Why Meraki solutions are a smart investment

First off, what is Meraki? Meraki is not a foreign language, but a Networking solution. Meraki is a line of products owned by Cisco, that allow for cloud management. Cloud management means that your IT provider can log into the device from their own office or on the go to check the status of your network and ensure everything is working as it should be. Troubleshooting is made much easier, while you, the end-user will be able to gain access to valuable insights about your network usage.

Cloud Networking

Your internet is down and you have to call your IT support. They will walk you through steps, such as: Is it all plugged in, are there lights on the black box and so on. In most cases after 30 minutes or so you will be able to have your internet back and go on with your day, but 30 minutes is a long time in business. Meraki allows for customized alerts and is a self healing infrastructure. While it cannot control your internet provider equipment, the appliances can try a few tricks to get your internet back, before you even have a chance to notice that it is down. Meraki also keeps us informed and we can get on our computer and troubleshoot from our side.

Meraki doesn’t just deal with internet outages, but also deals with the performance of your entire network. Maybe your network is slow at around 10am every morning, or you have problems accessing a certain resource on the network. With Meraki finding the cause of the problem is easier than ever and can be fixed within seconds. The cloud management dashboard allows for immediate modification of parameters on all of the devices, without needing to be on site and troubleshoot the issue. The appliances will also work to ensure there are no bottlenecks or speed issues within your network, making your organization more productive ever second of the day.

Analytics

Are your customers or patrons using the WiFi at your business? Would you like to know a basic profile of their device and some other parameters to specifically target these customers with advertisements on your WiFi? Meraki allows for analytics to not only log all of your business devices on the network, but also all guest devices. It can collect information such as: What device are they using, what age group are they in,  and more. Offering a WiFi network for your guests can not only make your guests happier, but also increase sales. By offering advertisements that every single person logging onto your WiFi has to look at, or requiring them to like your Facebook page to gain access to your guest WiFi.

For your internal metrics, Meraki can collect usage and device information. This will allow to see how productive or unproductive certain computers, a.k.a. employees are. The metrics are also great for planning future resource usage, such as server access, and allowing for restrictions to certain resources on the network, which can be actively monitored. Which brings us right to network security.

Security & Network Protection

With ransomware on the rise, a virus that will encrypt all your files and will demand a ransom, network security has never been more important. Ransomware, as an example, will spread to all the computers and servers on the network by trying to connect to them all at the same time and infect them all. Advanced security and protection measures are required to stop devices from accessing all resources at once, and to scan all files crossing the network for any infections. Meraki offers these advanced security plans that will actively scan your network for any security or virus issues, and will take care of them without the need for user input. Security has never been easier.

Network Benefits

More secure, faster and lower cost of ownership, to name a few.  Cisco’s Meraki has a multitude of benefits that will allow for your network to be more secure, allow for faster data transfers between computers and will actually cost less than comparable enterprise level equipment. The dashboard allows us to monitor all network activity at any given time, and allows for us to optimize your network accordingly. If there are speed problems at certain times, the culprit can be found and the issue can be resolved. The cloud management software also constantly optimizes the network itself. From reshaping wireless connections, to throttling some connections to allow for faster speeds for demanding applications and more, Meraki does all this behind the scenes. So you might wonder, if it’s so great, why would it cost less?

Lower Cost of Ownership

Meraki products offer a lower TCO over time, mainly because they eliminate the need for costly support. Meraki’s appliances, switches and wireless products are all usually on par with similar products in terms of pricing. We are a Meraki partner, which allows us to get better pricing from Meraki directly as well. All Meraki products require a yearly subscription for the cloud management portion of the product itself, but this allows for us to charge you less for support, because you will almost never need it. If you need support, it will be a quick and easy fix, and you will barely ever need a technician on site to troubleshoot any issues, as everything is controlled right from the dashboard.

With all the advertising and network benefits that Meraki comes with, the infrastructure will pay for itself in no time, as it can adapt over time for a growing business, or it can stay the same way it always has. Meraki will take care of all the heavy lifting so you and your staff can get more work done and never have to experience another network problem again.

Get in Touch

Are you having regular problems with your network, whether it is internet outages or slow network speeds at certain times? Meraki is a great solution for any business, regardless of size. Meraki can grow with the business and adapt to any network needs that may arise. Network performance and security is more crucial than ever. We can help you create the right network solution for your business. Whether you are looking to start small, or want to swap your existing solution for a full network package, we can help. Call us today at (403) 477-4800 or email us at [email protected]