With insights from Grand View Research revealing that the global Unified Communications (UC) market surged to an estimated value of $136 billion in 2023, it's obvious that UC has become a cornerstone of modern business communication. Over half a million businesses worldwide have embraced UC technology, harnessing its capabilities to streamline communication channels and elevate organizational success.

In today's world, networks are crucial for businesses to communicate and share data smoothly. But keeping networks running well and staying ahead of performance issues can be tricky. That's where network visibility tools come in handy. These tools give a complete view of a network, helping IT pros see everything that's happening and fix any issues quickly.

Imagine driving a car at night without headlights. It's risky, right? Without them, you can't see where you're going, and you might crash. Well, the same goes for visibility in enterprise networks. If you can't see how they're performing, you might run into problems with important apps, slow Internet, and unhappy customers. That's why having the right tools to see what's happening on your network is crucial. It's like turning on those headlights to make sure you're going in the right direction.

With many SASE vendors prioritizing security over performance, businesses are left with a gap in their network management strategies. Before implementations, SASE vendors make promises about the performance of their SASE services, but, how can customers ensure they’re getting what they paid for? And how can they avoid slow or sluggish networks leading to frustrated users, decreased productivity, and even financial losses?

As organizations transition to distributed work environments and adopt cloud-based applications, the demand for secure, agile, and high-performing networks intensifies. As a result, many businesses have decided to implement Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), which integrates networking and security functions into a unified cloud-native platform.

As organizations embrace distributed work environments and cloud-based applications, the need for secure, agile, and high-performing networks has never been more pressing. That’s where SASE comes in! Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) networks converge networking and security functions into a unified cloud-native platform, making them extremely popular for large enterprises nowadays.

As more and more companies seek to enhance their network infrastructure, the adoption of SD-WAN solutions has become increasingly common. These solutions offer promising benefits, from optimizing application performance to reducing costs associated with traditional WAN architectures. However, while many SD-WAN vendors tout monitoring capabilities, they often fall short of providing comprehensive network visibility and proactive monitoring. So, what's the missing link?

So, you've invested in a high-bandwidth Internet line for your business, complete with a service level agreement (SLA) ensuring consistent uptime. Sounds foolproof, right? Not quite. Despite meeting the SLA requirements for uptime, you might encounter performance issues severe enough to disrupt your cloud-based applications. Sure, technically, the connection is still up, but it's practically unusable. The frustrating part?

Imagine walking with a couple of small stones in your shoe. At first, you might barely notice them, tolerating the discomfort for a minute or two. But as time passes, the discomfort grows, and eventually, you realize that if you don't remove those stones, you won't be able to walk the next day.

As organizations increasingly depend on flawless network performance in today's linked world, it is critical to make sure networks are operating smoothly. Network monitoring tools act as digital guardians, keeping a watchful eye on the intricate web of connections and ensuring optimal performance. Among these tools, synthetic network monitoring tools stand out as powerful allies, capable of proactively simulating and detecting network issues before they escalate into a full-blown crisis.

Had enough of wading through alternative listings that leave you scratching your head? We feel your frustration! It's downright exasperating when recommendations are based solely on review counts, random algorithms, or pay-per-click arrangements. We've all seen it: a behemoth software editor inexplicably crowned as the top alternative to a network performance monitoring software, even though they have absolutely no shared features. It just doesn't add up!

At Obkio, our mission is to provide comprehensive network monitoring and troubleshooting solutions tailored specifically for MSPs (Managed Service Providers), ensuring the proper functioning of their networks and services for their clients. MSPs are a big part of our client base and we've had the chance to chat with numerous business owners and network admins to really get to the core of their needs. Why?

As networks of educational institutions continue to get more complex, so does the demand for robust network monitoring and security measures. Without a secure and optimized network, student records become vulnerable to hacking, bandwidth congestion disrupts essential services, and online assignments remain unfinished. When lesson plans heavily rely on video-conferencing for seamless education delivery, the margin for errors or outages is slim.

In modern connectivity, the advent of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has ushered in a new era of network architecture. But most network admins and IT pros understand the critical importance of not just adopting SASE but ensuring its continuous, secure, and optimized operation. In this blog post, we’ll explore the ins and outs of monitoring SASE networks —a crucial aspect that separates a robust, responsive infrastructure from potential bottlenecks and performance issues.

In an era where cyber attacks occur every 40 seconds and ransomware attacks, where hackers demand money to unlock your company’s files, are increasing by 400% each year. This means it's super important for your organization to protect its network. But do you know if you're spending enough resources on checking how safe your network is? Is your network performing well enough to protect from cyber-attacks? Are you monitoring the performance of core network security devices like firewalls?