Professional Installation: Have you ever had a network installed only to find out the next day that it's not operating properly? Look for a computer networking service that guarantees your system will be up and running the first time. This is accomplished through having a series of checks and balances during the installation process and a rigorous testing of the system before it's actually deployed.
Insist on experience
Because of the explosion in technology over the last several years, there will be many up and comers in the computer networking industry who will offer the latest and the best. But the best service is one who has withstood the test of time; that embraces the new technologies while keeping a wary eye out for untested promises; and that knows what works best in different contexts through simple experience. When winnowing your list of candidates, keep the services that have been successfully installing and servicing networks for a minimum of 10 years.
Your computer network installation and support is too critical to leave to chance: so take your time and choose carefully.
