The Growing Need for Outsourced NOC Services in 2024
Introduction to Outsourced NOC Services
A very simple definition of NOC (pronounced “knock”) would be a place – usually a big room or a hall from where couple of Network Engineers work 24×7 towards monitoring, managing, maintaining, provisioning and administering a computer network. Imagine it as an ATC/Air traffic controller, but for the data traffic. This NOC usually belongs to a particular entity – private or government and that entity is usually called as a service provider, mostly an “internet service provider”. Although there are different types and categories of NOCs like Enterprise NOC, Security NOC (SOC/SNOC) or a Data Centre NOC, a NOC deals with networks and connections across local and global telecom companies
A network operations center is a centralized location that serves as the command center for overseeing, managing and supporting an organization’s network and IT infrastructure on a 24/7 basis. The NOC utilizes specialized software tools to constantly monitor networks, servers, applications and devices across the environment. This enables the NOC engineers to quickly identify and troubleshoot any outages, performance issues, or security threats that might arise.
The NOC is also typically responsible for functions like IT help desk support, vulnerability management, compliance reporting, and backup initiation/verification. With increasing reliance on cloud and hybrid infrastructure, NOCs must correlate data from both on-premise and cloud-based systems to maintain optimal uptime and security.
Network operations centers (NOCs) are mission-critical for monitoring, managing and fixing today’s complex IT and Telecom environments as Networks and Internet in general, is equivalent to electricity. The lack of connectivity means most of the tasks cannot be done – whether they are business critical or personal in nature. However, for many organizations, the costs and challenges of running an in-house NOC have become prohibitive. This has fueled tremendous growth in outsourced NOC services provided by specialized managed service providers (MSPs). In fact, according to research firms the global network operations, management and orchestration market is projected to reach close to $32.4 billion by 2027.
In-House vs Outsourced NOC
Historically, larger ISPs and Enterprises have opted to build and train their staff in-house into NOC engineers, however escalating costs along with the struggle to find and retain skilled NOC engineers has led more organizations to adopt outsourced models. Below are some of the most compelling benefits of handing off NOC services to external specialists:
1) Round-the-Clock Monitoring and Support
Outsourced NOCs leverage multiple support tiers to provide true 24/7/365 monitoring and management coverage. This ensures issues don’t go unnoticed during off-hours. Fast resolution minimizes downtime as well as negative end user impact.
2) Access to Top-Tier Talent
NOC engineers must master various networking protocols, infrastructure performance analysis, security threat detection, help desk troubleshooting, and numerous monitoring toolsets. Outsourced NOCs can recruit and retain top-tier talent to optimize service quality.
3) Enhanced Efficiency
The volume of infrastructure performance data that must be continually analyzed places a tremendous burden on in-house resources. Outsourced NOCs create efficiencies via process automation, advanced analytics, and leverage of support tiers.
4) Lowered Costs
The significant capital and operating expenses associated with stand-alone NOC build-outs can be avoided through outsourced services. Shared NOC infrastructure also creates economies of scale that MSPs can pass along via competitive pricing.
Critical Capabilities Provided by an Outsourced NOC
1) 24/7 Network Monitoring
Outsourced NOCs employ specialized monitoring software and fault management systems to track infrastructure health KPIs in real-time 24/7. This enables anomaly and outage detection along with accelerated problem resolution.
2) Help Desk / Service Desk Support
Outsourced NOCs provide expansive technical support for resolving OS, hardware and application issues across the environment. Support tiers allow for effective ticket escalation when necessary.
3) Incident, Problem and Change management
Any NOC typically works on human or naturally occurring events causing them to become incidents which threaten the availability of mission-critical business services which need to be handled. Read more about Incident management.
Problem Management aims to get to the underlying root cause of incidents that impact services. By analyzing recurring incidents, problematic trends, system errors and other chronic issues, fundamental deficiencies can be identified and remediated through redesigned infrastructure, upgraded assets and improved processes. Read more about Problem management.
In order to deal with such problems, there’s a detailed process of change management involved which oversees any planned or emergency maintenance or works required to improve the network upto required standards of performance. This involves modifications to existing infrastructure and most importantly sending our communication notifications to customers. Read more about Change management.
Consider the below criteria in selecting the right outsourced NOC partner:
Skills, Experience and Performance
Operating a high-performance Network Operations Center relies heavily on the capabilities of its engineers. When issues arise across complex enterprise networks, NOC engineers must swiftly and accurately diagnose problems and restore normal function. This is only achievable if teams demonstrate advanced technical skills, depth of experience, and unrelenting commitment to driving positive outcomes.
Skilled NOC engineers thoroughly understand diverse protocols, quickly interpret monitoring data, fluidly navigate management systems, and are comfortable administering networks end-to-end. This mastery helps them rapidly troubleshoot even intricate issues.
Experienced NOC engineers encounter numerous interdependencies, anomalies, and failures throughout their job tenure. Often times troubleshooting is what consumes the most time and during an outage, time is of essence. NOC teams remain laser focused on maximum uptime and security. By experience of handling complex network cases, pursuing continuous learning, and demonstrating diligence until problems are fully resolved, skilled and seasoned NOC engineers enable organizations to benefit from robust and resilient network operations.
Learning and Evolution
The role of the NOC engineers is constantly evolving in our digital world. Today’s NOC engineers must monitor, manage and troubleshoot complex networks and its issues, breakdowns, design networks with various architectures, devices and software systems that evolve rapidly as business innovation accelerates. Hardware and software iterations happen in months, not years. This tremendous dynamism requires nonstop cycles of training and certifications and growth for NOC engineers to sustain effectiveness.
Continuous learning, practice and test labs for engineers of partner NOC is essential to stay abreast of new infrastructure configurations, protocols, dependencies and vulnerabilities as they emerge. Dedicated evolution empowers NOC specialists to keep operational and security practices continuously optimized against a landscape that can transform overnight. Exposure to the latest technology threats sharpens detection and remediation responses. Studying modern solutions fosters more proactive future-proofing network designs and architectures.
Ultimately through sustained learning, adaptation and evolution, skilled NOC engineers enhance their capabilities exponentially over time – gaining practical mastery vs outdated novice-level knowledge. This creates tremendous organizational advantage for employers who invest in the continual education and growth of their NOC support teams. Dedicated learning fuels superior service quality and network reliability as digital complexity expands exponentially.
Persistence and Consistency
Handling high-severity network/infra incidents requires NOC and Network engineers to demonstrate persistence paired with structured consistency. Complex networks can experience difficult-to-diagnose failures that test the patience of even the most seasoned network engineer. Yet prolonging service disruption directly impacts customers’ business productivity, revenue and the ISP’s reputation. This makes persistence critical – refusing to abandon resolving an issue before connectivity and operations are fully restored.
Cost Effectiveness
While technical expertise and service quality are top priorities when selecting an outsourced NOC partner, cost considerations carry equal weight. After all, offloading critical network monitoring, management and support functions to external specialists should provide financial upside compared to staffing 24/7 capabilities internally. Affordability empowers enterprises to redirect limited budgets toward other strategic technology investments.
Outsourced NOC providers and MSPs offer cost-effective 24/7 service delivery by maximizing resources across clients and leveraging economies of scale. The right partner allows enterprises to benefit skill diversity at a fraction of the expense of in-house staff augmentation.
Additionally, the extent of experience an established NOC provider brings to the table helps for greater cost efficiency over time if we do the math. By leveraging their technical knowledge to guide better long-term decisions especially hiring and retaining critical resources, an outsourced NOC partner like Quadrang Systems enable organizations to sustain IT operations quite economically. The savings realized make NOC outsourcing a high ROI initiative.
While technical expertise and service quality are top priorities when selecting an outsourced NOC partner, cost considerations carry equal weight. After all, offloading critical network monitoring, management and support functions to external specialists should provide financial upside compared to staffing 24/7 capabilities internally. Affordability empowers enterprises to redirect limited budgets toward other strategic technology investments.
Outsourced NOC providers and MSPs offer cost-effective 24/7 service delivery by maximizing resources across clients and leveraging economies of scale. The right partner allows enterprises to benefit skill diversity at a fraction of the expense of in-house staff augmentation.
Additionally, the extent of experience an established NOC provider brings to the table helps for greater cost efficiency over time if we do the math. By leveraging their technical knowledge to guide better long-term decisions especially hiring and retaining critical resources, an outsourced NOC partner like Quadrang Systems enable organizations to sustain IT operations quite economically. The savings realized make NOC outsourcing a high ROI initiative.
Thus, partnering with an affordable yet capable managed services partner like Quadrang Systems allows enterprises to achieve robust network outcomes without overspending limited budgets.
Flexibility and Adaptability
Operating a around-the-clock a Network Operations Center relies heavily on skilled engineers working interdependent shifts to sustain coverage without fail. However, unpredictability is inevitable – engineers fall sick and his/her shift needs to be covered. Engineers resign, change jobs and their absence need to be filled until new engineers are up to skill, workloads spike unexpectedly, and networks can crash without any signs.
Amidst such volatility, NOC engineers must showcase remarkable flexibility and adaptability to keep services running. Experienced engineers must fluidly cover additional shifts when short-staffed due to leave or turnover. Workloads must be efficiently balanced to prevent overtaxing smaller teams. Customer issues must be addressed timely regardless of odd hours. And any shift handovers need to be carried on without missing anything.
When major network outages strike, NOC teams adjust on the fly to handle the surge in communications and recovery coordination. Teams re-calibrate responsibilities to optimize a code red network incident or a crisis response. NOC partner’s engineers must also flex to strengthen weak links – providing additional oversight for junior colleagues to prevent errors until their skill improves.
By handling excessive workloads and unplanned incidents, NOC engineers exemplify the flexible, adaptable mindset mandatory for 24/7 operations. This resilience enables NOCs to consistently uphold service quality and earn customer trust even as volatility mounts. Their willingness to reshape activities based on situational challenges makes seamless round-the-clock support achievable.
