As companies grow in size and complexity, so do their networking needs. Switches are foundational devices to an organization’s network, and upgrading them often comes with a significant technological and financial commitment. If your current switches cannot grow with your business, it’s time to consider where your resources are best spent.
Today’s world is moving at the speed of light in terms of technological advancements, which means businesses can scale faster than ever. It also means network switches must be highly reliable, scalable, and seamlessly compatible with new technologies for the foreseeable future. Future-proofing your network is one of the best moves you can make when scaling a company.
Cisco Meraki, a leading authority in the cloud networking space, offers state-of-the-art switches for companies of all sizes. Curious about the benefits of Meraki switches and why they beat out every competitor? Let’s look at the facts.
What Is a Meraki Switch?
A switch is the backbone of any company’s network, and switches can mean the difference between a poorly managed network and a highly efficient one. Meraki switches are computer networking appliances that function as a link between devices. They are the bridge that allows multiple devices to connect to a network.
What Do Cisco Meraki Switches Do?
Using packet switching, Meraki switches can receive, process, and forward information to the desired destination. You usually plug the switch into a router, which then provides additional ports (depending on the model).
As an IT professional, you’re familiar with the function of network switches and why investing in the right one is so vital to your organization’s network. You may be wondering why Meraki switches are so different from their competitors.
The main difference is that Meraki switches are cloud-managed. So wherever you are in the world, Meraki makes it easy to configure, manage, and troubleshoot your switches from a single port on the appliance.
Meraki has built itself on the foundation of simplicity. Meraki products aim to provide streamlined and functional solutions for networking professionals. Meraki’s switches embody this philosophy by making it incredibly easy to set up and maintain the device.
How Long Do Meraki Switches Last?
It can be difficult to predict the lifespan of technology since it’s dependent on several factors. Those factors encompass everything from the size and complexity of a network to the daily demands on the device.
However, quality switches should last your organization anywhere from 5–10 years or, in many cases, even longer.
3 Benefits of Meraki Switches
Installing and maintaining a healthy switching network is like organizing cogs in a complicated machine. Numerous factors go into the success of a network, and each of them has to be spinning perfectly for the whole system to function.
Cloud networking technologies can dramatically reduce the time, energy, and financial resources a business needs to maintain a modern network. At the same time, it’s the best option for producing a secure, reliable, and efficient enterprise solution.
Here are the top three benefits of using Meraki switches to create a healthy network.
1. Reduced Operation Costs
When a network grows in size and complication, decision-makers start looking beyond the upfront hardware costs and toward operational expenses. Operational expenses can be significant, recurring costs.
The total cost of ownership (TCO) factors in both the upfront investment and ongoing operational costs. The initial phases of configuration, network complexity, troubleshooting, revision management, and security can all add up to a substantial bill at the end of the year.
Meraki switches use cloud networking technologies to counteract rising operational costs associated with other systems. Deployment is faster, network monitoring and maintenance are easier, and revision management is much simpler. All of these factors contribute toward a seamless experience that keeps costs down.
2. Rapid Deployment
One of the nicest features of Meraki switches is the speed of deployment. Meraki switches can even be configured before they’re delivered. To do this, you simply add them to the cloud and use powerful features such as Virtual Stacking and Configuration Clone to easily replicate settings.
This can speed up the deployment process drastically. When you’re spending an excessive amount of time trying to configure and deploy devices, you consume company resources you could have otherwise allocated to further growth.
3. Unified Management Systems
Meraki’s dashboard is its claim to fame, and for good reason. It’s a unified management system that allows your IT team to work from anywhere in the world, at any time of the day or night. It provides complete control and access to your network. Due to Meraki’s real-time threat notification system, administrators can quickly handle any issues that arise and will be immediately notified of any security breaches.
If you’re looking for a switching system that provides truly unified management from anywhere, at any time, Meraki has you covered.
Get Meraki Switches from Stratus Information Systems
You want to purchase from an authorized partner when outfitting an organization with new Meraki appliances. Meraki partners can consult businesses on which devices to choose, offer step-by-step guidance through installation, and assist in managing your network.
Stratus Information Systems is an authorized Meraki partner that provides end-to-end network infrastructures to businesses of all sizes. Whether you’re looking for a lot of help or just a little support, our team of experts is at your service.
Are you ready to pull the trigger and invest in this state-of-the-art network equipment? Contact Stratus today to learn how we can help you get set up.