A guide to understanding your connectivity needs

Efficient and reliable connectivity is the backbone of all modern operations, impacting everything from communication to data transfer and application performance. But to thrive in this digital age, it's important you understand and are able to define your (global) connectivity needs, just as captains need to understand their navigation charts before setting sail. 

In this guide, we’ll take you through some of the key steps to get it right.

1. Let's get started: assessing current operations

The first step in understanding your connectivity needs is a thorough evaluation of your current network operations. This includes evaluating your existing contracts, rates, service providers, and their performance up to now. By gaining a clear picture of your existing setup, you can identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. 

Know where resources are spending most of their time, and opportunities to gain efficiencies.

It’s important to take into account that visibility into your network’s operations is an often overlooked but critical aspect of connectivity management. Without it, optimizing your connectivity can feel like navigating a dark maze blindfolded. So, it’s important to include this in your assessment.

2. Set a course: consider your business objectives

When done right, connectivity can be an enabler for meeting your business goals – so taking them into account when defining your connectivity needs is key. 

Whether it’s expanding to new markets, supporting remote workforces, or launching new applications, knowing what you aim to achieve is fundamental to determining your global connectivity requirements. 

Think of your business objectives as the compass that will point your network strategy in the right direction.

3. Customize your ride: identifying user requirements

With clear objectives in mind, it’s time to look at your people. 

One size does not fit all, especially across medium and large organizations, with branches spread across countries, and the different devices required to fulfill different roles. 

That’s why you will want to conduct interviews and surveys among your employees to gather insights into the applications and services they rely on. Their expectations regarding network speed, reliability, and security will function as a roadmap toward your connectivity requirements.

4. Watch the road: considering your security and compliance needs

Of course you want your data to be safe by securing your network. 

Just as you wouldn’t leave your home unlocked, the door to your network should be safely shut. 

But there’s a lot of information out there, so it can be challenging to figure out where to begin. 

That’s why you’ll first want to assess if your industry has specific security requirements and compliance regulations to adhere to. This will ensure that your network follows local regulations and is equipped to handle encryption, firewall protection, and data privacy in accordance with these standards. If your industry has no specific requirements or regulations, find the industry that’s most like yours and use that as a starting point.

5. You are in control: network visibility & control

Navigating the DIY route for network aggregation—sourcing, managing, and setting up connections—can be a real challenge. Even after getting everything set up, keeping track of what’s happening across your network, its performance, ISP contracts, and separate invoices will soon become a puzzle.

This is why, especially in a global setup, having a clear view and full control over your network is super important. So, it’s key to invest enough time and tools into gaining total control. That will make it way easier to find, compare, set up, manage, and support your network connections (and get some peace of mind).

6. The road ahead: future-proofing your connectivity

Future-proofing your (global) connectivity is like designing a building with adaptable architecture. Just like modular construction enables buildings to grow and evolve without tearing down walls, modern networks must also evolve and scale without facing technological hurdles. 

For instance, consider a network setup that can easily accommodate a sudden peak in users or integrate cutting-edge technologies without causing disruptions. 

This foresight involves thinking about scalability, ensuring your network can expand smoothly as your business grows, and flexibility to adapt to emerging technologies.

7. Need help? Call the experts

Companies with large IT teams may already have the resources and people required to go through some of these steps. However, in some cases, it can still be beneficial to get the expertise of a third party or to free resources to focus on more strategic issues. This will help reduce lead time, training and certification costs, and risk.

GNX: for all your connectivity solutions

Want to take full control and make sure your connectivity is next-generation ready and a perfect fit for your company? GNX offers comprehensive, tailor-made solutions and expert guidance to help businesses navigate the complexities of global connectivity. 

And that’s not all. Together with our super smart platform, Lara, we provide you with easy access to global networks. With Lara, you get a one-stop shop that lets you compare different connectivity options from thousands of providers. Much like browsing different travel deals when planning a trip, Lara shows you all the options available – for technology, speeds, price, and more – helping you pick the best one that suits your needs.

But it isn’t just about finding connections. It’s about simplifying the entire process. Lara gives you a clear view of your entire network setup, with management and support functions right at your fingertips. It’s like having your own personal network expert, making the complex world of connectivity like it should be: straightforward and simple.