Blog
What’s the real ROI of visibility that ensures wireless networks function as intended?
From wireless network engineers to IT leadership and all the way to the CIO, there is always a business case that needs to be developed internally within an organization that justifies any large software purchase. But how do you measure the impact of downtime, user frustration, application crashes, frozen web conferences, and other digital experiences?
The analysis firm IDC created an online assessment calculator that does just that—and you can find it here.: https://wirelessmonitoringroi.com
Using interviews from 7SIGNAL customers as a baseline for their research, IDC was able to analyze the real business value impact both before and after deploying digital experience monitoring software.
Now, let’s get into some other aspects of determining and optimizing network ROI:
Key takeaways:
- Access point count and placement can significantly impact network ROI
- The influx of IoT devices means the network plan may need to be updated to accommodate new connectivity requirements
- Wireless network monitoring from 7SIGNAL has helped organizations increase ROI by 670% over three years
Network engineers and IT managers are tasked with ensuring that the wireless network is always up to par. But why do end users still complain about poor wireless experiences? Wi-Fi is now mission-critical in large enterprises, healthcare, education, manufacturing, and many other types of organizations. Users across a range of industries depend on solid connections and can't stay productive while dealing with drops or slowdowns.
But another important part of the job is maximizing network ROI. What are you putting into your network management versus getting back?
This requires understanding the costs, like IT staff, maintenance, and equipment, and balancing those expenses with performance. Downtime can be expensive, with some estimates claiming that it costs larger companies $5,600 per minute. So, avoiding issues alone significantly supports the bottom line.
Here are some factors that go into improving network ROI:
Know how many access points you need
One ROI factor is the number and placement of access points. Your needs will vary widely depending on the organization's size, connectivity needs throughout the space, and the types of materials and equipment in the environment.
There’s no one answer to the number of access points needed. But consider the number of employees and clients likely to be in the space at a given time and identify high-traffic areas. Map out the shapes of your spaces and the building materials, which can impact coverage. For example, drywall and wood are easier for signals to get through than brick or metal.
A thorough site survey helps create a network design that optimizes Wi-Fi. It will identify potential issues like areas with excessive interference and help you understand how many access points are really needed to provide enough coverage.
Instead of calculating how many users will be sharing one access point, figure out the coverage capacity you need, which helps determine the access point count. Estimate that each client has three devices, assess the kinds of data they’re likely processing, and account for other factors like common uploads and downloads. Then, you can better identify the speed required to ensure connections are strong and fast.
Access point placement is a crucial component in ensuring that Wi-Fi delivers the kind of service necessary, thus improving ROI in terms of the time and financial investments made in the network.
Learn to manage the influx of IoT devices
The Internet of Things (IoT) has taken hold everywhere, as buildings are becoming smarter, people are tracking fitness goals using wearables, and mobile medical equipment must stay connected at all times. All these devices communicate with one another while depending on the available wireless.
Optimizing your network for the IoT is a must. Make sure you begin by updating your plan based on your organization’s traffic. Identify the most common types of IoT devices entering and exiting the boundaries and the kinds of applications they need while using the Wi-Fi. Bandwidth and access point adjustments may be necessary to accommodate the expanding and diverse traffic.
Implement wireless network monitoring
Wireless network monitoring (WNM) helps network engineers and IT managers understand what’s happening with Wi-Fi and clients, moment-by-moment. Monitoring solutions provide the visibility to detect and address issues before they cause downtime or slowdowns. This knowledge also informs network design and upgrades—all of which inform decisions that enhance network ROI.
7SIGNAL’s Wireless Network Monitoring platform helps organizations get the best ROI from their wireless networks. According to a report from IDC, 7SIGNAL’s Mobile Eye® solution, an agent installed on client devices to monitor the end-user experience, resulted in an average value of $1.16 million per year per organization studied with a three-year ROI of 670%.
Time spent troubleshooting is significantly improved with 7SIGNAL — lowered by 59% — and organizations saw a 57% boost in resolution efficiency. In addition, the number of issues that required troubleshooting fell an average of 18% when using 7SIGNAL.
Working in conjunction with the Mobile Eye is the Sapphire Eye®, which monitors and measures how the onsite wireless network infrastructure is performing. The same IDC report found that the Sapphire Eye reduced the time it takes to troubleshoot issues and provided must-have data enabling organizations to determine if there is adequate Wi-Fi coverage.
One of the most effective ways to improve wireless network ROI is to implement wireless network monitoring. It drastically increases visibility, reduces the time and effort needed to resolve issues, and betters network design and the bottom line.
Learn your potential ROI by accessing the IDC calculator here: https://wirelessmonitoringroi.com
7SIGNAL® is a leader in enterprise wireless experience monitoring. 7SIGNAL provides a cloud-based platform that continuously monitors wireless networks and identifies elusive performance issues impacting application performance and digital experience. By taking the “outside-in” approach to monitoring, 7SIGNAL has visibility into the edge of any enterprise or home Wi-Fi network where complex device interaction exists, and user experience matters most. The platform maximizes employee productivity, operational efficiency, and network ROI. Sapphire Eye® and Mobile Eye® are designed for and deployed at the world’s most innovative organizations, educational institutions, healthcare systems, and government agencies. Learn more at www.7signal.com.