Diversity isn’t just about People

Network diversity means vastly different things depending on who you ask so we feel it’s time to clear up the confusion!

For some, diversity is interchangeable with ‘reliability’ or ‘redundancy,’ while others use the term to describe a network made up of multiple providers. These descriptions are actually a disservice as they oversimplify everything and undervalue its importance.

On a technical level, a diverse network uses multiple paths, interconnection points, cloud locations and infrastructures. The outcomes are stronger business performance, smoother operations and companies that thrive on the global stage.

A truly diverse network adapts, flexes and scales according to company objectives and growth. From a cultural standpoint, network diversity should be embedded in everything a provider builds, operates and supports. For us, it’s one of our founding principles.

Businesses are incredibly diverse, and their networks should be too

Every network has its own requirements, expectations, quirks and particularities. A trading firm at the cutting edge of finance is different to a media organisation supplying content around the world.

Some providers see diversity as an arbitrary concept, a term easily banded around for sales purposes. In reality, it should be as measurable and accountable as any other service metric. Assess your own network by asking…

• From point A to B, how many network paths could data take?

• Is your network simply redundant or truly diverse by design?

• What type of infrastructure is used?

• Is data stored in a single cloud location?

• How many single points of failure are there?

• Does the network adapt to a plan B, C or even D when a path fails?

• Does the performance of different network routes vary considerably?

• Are latencies consistent throughout?

Painting a pretty picture

Genuinely diverse networks should be like the Mona Lisa – a masterpiece of design, infrastructure that dazzles the CIO with its ability to handle every challenge thrown at it, exceptional reliability, unrivalled application performance, and an investment that stands the test of time.

When working with a diverse network provider, the engineering team are the painters orchestrating these outcomes. They are the unsung heroes, a dedicated group of specialists working tirelessly to deliver high-performance, flexible connectivity around the clock.

The very best engineering teams leverage their vast technical expertise, industry knowledge and passion to meticulously design global networks capable of raising productivity, driving efficiency and reducing complexity.

A truly diverse network adapts, flexes and scales according to company objectives and growth.

An example of this in practical terms can be seen with Sucden Financial, a leading international derivatives broker. Sucden Financial needed to confidently and reliably deliver client traffic between Asia and London. The solution was to deliver two diverse network paths between London and Hong Kong, and then a third terrestrial route to bolster stability and redundancy.

Ensuring a network is consistently diverse is also a proactive process and the network architecture should evolve in line with the latest technologies, routes and developments. As Sucden Financial’s Chief Operating Officer said, the benefits come from having a provider that “…constantly evaluates the routes as market conditions evolve and as opportunities become available for further optimisation.”

Deploying a diverse network is as much about futureproofing the company’s technology footprint than it is about delivering a seamless service now. In such a highly disruptive world, you need a technical backbone that delivers a host of short and long-term benefits, whether that be accelerating innovation, increasing scalability or enabling the company to outperform competitors.

Want these outcomes? Let us know how we can help.

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