Preparing an accurate 2009 network budget is challenging because of the dynamic nature of the services it must support. Moreover, regardless of changing technology and more stringent business unit requirements, network organizations are still expected to deliver and support quality services. As a result, the following budget categories, which are sometimes considered as discretionary, or of lower importance, must be considered:
- Staff training and education expenses.
- Business unit support costs.
- Ongoing performance management requirements.
Many enterprises simply allocate a discretionary sum of money to support the above categories based on gut instinct or past experiences. However, a lack of focus and insufficient funding in these areas could generate serious network issues in 2009.
