Executive Thought Leadership

Service and Support in the Mobile World

In the past, networks were merely a convenient way to share information. Today, they are integral to business operationsnd business success. Recent technology advances have not only increased the relevance of the network, they have also enabled individual users to leave their desks without leaving behind the tools they need to work effectively. This freedom to be mobile is both a convenience and a necessity: According to a recent survey of 1500 executives worldwide, more than 75 percent now spend 20 percent or more of their working time away from their primary workspace (Economist Intelligence Unit, September 2004). It a trend that certain to continue.

As executives and employees come to rely more heavily on mobile access to e-mail, the Internet, the company intranet, company databases, and other resources, network availability, security, and stability become increasingly important. Network resiliency also is critical, as engineers must quickly enable new and emerging technologies such as mobile applications in order to meet changing business requirements. To help create a business-ready network, companies should execute a business-ready network strategy: the lifecycle approach to service and support.

Lifecycle Approach to Service and Support

The basis for the lifecycle approach to service and support is the lifecycle of the network itself: preparation, planning, design, implementation, operation, and optimization.

Network Lifecyle

Traditionally, vendors have focused on the design, implementation, and operation phases of the network lifecycle. They have not incorporated preparation and planning, which are critical to ensuring proper network design, or optimization, which is essential to ongoing network reliability and improved return on investment. By concentrating primarily on equipment installation, this model often fails to consider other factors that may impact the success of the network such as shifting needs associated with business growth and the possibility of human error during the installation process.

The lifecycle approach to service and support, on the other hand, is both proactive and comprehensive. It addresses specific product requirements at each stage of the network lifecycle while anticipating the needs of subsequent stages. It also provides customized advisory services to assist companies with business process transformation as the network grows, and offers strategic architectural, technical, and consultative services to help engineers prepare, plan, design, implement, operate, and ultimately optimize corporate networks.

Adopting this approach is particularly important for companies that leverage advanced technologies. Advanced technologies enable a variety of solutions, including the mobile tools used by executives and employees who spend considerable time away from the office. As indicated in a recent industry study: "With three-quarters of respondents convinced that mobile tools are a key to their job success, companies have a responsibility to enhance both access to, and use of, such technologies." - Economist Intelligence Unit, September 2004

A lifecycle strategy supports current and future corporate mobility efforts by helping to ensure that the networknd the engineers who support itan deliver better security and scalability with increased performance and decreased downtime.

Benefits of the Lifecycle Approachinimizing Downtime, Maximizing Productivity, Availability, and Agility

Downtime is always a concern, but it is particularly problematic when it impacts network infrastructures that support mobility technologies and tools. The larger and more complex the network, the more difficult it can be to locate or resolve the source of the issue; and when executives and employees are working away from their desks, a lack of access to corporate resources can often translate into an inability to work at all.

According to a report by the Yankee Group (February 2004), comprehensive network lifecycle management can minimize or prevent one of the greatest causes of network downtime: human error. Feedback provided and validated by Cisco customers (fiscal year 2003004) supports this finding, showing that the benefits of using a lifecycle services model can be quantified as follows:

• 20% improvement in network staff productivity, resulting from proactive efforts that prevented errors and rework, and knowledge and skill improvements that increased efficiency
• 30% improvement in network availability, resulting from outages that were avoided or reduced in duration
• 15% increase in business agility, resulting from faster time to implementation, deployment, or upgrade, and a reduction of rework due to improved preparation and planning

Summary

Consistent, targeted service and support throughout the network lifecycle helps companies, IT staffs, and executives and employees alike. For companies, the ability to take full advantage of the power of the network can lower the total cost of ownership and support a variety of corporate initiatives. For IT staffs, enhanced knowledge and skills allows for improved development, management, and maintenance of next-generation networks. For executives and employees, the freedom to conduct business whennd whereecessary can lead to increased efficiency and effectiveness. Thus, a vendor that focuses on the entire network lifecycle can make the difference between a company that survivesnd one that prospers.