Often times, the things we use every day are the things we take for granted. In this case, we are talking about WiFi, the speed of WiFi, the reliability of WiFi, and the longevity of WiFi. Commonly overlooked when discussing technology in the business or school, WiFi is potentially the most crucial elements to keeping any organization running efficiently and effectively.
Budgeting:
Business grade WiFi systems typically come with associated annual costs and fees. When talking about renewal costs for WiFi, it most commonly is in reference to access points. Access points are your WiFi hubs that are spread around your building, and send internet to your users. Although it may feel like you shouldn?t have to continually pay for a piece of hardware that you bought outright; costs to keep firmware updated, have an active support team, and ensure your system operates correctly keep your school or business safe. It is a common practice by big name companies to have annual or 3-yr or 5-yr pricing to keep your access points running and updated. Pricing depends on which vendor or company your access points are manufactured and sold by, and can be a few hundred or a few thousand dollars per unit. Keeping these costs in mind when it comes to upgrades and subscription costs in your organization is vital. Failure to comply with renewal costs could result in outdated devices, problems with your network, or outright network failure.
Low Cost Solutions:
An unexpected or unplanned multi-thousand dollar upgrade/renewal can hit hard, why wouldn?t you just want to find a product or company that doesn?t have renewal charges? Here is the thing, you can absolutely find distributors that make good products without the extra fees hitting every few years, but they come at a cost. The cost I speak of is a labor cost. Products that come without fees usually means that they don?t have a support team available at your disposal 24/7, they aren?t required to upgrade your devices and provide solutions to your problems, and generally just leave your IT team on their own. For the right team, this isn?t necessarily a problem. You have to determine if it?s a risk you?re willing to take, or if you want to play it safe with a more ?top of the line? solution. For many, it can depend on the size of the business/school, and what the budget allows.
Compatibility/Options:
Whatever you feel may be the right solution for you and your organization; you need to be sure that your network devices are all compatible, and optimized. This is a job best handled by your IT team/personnel. Should you not have someone on your team who is up to the task, SimpleFly Tech is always available for free consultations and evaluations. We will always work for our clients to improve or build your network to its best potential. If you wish to know more about this subject, feel free to submit a comment below or give us a call.
