Are you ready for the next tectonic shift?
It’s no secret that some companies weren’t prepared to move its entire workforce to a secure, remote work set up when the pandemic hit. In just a matter of days, companies were forced to implement temporary solutions to adapt to the new work-from-home policies across the world.
These temporary solutions may have appeased a need in the moment, but what’s going to happen when everyone comes back to the office and suddenly realizes the IT infrastructure is outdated and not up to the task anymore? How many companies will scramble to patch, update and upgrade their infrastructure?
Three Wire’s Wes Jackson is the head of solutions sales and strategies and he believes there is going to be another tectonic shift that IT leaders need to prepare for. In a recent interview, which you can read here, and in our blog below, Wes shares tips on what companies can do now to implement long-term IT solutions.
IT planning for the future
Without anyone in the office, no one is tending to the routers, the switches or the LAN that’s located in the office, which means these infrastructures aren’t being used, monitored or updated. In this case, it’s up to your IT team to ensure this infrastructure is properly cared for and ready to be used when teams are given the okay to return to the office.
So, what can you do now to prepare your IT for the future?
- Update on-premise infrastructure
Just like any good IT process, it’s important to routinely assess your existing on-prem infrastructure. Is the current equipment meeting your needs? What equipment needs to be updated for efficiency purposes? This can be challenging when equipment isn’t currently in use, so Wes recommends thinking as far as 18 months in the future so your infrastructure is relevant and fresh.
- Invest in the cloud
We know managing and modernizing legacy infrastructure presents new challenges and places heavy demands on reducing costs, optimizing available resources, building a stronger security and generating a greater agility to operationalize. That’s why we’re advocates of the cloud.
Back office infrastructure can almost always be moved to the cloud. Cloud capabilities have a number of advantages, but there is one benefit worth considering. Because cloud service providers are responsible for any upgrades, your IT team won’t have to worry about keeping an eye out for these.
- Create a plan for both in-office and remote workers
Scaling and budgeting network boundary is a new challenge for IT leaders. For example, IT leaders may budget to support a remote workforce for now, but what happens when people begin returning to the office?
In this case, IT departments must look forward and budget for security standards that are functional and compliant. The goal is to build processes and procedures that meet the needs of both remote and in-office workers so there isn’t another scramble.
We know the pandemic has brought forth a lot of changes and it can be hard to plan when the future is unknown. However, your IT infrastructure must be an important consideration and constantly reviewed in order to keep your networks, servers and storage secured and operational for your employees.
Here at Three Wire Systems, we are equipped with the knowledge and resources to help guide your business as effectively and efficiently as possible. Learn more about our IT Modernization services or reach out to us with any specific questions you may have at info@threewiresys.com.
