From flags to Yam stations to digital! Networks – more important than ever

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I have recently finished reading about the life of Genghis Khan, his battles and all conquering armies and his heirs. So how do you get to Genghis Khan and networks in the same sentence whats the link?

Ghengis and his predecessors were not only masters at warfighting and land grabbing they were also very clever. They quickly realised the importance of having a messaging system (network) that would support their vast empire. They created the Yam or Ortoo (Mongolian name) relay, see Wikipedia description here.

The Yam (Ortoo) was a rapid horse powered communication system implemented across the length and breadth of their empire. Think pony express or the Greek marathon runners for comparison, or flags and mirrors going back to Roman Empire etc.

My point is that the network is something that has evolved and is still evolving and must continue to do so in this digital world where everyone has become so reliant on it, wired or wireless, fixed or mobile, Cloud, Edge and coming soon 5G.

Even with this evolution the “humble” network is taken for granted – always there, always available until something fails or is changed!

Scott Martin of online financial newsletter The Trust Advisor said the move to the cloud allows the finance industry to keep operating in spite of adverse weather etc.

“Large organisations can simply shift support work to areas well outside the disrupted zone, allowing work to carry on almost seamlessly,” he said.

So this underpins my whole point around the network – Cloud enables the capability to move all this data to a safer repository/datacenter, however without the network that’s an awful lot of DVD backups being driven across your country by your favourite courier!

So all you connected people and businesses out there, you need your network more than ever. More than ever it has to be available, performant and scaleable because the good/bad news is that our businesses and now our day to day lives are intertwined and dependant on it, how did we manage without being permanently wired/wireless?

In closing I would ask that if you’re planning to implement new applications (mobile or otherwise), a Cloud (private, public or hybrid) or any other services then remember your network infrastructure is the solid foundation that these must be built upon. So please monitor it, manage it to ensure its compliant and most of all available, performant and it scales! Click the link for more information on the ways to achieve Network Performance Management and keep your customers happy!