Here’s how to plan a network upgrade that minimizes business disruption.
A highly available, high-performing network has become critical to operations. Organizations in all industries require a robust network to support communication and collaboration and ensure ready access to cloud-based applications and services. Specific sectors may also need to support point-of-sale devices, digital signage, medical monitors and other equipment. Downtime and performance problems can affect virtually every area of the business.
Despite the increasingly important role of the network, many organizations have aging networking equipment that doesn’t meet today’s demands. This out-of-date equipment also comes with significant security risks.
Risks Associated with Older Network Gear
According to a recent report, two of the top three network device vulnerabilities exploited in 2024 were found in end-of-life devices. Because end-of-life products are no longer supported by the manufacturer, they don’t receive critical security updates or bug fixes. That means there are no patches available even though these vulnerabilities are being actively targeted. Once attackers are able to compromise the network, they can move laterally to carry out other phases of their exploits.
Aging network equipment is more prone to failure and lacks the performance and capacity needed to support growing numbers of users, bandwidth-intensive applications and cloud-based services. An out-of-date infrastructure can also hinder an organization’s ability to leverage new technologies for competitive advantage.
When organizations delay upgrading equipment, they end up with a hodgepodge of devices that are harder to manage and support. In many cases, organizations pay increasingly higher costs to maintain older equipment when investments in new technology could save money, reduce downtime and security risks, and provide a competitive advantage.
The Network Upgrade Planning Process
Despite these risks, many IT teams struggle to keep their network hardware up to date. Budget and time constraints and lack of in-house skills often play a role. There’s also tremendous complexity involved. After all, the network touches every aspect of the business — every application, every end-user and the entire IT team. While upgrading a specific server or application can be painful, it typically only affects a specific group of users. The network serves as the foundation for all IT-related functions, so upgrades must be planned carefully to minimize business disruption and downtime.
The first step is to identify end-of-life equipment within your network and determine which devices are critical to day-to-day operations. If that equipment were to fail, what would be the impact? Prioritize that equipment for replacement and determine the best upgrade path. End-of-sale equipment will still be supported for two to five years but should be earmarked for replacement before it reaches its end-of-life date.
How to Keep Network Equipment Up to Date
Consider your current and future performance and security requirements when choosing a new technology. Keep in mind any planned expansion, including additional employees, devices, applications and locations. Plan your network upgrade to meet the bandwidth, performance and security demands you anticipate three to five years from now.
Network usage data can help identify bottlenecks and performance problems that will only get worse as demands increase. If you’re partnering with a managed services provider (MSP), the MSP can be a great resource for this data.
Next, develop a strategy for keeping your networking equipment up to date. Maintain a detailed inventory of your network hardware and software, and monitor end-of-sale and end-of-life announcements from vendors. Use this information to create a timeline for replacing critical equipment and cascading older gear for noncritical applications and spares.
Keep in mind, however, that the end of a product’s useful life may come before its official end-of-life. Technological innovation and changing market conditions can render a product obsolete before it reaches end-of-sale or end-of-life dates.
Formalizing the Plan
Because the network architecture plays a key role in your ability to combat cyber threats, be sure that security is part of the upgrade plan from the start. A network upgrade provides a great opportunity to assess your security strategy, address any vulnerabilities, and ensure that you are compliant with any applicable regulatory requirements.
Once these decisions have been made, it’s important to document your upgrade plan. Without formal documentation, your plan can quickly become a confusing and expensive mess and create more problems than it solves. Develop a timeline for completing the upgrade, with enough flexibility to take into account the inevitable bumps in the road.
Notify end-users of the planned upgrade and explain how it will impact their job functions. Get their buy-in by explaining how the upgrade will make their jobs easier, but also be upfront about changes to their login procedures and workflows. Let them know if they will need to learn how to use different tools or applications, and make sure your IT support staff is properly trained to address any issues that arise.
Where to Turn for Help
A network upgrade is a complex undertaking — there’s no getting around that fact. However, the cost of an aging, underperforming infrastructure has far worse consequences for your organization. A qualified MSP can help you develop a well-documented plan that focuses on both present and future needs.
Qualified providers have a team of network engineers with many years of experience. They can help you identify out-of-date networking equipment and develop a strategy and budget for making the needed updates. They can also recommend strategic upgrades that will deliver the most value, and assist in the upgrade process to ensure a smooth transition with minimum downtime.
