Improve Your IT Infrastructure: 4 Simple But Effective Ideas
Building and maintaining an effective IT infrastructure is one of the most important aspects of running a successful company, from small enterprises serving niche audiences to global corporations with millions of customers. That’s why Canadian businesses and government agencies have invested around $107 billion in IT products and services in 2021.
But if you overlook your IT infrastructure, your company may be less efficient, productive, and secure than it could be.
Your hardware might be outdated. Your software could be a poor match for your daily operations. Or your cybersecurity setup may be ineffective against increasingly sophisticated threats.
If you’re concerned about your IT infrastructure and feel it’s due an upgrade, what can you do to improve it?
Here are 4 ideas to help you get started.
What is IT Infrastructure?
Let’s clarify what constitutes “IT infrastructure” before we delve deep into our tips.
IT infrastructure refers to the components that work harmoniously to form a functional network. One business’s infrastructure can vary significantly from another’s, depending on budget, operations, organizational structure, and other key factors.
But most IT infrastructures include the following components:
- Network switch: Connects multiple devices on a single network and enables them to communicate.
- Router: Links multiple networks and forwards data packets, so information gets to the right place.
- Servers: Storing different file types in large quantities, including file servers, application servers, and print servers.
- Software: The operating systems, platforms, applications, and tools you depend on to work.
- Firewalls: Designed to protect your network from security threats, such as viruses.
Other components tend to include physical plants, server rooms, and data centers.
4 Tips for Better IT Infrastructure
Update Your Hardware
You might not like the idea of purchasing new computer systems, on-site storage facilities, and other essential hardware for your workforce if you’re operating on a small budget. But outdated technology can weaken your infrastructure and create security vulnerabilities ripe for hackers to exploit.
For example, research by Dell found that more than 60% of organizations experienced one or more data breaches due to hardware security weaknesses in 2019.
Hackers have access to more powerful tools and techniques than ever, such as BIOS attacks. And cybercrime can cause severe problems for businesses: Dell’s research also revealed that 39% of companies affected by data breaches experienced financial loss resulting from system downtime, and 35% faced outages that disrupted customer-facing systems.
Updating aging hardware enables companies to reduce the danger of costly, disruptive cyberattacks and enjoy more efficient equipment.
Take Advantage of Cloud Computing to Streamline Your Infrastructure
Throw a virtual rock and you’ll find some mention of cloud computing online, but its popularity is well deserved: switching to cloud-based services empowers companies like yours to streamline operations significantly.
One of the main benefits of cloud computing is that it’s easier and faster to access cutting-edge software — it’s all online, so you don’t need to physically purchase and install it. You can also reduce the amount of on-site storage you need when all files are stored and accessible in the cloud.
Another key advantage of cloud computing is that you can work remotely, which was critical for countless businesses during the pandemic (more than 32% of Canadian employees worked all or most of their hours remotely at the start of 2021).
And 74% of companies plan to let their employees work from home after the pandemic, with more than 50% of workers keen to do so as much as or more than they do currently.
Remote work allows you to reduce overheads by cutting the number of employees physically present in your office and freeing up space.
Implement Data Backup to Reduce Risks
Data loss is a massive problem for any business: you could lose critical files relating to client work, finances, and trade secrets.
Weeks, months, or even years of work may be severely disrupted by data loss. As a result, clients may lose trust in your services if they’re inconvenienced, and that could impact your revenue.
And any extra work you need to undertake to recreate lost work may decrease productivity, efficiency, and cost money you hadn’t planned to spend.
But what causes data loss? It could be:
- Accidental deletion by one or more employees
- Formatting errors cause files to become unreadable
- Viruses corrupt data and render it inaccessible
- Physical damage to hardware via vandalism, floods, fire, or other unexpected crises
- Power outages
Fortunately, cloud backup is a simple way to store your data online and access it later.
So, no matter if a tornado destroys your office and your computers, you’ll still be able to work on tasks from anywhere you have an internet connection. Your team can stay productive and efficient even if their usual workplace and hardware is temporarily unavailable.
Implementing cloud storage and continuous data backup into your IT infrastructure might seem complex, but the best service providers make it simpler than you may expect.
Work with Specialists to Overhaul Your Configuration
Many businesses choose to work with information technology service specialists to improve their IT infrastructure, whether to introduce a new component or undertake a complete overhaul.
Working with an expert team makes the entire process easier, and ensures you have the most effective configuration for your business needs and goals.
You could struggle to identify the right hardware and software if you handle it yourself. And that may lead to wasted time and money down the line.
GenX is on hand to help you improve your IT infrastructure in various ways. We can maintain and upgrade your systems to maximize productivity, efficiency, and value for money.
We’ll work with you closely to explore your current setup, your business objectives, issues that may hold you back, and other essential factors. Our team can fully redesign your whole IT back office and empower your employees with the right technologies for their work processes.
Our IT infrastructure services include:
- Updating aging hardware
- Increasing company disk size
- Installing virtual environments
- Assisting in office relocations and infrastructure setup
- Improving your present infrastructure
- Complete installation of hardware and software