New Products - Leading or Bleeding Edge?

Written by Bijou Lane on 03 Jan 2011

We all love to be at the leading edge of technology. When you have the confidence of a technology-oriented mind, it is especially nice to try out the latest and greatest network products. However, ordering new products before they are proven can sometimes be the wrong idea. It can cost your enterprise, so be cautious!

The leading edge of technology is also known as the bleeding edge. Manufacturers almost always encounter unexpected design, production and logistical challenges with new product lines, including new network equipment.

Can you imagine a critical switch, router, or firewall that fails due to bad power supply, or reboots continuously. We see these issues all the time. Many new products have that same potential and it like a time bomb, meaning your time and energy are wasted on an issue that should have been resolved by the manufacturer and not you.

When are issues fixed? Many problems with new network equipment are resolved when they first come up. Some issues are never resolved. Instead, you may have a work-around or recall. In the meantime, who knows how many hours, days and weeks will have been lost while dealing with the unknown new network equipment problems?

Unless you absolutely must, don’t go after new network equipment as soon as they are announced. Give them time to settle down in the market and for the problems to present themselves.

Of course, there may be compelling reasons for you to specify a brand new network equipment product - product features essential to your application and not available elsewhere, for example. You shouldn’t risk becoming a manufacturer’s unpaid product tester, especially if you are pressed for time or have limited budgets, a small network team or a mission-critical network. Let someone else do it.

In all aspects of business, time is one of the most valuable commodities you have at your disposal. And wasting it is one of the most expensive mistakes you can make. Just as jumping on the wrong bandwagon can cost you dear in terms of wasted time, so can specifying an unproven new network equipment product.