Continue reading »]]> By Ed Bullock, Vendor & Pricing Analyst

Networks First is pleased to announce that it has recently become a Huawei Certified Services Partner in the UK and Ireland. This move aligns our service delivery capability with the Huawei Enterprise distribution and reseller channel and strengthens our capability to offer multi-vendor network support to customers and partners.

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. is a Chinese multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. Huawei is the largest China-based networking and telecommunications equipment supplier and the second-largest supplier of mobile telecommunications infrastructure equipment in the world.

Our relationship with the vendor dates back to before the acquisition of Access Network Services (ANS) by Networks First in 2007 when ANS provided engineering services to the channel for the manufacturer’s then PBX (private branch exchange) products. Networks First has also implemented and continues to support H3C products (i.e. the joint venture between 3Com and Huawei prior to the acquisition of 3Com by HP in 2010).

The vendor looks set to continue its worldwide expansion by extending from telecom carrier networks to the enterprise and consumer business sectors. Huawei launched its own Enterprise business group in 2010 and has high growth ambitions for the enterprise networking sector in the UK and Ireland which will undoubtedly change the competitive landscape.

By purchasing a support service contract from us, customers who choose Huawei products will benefit from the assurance that Networks First will provide guaranteed SLA-backed onsite engineering resource with hardware replacement for all Huawei Enterprise switching and routing technology. Do more with Networks First. Get in touch and request a support quote today.

Continue reading »]]> Recently Networks First was awarded the Innovation Award for Comms and Networking by Information Age. Always delighted to receive awards we were particularly pleased with this one – innovation is something that as a business we both encourage and value.

Innovation in this context could be defined as exploiting new ideas leading to the creation of a new product or service. However it is not just the ‘invention’ that is important, but the application of that invention i.e. putting it into practice and exploiting it in a manner that leads to new efficiencies or new benefits to business.

Cloud computing is a great innovation in the world of technology – but moving to the cloud can expose businesses to risk not experienced with propriety infrastructure. Our Transformation Testing Service (the award winner) is a service that helps businesses mitigate the risk of moving their applications to the cloud – an inventive service in itself. Innovation means exploiting new technology and using out-of-the-box thinking to generate new value which is exactly what this ‘cloud-readiness assessment’ provides for our customers networks.

More Information on the Service is available here. Or you can view the video here.

Speaking on the awards our Chairman Peter Titmus said “At Networks First we like to think we are innovative not just in the services we offer but also in the manner in which we approach things. The cloud is a key component of many of Networks First services – we’re helping businesses evolve their networks in response to the impact of such new technologies. Our industry does at times have herd instinct that can sometimes create an “it’ll be all right on the night” approach. The reality is that a mistake could threaten a company’s business. Our video is a light hearted approach is to promote our services which minimise risk and help customers get the most benefit when they transform their networks.  We’re delighted Information Age readers have voted us as innovators in the industry!”

Continue reading »]]> By Ed Bullock, Pricing & Vendor Analyst

Networks First has been successfully designing, deploying and optimising WLANs for several years – including 802.11 a/b/g and more lately the 802.11n standard. Our expertise in planning and implementation ensures that your wireless network is built to scale with your user and performance needs, whilst mitigating security and compliance concerns.

Each customer environment presents its own unique challenge, which is why conducting a wireless site survey is essential to obtain real-world measurements and provide accurate guidance. Our indoor and outdoor assessments analyse your existing Wi-Fi deployment alongside the RF spectrum and allow our engineers to see how clients perform at specific locations.

By capturing WLAN throughput, connection speed, retry rates, and packet losses this allows us to simulate a variety of changes to the network and preview the impacts. This can include adjusting transmission power, channels, SSID settings, considering RF noise (i.e. interference from non Wi-Fi devices), and repositioning access points.

Our network consultants then visually model wireless coverage maps – taking into account the ideal quantity, placement and configuration of APs (even your building construction materials!) – before proposing a recommended solution. Indeed, this may not result in adding more APs. We can help to lower cost of ownership whilst still ensuring the highest utilisation and performance.

As soon as the planning process is complete, we will produce a professional report with all the information that is needed to properly implement the network. According to this specification, we can then supply, configure, install and test your new WLAN – including any necessary cabling work just in case any wires are required!

Do you need help with your migration strategy from existing legacy 802.11a/b/g networks to 802.11n technology? Networks First is with you every step of the way and will work with you to verify user network requirements and align these to your business. For more ideas on how Networks First can optimise and secure your wireless network see our Managed WLAN Service.

Continue reading »]]> By Daljit Paul, Head of Service Delivery

Networks First has been recertified by Cisco as a Managed Services Certified Partner – Master and Cisco Silver Partner.

Many organisations are being asked to ‘do more’ with less at a time when IT budgets are being reduced and resources stretched to capacity.  Virtualisation, the Cloud, Unified Communications and increased staff mobility all offer organisations great opportunities for improved efficiencies and reduced costs.  Networks First can help achieve this using it’s suite of management tools overlaid with our skills that following industry best practice.

Our management service provides businesses with the best of both worlds in achieving the most with their networks – where they retain strategic control and we manage the day to day tasks using ITIL processes.

Using our multi-vendor skills and extensive expertise, we proactively manage network availability and performance to optimise service quality.  The Cisco Managed Service Channel Program Master is a reflection of our commitment to providing a managed service that combines service excellence and in-depth technical knowledge with the very latest technologies and solutions.

As a Master Cisco Managed Service Channel Partner, Networks First has demonstrated the ability to deliver sophisticated solutions, met stringent requirements that reflect a depth of capabilities, and undergone an independent audit by an objective third-party auditor.  Networks First has demonstrated that their skills are second to none in the managed routing and switching environment and the managed security environment.

Continue reading »]]> By Ed Bullock, Vendor & Pricing Analyst

This third instalment in our series discussing networking technology trends sees us exploring the adoption of Unified Communications and Collaboration.

Many enterprises have already realised the benefits of IP Telephony and Voice over IP technology and transitioned from separate data and voice systems to a converged infrastructure. Of these enterprises, many have gone further still and deployed voice, messaging, contact centre, conferencing, presence, softphones and / or video applications across their network (including IP enabled end points and smart devices).

Key observations:

• Unified Communications and Collaboration and SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) based infrastructures enable customers to achieve cost savings, improve productivity and enhance user experience.

• Few organisations have all the resources necessary to roll out a communication platform that can take full advantage of all the latest capabilities these technologies offer.

• Extensive legacy investment in analogue telephone and private branch exchange (PBX) systems has proved hard to displace in many cases, and the upgrade process is still very much on-going.

• Some customers are naturally risk averse; often with good reason. VoIP and SIP implementations can run into trouble if the LAN or WAN is not fit for purpose – which is where our pre-deployment readiness assessment services can help.

• Enterprises must look inwards to identify how they can align their business accordingly to take full advantage of Unified Communications and Collaboration (e.g. telecoms and mobile expense management).

A quick look at our voice vendors shows that they have all been busy in this space: Cisco has increased their focus on social software and collaborative tools; Mitel has developed new platforms for delivering Unified Communications and Collaboration services such as hosted voice; and Avaya has launched more intuitive applications designed for smart devices.

It is apparent that Unified Communications and Collaboration is a journey and not necessarily a destination in itself. The landscape is continually evolving. Developments are also tied with Mobility and Cloud – today’s other overarching IT themes. What you can rely upon however is Networks First and our ability to help guide you along your Unified Communications and Collaboration journey.

Continue reading »]]> By Richard Beaufoy, Internal Sales Account Manager

You have a network that you need support for.  You have a basic idea of what products make up the network, and what level of service is required.  You have sent through all of these details that you have through to Networks First to get a quote – so why are Networks First chasing for really detailed information that is going to take some time to uncover?

We at Networks First understand that it can be frustrating for customers to be chased for additional information relating to what seems to be a straightforward quotation request, but it is important to note that the reason we are requesting this information is that it can have a significant impact on the quote, and in various different ways.  For example, if when you insured your car the information that you gave to the insurance company was that it was a Ford Focus, it would be impossible for the company to give you an accurate quote as the information provided could relate to any number of possible models.  Similarly, if we are asked to provide support for a Cisco firewall this product code may relate to any one of hundreds of unique products in our databases, which we would be able to support and quote for.  The implication of this is that if we do not have the correct product code for the equipment, we may not be providing an accurate quotation.  This can have consequences on (amongst other things) the pricing of the quote, the ordering of any mandatory manufacturer support associated with the product, whether the product has reached manufacturer discontinuance / obsolescence, and, in the case of product codes relating to modular chassis’, any other modules within the chassis that will also need to have support.  Unlike the car insurance comparison mentioned above, an order based upon inaccurate information will not invalidate your support contract but it could potentially cause delay and knock-on effects in terms of service delivery, at the very time when you do not want this to happen. Clearly, if we have full and accurate information relating to a product we can produce a full and accurate quote, and hopefully by getting the quote accurate first time around the customer experience of working with Networks First is better than having to have the same estate quoted several times before finally reaching a finalised version.

Of course, being able to get a full and accurate product list is not always the simplest procedure, and we understand, that you can only work with the information that you are given.  As such we are able to assume product codes if these are not available, and quote indicatively until full clarification is provided.

In an ideal world we would always be able to quote based on full and accurate equipment lists, but we know that that ideal world doesn’t always exist – all we can do at Networks First is try and bring it a little bit closer.

To request a quotation from Networks First, please use the Request a Quote page on the Networks First website.

Continue reading »]]> By Maria Goggin, Head of Marketing

The lines of demarcation are blurring – work used to be where you were now it is what you do, at home and on the move, not just in the office. The impact of mobile working practice on your business network is a challenge we’ve recently seen work its way to near the top of the IT management agenda.

The past 6 months has put yet another slant on this; Bring Your Own Device is now one of the most hotly debated topics in IT. It used to be that your ‘Blackberry’ was for work and that Facebook was for friends. It used to be there was a big difference between the technologies used at work and those used in your private life – but it is clear the world has changed.

Last week Networks First attended a ‘thought leadership’ event on this topic where we shared our insights on the challenges and listened to IT Managers and Directors assess their responses.

Two things were apparent – there is no single approach or simple solution businesses can implement to deal with the issue, no silver bullet to address the challenges BYOD presents. And taking the ostrich (head in sand) approach isn’t an answer either!

The difference for IT Managers with BYOD is that they are responding to a trend that has happened to them – it isn’t a project they are in control of and rolling out. The consumerisation of IT will change IT management forever. It will become more about managing and securing information for the business and less and less about managing ‘kit’. Businesses will rely on service providers like Networks First to manage the kit and supply them with a service that helps them manage their information requirements.

Our recently launched WLAN service is one example of such a service. Wireless LANs are better equipped to manage wireless devices thereby providing one approach to businesses wanting to regain control in response to the BYOD invasion.

Such services provide a start point for business who wish to leave the ‘T’ (technology) of IT to the service providers so that they can concentrate on the ‘I’ (information). More information on the service can be found on the Networks First website.

Continue reading »]]> By Daljit Paul, Head of Service Delivery

Networks First are constantly developing our systems to work efficiently and effectively for both our staff and customers.

When an engineer attends site you are normally asked to fill in the Engineers Service Report. As of today, we have launched an iPhone App to capture this information. The engineer will ask you to sign off the incident / installation using their iPhone application. The image below illustrates what you will expect to see:

This new process will provide the following benefits:

• Real Time Information; The service report will be emailed instantly to our Service Desk who will be able to update you on the site visit immediately.
• Improves Efficiency; Engineers will receive incidents whilst on the road enabling a faster response time.

• Customer Care; A copy of the customer feedback survey will be emailed to the customer immediately enabling Networks First us to gather your feedback and improve service.

If you have any questions regarding the new process, please do not hesitate to contact the Networks First Service Desk on 0845 850 1177 or email servicedesk@networksfirst.com

Continue reading »]]> By Ed Bullock, Vendor & Pricing Analyst

Continuing our discussion on networking technology trends, another piece of the jigsaw is the Wide Area Network (WAN)  – which through interacting with key interfaces on the Local Area Network (LAN) provides users with access to ‘the cloud’ – whether that may be Internet or other WANs, and by reason other LANs.

As well as opening the LAN to inevitable security concerns – which can be mitigated largely through a proactive network security practice – the WAN extends traffic prioritisation issues between users who are separated not only by physical distance but by network topology, infrastructure and protocols. In particular this becomes a problem with real-time applications such as voice and video but also chatty applications which require multiple hops between LAN and WAN.

Increasingly, organisations are looking to consolidate resources in the data centre whilst at the same time introducing new collaborative technology to mobile users, branch offices and remote workers. This places a greater onus on the network – by which we mean the unified LAN and WAN – to perform.

An obvious response is to provision extra bandwidth (for example, in the case of Ethernet lines upgrading the current bearer size from 10Mb / 100Mb to 20Mb / 100Mb) or depending on your connectivity requirements consider newer products which offer improved performance versus traditional DSL based services over copper wires (e.g. Ethernet First Mile).

Whilst adding bandwidth does increase the speed and capacity of your WAN, the perception that it improves application performance is not always true. For instance, a transferred file will always try to maximise the available bandwidth; it might arrive at its destination quicker but it is consuming more bandwidth in order to do so.

For the user, any benefit from increased WAN bandwidth will always be limited by the speed of the LAN. Networks can still be saturated with traffic which is why implementing Quality of Service (QoS) policies is so important to prioritise different classes of data.

The Networks First approach is to go further and optimise the network to improve performance and do more with less. Through our partnerships with Riverbed, Cisco and Blue Coat (who are widely respected as the top 3 WAN optimisation vendors) Networks First can help you get the most out of your network – both LAN and WAN.

We consider not just capacity, but optimisation techniques including acceleration, caching, prioritisation, and shaping to build intelligence into the way traffic behaves and to reduce unnecessary packet journeys. Call us today on 0845 850 5577 about evolving your network with Networks First.

Further information

Networks First How to Guide on Network Management for the 21^st Century

Don’t forget the Network Whitepaper and Webinar

Continue reading »]]>

Networks First has entered the Information Age Awards 2012 and we need your help to win!

To enter the awards, we have submitted a video for the category focusing on Communications and Networking Innovations of the Year. Our submission is a specially recorded dinosaur video incorporating our Transformation Testing service.

We need to drum up as much support as possible and get plenty of votes for our video, so please can you vote and also encourage your contacts to vote for Networks First?