Managed network services to boost OEM service brand

The world today is hyper-connected. Enterprises are continuously looking at ways to improve their network to deliver ever-faster connectivity to provide improved experiences for both employees and customers. But beyond throughput, enterprises expect seamless service, increased security and unwavering reliability no matter which part of the world they are in.

For many network technology providers (also called network OEMs) that are scaling aggressively and focusing on continuous product enhancement, meeting these expectations can be a daunting task. Operational functions like tools and technology integration and keeping up with a client’s accelerated growth globally can divert focus from strategic growth, continuous innovation and customer experience.

To deal with these demands, some build dedicated teams to provide network services, but it can be expensive, especially for mid-tier players. They need certified experts who have solid depth in a diverse range of technologies and solutions to support seamless and efficient network management. Network OEMs could benefit from the capabilities of a managed network services provider (MNSP) when their enterprise clients expand operations in remote locations, regionally or globally.

Here are some of the ways an MNSP partner can mitigate challenges that network OEMs face to address their enterprise clients’ needs.

Global scalability, industry expertise and consistency

Enterprises with a global presence expect consistent network infrastructure performance wherever they are. This is not only important to their business operations but to their customer and employee experience as well. Also, it’s critical that their network infrastructure keeps pace with their growth, an often-unmet need. In fact, 65% of enterprises report experiencing difficulties in scaling their networks efficiently.

Due to lack of in-house technical or industry expertise, or limited geographic coverage, network OEMs often face barriers to scaling and accelerating their go-to-market strategies. These gaps can often lead to slow deployment timelines, reduced customer satisfaction and hindered competitive advantage.

There are multiple advantages of partnering with an MNSP who has global availability of certified technical resources, deep domain expertise and flexible service models built for diverse environments. Network OEMs gain the ability to deliver consistent, high-quality support across regions and industries, enabling faster market entry, improved operational efficiency and better customer experience. These outcomes support them in continuing to live up to their brand promise.

Rapid incident response and resolution

Even a brief period of network downtime can prove costly to organizations. Monitoring and managing geographically disparate branch offices, factories, warehouses, remote regions and other locations is challenging. The lack of support through a dedicated IT network staff or advanced visibility tools could leave businesses vulnerable to significant monetary losses. For example, 41% of large enterprises indicate that hourly downtime costs their organization $1 million to over $5 million.

Partnering with MNSPs enables network OEMs to avoid costly investments in field service personnel, network operations centers (NOCs), security operations centers (SOCs) and other infrastructure-heavy resources. It also facilitates better client support by meeting their uptime expectations without overextending internal teams or investing in building a dedicated team to address outages and downtime. With the support of an MNSP, they can deliver higher SLAs than they could independently achieve.

Seamless operation in multi-partner environments

The complexity of today’s enterprise environments is a growing challenge. Network OEMs often find themselves navigating a tangled web of diverse partners, tools and resolver groups, with enterprises relying on a mix of technologies. MNSPs extend strategic support to network OEMs for their growth initiatives across global enterprise accounts by leveraging their existing multivendor worldwide customer services relationships and capabilities. This may include specialized training, certifications and logistics infrastructure that help them extend their reach and deliver consistent service across diverse environments.

MNSPs offer a single point of accountability for supporting multiple products, resulting in simplified operations and improved SLA adherence. They have proven operational reliability, flexible service coverage and deep industry domain expertise. Network OEMs are thus able to leverage these capabilities to scale efficiently, reduce deployment friction and maintain high customer satisfaction in complex, multivendor network landscapes.

Security and compliance

With enterprise networks becoming more complex and software-centric, security has become one of the top priorities for technology leaders. In an NCR-Atleos-sponsored research study, 48% of the surveyed technology leaders cited security concerns to be the top challenge with enterprise networking. Security risk reduction is one of the top success measures of network management. Thus, network security is a high priority for networking technology initiatives and investments for over 50% of organizations. MNSPs can support network OEMs with robust security protocol implementation and compliance management, adhering to regional and/or industry standards and regulations.

Cost efficiency and new revenue stream opportunity

This year, a considerable number of C-level executives and business leaders experienced or will experience budget and spending cuts. Network OEMs may often find it challenging to meet both cost optimization and client expectations without pressuring their bottom line.

By partnering with an MNSP, they can potentially save on high fixed costs like salaries, infrastructure and training by paying only for the services they use. They can choose specific services (e.g., remote services, field services, etc.) without the overhead cost required to build or keep an entire team dedicated to support and for services.

Partnering with a managed network services provider also enables them to expand their revenue streams by adding services and support without the overhead cost and providing their clients with better customer service and experience.

An MNSP is more than an outsourced support function for network OEMs—it is a strategic ally. Focusing on innovation and continuous improvement is no longer optional for network OEMs in today’s highly competitive market. Customers now expect them to integrate AI and machine learning into their products—and they expect tangible results sooner rather than later.

To meet these demands, it makes strategic sense to collaborate with an MNSP so network technology providers can concentrate on what they do best: building, enhancing and innovating world-class network technology products.