A secure, functional and reliable technology infrastructure is essential in today’s business world. Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the right setup can help you stand out from the pack and leverage better productivity into bigger profits.
Unfortunately, these days, it’s easy to get lost in all the buzzwords and confused by all the competing interests trying to push decision-makers to invest in the latest fads rather than the core components of a top-rated technology infrastructure.
But it doesn’t have to be that hard. A lot of the best strategies and solutions are rooted in the key factors that drive real results and eschew fancy window dressing that adds minimal value. Through the following actionable tips, you can help make sure that your business will be able to upgrade its tech reliability to stay online and take advantage of all the modern tools that are helping companies across all industries grow and thrive.
Prioritize Modern PC Features
Every company needs computers, and businesses would be wise to standardize around a reliable laptop platform that offers the most in-demand features today. On top of processing power and high-level security, workers now prioritize mobility and the ability to remain connected on the go. This makes the new style of “always connected” computers, like the Snapdragon mobile PC from Qualcomm, a top option. These type of machines give the perfect combination of portability and power with both built-in 4G LTE cellular and Wi-Fi connectivity as well as all-day battery life. Such features represent exactly what your workers need to create, collaborate and connect virtually anytime, anywhere.
Standardize Your Operating System
Along with aligning your PC setup, you should also look to get everyone working on the same operating system. In some cases — such as creative fields like graphic design or video editing — it may make sense to offer Macs since employees in these roles might be accustomed to that way of doing things. But by and large, it is best to have a largely uniform tech culture so that everybody is on the same page. Certainly, there are options. But for most workplaces, it just makes sense to go with the latest Windows 10 operating system. It is the industry standard for a reason, so most people will already be familiar and it has a proven track record of reliability.
Keep Security Top of Mind
There must be a priority placed on cybersecurity. There are simply too many things that can go wrong, so IT must be working constantly to fortify the network and hardware from any malicious attackers. After no-brainer tactics like firewalls and anti-virus software are taken care of, you must keep all software patched as soon as vulnerabilities are identified and you should consider implementing encryption and a VPN network. But remember: Cybersecurity goes well beyond tech-based protection. The best firewalls and anti-malware solutions won’t do anything if employees fall for social engineering attacks like phishing scams, fail to use tough passwords or are prone to leaving a company laptop in a taxi. Train everyone to respect security and follow time-tested best practices.
Think Enterprisewide
Beyond the specifics to upgrade your technology, perhaps nothing is more important than doing everything with the right mentality. Tech strategies are best implemented with buy-in from the top and under an enterprise-wide strategy that ensures everyone is working toward the same goals. This is equally true whether it comes to outfitting workers with modern mobile PCs, standardizing your operating system, or getting everyone on board with the same security standards. If you keep this in mind throughout the improvement process, everything is sure to go much more smoothly and bring even more reliability to your company’s technology infrastructure.