1. Home
›
2. blog
›
3. 7 common challenges when implementing your company’s network

7 common challenges when implementing your company’s network

Frank de Bloois

President of Americas

While ordering, implementing, and managing Internet connections should be relatively easy, the process of connecting your business to the Internet is a lot more challenging than it may seem. From planning a global expansion to working through local permits, getting equipment delivered and installed, and completing paperwork in many different languages and currencies; the pitfalls are endless.

Truth be told, there isn't a standardization around the world – for anything. What is commonly known in the US doesn't necessarily apply in other countries. Local businesses are used to buying services from local providers. Naturally, once a global expansion is on the cards, different levels of expertise and offerings will depend on the new location. Each region has its challenges – IT leaders may or may not be aware of them or have the knowledge to overcome them

For example, companies in a hyper-competitive environment with multiple Internet providers will likely get better pricing options. There's also a chance that the Internet implementation will go smoother due to the competitive scenario. Yet, in other countries where there is only one provider – usually the government – there is no incentive for a better price or service delivery in the agreed timeframe.

Although expanding businesses to metropolitan areas rather than remote locations sounds a lot simpler, leaders can still come across challenges. Imagine that your new headquarters (HQ) is on the 21st floor in a high-rise building, and the demarcated point is in the basement. If you're responsible for the inside wirings, and there's no cable between the basement and the 21st floor, you're suddenly facing an expensive inside wiring job.

If you're opening a new branch in London, hypothetically, and the demarcation point is across the alley from the building you're in, meaning you'll need an extension from one side to the other, you need a local permit to dig up the street. But, if the ownership of the alley is under dispute with the local authorities, what's the next move?

In metropolitan areas, there are more choices and options in terms of Internet implementation. Once it gets to remote locations, the situation is naturally different. If you're in charge of a lithium site in Argentina, for instance, on top of a 13-thousand-foot mountain, or of a mining site in Papua New Guinea, to have Internet access is challenging. If the only way to get to the site is on jeeps, through rough terrain, or on a helicopter, how to dispatch technicians and engineers into the location?

Suppliers have part of their data set by zip code. Sometimes, the system might inform that they are present in one building, when in reality they haven't extended the link into the site, meaning network connection can't be delivered.

Suppose you managed to secure a great buying deal with a provider in your home country, but the technology needs to go to a foreign HQ. How to dispatch the equipment? If it's a very small box, there's a good chance you can get it through a delivery service or an international shipping company. But, if you must declare it through customs, that's where things can get messy.

Now, imagine you're at a headquarter location in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and you get a trouble ticket from your IT team informing you that the Internet in your Japanese branch is down. First, you must figure out who is the Internet provider. If it's a local company, what is its support information? Once you get on the phone with them, they're going to speak Japanese. And invoice you in Japanese yen.

This is what 16 years of installing hundreds of thousands of internet connections in 195 countries have taught us at Expereo. We have gone through all these challenges and most importantly, we've learned from them. We are familiar with local markets, their suppliers, currencies, languages. If an engineer is needed at the top of a remote mountain, we’ll get them there. If equipment is required in a different country, we will have already worked on arrangements with companies who specialize in shipping.

Our suppliers are trusted partners, and our support team works on a 24/7 basis in a variety of languages. When a link is down, we proactively and immediately manage the outage. We deal with these issues on behalf of our customers, giving them the peace of mind to focus on their core business activities. From office locations in major metropolitan areas as well as to very remote manufacturing or mining locations far away from any large city, we keep clients updated on a regular basis and help them solve their connectivity challenges, taking the pain away.

 Learn how we've helped multinationals like Moduslink solve their connectivity challenges, or talk to an expert to learn more.