Routing and Switching (Integrated Services Network)

A secure, reliable network infrastructure is critical to support growth, enable efficient operations, and improve communications with customers and partners.

When Ray Dillon joined the staff of Summit Fire Protection in December 2003, the Minnesota-based fire protection systems installer had what he generously calls "an interesting mix" of cabling, hardware, and devices connecting its 250 employees at five locations in the midwestern United States.

Summit grew rapidly and accumulated multiple operating systems, plus hubs, switches, and other network hardware devices of varying quality from several manufacturers, along with several network connection technologies. Increased demands on the network led the six-year-old company to replace its patchwork of equipment.

John Adler, a systems consultant with Convergent Solutions Group, a Cisco Premier Certified Partner, worked with Summit to implement a network based on Cisco Systems technology. The network provides consistency, addresses current business challenges, and can grow to accommodate future business and technology needs.

Covering the Basics

On a basic level, a network foundation consists of several key components, mainly routers and switches. But today, wireless access points and special devices such as adaptive security appliances create added flexibility and security:

• While switches and routers have evolved and the lines between them may seem blurred, one simple distinction remains: Switches reside in an organization's local-area network, while routers are needed in a wide-area network environment.
• Wireless access points allow computers and other devices such as handheld Internet Protocol (IP) phones to wirelessly connect to the network or share broadband connectivity.
• Adaptive security appliances guard against network threats and provide application security, network control and containment, and secure connectivity technologies.

With a strong network foundation in place, companies can add newer, emerging technologies such as Webcasting, voice over IP (VoIP), streaming video, and wireless to meet customer demands or address growth issues. The benefits of a network foundation grow exponentially as the number of users increases:

Supporting Collaboration

A single, easily accessible network that allows processes such as sharing printers and maintaining data in a single location provides many benefits. "With the network foundation in place, for example, our sales information and vendor pricing are stored and maintained centrally, so we're all accessing the same information across the network," Dillon says. The foundation also helps Dillon in his IT role. Whereas Dillon previously had to travel to remote Summit locations to provide technical support, he now can do it remotely from his desk.

The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (NURFC) in Cincinnati, a large educational research institution and museum, chronicles 500 years of slavery and oppression using an array of interactive technologies. The primary advantage of the network foundation technology, notes Ron Williams, director of IT, Telecommunications, and Media at NURFC, is that it provides the opportunity to exchange and share information among employees, partners, and patrons.

Ensuring Security

Rob Hackler, network administrator at Cretex Companies, a manufacturer of concrete, construction, and other commercial products in Elk River, Minnesota, turned to Convergent Solutions Group to move to a consistent, secure setup, including secure hardware-based Cisco VPN technology.

"We have five main independent operating companies with 12 to 14 locations overall, and they each had their own Internet connections and various types of hardware devices," Hackler says. "Now, the network is easier to manage and more secure." Hackler points to security as the primary advantage of a strong network foundation.

Don Ely, network engineer at John L. Scott Real Estate in Bellevue, Washington, would be the first to agree. Ely identifies the defining moment for his network-technology plan as June 2005, when the company was nearly "brought to its knees" by an attack on its old network.

Making the Investment

Establishing a solid network foundation isn't necessarily inexpensive, but many SMB leaders agree that it's critical. "The up-front costs are relatively high, but the total cost of ownership makes it easier to handle," says Ely. "Many small and medium companies are used to spending pennies, where you actually have to spend dollars."

As recently as five to six years ago, this type of comprehensive network foundation hardware would have been cost-prohibitive for SMBs, according to Greg Malik, vice president of services at IT reseller Zones. "Today, prices are well within reach," Malik says. "Network foundation technology has really evened the opportunities for SMBs to compete with larger companies, and with each other. And the beauty of a network foundation is it will continue to do so by its nature as the company grows."