Before taking on any new VoIP implementations, the smart IT pros run a full network assessment first to be sure that the infrastructure is in place to support the added load.
In addition to checking the basics, such as the current bandwidth speed, a network assessment will also give you a useful schematic of the network set up, age and capacity of the existing assets, and even information about users, open ports and other useful bits of data.
Besides identifying potential issues that could impede your VoIP implementation project, the network assessment could also uncover non-related network problems that you can bring to your client as a value-added service or to drive expansion of you project.
And there are inexpensive network assessment tools available today that allow you to perform this highly valuable step very quickly, and at little cost to you. The tool is completely non-invasive, with no agents, probes or software to install. And it completes a full scan of most networks in about a half-hour.
Make Money Selling Client Network Audits
The same tool you use as a pre-VoIP implementation check-up can also be used to generate a much more detailed report that you can easily sell for hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. The complete assessment report can run hundreds of pages, with line-item listings of everything discovered by the Network Detective, with all issues highlighted in red. What’s more, you can easily edit the document and brand it as part of your overall Network Audit deliverable. You can even generate a network site schematic that gives a visual representation of the network topography, with each asset color coded based on its condition or status.
Document Changes to the Network
The very same tool can also be used to easily monitor any changes to the network environment over time. Each network assessment scan can be saved locally by date and time. The Network Detective includes a feature that allows you to compare the results of any two assessments with a report that highlights anything that has changed, from users added, to computers that have not logged on, to open ports, and more.
You can learn more about this by visiting the Network Detective site at: http://www.rapidfiretools.com.
