Given the many complexities of business in a technological era, more than ever before, it’s important to have a network that’s high-performing in order to support business needs. There’s also the issue of cost and how expensive it can become when there are system vulnerabilities that result in a compromised network. The solution is having a network monitoring program that works around the clock, every day of the year. The monitoring must include all applications, switches, routers, servers and wireless devices.

When companies are in need of a network monitoring system, it can be hard to know where to start, especially given the many network monitoring solutions on the market. How do you choose the right system? For starters, you’ll need to understand and define the unique needs of your business based on your infrastructure and industry. It’s not just about your current capabilities, it’s also about future projections. For example, if you don’t currently have cloud-based technical resources, you may have them in the future. This means you’ll want a network monitoring system that accommodates cloud technology.

Given the increasing prevalence of geographically dispersed locations and employers allowing employees to work remotely from home, there’s a greater need for employees to connect from different locations without sacrificing the quality of device performance. A lot more devices are connected to the network of businesses and the numbers are not slowing down. This is just one of the reasons why there’s a need for any networking intelligence. Additionally, network monitoring systems should accommodate mobile devices and the inevitable bandwidth expansion.

When assessing the features of a network monitoring system, you’ll want to make sure it has automation capabilities. Specifically, there should be automation available for monitoring, mapping and alerting. As with automation in other areas of business, when it comes to network monitoring, it frees up teams to focus on other key areas of the business. Essentially, you should identify your requirements in advance and make sure they are met, which will require you to assess the capabilities of different products.

Before making a decision, you should have a keen understanding of your business needs based on the number of assets that have to be monitored. There are a variety of other questions that you’ll need to answer related to operating system compatibility, future network growth, troubleshooting capabilities, required reporting and the need for real-time updates. The best thing you can do is have a prepared list of questions so that the decision you make is informed. Your list will address what’s required to maintain a viable business. As an aside, you can also prepare a list of nice-to-haves given the many bells and whistles of new technologies.

If you are unsure about which network monitoring system to choose, continue to do your research and become more familiar with the requirements of your network because this is a decision that you can’t afford to get wrong. Even if you end up having to make a larger investment, the security could be worth it in the long run.