10 Ways Cisco Meraki Solves Your Organization’s Growing Pains
Whether you’re managing IT in a startup or fast-paced enterprise environment, your organization can benefit from a centrally managed network of IT solutions. Read a list of the common issues growing organizations face, and get an idea of how Cisco Meraki can help you securely manage your infrastructure 100% from the cloud.
Do any of the following issues sound familiar?
Issue #1 – My organization is in a constant state of flux. At our current rate of growth, it’s difficult for our business solutions to keep pace.
Meraki is a centrally managed solution, meaning you can add and modify components as your infrastructure necessitates. Whether you’re looking to streamline the deployment of a new company communications system, or ensure your security across multiple sites, you can manage all of your deployment and security needs from an online Meraki dashboard.
Issue #2 – We need a better way of targeting potential customers who visit our retail branches.
Meraki’s presence analytics capabilities allow you to measure the number of people who visit each of your locations. Use the data to compare one location to another, or build out a customer profile by piping in data from other sources (such as a CRM or other analytics application) using APIs.
Issue #3 – Dealing with third-party threat management has made it difficult for us to set up all of our sites consistently.
Deploy a Layer 3 firewall to block threats at the network layer, or a Layer 7 firewall for threats at the application layer. Manage all of your different security services, such as Kaspersky and Brightcloud. Ensure your security policies are followed at each of your locations. And make sure your security definitions stay up-to-date. Handle all of this and more within the Meraki dashboard.
Issue #4 – Setting up and connecting new devices to the network is becoming harder to manage the more we scale.
Meraki Systems Manager allows you to manage and control thousands of mobile and desktop devices from the web-based Meraki dashboard. Drive company initiatives by seamlessly onboarding new devices and automating application of security policies.
Issue #5 – Syncing up a new location’s VPN is a headache, takes forever, and can leave us vulnerable.
Take advantage of Meraki’s automatic configuration of site-to-site VPNs. By enabling AutoVPN through the Meraki dashboard, you enable each participating device to:
- Automatically advertise its local subnets across the VPN
- Advertise its WAN IP addresses on Internet 1 and 2 ports
- Download the global VPN route table
- Download the preshared key for establishing the VPN tunnel and traffic encryption
Issue #6 – Network downtime could ruin our business, and failover setup is both complicated and time-consuming.
Meraki MX Security Appliances support multiple layers of redundancy, ensuring WAN connectivity, appliance availability, and seamless failover for branch sites.
Issue #7 – Client device troubleshooting takes multiple hours daily and consumes already scarce IT resources.
The Meraki solution gives you complete network visibility. Use the dashboard to identify switches, and track device connections through the network to pinpoint likely issues. Learn more about your device connections with a one-click cable test or ping.
Issue #8 – I need to deploy new switches to remote sites without sending an expensive tech on-site.
Instead of making the trip out to your sites to deploy new switches, simply configure a switch and the switch port settings from your Meraki dashboard. Then ship the switch to the new install site and have anyone plug it in. Streamline the process by cloning switch settings right from the dashboard.
Issue #9 – How can I save electricity and the environment without compromising performance?
Cisco Meraki leverages time-based port scheduling to put switch ports into energy-saving mode after-hours.
Issue #10 – Torrenting on our network is hogging our bandwidth and putting us at risk.
The Meraki dashboard provides insight into clients that drastically slow down WiFi networks, or downloading illegally on your network. Use the Meraki Layer 7 Firewall to block applications by type, and shape traffic by setting application-specific bandwidth limits.
Would you like to learn more about Meraki cloud-based IT solutions? Sign up here for a live demo of the Cisco Meraki platform and receive a free AP! You can also contact NetWize by calling 801-747-3200, option 1.