SME hybrid working requires a rethink when it comes to network design

For most small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), hybrid working has become the default mode of operation, with an increasing need to support any screen, any place, any time. For the channel, this ongoing transformation represents one of the biggest opportunities for a decade: to help SMEs evolve to sustainable hybrid working through network designs that are flexible, resilient, and secure.

As employee attendance shifts towards offices for collaboration and interaction, with individual, focused work happening elsewhere, the new network imperatives are mobility and a seamless user experience across every location. Yet, to achieve this, many SMEs have some significant hurdles to overcome first:

The requirements-resources mismatch: SMEs' connectivity requirements now resemble those of much larger enterprises, but without comparable budgets and in-house expertise. IT might even just be part of an individual’s wider remit (such as facilities managers).

The visibility and management problem: The IT person or team has also gone from just managing on-premises networking to dealing with a fragmented, dispersed environment that lacks transparency. Maintenance and troubleshooting become difficult across multiple business sites, home setups, and mobile employees.

Inappropriate, outdated technology: Many SMEs still rely on ageing VPN solutions or consumer-grade Wi-Fi routers that were not designed for modern distributed workloads and lack security features fit for hybrid working.

The result for many SMEs is an inconsistent user experience, a near-impossible task of maintaining all network endpoints, firefighting support requests, and implementing a mishmash of upgrades, all with the looming shadow of security risks. Far from being network-ready for hybrid working, SMEs face chaos.

The channel opportunity

This is precisely where the channel can step in, with network designs that balance the need for office-grade performance with the flexibility of remote working. The latest generation of tech tools provides the springboard (no longer do SMEs have to put up with enterprise hand-me-downs), but the starting point is not selling a technical specification; it is addressing tangible use cases and problem-solving.

It’s also important to remember that SMEs may not know what their problems are; they may not be aware of how much their existing technology investments are hindering them.

For instance, imagine helping an SME’s IT manager identify just how much of their time is taken up with network administration and support. Let’s call it 10 percent of their time. Then, show them how a cloud-based management platform could transfer the daily running of a network to a third party, covering configuration, monitoring, troubleshooting, and upgrades.

Not only does the SME benefit, but the partner also now has a new recurring revenue stream, helping them move further away from one-off hardware sales.

Flex across fluctuating occupancy

A second pain point is Wi-Fi, and often, SMEs are not aware how a simple upgrade can massively improve performance, something that can be exacerbated with hybrid-working, when there are peaks and troughs in office occupancy by employees on any given day.

Busy times might mean users (maybe even visiting customers) are frustrated by flaky connectivity. A professional Wi-Fi survey can expose issues such as network choke points, showing customers why an upgrade will make a tangible difference.

Then, features such as smart roaming, multi-gigabit backhauls, and adaptive radio management help ensure consistent performance, regardless of how many people are in the building.

Support the bigger picture

SME IT personnel may be more aware of the bottlenecks associated with remote working and the widening security perimeter. These days, security measures must reflect how users are moving across a dynamic, often remote workplace, something that is not widely understood by SMEs.

A channel partner can help identify weak points and security risks and then suggest alternatives. Those might include replacing traditional VPNs aimed at on-premises situations with more modern, flexible options designed for distributed working in the cloud, together with improved scalability. These solutions also support ‘zero trust’ rather than the ‘implied trust’ of older VPNs.

Similarly, while secure remote access gateways and lightweight SD-WANs have offered encrypted, policy-based connectivity without the bottlenecks of legacy solutions, they do not fully address the hybrid-working challenge, because they are still network-based rather than identity-based.

Security is essential

Instead, a channel partner might suggest something more suited to wider security perimeters, such as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), previously only available to large companies, but now with the financial reach of SMEs. These protect an app as it is opened and used, regardless of location. Consequently, the channel partner has helped the SME protect its broad and dynamic hybrid working landscape.

Yes, these use cases solve some hybrid working challenges, but they also move the conversation from capital expenditure to operational efficiency, which resonates strongly with SME decision-makers.

Looking ahead, this more collaborative way of working with SMEs represents a lasting, sticky opportunity. Hybrid working may be here to stay, but the networks supporting it must keep moving forward.

Channel partners who deliver enterprise-class capabilities that meet the specific needs of SMEs will become tomorrow’s trusted advisors in the hybrid working era.