Four big technology challenges face IT managers who work at small to medium-size businesses. And guess what? The challenges
look a lot like the ones confronting large organizations: VoIP, SANs, Gigabit Ethernet, and security. Few IT shops, big or
small, would be crazy enough to tackle all four issues at once. Together, all this new technology may have reached the critical
mass necessary for SMBs to think seriously about a network overhaul.
Vendors clearly see the opportunity to reach into the pockets of SMBs. For example, hardware giant Dell recently introduced
switches and management software designed specifically for the SMB market, and the new Apple Xsan exemplifies the feasibility
of simple and inexpensive SAN management.
SMBs constantly tell themselves that their smaller size gives them an edge: namely, the ability to gain competitive advantage
by adopting promising new technologies faster.
For IT managers in an SMB environment who consider their choices carefully, now is a time of opportunity.
Can You Hear Me Now?
The idea of putting voice traffic on the IP network and managing one infrastructure instead of two makes perfect sense. For
SMBs, a wholesale transition is more feasible, although VoIP may not be for everyone. Most of the hottest apps are suited
to call centers. If the PBX is working fine as it is, there’s no need for a rip-and-replace project. But it does make sense
to look at network upgrades with VoIP in mind so you can plan sensibly for the future.
The first factor to consider when contemplating a VoIP implementation is the current state of the network. Network usage patterns
must be identified and understood to prevent new VoIP traffic and existing traffic clogging each other’s bandwidth. Moreover,
the state of existing cable plant may require that certain areas or even entire floors be rewired.
The most important part of the network equation is, of course, the switch. A lot of shops have cut corners over the years
by using cheap switches to turn one network port into four or by using unmanaged stacks of switches in the wiring closet.
Although some may wish to install a parallel network for VoIP traffic, it’s simpler to stick with one network and replace
the old gear with newer boxes capable of supporting both.
By the time the real hardware costs get figured in, end-to-end VoIP may look like a wash in terms of cost savings. The days
of VoIP without tariffs are ending, which means that the cost differential between POTS and VoIP will narrow from year to
year. But there’s a lot to be said for taking advantage of an opportunity to upgrade network infrastructure. Ultimately, the
main benefits for SMBs of the VoIP revolution may lie less in the cost savings on the phone bill and more in the economies
derived from building more stable and more capable networks.
Papa’s Got a Brand-New SAN
Many IT managers at SMBs believe that they don’t need a SAN or that SANs are too complicated and expensive to justify. That
may have been true in the past, but storage vendors now recognize that SMBs are the next big growth opportunity. They’re reaching
for the golden apple by lowering prices of Fibre Channel equipment and improving management tools with ease-of-use and simpler
FC networks. The need for accessible, flexible, and inexpensive storage is becoming just as acute for SMBs as it is for the
Fortune 1000.
Niche markets such as video production and genome sequencing aside, two pressures are driving companies toward vast quantities
of easily accessible storage. The first is the aggregate of newly enhanced requirements on corporate records and reporting.
Electronic record retention has become a critical issue for businesses that have to keep every shred of relevant data accessible
for years.
Remote device backup is the second influence on storage requirements. Whether taking entire host images or mere snapshots,
the amount of data accommodated by faster client networks and inexpensive terabyte-size arrays opens up the opportunity for
online storage that simply didn’t exist five years ago.
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