The must have guide to Managed WiFi
By ensuring property-wide access to the internet via multiple access points, managed WiFi allows you to outsource the management and setup of your wireless network. While bringing obvious benefits to the company’s time and resources, managed WiFi also comes with other assurances critical to the WiFi network of the organization.
What managed WiFi brings to the table
Although each company has its own specific reasons for considering managed WiFi, they would usually fall under one of the following umbrellas.
You might be looking for:
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Security
Since WiFi services are outsourced to experts with managed WiFi, with the right partners, you can ensure that your connection will be competently secure with iron-clad authentication and monitoring practices.
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Reliability
With managed wifi, companies are guaranteed to get an excellent quality of service via monitoring practices that ensure the WiFi connection isn’t spotty or down. If it does happen, 24/7 remote support is available for troubleshooting with necessary on-site travel and field support when needed.
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Scalability
In managed networks, multiple access points can be added whenever needed and a multitude of devices can be connected per access point. This gigantic network is especially useful for sprawling, multi-department businesses like retail stores, warehouses, MNCs, hospitals and the likes.
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Cost-optimization
This is one of the biggest advantages of a managed WiFi service. The load on a specialized IT department for WiFi management can be minimized in the company without compromising on quality, expertise, and the latest cutting-edge technology. Despite the higher short-term cost, it gradually accumulates long-term when one weighs the robustness of quality versus the price paid.
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Continuous monitoring and reporting
With industry-leading technology, the right managed WiFi provider will continuously monitor connectivity, security, speed, reliability and all other factors that are essential for a strong company-wide WiFi network.
RF (radio-frequency) surveys will be carried out at the pre-deployment stage to plan for the optimal placement of access points to ensure coverage. Once the points are in place, there will be another survey to ensure that all points are working, ensuring steady, high-speed connectivity to all corners of the building and to all people.
How to make sure you get the managed WiFi connection your company needs
Once you’ve pegged managed WiFi as the solution to your company WiFi woes, it’s time to find the right vendor who will deliver on the promises made and guarantees given. The best way to do that is to know the basics of how the right vendor will proceed once they come into agreement with you. The following is what you should look out for:
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Initial familiarization
Your intended vendor will start by analyzing your industry, coverage needs, devices, software applications and end users. A thorough examination at this stage will ensure that the network setup is personalized to your company’s unique needs.
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Detailed analysis
As a second step, the managed WiFi personnel hone in and look at your specific WiFi needs which includes determining physical hardware, number of end users, user registration, data protection, account device onboarding, and cloud-based management software. Personalization of the network starts at this point.
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Correct deployment
Deployment is not just about physical installation. When deployed correctly, your WiFi is ready to meet both present and future needs since the environment around it and the purposes it is to be used for have been thoroughly analyzed. Correct deployment also minimizes the impact of downtime on critical business processes when your network is going through an upgrade.
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Continuous monitoring
WiFi is not a plug-play-forget kind of utility. Hence, persistent monitoring of the deployed WiFi setup is needed to ensure that all components are working properly and the devices are working as they were intended to. If they aren’t, then the problems are troubleshooted without disrupting day-to-day operations.
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Continued measuring
Providing network services is not just about providing a connection but providing a user experience. The right provider will understand this and endeavor to consistently measure WiFi performance against benchmarks and expectations to make sure it’s working as it should for your end users and is adhering to the committed SLAs of uptime and issue resolutions timelines.
The final word on managed WiFi
Despite not having a direct bearing on the profits of a company, a WiFi network is integral to getting work done- and having it done fast! Whether it’s ensuring quick-on-the-feet service for your customers or responding promptly to your company’s WiFi troubles, managed WiFi is capable of solving all problems with one neat bow.
However, as companies grow, they can’t bring in the number of WiFi experts needed to maintain a robust WiFi setup within the organization. This is where managed WiFi comes in as a reliable, cost-effective outsourced option. It’s time to support your business and managed WiFi allows it to be steadily supported in the long run with the best.
As one of the premier names in the industry, Spectra’s managed WiFi as-a-service is built around the needs of modern enterprises and comes with a built-in user management system along with 24/7 monitoring. In addition to creating a better user experience, our NaaS solution is equipped to monitor your network performance real-time which enables quick troubleshooting with minimal downtime.
To learn more about how we can support your organization’s connectivity needs, reach out to us today.
