Your IT system is vital in a wide variety of tasks ranging from transactional operations to cybersecurity. With the current business environment heavily reliant on technology, your information technology (IT) infrastructure needs all the help it can get to keep it optimized
If you find that your company’s IT is slowing down your business, it’s essential to run a diagnostic and find a solution ASAP. You can try to sort things out on your own, or you can contact an IT support company, such as ITSco IT services and solutions, who can help with more comprehensive system diagnostics. While hiring will cost you extra, it comes with the benefit of having an IT support company that has the latest IT solutions at its disposal, ensuring better results.
An internal assessment may be necessary to help you recognize the extent of IT support that you’ll require. This is why we have a rundown of a few signs that can help indicate what IT services you need.
1. The System Is Generally Slow
If you find that working on a simple document takes longer than necessary, it could be time for an upgrade. A slow system can cause a ripple effect on your organization’s productivity and efficiency. If the system is slow, your team members may not be able to carry out their duties as required. This affects both their morale and customer experience.
A slow system can be the result of a few factors. In most cases, it’s because of outdated hardware, low bandwidth and poor data organization. Knowing what caused the system is key to avoiding wasting money on unnecessary upgrades. For example, a slowdown caused by a slow network won’t be fixed by getting newer hardware.
2. The System Keeps Crashing
Whether it’s one workstation or the entire system, a system crash should be treated as a sign to upgrade your infrastructure. System crashes can be triggered by a problem with the software or the server it’s connected to, but the former is more likely to happen than the latter.
The most common cause of software-related crashes is an outdated operating system. If your company is using programs or drivers that were developed a few years ago, there’s a good chance that the software developers or hardware manufacturers no longer provide support for what you currently have. This means you need to switch to newer hardware and software as soon as you can.
A system crash caused by a server problem can be caused by many things, but the most common culprit is low bandwidth. If your server keeps crashing due to the bandwidth being unable to handle the traffic, then your company is due for a network upgrade. Another possible cause of server-based system crashes would be damaged servers, possibly due to regular wear and tear or poor ventilation on the server room.
3. Frequent Security Breaches
As a company, it’s part of your legal responsibility to ensure that critical business and client information is protected from cyber threats. Some regions have regulations on this, which means your company could risk getting sued and penalized for not protecting customer data. There’s also the fact that a security breach can damage your reputation as a business partner.
Even minor attacks can be taken as a sign that your current IT isn’t protected enough. You should ensure that you have good cyber security measures in place. Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and to counter this, software developers provide frequent security updates. This also includes getting good antivirus and malware protection, as well as file encryption.
Apart from the software upgrades, you can also conduct a risk assessment to ascertain your system’s vulnerability. Partnering with a managed security services provider (MSSP) can help ensure your system gets these upgrades and stays up to date.
4. You Hardware Is Inconsistent
As your business grows, so does the need to scale up your IT-related equipment. This could mean that your team will have to use new tech to accomplish the same tasks. Unfortunately, this change in equipment might cause inconsistencies in your company’s productivity and efficiency.
Your team might also experience compatibility issues that can affect communication and collaboration. Current advances in productivity software can require your team to share documents and sync products; a feature that may not be available with your old equipment.
If you want more consistent results throughout your company, you have to make sure that everybody is equipped with similar hardware. Using modern hardware as the standard equipment can help you avoid issues with compatibility and enable the team to collaborate more efficiently.
Conclusion
Having a proper IT infrastructure in your organization is essential if you want your business to thrive in this day and age. Knowing the signs that you need to improve your IT infrastructure means you can improve your systems sooner than later, minimizing disruptions caused by preventable factors and allowing your business to adapt to changes a lot easier.