What to evaluate in a network monitoring solution

The global network monitoring market is expected to grow from US$2.4 billion in 2022 to US$2.6 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 8%, according to the latest report by The Business Research Company. The market is projected to be worth US$3.7 billion by 2027.

A network monitoring solution basically serves to maintain an overview across the entire IT infrastructure with all its devices and systems. In principle, administrators can monitor anything that has a defined interface and is capable of providing information about its status via a standard protocol. Thus, the IT manager can keep control over the state of virtually any area of his IT infrastructure without interruption and at any time. The goal is to achieve maximum availability and the best network performance.

Well-maintained network operations can lead to virtually unlimited cost savings and revenue-generating opportunities across all areas of the business. When average resolution time metrics look good, downtime decreases, and this equates to real financial benefits for businesses.

What does a network monitoring solution do?

A suitable network monitoring software monitors all network components, both in the headquarters and in the branches of a corporation. To do this, so-called “sensors” are set up to monitor the different parameters of all devices and connections in the network. From a central location, the administrator can then keep an eye on the entire network at a glance.

If the monitoring software detects a fault or unusual activity, it immediately sends an SMS or email alert to the system administrator. This means that IT managers, wherever they are, are always well-informed of all current occurrences and can react quickly to them from any location. The monitoring solution’s early warning system is based on appropriately defined thresholds. If these limits are exceeded, the software triggers an alarm.

Via the web interface or a smartphone app, the administrator can stay permanently connected to the monitoring system and immediately check alarms. Based on the real-time monitoring data, he can directly calculate the extent of the problem and immediately take appropriate action.

What to evaluate when choosing a solution?

While a wide range of IT functionality falls under the ‘network monitoring’ umbrella, it is important to look for the ‘must-haves’ to align your IT with business goals. They are:

• Automatic Discovery
• Smart classification and mapping
• Detailed performance monitoring
• Security management
• Smart Alert
• Scalability

Recently, three other factors have gained importance: the capacities for personalisation, integration and observability.

Personalization plays an important role in incident management. The ability to set up customized alerts or incident routing patterns can make all the difference. Integrations add layers of functionality that most customizations cannot. And in modern environments, observability helps detect problems by looking at the ins and outs of the technology stack.

Traditional monitoring provides visibility to IT teams only to define what is normal, providing parameters, integrity rules and alerts when problems arise in the domain. Observability goes further. It understands the overall function of the system to mitigate issues that prevent it from functioning.

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