Need to Upgrade Your Communications System?

For one reason or another, you’ve looked at your system and decided it needs to be upgraded. Perhaps it’s the age of the system, or you have new user requirements, there’s been changes in capacity or coverage requirements, or maybe it’s regulation that’s made you realize that it’s time to investigate an upgrade.

While the planning and procurement process is a challenging one, upgrading your system also presents a number of opportunities.

One of the first questions you should ask is, “What organizational opportunities can this system upgrade address?”. Do you want it to solve a current communication problem? Do you want to exploit new opportunities and user benefits? Do you want to improve business operations? Do you need it to meet regulatory requirements and legislation?

Understanding and defining the outcomes you’re aiming for is half the battle already won.

Knowing exactly what to upgrade your current network to is the other half, of course. Here are some elements (there are plenty of others) to bear in mind:

• Technology – there are multiple choices, with benefits and pitfalls to each
• Cost – budgets are tightening, and this won’t be the only thing you’ll need to spend your money on
• User acceptance – change is hard for any organization, and this factor is not something to be taken lightly
• Risk – what if the new system doesn’t deliver what you wanted it to?
• Resources and expertise – where will you get it from? More than likely, you’re being tasked to do more, be more efficient and effective, with fewer resources than ever before
• Uncertainty – what does the future hold? The innovation seen in emerging applications paints a new and exciting picture for future possibilities we could never have imagined. So how can you plan for it?