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  • Vincent Rabie of Alteram Solutions shares his views on network monitoring, running a successful NOC and cloud

Vincent Rabie of Alteram Solutions shares his views on network monitoring, running a successful NOC and cloud


Johannesburg, 30 Aug 2019
Vincent Rabie.
Vincent Rabie.

A key consideration for any business these days is network monitoring and the logistics associated with it. Vincent Rabie, Network Operating Centre Manager at Alteram Solutions, a dynamic ICT services and solutions provider, shares his view on key trends within the industry and also his personal take on what he thinks will be happening within the technology landscape as we head into the second half of 2019.

Establishing business networks that flow seamlessly across data centres, private clouds and public clouds, brings up a host of  challenges within network management. The global span of these networks, and the necessity of fully functional geographic links, means network administrators need not only be more proactive, but also agile in their approach to monitoring and managing network performance.

“Effective management of our clients' networks means that we need to have in-depth visibility and control over it at all times,” says Rabie. “What we are hoping to see more of going forward is an integrated mobile application with real-time network monitoring software offering mobile apps for Android, iPhone and iPads. These will help us monitor networks, perform basic troubleshooting, receive alarms and stay up to date with the availability and performance of any IT devices, whether our clients are at home or travelling.”

Network monitoring is typically managed from a network operations centre (NOC). Here, NOC administrators monitor networks across locations via a computer, telecommunication or satellite network. When asked about technologies making waves within this environment, Rabie specifically mentions cloud computing. “With the ability to monitor applications within the cloud, and as these become more varied and complex, more organisations are realising that it’s simpler to rely on managed service providers such as ourselves to manage all the underlying cloud infrastructure on their behalf.”

Being a successful NOC provider requires excellent problem-solving and trouble-shooting skills, as one can never be sure what challenges they will face on a daily basis. Rabie’s ability to react quickly with sound expertise is supported by Alteram’s reliable NOC infrastructure, their well-documented processes and, of course, the calibre of well-trained staff with superior patch management and AV skills within their stable.

The challenges, in Rabie's opinion: “In this BYO (bring your own) era, you’ve got to have a way to manage your business’s data, even when it’s not on your equipment. The whole 'BYOD' phenomenon has spread to BYON and BYOA (bring your own network and bring your own application). This has to be effectively measured, on an ongoing basis, so as not to become problematic down the line.”

Successfully running an NOC has certainly aided Rabie’s personal development. “To successfully run an NOC, you need a wide range of IT skills as the monitoring and performance management involved spans a wide variety of skill sets, including hardware, O/S, database, networking and VOIP. One needs to have all these skills available to preempt and react to any issues within the IT infrastructure.”

And finally, when asked to predict a ‘game-changer’ trend, Rabie suggests: “Probably the ability to manage and control applications as they move to the cloud, as well as new products emerging to restore the management abilities of an application within the cloud. I have said it before and I will say it again, I really think that any and all things to do with the cloud are going to take a substantial upward turn before the end of this year.”

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Alteram Solutions

Alteram Solutions is a dynamic, black owned and managed level 1 B-BBEE ICT (Information and Communication Technology) services and solutions provider. Established in 2013, the organisation has achieved rapid growth over the years servicing high level clients in both the government and private sectors. The company pro-actively and continuously seeks to assist organisations achieve their business goals through custom designed and integrated technology services. With a passion for what they do, the team at Alteram Solutions comprises of qualified and dedicated professionals boasting an extensive amount of experience across a broad spectrum of IT (Information Technology) services and solutions.

For more information on Alteram Solutions visit: http://www.alteram.co.za

Tel: (010) 900 4075

E-mail: info@alteram.co.za

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alteramsolutions/

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