Companies, service providers, and individuals face a growing number of threats in the business world today. Not only that, but as technology becomes more complex and central to daily operations, any disruption has the potential to cost your business a significant amount of money. Disruption in service or a network breach can be especially dangerous for hospitals, law enforcement, and government agencies, and cybercrime is on the rise.
Because of this, network engineering has emerged as an area worthy of investment for almost every kind of company or organization. If you’re considering a career as an engineer or investing in network engineering for your business, read on to learn more about what exactly network engineering is and why it’s so important.
What is network engineering?
The importance of quality network engineering in the modern workplace can’t be overstated. A network engineer is responsible for designing the computer infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of an individual or business. They’re also in charge of managing how information is processed and sent both into and out of the company or organization. This typically involves spending a significant amount of time charting data flow, even more so if the network is particularly complex or difficult to work with.
You may be wondering why network engineering is so important and what the most meaningful functions are that it addresses for a business. One of the primary jobs of an engineer is to defend against attacks on the network system. In 2019, over 3,800 breaches were publicly disclosed. That represents an increase of over 54% from the previous year.
An engineer will also handle the creation of backups for all hardware, software, and organizational data. This is of particular importance given the rise of cyberattacks designed to lock businesses out of their systems and steal or destroy their data using ransomware. There are a number of recent examples, including attacks on essential services like hospitals that put lives at risk.
Enabling businesses to have easy access to backed-up copies of their data, programs, and systems can allow an engineer to get things up and running in order to minimize disruption to day-to-day operations without having to engage with bad actors.
What other technology should business be using?
Investing in network engineering and a quality engineer is only the beginning if you want to create a technologically advanced workplace that’s prepared for the challenges of the future. Many data-science, machine-learning, and information-technology concepts and principles can help improve your profitability, customer retention, and overall efficiency. Retail businesses, for example, can develop algorithms to help manage inventory and provide customer recommendations.
If your business handles a large volume of incoming calls, you may want to consider investing in conversational IVR. IVR, or interactive voice response, can aid with self-service in your contact center. This conversational interactive voice response technology allows customers to communicate with your menu using their own words, making for a smoother experience. The benefits for businesses are numerous, including faster problem resolution, lowered operational costs, and exceeding customer expectations.
In the modern business world, network engineering is an essential service, and hiring a quality engineer should be one of your top priorities. With the rise in cyberattacks, especially those utilizing ransomware, protecting your company and your data requires proactive monitoring and rapid intervention in the event of a breach.
Students considering careers in network engineering can be assured that the industry is likely to continue to grow and opportunities will continue to be available across a diverse array of industries and organizations. Ultimately, if you want your business to be connected, stable, and secure, investing in quality network engineering services is a necessity.
