Network Solutions

Not so long ago, the availability of information was reasonably centralized. Of course, a few systems needed to be integrated and some of those resources were at different locations, but for the most part control was not very complicated to manage. Now, the enterprise has moved to a hybrid environment with information and processing spread over many resources.

• Premises Based Servers
• Alternate Locations
• Remote Data Centers
• Off Site Computing
• Cloud Storage
• Third Party Applications

Besides the diversity of resources, the mixture of end points also needs to be considered:  primary site users, those at remote sites of all sizes, and work-from home.  Access must be reliable and fast; information must remain protected; and, obviously the capital and operating costs need to fit within the budget.  Bigger, faster, stronger AND less expensive.  No problem, right?

For organizations needing to manage a single physical location combined with some remote users, it is generally recommended to implement a dual connectivity solution combining alternate access methods.

1. Fiber Facilities
2. Broadband Solutions - cable/DSL/fiber
3. Cellular - 4G/LTE/5G
4. Satellite
5. Line-of-Site Wireless

The diverse access connections are implemented with an end point equipment solution which can route communications across the two connections while managing security and remote access as needed.  It is important to note there are multiple providers which will provide the end point equipment as a service.

For enterprises including multiple locations, many are finding a hybrid topology with both private and public network connections to provide the greatest value.  The most common private solutions are:

• Ethernet WAN - Layer 2
• MPLS - Layer 3

These network options have been especially successful when transporting large amounts of media including data, voice and Internet between physical sites as well as to data centers.  Not only is there more control over the bandwidth, but applications can more easily be prioritized to insure time sensitive information passes first.  These connections also tend to be less expensive than similarly sized public access methods.

These network designs are often categorized as SD WAN (Software Defined Wide Area Network).  This topology delivers dynamic routing, threat protection and simplification of WAN network management.  Each user information requirement is routed by the most effective path available accounting for service availability and congestion.  If a path is unavailable or highly congested, the route is automatically rerouted.  And, notifications can be made to WAN network management to monitor the situation.  It is valuable to provide services from varying providers, access mediums and physical routes.  This limits the opportunity for a rogue backhoe to disrupt all your communications.  

It has been our experience WAN designs are rarely the same between customers.  The combination of varying site sizes, application locations and bandwidth requirements all impact the decision criteria.  Also to be included are reliability tolerance and budget.  

Orion Communications represents most of the network providers allowing you to explore all of your options with a single contact.  We can match the best network solution with your unique requirements and assist in the negotiation process to obtain the greatest value.  If the thought of tackling this process alone, maybe it is time to reach out.  We are here to help.