Are your networks healthy? How would you know if they were, or if their health were to become compromised? Or do you just assume everything is humming along, performing optimally — until something breaks?

Like everything else with technology, networks aren’t “set it and forget it.” And if you do approach things that way, you could be asking for trouble. Here’s why 24×7 network monitoring matters so much to your business.

What is network monitoring?

Networks are complex, but you don’t have to understand all the nitty gritty details to grasp the basics. Think of your network as the connective tissue of your entire IT infrastructure. It ties together all of your hardware devices, software, servers, firewalls, other equipment, and the Internet. The desired result is that every piece of your infrastructure can talk with the others, and that files and data can be accessed and shared (where sharing and access is permitted, of course).

Network monitoring is the act of keeping an eye on every network component to ensure each is performing the way it should, and notifying an administrator of faults, failures, and performance bottlenecks in the system so they can be remedied.

Here’s why network monitoring 24×7 is critical to your business.

Proactive monitoring = less downtime

Having your networks monitored around the clock may sound like overkill or overly pricey, but taking a proactive approach is actually far more efficient. Rather than experiencing the costs and loss of productivity that come with system downtime, effective monitoring means quicker resolution of network issues.

Up-to-date inventorying capability

One of the jobs of network monitoring software is to automate device inventory, and give you an accurate map of your network. In addition to having knowledge of what devices are part of your network, this view also allows you to mastermind your network design and optimize it as the business (and the network) grows. Plus, you’ll always know which devices are on or offline at any given moment, and can pinpoint failures or outages on the map.

Stop security threats

Cybercriminals don’t keep regular business hours, so their threats can hit your business anytime, day or night. Network monitoring tells you the source and nature of all traffic flowing in and through your network, so you can readily detect malicious network activity and stop it before it can do real damage. Network monitoring also gives you insight into vulnerable spots in your network, so you can patch those before they become disastrous.

Plan for the future

As your business grows, your technology needs will change. The growth of your IT infrastructure should be a consideration for which you budget and plan. Rather than  retroactively swapping out tired devices when your network gets too overloaded, real-time network monitoring enables you to be prepared. You can see at a glance which devices are near end-of-life or need to be replaced.

What’s Next?

AccountabilIT offers 24×7 network monitoring as part of our Managed Services. Set up some time with us to learn more about what our customer-focused IT support approach can do for you.