IT exists to improve your business. But you can lose track of network devices and find your company facing unexpected threats. A rigorous approach to policy management helps avoid these problems.
Keeping on top of policy management is hard. When you review your IT policies for example, you may find technology and events have overtaken you. You may struggle to establish which device is running what. And you may have to face new threats to which you don’t have immediate answers.
This situation isn’t unusual. Many companies don’t keep inventories of network devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones. This means the IOS (internetwork operation system) may not be the right one for the job. And when one of these companies has a hardware failure, it probably doesn’t have any network configuration to back up devices and data.
Network policy management
IT maintenance contracts for devices complicate matters still further. A contract often addresses certain needs and leaves out others. Without a fully comprehensive contract, managers may not know who is responsible for solving problems. The result is delay and confusion when difficulties with network devices arise.
Policy management can control these challenges. A well-run policy can guide a company through every challenge.
As a minimum, a policy should cover:
- An inventory of network devices
- Responsibility guidelines for in-house staff and contractors
- Guidance on network configuration and back up
- Monitoring processes
- Energy issues
- Dealing with change
Monitoring your devices
Monitoring your devices is an integral part of the policy. This has to be as simple as possible. When you have a wide range of monitoring tools, threats can easily slip through. One monitoring tool per network vendor is far better.
Accurate monitoring acts as a spur to policy management. With the right facts available, you can control policy initiatives effectively and use best practice.
Energy management of devices
Best practice also leads to improvements in areas such as energy management. Network devices can be a drain on electricity. When you know what devices you should have and what you don’t need, you can cut energy consumption and costs.
Change management solutions
In a busy environment, change is inevitable. You upgrade devices or replace them. You have to manage your policy so you know what is changing and why.
Take the pressure off
An external company such as Voyager Networks can help with every aspect of policy management. Such a company takes the pressure off and allows you to focus on running your business. It ensures you have the right network devices running exactly what you require. This way, you can stay abreast of technological change, avoid new threats and save money.
