Switching Your Network Up A Gear: Part 3, The Total Cost Of Ownership (TCO)

This post is the final blog of a three-part-series covering the future of Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and the challenges it holds in today’s network infrastructure. We’ll now discover how cost-effective it can be to have the next-generation connectivity with CommScope RUCKUS.

Let’s look in-depth at how CommScope RUCKUS products and having one vendor could save your business money instantly and in the long-haul. We will explore this from two perspectives, one from a technical angle and the other from an IT/financial management point of view.

TECHNICAL OVERVIEW OF THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP (TCO)

STACKING

CommScope RUCKUS has a unique stacking technology that uses standard 10, 40 and 100 Direct Attach Cables or SFP+/QSFP/SFP28 optics for stacking. This means unlike traditional stackable switches, ICX switches do not rely on proprietary stacking ports or stacking cables; this eliminates costly approaches found in competitor solutions.  One of the biggest advantages with the CommScope RUCKUS range of ICX switches is that when your business buys a switch, the switch is paid for without any additional costs for the hardware module that is required for stacking.  A stack of switches enables cost-effective “pay as you grow” network design. Add new switches to the stack when more ports are needed at the edge.

SCALABILITY

The biggest advantage of the CommScope RUCKUS ICX switches is the ability to scale up. CommScope RUCKUS’s campus fabric technology is supported on all ICX 7000 models, meaning that it delivers the benefits of a chassis with the flexibility of stackable switches. Therefore, if a business buys individual switches only as required, it would be lowering its total costs of ownership (TCO), by only buying the ports it needs for now, with the option to upgrade only as and when needed. (More details in the blog on chassis: ‘Keeping the Network Simple‘).

As well as having the flexibility to easily scale-up as required, it’s also worth considering the advantages the RUCKUS solution offers in the opposite direction. At a time when businesses are uncertain about future growth, having the opportunity to easily scale-down is also an attractive proposition. If the need to scale-back becomes a reality, there are plenty of options. If network management teams shrink, it is possible to switch from on-premise management to Cloud. With the ability to stack ICX switches, it’s possible to cut back on the hardware in place, with no worries about redundant and expensive chassis. This offers flexibility but with no compromise on the performance of the exiting technology.

SPACE SAVE

CommScope RUCKUS ICX switches are 1U in size, compared to chassis switches which can be 6-12U in size. A 6-12U switch takes more space and room in the switching cabinet – in effect, there will be more cabling and cooling required in the data centre. With a 1U switch, there is less cabling and more simplified arrangements with the CommScope RUCKUS switches.

RELIABLE WITH LESS TO GO WRONG

ICX switches are also robust; the switch has very few external moving components outside the switch, meaning less reason for it to fail or become damaged.

SIMPLIFIED AND SCALEABLE MANAGEMENT

CommScope RUCKUS supplies a single pane of management with SmartZone. In effect, one platform manages all the CommScope RUCKUS Wi-Fi infrastructure and network infrastructure, which can then be upgraded anytime as the business expands or the demand for connectivity increases — making it cost-effective.

IT/FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE COST OF OWNERSHIP (TCO)

The benefits of owning CommScope RUCKUS ICX switches, access points (APs), controllers and SmartZone, among other products, is that the overall capital cost of acquisition is cost-effective.

• Reasons it is cost-effective against other vendors: CommScope RUCKUS products are powerful; they are not only built to last, but the products are built to perform. CommScope RUCKUS Wi-Fi outperforms other vendors in high-density situations by requiring fewer access points (APs) due to its patented BeamFlex+ technology. Combined this with switches that can connect to any CommScope RUCKUS platform and your costs will be significantly lower. By having powerful RUCKUS access points (APs) and switches, you’ll need less access points (APs) than you would from other vendors.

• CommScope RUCKUS’ patented BeamFlex and ChannelFly technology can select antenna patterns that focus RF energy directly to where it’s needed, overcoming interference, noise and physical barriers. Therefore, this enables CommScope RUCKUS to support more devices in high-density situations, covering a larger area than competitors’ access points (APs). This means less access points (AP’s) are required.

• CommScope RUCKUS hardware is a lifetime product and the equipment will work for 7-10 years. It’s robust – therefore, the cost of maintenance is low.

• CommScope RUCKUS offers product training with all equipment and on-going 24/7 365 days a week support, keeping the cost of technical support to a minimum.

• The cost of learning to use CommScope RUCKUS products is cost-effective.

ONE-VENDOR APPROACH

A one-vendor approach makes all the difference, especially if any faults arise or network difficulties occur. By having one vendor, your business can be at ease, knowing that all the equipment is compatible. For instance, if there is a significant upgrade from one vendor and your business runs multiple vendors on the network infrastructure, it’s easy to find that the other equipment could be non-compatible with an upgrade, that only that vendor is offering. This could result in more network issues, reporting faults and requesting technical support can be time costly. Therefore, by having one vendor, your business can be sure to get the latest new features upgrades or applications across all the equipment.

It is more profitable to have one vendor; all products working together in a unified manner will make contracts easier to manage because, in effect, there is only one contract for all products. This means one point of contact. This approach saves money, not only in time, but on the costs of management too. If all the products are from one vendor, there is no need to deal with multiple manufactures, juggling different contracts and renewal dates.

SmartZone is a management platform that is provided by CommScope RUCKUS. All devices, including access points (APs) and switches, can be managed on a singular platform. Rather than attempting to receive support from multiple vendors for any technical issues that may occur in the data centre, deal with just one. The fault could be anywhere on the network system, making it hard to identify the exact issue. This would mean calling each vendor to find the fault. Each vendor might re-direct the customer to another vendor, and the issue becomes longer to solve and costly, not just in time, but financially too.

Project pricing discounts are a certainty when purchasing all technology and hardware through one vendor. Price breaks make your deals more competitive and much more attractive and very often the discount terms can be carried through to future business

For more details on having a CommScope RUCKUS one vendor approach across your portfolio.

Please contact Purdicom. +44(0) 1488 647 647 or ruckus@purdi.com

HOW CAN WE HELP AT PURDICOM?

We are a value-add distributor that can help your business along the way to grow with the superior network connectivity across our CommScope RUCKUS portfolio. Visit our Promotions page.

If you need any further information, please contact us directly. We’re here to help. +44(0) 1488 647 647 or sales@purdi.com