A first-rate IT department is essential to Somes Publishing - an unglamorous essential, perhaps, but essential nonetheless, the arteries and veins to the heart and lungs of journalism and design. At least, that's how Meg and her team in the department would like to think of it, rather than being perennially overlooked by the creatives upstairs. Nonetheless, Meg knows that - whatever anyone thinks - the company would fall apart without an effective and reliable IT set-up. Certainly, there was a time when a publisher like Somes would have little or no need for technology, but as time has gone on the role of IT has grown apace, becoming a vital part of any business that looks to move forward.

Meg also knows that to keep the company's IT basis working effectively, she needs the right tools for the job - and prominent amongst those tools is Microsoft Visio. The software plays a number of key roles for Meg and her department, visualising the network (and also the company's SharePoint network, used by journalists who aren't office-based), highlighting issues, and illustrating the impact of a problem or change before it happens.

A clear view

For a large network involving many different computers throughout a large office building (or a number of locations), being able to visually depict the entire set-up - each element of the diagram being represented as a 'node' - can make life a great deal easier. It's very common in such networks that not all the computers and accounts will have the same permissions; they might also have different software installed, depending upon the needs of the user or department. Consequently, if a problem (whether hardware, software, or user error) develops somewhere in the network, Meg can identify the physical location and the nature of use and user, greatly simplifying both diagnostic issues and the time it takes to address the problem. Visualisation also allows her to see the relationship between nodes - such as that between servers or hubs and individual computers.

Problem detection

Of course, to deal with a problem in the network, Meg has to be aware of it. Each element of any Visio diagram can provide a range of information about itself, information which can be constantly and automatically updated. What this means for Meg is that she can automatically get performance data for every system in the network, servers and desktop terminals alike - and this data can be represented across the whole diagram with colours or symbols, so if an issue develops and a machine's performance drops, the computer in question can be highlighted automatically: Meg sees nodes highlighted green, she knows all is well; a red node and she can set to work identifying and fixing the problem right away.

Chain reaction

Meg knows that much of her network is interrelated, that clusters of terminals rely on hardware (hubs and routers) that connect them to the wider network, and that the whole is dependent on the company's servers; because this relationship is visualised in her Visio diagram, should there be a problem with a server, hub or router, she can also see immediately the knock-on effect this may have on other nodes. Of course, a technology failure that hits the entire network can be disastrous for any company - but fortunately, with Visio, Meg can run through catastrophic scenarios before they happen. By analysing with Visio a 'what-if' situation, such as server failure, Meg can install contingency plans in advance, averting a crisis before it develops.

A countrywide network

However, Somes is a publishing company, and employees won't all be in the office. With journalists travelling all around the country and beyond, Meg's department needs to be able to maintain IT services for a laptop being carried around Yorkshire as effectively as a desktop computer in the office. The solution is surprisingly easy: all Meg needs do is provide Microsoft SharePoint server for roaming journalists to connect with the company wherever they are, and Visio can visualise and manage the SharePoint network just as easily and in entirely the same way as she does for the basic network in the office; indeed, she can manage the two side-by-side, ensuring that she has complete control over Somes's IT services wherever employees and computers may be.

Meg's IT department might not be the most high-profile part of the business, but without it, Somes Publishing would grind to a halt in no time. Using Visio helps her avoid any such crisis, providing the tools to ensure that the network - in the office and outside - is working as effectively as can be. And if any aspect of your business relies on different elements working together to keep the whole moving, then you too could benefit from those tools (and it's certainly worth considering a short training course for you or your staff to make the most of the versatility and power that they offer). With Visio, you can take control of your business like never before.