As an IT professional, how do you know if you’re operating with outdated technology? When do the IT components of your organization need replacing or updating? You must ask yourself:
- What’s your plan to ensure your technology is up-to-date?
- Isn’t the purpose of business technology to propel your enterprise into the future, with the least amount of hassle possible?
We’re here to tell you that we feel your pain. Sometimes technology is just maddening enough to want to say things that would make your grandmother turn in her grave.
None-the-less, we see so many IT professionals and their respective businesses that are hesitant to make adjustments to their current IT systems in order to avoid the struggles ahead. More often than not, professionals we talk with believe technology and IT isn’t worth the investment.
If you have IT supporting your operations, it is absolutely important to take care of it and keep it current. There are not only concerns as it relates to product support and functionality, but security risks can exponentially rise with the age of network components in many cases.
So, what’s the best way to approach upgrading your IT infrastructure?
Roadmap.
First, you need an IT roadmap that lays out a plan for your technology’s future. This way, you won’t be surprised by what the future holds, and you’ll have clear direction for what you need, costs associated, and what to expect after your technology upgrade. This takes hardware, software, and all network components into account (not just your computers and applications).
The process for staying current.
Once your roadmap is laid out, we suggest following this simple 3 step process for “future-proofing” your IT infrastructure:
Lease Hardware If You Can
In certain situations, though not all, it may be easier to upgrade when you’re leasing equipment rather than having to pay for new equipment outright to replace the out-of-date. Usually a hardware refresh will even be included in the terms of the lease, and at times there’s not even any additional cost.
The monthly expense of leasing may seem like it’s costing you more than if you paid upfront for the equipment, but the savings will be seen in the cost is now an operating expense instead of a capital expense. This expense difference is advantageous for your future budgeting and accounting.
Design Your Infrastructure to Accommodate Growth
In our experience, we’ve found that a great number of businesses and IT professionals are not looking far enough ahead to set up the necessary IT infrastructure to accommodate their company’s growth. Most design systems for their current situation. The strength of a company’s growth will depend on three things: Its people, its processes, and its infrastructure. You need to design your IT with this principle in mind.
A network that’s designed for the future will have things like, for example, open access points to accommodate additional bandwidth to your internet access. Your company will have sufficient cloud storage space, even with more employees. You’ll be able to handle the trends in IT that consume network resources, like BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and The Internet of Things.
Cloud Management
Organizations that are taking advantage of the cloud will often have an outside company host to manage their services. As a result of the fact that you may not know the future of your company’s growth, you’re going to want to commit to a cloud agreement that’s flexible. Instead of locking into some strict terms, seek a cloud-provider that’s dynamic. Depending on your requirements, you’re going to need a provider that has the option of variability to consume more space.
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