New innovations in technology are constantly being created to add ease and efficiency to cybersecurity and infrastructure in businesses. With so many advancements being made, it’s easy to fall behind in the world of IT as your technology is replaced and becomes obsolete. On the other hand, new technology solutions are expenses many small businesses may be unable to afford. When is the right time to update your tech in order to balance cost and efficiency?
What Network Infrastructure Does For Your Business
Network infrastructure involves both the hardware and software, as well as all systems and devices in your network. It’s essentially everything involved in your business network, and allows you to connect to the internet, manage your business, and communicate across a network of employees and clients.
Signs It’s Time for An Infrastructure Upgrade
Malfunctioning Apps
Older networks are not set up for the number of new applications coming out every day. If you have a network even just five or six years old, you might find yourself surrounded with malfunctioning applications because your network’s bandwidth simply was not set up to handle this many different apps. If this is the case, it can cause your apps to stall or fail, wasting valuable time and potentially putting important business data at risk.
Latency Issues
While latency and delays are common when a network is stretched to its limit, constant latency issues are not. If you find yourself battling with network delays and lengthy response times, you and your employees will struggle to get work done and it will leave your clients frustrated. The newer the technology you have, the better it will be able to handle traffic spikes, leaving you with a more efficient and easily accessible network.
Too Much Maintenance and Support Required
When you’re constantly contacting your IT service provider in Edmonton for support, or spending valuable time maintaining your network infrastructure, it may be time to give it an overhaul. The cost of solutions and maintenance in terms of both money and time can grow exponentially as your system becomes older and more obsolete. With an updated network, there will be less hands-on work, and you’ll be able to focus on what’s really important – running your business.
Cyber Attacks and System Breaches
Cybercrime is an unfortunate side effect of many older network systems, especially if you don’t have a trained IT professional providing constant support. Cyber attacks can be destructive for a business, involving loss of data, information, money, and customers. They’ll also impact your business’s efficiency, with over half of Canadian businesses impacted by cybercrime stating that it has hurt their employees’ ability to get work done. As technology advances, so does cybersecurity, so the newer the system, the better quality of security.
Incompatible Hardware
As you’ve built up your network infrastructure over time, you likely haven’t stuck to consistent hardware. Unfortunately, many older networks are not equipped to handle inconsistent hardware, leading to issues in collaborating and communicating. While newer networks will be better at handling inconsistent hardware, they’re not perfect either, so ensure you’re getting hardware that is compatible with other hardware and the rest of the network.
Old Computers
As basic as it is, having old computers or other hardware can be a big sign you need to upgrade. All hardware slows down over time, and it doesn’t even take that long! After a few years, you might find your computer lagging, crashing, and doing everything possible to stop you from getting work done. Adopting new technology might sound intimidating, but it will only benefit you. Replacing your computers doesn’t have to be costly, and it will boost efficiency and lower repair costs.
No Time to Maintain Your Network? Hire Managed IT Services in Edmonton
Business owners work extra hard to keep their businesses up and running. Maintaining an entire network on top of that isn’t always plausible, which is why Streamline IT Solutions offers around-the-clock monitoring to keep your network safe and on track. Contact us to see what we can do to help your network infrastructure thrive.