Your business’s infrastructure is one of the most important assets to your business. It’s what keeps things running smoothly with your employees, clients, and in some cases even your suppliers.
Infrastructure is constantly changing with the times, as technology advances so do the needs of businesses. While some infrastructure updates are small, others may be more significant. Here are some key updates you might want to consider in order to keep your business running smoothly.
Consider Colocation
If you plan to switch ISPs or upgrade your servers, you might want to consider colocation. Colocation gives you the freedom to store and manage all of your business’s IT equipment using a secure data center. By colocating your infrastructure with an experienced company, you can ensure that it is properly secured and maintained as well as easily accessed by your employees.
A colocation data center also provides added connectivity options that may allow your business to utilize more ISPs. This will ensure uninterrupted service by giving you multiple connections, which can improve reliability and uptime even during unexpected circumstances like natural disasters or power outages.
Provide Enhanced Training
When making updates to your company’s infrastructure, you might also want to consider enhanced training for employees. Provide them with an updated security policy that will help educate them on security threats and how to avoid them. As far as new equipment goes, provide employees with training manuals or installation guides so they are familiar with the devices they are using.
Business infrastructure isn’t just about hardware and software updates. Each of these components works together to create a well-oiled system that drives your business forward.
For instance, if your business has made upgrades to Microsoft Excel, corporate Excel consulting services can help use these new capabilities to streamline your business processes making them more efficient. This will in turn create a better work environment for your employees and help your company grow.
Consider Tiered Internet Access
As more of your business’s infrastructure moves online, you’ll want to consider an internet access plan that will allow for growth as well as current bandwidth demands. A tiered approach provides the bandwidth your company needs at a cost that can accommodate future growth as needed.
Additionally, bandwidth that is over-provisioned can allow your business to accommodate more high bandwidth applications such as VoIP, video conferences, and teleconferencing. It also gives your business the bandwidth that it needs to increase employee productivity regardless of what internet applications employees are using.
Manage Your Risk With Security Updates
As with all technology updates, consider security risks when making infrastructure changes. As part of an overall optimization plan, you might want to consider an updated spam filter, virus protection, and anti-malware protection.
Security updates should also be considered when adding new equipment to your network. Even if you are moving to a colocation data center, it’s important that you implement the appropriate security updates for any wireless or hardline devices currently in use or being installed by your company.
Invest in Cloud Computing
Cloud computing is one of the most significant infrastructure updates your business can make. It will allow you to expand as needed and accommodate more users without having to make any additional hardware or software updates.
Businesses that manage their own cloud networks on-site also have the opportunity to customize new services and features according to their specific needs and remove those they don’t require or that are no longer being used. This ensures that you only pay for the infrastructure that your business needs and nothing more.
Install a Backup System
If your business is like most, there are certain data and applications that can’t be lost. When making infrastructure updates such as adding cloud services you might also want to consider a backup system.
A good backup system will not only protect you from major disasters but can give users access to critical files and information even during regular office hours. This is important as most minor emergencies happen during business hours and can be just as disruptive to your company. It is a good idea to have a backup system that includes both on-site and off-site copies in case your business is struck by a major disaster.
Purchase Enterprise-Grade Equipment
Enterprise-grade equipment is built specifically for business use and will provide you with longer service life. Additionally, it offers a superior level of support that can help get issues resolved quickly if they do arise.
Enterprise equipment such as Cisco routers and switches will allow your business to meet current service-level agreements (SLAs) while providing you with the flexibility to grow as your company expands.
Businesses that implement enterprise-grade equipment can also expect significant energy savings as well as improved network uptime. This is due to the built-in redundancy, high availability features, and support services included with these products which help keep your systems up and running.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, your business’s success is dependent upon the quality of its infrastructure. The right updates made at the right time can help you stay ahead of the competition while ensuring that employees are able to do their jobs in an efficient, productive manner.
Implementing the proper infrastructure changes can provide your business with increased reliability. Since downtime can be costly for any company, implementing these updates will ensure that all of your equipment is running smoothly and efficiently.
