Cisco Meraki: Benefits of creating a Cisco Meraki Network

Cisco Meraki: Benefits of creating a Cisco Meraki Network

In today’s business environment, the company’s network underpins everything from enabling staff to communicate with each other, to managing the customer experience and keeping data secure. But as the needs of the business become more complex, so does the network, which is why it is essential to have an easy-to-manage, scalable, versatile, and secure solution in place. And that’s where Cisco Meraki comes in. In this blog, we will look at how a Cisco Meraki network is the right solution for any business.

Businesses today have far more complex network setups than ever before. It is not unusual for a business network to encompass various clouds, on-premise servers, Wi-Fi routers, firewalls, apps, and users with a variety of PCs, laptops, tablets, mobiles, and more. And with the era of remote working and always connected devices this has become even more complex. Managing these complex networks is usually time-consuming and resource intensive. But this is where Cisco Meraki helps.

Who is Cisco Meraki?

Cisco Systems Inc. is a global leader in Internet networking. In 2012, Cisco acquired Meraki and created its Cloud Networking Group, Meraki’s specialty.
Today Cisco Meraki is the world’s leading cloud networking platform provider of high-quality networking and security products. It provides solutions to manage your company’s entire IT network from the cloud. It is designed for any business with complex networking requirements.

A Cisco Meraki solution allows you to configure security for Internet-connected devices, routers, switches, firewalls and Wi-Fi networks your company uses through an internet-connected browser. It provides a convenient and efficient way of configuring your organisation’s entire network. Rather than managing all those endpoints at the individual level, Cisco Meraki lets you configure and update them all from a single place.

What Does Cisco Meraki Offer?

Gone are the days when Cisco Meraki’s only product was its cloud-managed access point. Now, they offer a scalable, flexible, and highly diverse enterprise-level service with various products that interact cohesively with each other including:-

  • The Meraki Dashboard– an enterprise-level cloud management solution
  • Indoor and outdoor access points that are cloud-managed, boasting Bluetooth Low Energy beaconing and built-in wireless security
  • Meraki switching, security, remote access, routing, and wireless capabilities–all provided by cloud-managed security appliances
  • Cloud-managed architecture that enables innovative, stackable L2 and L3 switches
  • The Systems Manager, which offers cloud-based enterprise mobility management, integrates with the above products seamlessly
  • The control and management of thousands of mobile and desktop devices can be securely unified in the Meraki Dashboard, which is browser-based
  • Meraki can integrate with Umbrella, a secure internet gateway delivered by the cloud, protecting against malware, ransomware, and C2 callback-related threats

Why choose Cisco Meraki

Moving to a Cisco Meraki network has significant benefits for your business including:

One portal that can manage thousands of devices

A Cisco Meraki network solution provides a single portal for your MSP or IT admin to manage your network(s). All your endpoints, devices, security and firewalls can be configured from a single interface in the cloud. Rather than managing all those devices and settings at an individual level, your MSP or IT admin can manage them with a single click over the Internet.

This is especially useful with more employees remote working and for businesses with a large or growing geographical footprint. Cisco Meraki enables you to ensure your entire network is protected in the same way, across all your locations.

Manage and troubleshoot from anywhere

Traditionally, managing networks or troubleshooting a network issue requires someone to be physically present. When dealing with multi-site deployments or other situations in which it isn’t always possible for IT to be on-site, this form of management and troubleshooting cannot scale and quickly proves untenable.

With cloud-managed IT, managing and troubleshooting issues from anywhere is finally a reality. Your MSP or IT administrator can quickly get alerted about a network issue, diagnose the problem, and devise a solution from any computer with internet access. For example, with cloud-managed IT, your MSP or IT admin can quickly run a cable test on a cable running between a switch and an access point to determine whether the cable or the AP is at fault. Cloud-managed IT doesn’t just help save time and resources; it unlocks entirely new capabilities that simply aren’t possible with legacy IT solutions.

Works with your business

With Cisco Meraki, you’ll have a solution that blends with your business, not the other way around.

One example of this ease of use is Cisco Meraki’s licensing model.

Unlike other complex licensing models, Meraki makes the whole process straightforward. Each managed network device (e.g., security appliance, switch, access point) requires only one Meraki Dashboard licence.

Additionally, you and your MSP receive tech support as part of the licence.

Furthermore, Cisco Meraki can be deployed in virtually no time at all. All that’s needed is an internet connection to plug in the Meraki devices. Then, everything else required can be performed remotely.

Scalable and versatile

Since it is cloud-based, Cisco lets you scale your operations quickly and easily. You will have access to virtually unlimited resources, and this facilitates on-demand expansion.

Designed for modern hybrid and mobile work

With hybrid work now the norm at many businesses, IT teams need to find ways to securely manage all their devices, routers, switches, and firewalls regardless of where their employees are physically located. Cisco Meraki provides an excellent way to do this. The portal enables your MSP or IT admin to easily manage your entire network – including in people’s homes by utilising the Meraki Secure Connect service (sometimes referred to as Umbrella service) you can control remote user access and ensure traffic is routed through the most advanced security platform out there checking their internet related activity for virus and malware, keeping your employees and your network safe.

Superior security

In order to maintain a secure stack that ensures high levels of productivity and uptime, your IT department or MSP needs constant visibility into network traffic, security threats, and device activity. Keeping security definitions and device firmware up-to-date is also crucial. Cloud-managed IT makes it simple for your MSP or IT admins to get a real-time understanding of what’s going on network-wide and to ensure that security threats are kept at bay.

With a fully cloud-managed infrastructure, your MSP or IT admins can look at application usage on a per-client basis and enforce security policies at the firewall or access point level, all from one dashboard. Additionally, when threats arise, you can rest assured knowing that the latest security updates have already been pushed to firewall devices, silently and automatically, over the Internet. This kind of visibility and automation significantly reduces the burden on IT while ensuring complete network security.

Network as a Service

For businesses that want to take the hassle out of managing and maintaining their network, a Network as a Service (NaaS) solution is the answer. With improved security and better performance built in, outsourcing to a third-party provider ensures your network and resources are managed by experts who monitor everything 24/7. Plus, network infrastructure updates are done as a matter of course.

Xcomm is a MSP proving Meraki services on a NaaS model and is proud to partner with Cisco Meraki to help you manage all devices, apps, firewalls, routers, and much more across your network.

Networking services from Xcomm

Whether you require a fully managed NaaS solution, need help with your business continuity requirements, or simply want network monitoring and fault notification services, Xcomm’s expert team design, build and maintain bespoke networks. Created to address your specific business needs, geographical requirements and individual location conditions. Xcomm’s networks use market leading technology from global providers such as Cisco and Cisco Meraki, all managed via a Cloud-first platform.

To find out how Xcomm can help with your networking requirements and improve your company’s security, contact our sales team now at sales@xcomm.co.uk or call 03333 447 092.

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