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As off-site work environments have become the new normal, know the challenges to network monitoring and how to address them
Businesses and institutions around the globe have been impacted fundamentally by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning has gone remote, workers are telecommuting, and organizations have to change how they approach workflow management and software deployment.
IT staff and engineers must deal with a whole new set of issues when monitoring and assisting a team of virtual employees. Learn the top five challenges of monitoring a remote workforce's Wi-Fi—and how the solutions from 7SIGNAL provide the visibility required to keep productivity high.
1. Troubleshooting
Hands down, troubleshooting is one of the most challenging components of having a remote workforce. When IT staff is in the same physical location as employees, they can immediately diagnose an issue by first-hand discovery on a given device. Remote troubleshooting requires adequate communication, including descriptions of the problems and verbal or digital clarification—all of which is difficult when an employee is unsure about the problem or doesn’t have the skill set to relay the right information.
2. Deploying network resources
Virtual employees will need the same storage and performance on their home devices and networks to perform their daily tasks. In some cases, they may even need more resources if they don’t have access to the systems they use in the office. Thus, time and money may need to go into updating the company’s systems and solutions. For example, IT may decide that moving data storage and widely used platforms to cloud-based solutions works best for everyone and saves money in the long run.
3. Managing home networks
Of course, many employees will be connecting via their home Wi-Fi networks, which require a modern, functioning modem and router. And tools used for workplace communication and productivity require a consistent, high-performing network, including video conferencing and large uploads. IT staff must ensure that these networks are not only high-functioning, but that company information is always secure when disparate connections are used.
4. Training limitations
Employees will have different experience and knowledge about technology and use remote networking tools, such as virtual private networks (VPN). But there are plenty of training limitations for IT staff and engineers as well. Support staff always needs to be ready to respond to incoming tickets, and they must adapt to new technologies to make up for the lack of in-person communications and tools. Specific platforms and software may be new to the team, so a learning curve is likely before productivity is back to where it was.
5. Monitoring the user experience
It’s more challenging to keep an eye on how a remote user is experiencing a network. This makes it challenging to respond to drops in service or slowdowns when high-quality connections are needed most, like on a client call. Traditional monitoring methods simply won't provide the visibility that engineers require to immediately address Wi-Fi connectivity issues and keep business moving.
Mobile Eye® from 7SIGNAL
The solution for providing better Wi-Fi service to your remote workforce is to deploy a continuous monitoring tool on their equipment. Mobile Eye from 7SIGNAL is a Software as a Service (SaaS) solution for enterprises that gives you additional visibility into how devices are receiving and utilizing the service.
The Mobile Eye helps you solve Wi-Fi issues right away, so workers don’t experience problems during critical moments. Access crucial data from any Windows, Android, or macOS device. Address issues like congestion, roaming, coverage problems, and more.
The 7SIGNAL platform is the best-in-class wireless network monitoring solution. It combines the Mobile Eye's remote insights with the service quality information from the Sapphire Eye® sensor to deliver continuous network monitoring that keeps your workers connected. 7SIGNAL is cloud-hosted, so you have lots of flexibility to scale and access data from any location while avoiding high storage and server costs.
Monitoring tools from 7SIGNAL give you the added visibility you wouldn’t otherwise have when managing a remote workforce.
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.