Does a small business need a local area network? Is there such a need to spend a lot of money on the purchase of computer equipment, wages for maintenance personnel, payment for licensed software.
The author had to communicate with different categories (mostly young) of owners and managers of small companies (mainly LLCs). At the same time, diametrically opposed opinions were expressed, from such that a local area network is a panacea for business development, without it everything will be lost and there will be no luck, to such that a local area network is a terrible burden and a βheadacheβ for a business leader.
In this article, the author will try to understand the pros and cons (not all of course, but the most obvious) of using local networks. He will try to understand himself and convey to the readers the main goal of the story - whether a small business always needs a local network.
After reading this article (if you read it to the end) and before expressing your opinion about the competence of the author of this publication, the author asks to take into account that he is not a researcher, does not manage a company, is not the founder of an LLC. The author is a third-year student of the correspondence course of the St. Petersburg State Institute of Technology, who is trying her hand at writing an article according to a task in one of the subjects of study.
To answer the question of whether a small business should or should not have its own local network, the author will consider enterprises employing at least 10 people.
It makes no sense to consider an LLC where one employee is the general director. Why does he need a local network? After all, even the accounting records in such a company are maintained by a hired accountant with his own computer and software. Such a CEO may not even have a computer at all, and even more so special software.
When writing this article, the author will consider companies that mainly work in the service sector. These include insurance companies, real estate agencies, companies providing accounting services.
The main task, according to the author, is not to develop and build a local area network for a particular enterprise, but to try to figure out whether there is a need for a network or not. What obstacles stand in the way of network creation and its modernization.
At the same time, it is necessary to immediately determine that the local network is not only network equipment, but also software and company employees operating this network.
According to many interlocutors (ordinary employees of companies and management), a local network is necessary, it facilitates work, allows access to specialized software, and allows working with company documentation.
The only and main problem, according to many, is the high cost of equipment and software for the local network.
As for the "iron" for the network, then, according to the author, there is no need to chase after advanced technologies, constantly buy advanced equipment from elite manufacturing companies. Each company, at its foundation and operation, has an approximate idea of ββhow many jobs it needs. Therefore, when creating a local network, when laying cables, installing sockets and buying equipment, according to the author, it is necessary to create a 25% power reserve. This will allow the company to work for several years without problems. It is necessary to squeeze the maximum out of the equipment, and only then buy new, more powerful equipment, again with a margin.
There is no need to buy Internet with "frantic" speed right away, it can always be increased by increasing the payment to the provider. But, it is necessary to monitor what employees are doing on the network and, if necessary, restrict their access to the Internet. It must not be allowed that some employees play "advanced" games that consume a large amount of traffic, and working specialists experience inconvenience due to the low speed of the Network. It will be even worse when these players "catch" viruses on the Internet and create problems for the company's software.
If the company's business goes smoothly, profits increase, there is a need to increase the number of employees, then you can think about upgrading the network, or creating a new, more powerful one. According to the author, it is necessary to find a golden mean, not to strive to have everything only the most advanced, but also not to work on very old and poor equipment.
The software must be handled as follows. The author believes that it is better to use an open source operating system than Windows or Mac OS. We will not go into details that the manufacturers of these proprietary operating systems monitor their users, we will only deal with commerce. Linux operating systems can be installed on servers and personal computers, they consume much less computer resources, and the software of leading companies is also written under Linux. There is no need to constantly wait for companies to stop supporting their products, as happened with Windows XP and Windows 7, and at the same time pay not small amounts for the use of licensed software.
The only thing you should not save on is antivirus and the main applications for the company (for example, 1C: Accounting). These programs will protect your computers and provide work for the company.
Just don't install counterfeit software. Not only does this pose a threat to virus infection, hacking, or the complete destruction of all software, but it can (and certainly will) create problems with the law. For the same reason, it is necessary to prohibit the use of personal personal computers of employees in the workplace, even if they are not connected to the local network.
If state authorities in the field of control over the use of software detain a company employee outside the workplace with a personal laptop containing unlicensed software, this is a violation, but the company is not involved in it. He will bear responsibility (administrative or civil law), but the amount of fines and claims will not be very large, although significant. And he will bear the responsibility himself.
But there will be a real problem if the check reveals the use of unlicensed software on a work or personal computer, but at the workplace of a company employee. Fines and claims will be very large. In addition, criminal liability may arise.
According to the author, it is necessary to adhere to two basic principles in the company when using software: do not save on trifles and trust but (constantly) check.
The third component in the organization of a high-quality local network is a competent and well-trained staff. Not only system administrators should be well versed in the principle of organization and operation of the company's network. All employees working at computers should have a general idea of ββthe network.
If a company is going to use computers with open source software, employees must be able to use it. Using Windows is more of a force of habit, a tribute to fashion and an established stereotype. Switching from Windows to Linux should not be difficult for advanced users who (the author hopes) work in every company, and who should be the majority. If this is not the case, then you will either have to retrain such employees, or fire them, or purchase licensed Windows operating systems. In any case, the choice always remains with the owners and management of the company. But you should always take into account the fact that it is much easier for a computer specialist who wants to learn to learn a specialty specialized for a company than to teach a company specialist who does not want to learn how to work well on a computer. This is the personal opinion of the author, which he does not try to impose on anyone.
Having tried to understand the need to create a local network for a small company and the ability to ensure its high-quality operation, the author came to certain conclusions.
First, a local network is necessary for a small company. It facilitates and speeds up the work of employees, helps management to control the work of subordinates, to be aware of the successes and problems of the company.
Secondly, it is possible to organize the work of a company's local network and keep it in working condition only with a comprehensive solution of three main problems - it is necessary to have efficient equipment, high-quality software and trained personnel. It is impossible to improve something, but to worsen something, it will not lead to anything good. It is only necessary to improve, and improve in the complex.
Source: habr.com