Technology isn’t something you can just set and forget. Taking advantage of all that technology offers requires monitoring, updating and planning.
Planning ahead for your hardware, software and recovery needs – especially as the year comes to a close – has many advantages:
- Ordering hardware before the end-of-the-year rush will give you the best selection of hardware.
- You can save money on your taxes by taking advantage of Federal tax incentives (learn more here).
- You can ensure that any installations and updates are completed before the end of the year.
A good plan should consider the following:
- Hardware that may be nearing the end of its useful lifespan.
- Servers that may be nearing the end of their useful lifespan or malfunction.
- Changes in your environment such as more remote workers that may enable you to eliminate redundant equipment.
- Operating systems, such as Windows 7, and/or hardware that may be nearing the end of their support.
- Redundancy in Internet and email service to reduce the risk of downtime.
- Less expensive alternatives to your current phone and Internet service.
In Case of Disaster
Last, but not least, it’s also important to review your disaster recovery plan. There are many types of disasters or incidents that could impact your business or cause significant periods of downtime. Most common are electrical surges caused by lightning strikes or other power failure. Storm or fire damage are also very real possibilities.
Any incident, whether large- or small-scale, can potentially impact your equipment, software, office space or data. Downtime is a given, and can seriously disrupt your business if not minimized.
A well thought out response plan will help you get up and running again as soon as possible. As an example of why planning is necessary, consider what would happen if your office or other facility is damaged or destroyed:
- Would employees work from home or would you need temporary office space?
- Would employees be expected to use personal equipment or would you buy new PC/laptops?
- What if personal equipment lacks compatible OS and applications like MS Office? Would remote users require installation of new apps or software?
Examples like these are why we encourage our Future Link IT clients to plan ahead. We can plan and manage your hardware purchases, install your new hardware and provide the ongoing support and service that you need to keep it all running smoothly.
If you haven’t already, call us to discuss your end of the year needs.