Dimension Data Diagnoses Threat to Network Asset Management

Network Barometer Report launched last week by Dimension Data, the $4.5 billion IT solutions and services provider, has revealed that companies’ managers are placing their organizations at commercial risk by failing to proactively address network asset management.
The report presents the aggregate data from 152 Secure Network Infrastructure Assessments (SNIAs) conducted by Dimension Data for organizations around the world during 2008, and provides an overview of networks’ configuration, security vulnerabilities, and device life-cycle status.
According to the report, 43% of network devices scanned had reached at least end-of-sale status, and 56% of that group was beyond either end-of-software-maintenance or last-day-of-support.
David Kruyt, managing director at Dimension Data West Africa says: “These statistics translate to roughly a quarter of all network devices being beyond end-of-software-maintenance or last-day-of-support. Technology which is beyond end-of-sale is an ageing asset, and will become increasingly unsupportable and exposed to risk.  Once the manufacturer stops providing further software maintenance, the organization may be impacted by network availability problems and increased mean-time-to-repair – all of which cost the business in scarce resources and funds.”
According to him, additional commercial implications arise when an end-of-life device fails and must be replaced. Businesses may then have to buy expensive technology in compressed timeframes, without the customary due diligence which ought to be applied in such procurement decisions.
 “Organizations will be pressed for time to restore the network, and will probably not be able to negotiate the same discounts with suppliers. They may opt for like-for-like replacements or next-best alternatives. However, this could deny them the opportunity to strategically match the device’s capabilities to support soon-to-be-deployed applications such as unified communications and video conferencing,” Kruyt explains.
End-of-life related failures may even drive organizations to consider purchasing on the grey market. “At end-of-sale status, organizations will find it increasingly difficult to purchase spares and often have to resort to using grey market sources, even though the manufacturer may not support this equipment, says the Dimension Data boss.
“Moreover, the black market is exploiting this situation by selling counterfeit spares via these grey market sources. Not only will these counterfeits not be supported by the manufacturer, it’s unlikely they’ll function as required, resulting in a complete waste of money and time.”
According to Kruyt, company managers who do not employ rigorous asset planning are not taking their business responsibilities seriously. “The network is a business critical utility – almost as important as water and power,” states Kruyt. “Organizations do not ignore these utilities, yet the state of the equipment that connects their business to the outside world is often overlooked.”
“We’re not advocating an immediate replacement of end-of-life technology but it is imperative that businesses have a roadmap of which technology requires replacing down the line. Rigorous network asset planning can realize cost savings, streamline processes and improve productivity –   all competitive advantages that are critical to organizations in the current economic climate.”
Dimension Data, a specialist IT services and solution provider, helps clients plan, build, support and manage their IT infrastructures.  The company applies its expertise in networking, security, operating environments, storage and contact centre technologies, as well as its unique skills in consulting, integration and managed services to create customized client solutions.