Sometimes a company takes a step back, looks at what they’re doing, and analyzes where they are going. Are they on the right track? Are they producing a product or service that small to medium sized businesses can use?

The situation this country now finds itself in is all the validation that JitterWorks, and all companies that provide network performance monitoring services, need to confirm we’re on the right track.

We are at a time where people aren’t sitting across from each other in a conference room discussing the direction of the business, planning their next big move in the industry, collaborating on time-sensitive projects and completing the tedious day to day tasks necessary to keep the business running.

Now, all that work is being done remotely. Conference rooms have been replaced by online meetings. As important as the internet is to running any business, it has become a literal lifeline to the survival of any business.

So it’s a good time to reinforce the importance of monitoring network performance and review the key performance indicators that are critical to your network and ultimately to the success of your business. If the success of your company depends on a consistent, reliable internet connection, you need to be aware of the metrics that measure exactly what your network is doing at all times.

We’ve discussed what we identify as the four cornerstones to effective and proactive network performance monitoring. Better known around our office as LOTUs. Let’s review.

Latency. Latency is the delay between the time you request the download or upload of data and the time you actually receive or send the data. Latency is measured in milliseconds (ms). The lower the number the better.

Outages. Outages are common and can last a few seconds or hours. Tracking when your network is down, how long and when it comes up is critical.

Throughput. Throughput refers to the actual amount of data your internet service transfers to and from your network. Throughput is measured in megabits per second.

Utilization. In any office, it would be difficult to estimate the amount of bandwidth you need or use. Any number you come up with will likely be nothing more than an educated guess. The only true way to calculate the amount of bandwidth you need is to monitor and track your company’s utilization.

More than ever, the old adage that “knowledge is power” is crucial in your battle to keep your company up and running at a time when the cards are stacked against you. The better informed you are about the importance of monitoring your network, the more inclined you’ll be to search for a powerful, but simple network performance monitoring solution for your company.

These are uncertain times. But what we notice and admire is the resiliency of people. The attitude to fight through adversity, maintain a positive outlook and keep moving forward. Stay healthy.