Customer Network Management (CNM) is the process of controlling and maintaining customer access to corporate networks. Effective management is critical to maintain network integrity, protect from unwanted intrusions, and provide the right mix of access privileges. CNM involves tools, interfaces, and deployment models. Research and feedback are essential in managing customer networks. Good managers recognize the needs of both customer and internal sides and use a variety of tools to facilitate CNM.
Customer Network Management (CNM) is a term used to describe the process of controlling and maintaining customer access to corporate networks. Most of the networks a business creates are built specifically to help customers perform a wide variety of tasks or access a variety of services. Network access usually includes both retrieval of management information and customization of the network for customized use. Therefore, effectively managing this access is critical to maintaining network integrity, protecting the network from unwanted intrusions or unintentional distribution of sensitive data, and providing the right mix of access privileges to customers. The process involves the potential use of a variety of tools, interfaces, and deployment models to help implement a CNM strategy.
A prime example of customer network management is access to an automatic teller machine (ATM). Individuals interact with ATM networks on a daily basis to retrieve cash, check account balances, transfer funds, and use a variety of other services related to banking needs. ATM network operators will need to establish clear policies for such access to ensure that customers only access their account information, rather than information held for other customers. Additionally, network managers will need to incorporate security measures into policies to ensure access privileges are effectively granted. This involves understanding what customers need from the network to effectively achieve their banking goals.
Research and feedback are an essential part of managing your customer network. Network managers need to understand what information customers will need to access and establish management procedures to deliver that information effectively. There are usually two ways to do this: soliciting direct feedback from customers and actively observing customers as they interact with the network. Therefore, CNM is constantly evolving to reflect customer needs while ensuring the viability and security of the network. Also, there are two sides to the network: the customer side and the internal side.
Good customer network managers can recognize the needs of both simultaneously, at any time, establishing policies and procedures to balance the needs of each. Employed to expedite this process, network managers will use a variety of tools designed to facilitate customer network management. Such tools usually include monitoring tools, design tools, security tools, authentication tools, and support tools. Each customer network management tool provides managers with insight into a broad range of CNM issues. These concerns include network availability, proper functioning of equipment, customer interaction, and systems access and security.
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