Reducing the cost of managing network infrastructure in medium-sized enterprises

Medium-sized businesses today are operating in an increasingly complex and competitive environment. With the rapid evolution of technology, the rise of remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the growing demands for digital transformation, businesses face unique challenges when it comes to managing their network infrastructure.

The challenges of running a medium-sized business network

Medium-sized businesses face a number of challenges not faced by larger organisations.

Budget constraints and unpredictable costs

Medium-sized businesses often operate with tighter budgets compared to larger enterprises. While network infrastructure is essential for day-to-day operations, the upfront costs of purchasing and maintaining hardware — such as switches, routers, firewalls, and Wi-Fi access points — can be expensive for such a business. In addition, network upgrades, patch management and unexpected maintenance and repairs can lead to unpredictable costs that make financial planning difficult.

Limited IT resources and expertise

Many medium-sized businesses don’t have the luxury of large IT teams. Instead, they often rely on a few generalists who juggle multiple responsibilities. Managing network performance, ensuring security, and responding to user issues can quickly overwhelm small IT departments, especially when the network becomes more complex with remote workforces, cloud-based services, and IoT devices.

Security concerns and compliance pressure

Cybersecurity is an ever-growing concern for businesses of all sizes. And while medium-sized enterprises face the same cyber risks as larger organisations, they usually have fewer resources to devote to robust security methodologies. Maintaining compliance with industry regulations — such as data protection laws — adds another layer of complexity, especially when managing a geographically dispersed or cloud-connected network.

Network performance and scalability

As businesses grow, so do their networking needs. However, the traditional approach to upgrading networks — buying new hardware, configuring devices, and ensuring compatibility — can be time-consuming, costly, and disruptive.

Reducing the complexity with Network-as-a-Service

Moving network infrastructure away from an inhouse-managed system to an outsourced Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) approach offers many advantages for medium-sized businesses that want to reduce cost overheads, maintain scalability and flexibility and deal with cybersecurity risk.

Predictable costs and flexibility

One of main features of a NaaS solution such as the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise NaaS is its ability to convert capital expenditures (CapEx) into operational expenditures (OpEx). Instead of investing large sums upfront in hardware and software, businesses pay a subscription fee for the network infrastructure and services they need. This subscription model makes budgeting simpler, as businesses know exactly how much they’ll spend on networking each month or year.

Scalable, future-proof infrastructure

As networking requirements evolve — whether supporting more employees or expanding to new branch offices — NaaS allows businesses to scale their network without the hassle of purchasing and configuring new hardware. AI-powered optimisation ensures that network performance remains high even as demands increase, with traffic management features that prioritise business-critical applications and resources.

Reduced IT overhead with automation and AI

With AI-driven network management, ALE’s NaaS significantly reduces the burden on IT teams. Routine tasks such as configuring devices, monitoring performance, and troubleshooting issues are automated, leaving IT staff free to focus on higher-value activities.

Enterprise-grade security

ALE’s NaaS includes built-in security features like Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) and zero-trust network access (ZTNA), offering a comprehensive security framework without the complexity of manual configuration, while AI monitors traffic for potential security threats, automatically adjusting configurations to block suspicious activity.

Making it easy to get started

From now until the end of 2025, medium-sized businesses can access Alcatel-Lucent’s advanced AI-powered network management free for 5 years with any Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise network LAN or WLAN product.

Details of the offer can be found at https://conversation.al-enterprise.com/NetworkForEnterprisesOffer.

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