Five Networking Services To Focus On

With margins on networking hardware declining partners need to focus more on services. However, not all services are profitable. Here are some services that are either in demand or will help a network specialist to grow his business

Surveillance 

 

Surveillance is one of the fastest growing markets today, with both local governance bodies and police departments insisting that businesses set up cameras and store video content. The biggest trend in surveillance is the switch from analog to digital. “Today there’s a shortage of good integrators who understand the Internet Protocol, who know how to lay cables efficiently, and who have knowledge of different aspects of IT such as storage and data archival,” says Sudhindra Holla, Regional Director, Axis Communications. Holla points out that the services component in large surveillance implementation projects is in the high double digits which translates into decent margins for partners. 

 

Network auditing

Network audits are one of the most in-demand services. Many enterprises outsource these audits but the market is presently dominated by the large consulting companies. Audit services can be divided into different categories. The most common is the auditing of existing network infrastructure, identifying issues, and suggesting fixes such as firmware upgrades or replacement of devices. Security audits are the most profitable among the different auditing services. “A number of customers are already considering IPv6 seriously, and are looking for IPv6 readiness reports,” says Prakash Krishnamoorthy, Country Manager, HP Networking, HP India. “Another requirement is Wi-Fi site audits since many enterprises are unsure about both security and performance and need an external consultant to tell them about the state of things.”

 

Structured cabling

While many partners take up structured cabling projects they often end up sub-contracting parts of it. This used to make a lot of sense a few years back because most partners saw more margins in consulting and selling the components and did not want to get themselves involved in the whole project. However, since last year, many IT partners have started recognizing that there exist enough margins in taking up projects and implementing them end-to-end. “We had stopped taking up cabling projects, but for the past one year we have started taking up large projects,” informs Neel Shah, Director, Insight Business Machines, Mumbai. Adds AL Srinath, CEO, Shell Networks, Hyderabad, “We do not outsource any portion of a structured cabling project. We offer customers certification and performance guarantees for the infrastructure set-up, and this usually comes with a 20-year warranty. Customers are willing to pay extra for such efforts.” 

 

Remote Management

Of all remote infrastructure management projects the most critical is the management of networking devices. Customers are willing to pay more, especially in cases where 24x7 monitoring is provided. Typically, network device management fetches five times more money than managing end-points. Says Srinivas R, Senior Manager, IT Infrastructure, The Himalaya Drugs Company, “Maintaining uptime is extremely critical for enterprises, and we look for partners who can deliver services backed by strong SLAs.” Vendors such as Juniper and Cisco have been working with channels to help them set up professional practices around network management. 

 

Managed Security

The functions of a managed security service include round-the-clock monitoring and management of intrusion detection systems and firewalls, overseeing patch management and upgrades, performing security assessments and security audits, and responding to emergencies. According to Satheesh Nair, CEO, Stickman Consulting, Bengaluru, “Network security assessments and penetration testing are also in demand. These include one-time or periodic software scans or hacking attempts in order to find vulnerabilities in a technical and logical perimeter. Segments such as BFSI, R&D, defense, public sector and IT-ITeS have started showing interest in these services.