Johannesburg, 30 Aug 2005
By Louis Hembold, technology and business development manager at Duxbury Networking
Today`s enterprise networking is driven by a number of clear and defined factors that not only dictate specific solution options but also performance as well as budgetary considerations.
For one, economic recovery is not the only reason for the upsurge in network upgrades. International investment is forcing companies to adhere to various guidelines such as those specified by Sarbanes-Oxley - here the Absa/Barclays deal is a good example.
Another factor is the prevalence of a great deal of technologies such as IP telephony, PDAs, WiFi-enabled cellphones, RFID (radio frequency identification) and management systems that offer improved productivity and reporting gains.
However, in order to benefit from these technologies you have to, quite obviously, run a network that enables you to optimise them. This will not only improve ROI but also sets the foundation for future growth.
It is also estimated that the employee to PC ratio will move from 1:1 to 1:10 in the next couple of years; again this will greatly impact the network particularly security and pave the way for further upgrades.
And on the topic of security - it is not longer based on simple identity access procedures but rather on: from what device; where the device is located and whether this is in an authorised area; and obviously adapting his profile accordingly.
Networks are therefore no longer designed to offer the lowest cost at the highest possible throughput but rather on high-speed that adheres to today`s various regulatory issues, technology advancements while offering a comprehensive security design that securely enables the above.
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