Here Are A Few Ways Your Baltimore IT Service Can Assist With Your Technology Planning
At this point, we’re well into a new year – how has it been so far for you? Have you stuck to your resolutions? Do you even have any?
To be fair, a lot of self-improvement gurus will tell you that new year’s resolutions are a flawed concept. They come with a number of core issues that inevitably lead to failure.
That said, planning for the future of your business is always a wise choice – especially when it comes to your IT.
Have you considered what your business technology should look like by the end of 2020? If not, do you have Baltimore IT services that can help you figure it out?
Why Is Technology Planning An Important Part Of Baltimore IT Services?
At its most basic, carefully developed technology planning and strategy recognizes the growing importance of IT in the workplace. Case in point – have you heard about “digital transformation”?
Digital transformation is one of the biggest buzz phrases going around the business community right now. In fact, two-thirds of CEOs planned to focus on digital transformation by the end of 2019.
At its simplest, digital transformation is the initiative to use technology for better business outcomes. It’s a popular idea – 70% of companies have already implemented a digital transformation strategy, or plan to do so soon.
What about you? Has your Baltimore IT services company offered to help you plan for your digital transformation?
Your 2020 Technology Planning Checklist
If you want to start your technology planning right now, bring up the following points with your Baltimore IT services company – find out where you stand and how you could improve over the course of the year.
- Does Your IT Suit Your Business?
Don’t settle for a one-size-fits-all build. Your Baltimore IT services company should be able to deliver a customized build, that promotes self-service among your staff (automated support, self-enrollment of mobile devices, etc.). - Are You Sufficiently Mobile?
Implement Mobile Device Management and Bring Your Own Device policies that allow employees to use their own devices in combination with the business’ – be sure to equally prioritize the convenience of access with security.And don’t limit yourself to desktops, laptops, and phones – there’s more out there for you to take advantage of. Have you considered what the Internet of Things and wearable devices can do for workplace efficiency? Now’s the time to get on board – up to 20.4 billion IoT devices will be online by 2020. - Are You Taking Advantage Of The Cloud?
Increase collaboration and simplify management by hosting your data and applications through the cloud – again, prioritizing security in line with the access given to staff members. It shouldn’t have to be said at this point, but just in case you’re still in the past – get rid of your on-site hardware.Before the cloud, onsite servers were a must for any business that wanted to succeed, but no longer. Today, you don’t need to purchase, install and maintain onsite servers- with the cloud, you outsource it all to a data center instead.By choosing a cloud solution instead of conventional infrastructure, you will enjoy all the benefits of an up to date and optimized IT infrastructure, without having to pay more than your monthly service fee.
This is so basic in today’s modern business world that to continue purchasing and maintaining costly onsite hardware is essentially fiscal negligence.
- Are You Prepared For 2020 Cybercrime?
2019 was a big year for cybercrime, and 2020 will likely be worse – we’re well on our way to when the global cybercrime industry will cause up to $6 trillion in damages in just a few years.It’s this scale of the threat that makes it clear why you’ll need a higher level of cybersecurity in place at your business – has your Baltimore IT services company delivered next-generation solutions?These advanced types of cybersecurity software (firewalls, antivirus, antimalware) use artificial intelligence to better predict, identify and eliminate harmful malware.
Security based on advanced algorithms that can adapt and learn creates a system that can become familiar with the normal patterns associated with each user and device, detecting anomalies in those patterns quickly.
- Have You Put Your Data To Work?
With the right information, each choice you make can have attainable and expected positive results for your business; without that information, you may as well be gambling with the future of your company.
Business intelligence is the collection and analysis of data collected such as department productivity, overall growth, sales trends, and customer behavior. Applications of this data can range from something as simple as Spreadsheets for the organization, and storage of data to Online Analytical Processing or Reporting and Querying software. Each has a specific use and offers various benefits to your small business.
Reporting and querying software extracts, sorts, summarizes, and presents selected data. This data could range from sale reports of specific items to a measurement of the efficiency of marketing plans.
Why Does Technology Planning Add Value To Baltimore IT Services?
Effective IT planning should result in a wide range of benefits for any operation in any industry. Benefits can include:
- Increased productivity
- Minimized downtime and disruption
- Increased and customized security measures
- Enhanced time management
- More effective communication
- The best possible return on your IT investments
Keep in mind, IT strategy isn’t a one-time thing – you have to keep at it, and Integris can help. As your Baltimore IT services company, we can work alongside your team to provide ongoing guidance, support, and services. We know that your needs are constantly changing, so your information technology should be too. When a new project comes up, we’ll be sure to provide the solutions that you’ll need.
Like this article? Check out the following blogs to learn more:
It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month…Are You Prepared?
Beyond SolarWinds: 7 Next Steps for Business Cybersecurity
Microsoft Teams: A Necessity for Effective Remote Workforces
