“Role of a Solution Architect in Large-Scale Network Deployments for Managed Connectivity Vendors”

🔍 1. Understand the Customer’s Business and Technical Requirements

  • Conduct discovery sessions with customer IT, operations, and facilities teams.
  • Identify:
    • Number of locations, types of buildings, physical layout
    • Internet usage patterns (e.g., video conferencing, cloud tools, IoT devices)
    • Security or compliance requirements (e.g., HIPAA, SOC 2, PCI-DSS)
    • Existing network infrastructure and pain points (for greenfield or transition projects)

🏗️ 2. Design the Network Architecture

  • Create a customized network solution:
    • Wireless access point layout using predictive heatmapping
    • Routing, switching, and firewall design
    • VLAN segmentation, SSID setup, QoS configurations
    • Redundancy and failover considerations (HA firewalls, multi-WAN)

🤝 3. Collaborate Cross-Functionally

  • Serve as the technical liaison between:
    • The customer’s internal stakeholders (IT, facilities, procurement)
    • The Vendor’s internal teams (project managers, deployment engineers, support)
  • Translate customer needs into actionable technical plans and configurations.

📦 4. Coordinate Hardware & ISP Logistics

  • Oversee delivery and on-site installation of Vendor-managed networking hardware.
  • Coordinate ISP provisioning and testing, ensuring the customer’s SLA, bandwidth, and redundancy requirements are met.
  • Prepare for go-live by validating network readiness at each site.

⚙️ 5. Provide Implementation Support & Technical Oversight

  • Guide or assist during:
    • Site surveys
    • Installation and activation
    • Functional and performance testing (e.g., signal strength, throughput, latency)
  • Troubleshoot any on-site issues, architectural challenges, or compatibility gaps.

6. Post-Deployment Validation

  • Conduct acceptance testing with customer stakeholders:
    • Confirm network performance, wireless coverage, and resilience
  • Ensure the customer is onboarded into the Vendor’s monitoring and management platform.
  • Provide documentation and training on tools, escalation paths, and support procedures.

🔄 7. Plan for Scalability and Ongoing Success

  • Design solutions with growth in mind:
    • Support for new locations, evolving traffic patterns, hybrid work, or cloud-first models
    • Recommendations for network upgrades, integrations, or additional security services
  • Provide best practices for long-term reliability, visibility, and ease of management.

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