Cisco Meraki reduces TCO
Buying a tool or software is rarely ever a one-off cost. Instead of just considering the upfront amount, businesses also must factor in recurring operational expenditure (OPEX).
OPEX includes troubleshooting, initial configuration, security, network complexity, and revision management amongst other things, all of which can end up forming a hefty total cost of ownership (TCO) as time goes on.
Thankfully, choosing the right network management tool can allow businesses to reduce TCO by a significant amount, recovering some of the costs of a network refresh throughout its lifetime. That’s where Cisco Meraki comes in.
What savings can Cisco Meraki create?
Research by Gartner estimates that as much as 80% of the total cost of IT solutions comes after the initial purchase, which means that there is a huge potential to reduce TCO by looking at OPEX spending. In its own studies with existing customers, Cisco Meraki has been able to demonstrate OPEX savings of up to 90% over traditional technologies.
Case in point; Bar S Foods is the largest food packing company in North America, with 14 distribution centres and five production sites. Over five years, the company managed to make savings of $5.25 million. That’s 99% saving in OPEX, and 87% of TCO compared to traditional technologies.
How does Cisco Meraki reduce TCO?
Cisco Meraki has been developed to include a wealth of money saving features that have a hugely positive impact on TCO.
Other networking solutions claim to offer good return on investment (ROI) but rely on additional overlay platforms and software to provide regular updates and maintenance. In contrast, Meraki switches take advantage of built-in features that make the process simple and immediately effective.
For instance, Meraki gives switches the ability to be configured before delivery. Simply add them to the cloud before using the Virtual Stacking and Switch Clone to replicate settings. After they have been connected, the switches will update their configuration and software automatically over the internet, eliminating the need for complex staging procedures.
Here are some of the other features that, alongside Switch Clone and Virtual Stacking, allow
Cisco Meraki to continuously reduce TCO for users:
Visibility, alerts, and reporting – Maintaining a large campus or multiple remote sites can cause a headache, especially when it comes to seeking a general overview of networks and devices. Each site would usually have to be equipped with reporting and visibility tools, adding a substantial cost. Meraki, however, comes with the following alerting and reporting features for use across all sites, leading to a TCO saving of up to 60%:
- Built-in Event Logging
- Configuration Change Log
- Network Alerts
- Network Topology
- Configuration Change Log
- Deep L7 Traffic Analytics
Automatic cloud updates – Keeping devices up to date with the latest software can sometimes require downtime. One patch can mean that the entire switch network needs to be updated, a process which sometimes takes several weeks. Meraki allows users to select an upgrade window, with any new updates able to be installed by the cloud during a time when the office is closed if that is your preference.
PoE reporting and port scheduling – Speaking of downtime, port scheduling allows users to shut off power outside of business hours, saving money across every location. Meanwhile, PoE reporting shows how much power is being used by voice over IP (VoIP) devices such as phones and other access points.
Zero-touch provisioning – Configuration and provisioning can eat up a lot of time when it comes to a new switch deployment. Meraki’s zero-touch provisioning process reduces the time it would usually take to initially provision network switches and can lead to TCO savings of between 60% and 80% (compared to traditional, command-based, solutions).
Rapid provisioning – Thanks to rapid provisioning, a switch does not even need to be unboxed to start working. You can simply add it to the Meraki dashboard and begin configuration, with the cloud delivering the update with your preferences at the time of deployment.
Thanks to these features and more, Cisco Meraki continuously reduces TCO over a period of years, generating very real savings that can make a real difference to your business and its spending.