Cisco Systems Inc. poses a reasonably good question. Even if your customer is ready for new technology, is their network ready?
The short answer: It better be.
A recent Cisco Channel blog from Jill Shaul outlines the importance of making network assessment part of every ?trusted advisor?s? routine. Why? Network assessment is more than just getting a report on a customer?s networking equipment, it?s an opportunity to deliver a customized and improved solution to a business. It?s also critical to ensuring a provider can deliver on the promise of new technology, which could be a problem if it?s hampered by legacy bottlenecks.
This kind of complexity is a solution provider?s best friend ? no reading between the lines here. Consultative work to build a right-sized solution will provide a happier customer, an increased bottom line for the solution provider, and ideally, customer stickiness. It also helps build out a partner?s reputation for quality professional services.
But Cisco?s sudden interest in discussing network assessments isn?t purely altruistic. Cisco has highlighted Presidio Inc., which has leveraged Cisco Collaborative Professional Services to deliver a video service level agreement (SLA) assessment. In ?just four hours,? a few laptops sent to the customer site automated Presidio?s network assessment, generated expansive reports, charts and pass/fail designations, which were all beamed back to Presidio?HQ. Steps towards implementation can then begin quickly.
Cisco?s video service tool works by analyzing video and audio streams to determine an ideal validated design for a TelePresence solution, but Shaul notes Cisco is now expanding that assessment portfolio beyond audiovisual tests. It will now include assessments which aid in deploying the Cisco Borderless Networks?portfolio in addition to Cisco?s collaboration technology and data center technology.
Good news for Cisco partners. But what about the rest of the channel?
Cisco?s words of advice on network assessments are perfectly applicable across almost all other channel industries. For example, a solution provider delivering a BYOD or MDM solution should assess a company?s network and wireless infrastructure to ensure it can withstand both the volume of traffic and load of connected devices.
Likewise, a solution provider delivering an expansive VDI setup should ensure that no existing networking equipment will impede the delivery of high definition desktops ? or conversely ? that new technology will ensure proper optimization of that content. Partners which specialize in bringing cloud to the enterprise may want to assess key aspects of network security, while partners delivering unified communications should check up on both end point peripherals and internal network connectivity speeds.
It?s not hard to see how even the most rudimentary of assessments can uncover hidden opportunity while simultaneously avoiding roadblocks to implementation.
However, there is one item Cisco did not mention. Solution providers digging deep to provide a comprehensive overhaul to a data center may also want to add the ?orphaned opportunity? of legacy equipment recycling to their list of professional services. It not only adds a source of revenue, but it offers a way for solution providers to truly deliver an end-to-end service portfolio.
Source: http://channelnomics.com/2012/11/13/network-assessment-business-enablement/
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