We live in a fast-paced society where speed and reliability are of the utmost importance. Over the past 20 years, IT networking has evolved on many levels, with complexity and scalability probably being the biggest developments over this period.

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There have been numerous achievements in the field of IT networking that have completely tipped the scales of possibility.
Application Layer Firewalling, MPLS Networking, Metro Fiber Connectivity and SDWAN are all perfect examples of how the industry has outdone itself and pushed the limits of possibilities. However, all of these require a specialist to design, set up, support and maintain.

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With cloud infrastructure, the need for specialist skills in-house is moved to the cloud service provider, with a shared pool of skilled resources across the cloud solution. This reduces the risk of the client having to take care of overheads, such a Disaster Recovery or High Availability.

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Cloud solutions drive down the footprint of the client where the overhead is moved to the Cloud Service Provider. With service providers specialising in these solutions, they have the background to design a fit-for-use and fit-for-purpose solution, while carrying the overhead and risk.

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In the current operating model during COVID-19, the immediate need for LAN, WAN and Wi-Fi has reduced, which might become the new norm moving forward. This makes a hosted cloud solution an even better value proposition, as Cloud Providers offers VPN solutions as a standard offering.

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In summary, it is critical to find a Cloud Service Provider/Partner that supports your business requirements, and understands your business needs. It’s also important to find someone with the necessary skill-set who is able to design your solution specifically for your environment, based on the features and limitations in your system. It’s important to understand there is no 'cookie-cutter' solution; finding a partner to align with your business requirements and needs is the key to success.

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I hope this has been informative! Stay home, and keep safe. Until next time.