While the proliferation of branch and remote offices is a positive sign of company growth, it can be a challenge for IT staffers. While many IT staffers use remote access software to diagnose and repair branch office problems, these tools are only useful if the OS and network are functioning. If the network or OS is down, additional costs in travel, time, and lost business might be incurred.

This paper addresses the added value (in terms of uptime and security) of out-of-band access and control tools for branch offices, and why out-of-band should be considered a critical component of branch office networks.