There is no surprise anymore that the move to digital infrastructure is the future of any successful business. We’re well into the digital age and that means information technology, also known as IT, has to be a necessary function that goes right for any business to work normally and succeed in the contemporary climate of the industry.
Construction, medical field, or sales, no matter what it is, IT plays a role. Security of clients and customers, ability to transmit data, storage of data, and functionality of digital features is the primary concern for IT of a business, as it would be on an individual level, but as you guessed, having to handle money and data in the digital space requires extra consideration.
If you’re running on old software, old hardware, or frankly haven’t updated any of your IT yet, then you need to consider how you can improve it and fast. Here are 7 ways you can do that in a short amount of time that will help you in the long run.
1. Implement Cloud Computing Into Your Business
Cloud computing gets thrown around a lot and the idea is very sound now that it has been implemented and tested rigorously over the years. Storing your data on a server outside of the physical space that can hold more information for you and transmit files at lightning speeds can help optimize your business. There is plenty of cloud storage and computing solutions out there too, and a Microsoft Azure Cloud Partner, among others, are options available. Cloud solutions can help modernize a business and improve overall IT infrastructure.
2. Update Site Security
Site security is also something you need to maintain the solid infrastructure of your digital footprint. Adding the right plug-ins to make the site less susceptible to malware or DDOS attacks can help protect user information, site uptime, and prevent data loss. Adding SSL and HTTPS protection is necessary as many sites will opt for this route. Similarly, hiding admin data is important to keep out unwanted guests, along with routinely updating your plug-ins to stop any lapses in defense. Updating the security of your site will be excellent for keeping things running smoothly and safely.
3. Consider the Age of Your Existing Infrastructure
It’s also a good time to reevaluate how well your existing infrastructure is performing. There are companies still running their functions on Windows XP or Vista, which while good OS’s in their own right, they’re not equipped to handle the speed of computing power and features nor are they up to date on the proper security protocols. Look into your infrastructure and make a comprehensive list of what needs to be updated first and work through it to get a good idea of where you’re lacking and where you’re fine.
4. Add More Server Capabilities
If it’s network capability you lack, then adding more servers to your business operations is going to allow you to improve in this area tremendously. You might not realize it, but your business server is likely far outdated as well. This is something that is usually not looked at because you don’t see it everyday unlike towers, laptops, or even routers. Improving your servers (and while you’re at it, the routers too), can help make your network stronger and allow you to store more data and enjoy faster processing power. It’s also encouraged to add or improve your servers for IT infrastructure because you won’t be susceptible to lapses in operation times if one goes down.
5. Increase Storage Space
It also might be a hardware issue that you’re dealing with. According to Boost Hardware, your IT could be hampered because of a lock of storage space, so increasing your hard drive size and abilities is a move to make. Including plenty of alternative storage, methods are also advised, like flash drives for small storage uses but mostly upgrading the drives for your computers. Going back to cloud computing, cloud storage providers are also able to give you increased data storage solutions without needing physical space or if hardware upgrades aren’t in the question. This will help avoid overloading your hard drivers.
6. Create Backups for Your Systems
Using some of the hardware and software upgrades you’ve seen so far, it’s advisable to make some serious, sweeping backups for your systems. This could mean mirroring the OS on your computers and partitioning drives to have full backups for that, making duplicate files on your hard drives and or on cloud storage, but the point is to always have a plan B. You never know if an electrical shortage can kill a months-long project or if some downtime can cause a loss of data, but the point is that without backups, you could be panicking without any answers so that’s why you have to back up your system.
7. Educate Your Team On Safer IT Practices
You’ve got enough information here to know where to start, but it doesn’t end there. From here on out, you need to be committed to educating your team as well. Smarter employees are better employees so if you can help pass along what you’ve learned, IT infrastructure can start being improved little by little. The easiest way to help educate your team on IT is by teaching them to update their passwords so they’re stronger. Anyone with admin access should especially make this a priority. Other tips are to avoid spreading any sensitive information and avoid using work IT utilities for personal use as well.
While the words IT infrastructure might not mean much to you now, they should be something you’re paying close attention to with regards to nearly all aspects of your business. Making sure people who are paying for products on your site can do it without having their personal info stolen, or being sure that you have backup storage to make sure files can be kept safe. Improving your IT infrastructure is a part of improving a business that has to be adhered to.