If you're on a Galaxy Fold, consider unfolding your phone or viewing it in full screen to best optimize your experience.
As your small business's computer network expands in size and complexity, the resources required to keep it running also increase. You'll eventually outgrow your IT help desk's ability to respond to end users and maintain your enterprise network.
When that happens, you'll need a network operations center (NOC) that concentrates on behind-the-scenes maintenance, security, and performance. We'll go over NOC basics and best practices below so you can decide if your business would benefit from one.
The NOC is a central location where IT technicians monitor, maintain, and oversee enterprise networks. The NOC may be dedicated to servicing internal company networks or, if it's part of a managed service provider (MSP), external client networks.
NOC computer services detect, diagnose, and remediate problems in four areas: servers, networks, applications, and websites.
NOC services include:
With its emphasis on overall network performance, NOC activities often incorporate Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) protocols regarding problem management and other service life cycle management areas.
ITIL best practices and checklists integrate IT departments with other business units, their processes, and goals.
Some NOC functions overlap with the security operations center (SOC), but the SOC concentrates exclusively on network security, and the NOC oversees entire network performance.
The NOC is similar to an IT help desk -- both are concerned with maintaining network performance -- but they are different.
The IT help desk consists of customer-facing activities such as responding to support tickets and service requests, but the NOC operates behind the scenes with no direct customer interactions.
The NOC and IT help desk do not, however, operate independently of each other. If an IT incident or event is escalated to a high enough level, it's routed to the NOC. Their different perspectives -- the help desk's end users versus the NOC's back-end support -- are complementary.
NOC activities revolve around detecting, diagnosing, and resolving network infrastructure issues and allow the IT help desk to focus on end-user support requests.
This narrow focus creates opportunities to incorporate ITIL processes to better align network operations and support with overall business objectives.
Setting up a NOC separate from your IT help desk requires a significant investment, so follow the best practices below for the best return.
The best IT management software includes the features a NOC requires for optimal performance. Necessary NOC tools include:
If your IT management software doesn't have these features, or the ability to integrate with third-party software that provides them, upgrade to a more robust system.
Once your NOC has the necessary tools, staff it 24/7 with appropriate personnel, who come in two categories:
NOC employees require well-developed critical thinking skills and the ability to remain calm under pressure. Staffing your NOC around the clock also means hiring people willing to work nights, weekends, and holidays; otherwise, your turnover rate will remain high.
Given the technical complexity of enterprise networks, codified NOC procedures help guarantee consistency in personnel actions and ensure results.
There are three key workflows to map:
Remember, these processes are not set in stone; you should review them periodically, especially after network, hardware, or application upgrades, to ensure they continue to produce desired outcomes.
The NOC can seem like a black box -- who knows what's really going on in there and why? -- so your NOC must communicate and work effectively with other IT staff and the rest of your company.
NOC communications with the entire company lets everyone understand the impact of network operations. These interactions also allow NOC personnel to see the larger business picture and how their efforts contribute to increased customer satisfaction and revenue generation.
Regular reports analyzing performance metrics are important to track overall NOC results and individual operator effectiveness. Common key performance indicators (KPIs) based on ITIL checklists include:
Beyond identifying high- and low-performing personnel, you'll be able to spot trends that could require additional hardware or software tools to address.
If routine IT help desk activities are preventing your IT department from addressing overall network performance, you need your own NOC or a NOC hosting solution.
Its focus on back-end detection, diagnosis, and resolution of problems enhances system operations and allows your IT help desk to concentrate on customer service.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent, a Motley Fool service, does not cover all offers on the market. The Ascent has a dedicated team of editors and analysts focused on personal finance, and they follow the same set of publishing standards and editorial integrity while maintaining professional separation from the analysts and editors on other Motley Fool brands.