Network consultants assist businesses in designing, implementing, and maintaining computer networks. They may build a network from scratch or update an existing one. Consultants need knowledge of telephony, computer equipment, and programming. They may work independently or with a firm and can have broad or limited responsibilities depending on the client’s needs.
Network consultants are technology professionals who assist businesses and other organizations in designing, implementing, and maintaining efficient computer networks. Network design can include a wide variety of recommendations regarding information telephony equipment, service providers, software applications, and other components that make up a total IT or IT infrastructure.
A network consultant may be tasked with building a network from scratch or taking an existing network and enhancing or updating any or all of the components associated with the business tool. Consulting may involve nothing more than assessing the client’s needs and preparing a detailed document of what is needed to create a network structure that meets those needs. In other cases, the network consultant may be tasked with actually purchasing the necessary equipment, securing the right vendors for the various communication services used within the network, and providing basic training to the employees who will manage the daily troubleshooting and maintenance activities.
To build a career as a network consultant, it is important to become proficient in various aspects of telephony, computer equipment and programming. Depending on the nature of the client’s business, the consultant is also likely to need working knowledge of such online features as remote storage, virtual servers and Voice over Internet Protocol. This broad understanding of how various telecommunications and technology tools work within an integrated network can allow any existing structure to be fine-tuned for greater efficiency or help a customer make prudent choices in selected components to establish a functioning network.
While a network consultant may contract only to assess the client’s needs and provide a list or recommendations, it is more often the case that the consultant commits several months or more to assisting clients in setting up and maintaining the network. This may involve establishing an ongoing employment relationship where the customer pays a monthly fee in exchange for being on-call to assist with unforeseen problems with the network or to take care of adding new components and training internal staff to manage these new resources . In essence, a network consultant’s responsibilities can be broad or limited, depending on the terms agreed between client and consultant.
A qualified network consultant may choose to work independently or associate with a firm that provides various types of network support services to clients. For a network consultant who enjoys traveling and living in different places for longer periods of time, joining a company with clients across the country can be a great option. A consultant who prefers to stay in close proximity and monitor which projects get tendered may choose to function as a freelance or independent network consultant. Either way, people who have excellent credentials as network consultants will likely have little trouble making a living.
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