3 Areas of Focus for Your Mid-Year IT Review
It’s time to start thinking about next year’s IT needs; here are three areas to evaluate in your mid-year IT review.
Mid-year planning is a critical step in ensuring you have the right technology for the needs of your organization. Not only does a mid-year review provide insight into what is working (and not working), it provides an opportunity to plan for upcoming technology needs, including organizational growth. Additionally, it will give guidance on budgetary spending.
When conducting a mid-year IT review, we recommend evaluating these three key areas:
1. Planning for Security
Cybercrime is on the rise – in part due to the increase in remote work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. If your antivirus software, backup plans, and preventive strategies are lacking, your organization could be at risk of a ransomware attack or other cybercrime. Now is the time to reevaluate your ransomware prevention strategies.
For schools and educational institutions, mobile device management (MBM) is key to maintaining student safety. MBM secures, controls and updates software on mobile devices to decrease risks of cybercrime.
2. 3rd Party IT Spending
There are multiple opportunities to manage, save money, and increase efficiency by analyzing your overall IT spending with 3rd parties that provide you IT services, software, and hardware.
By analyzing this component of your business, you can effectively manage the dollars and cents that help run your organization.
For example, organizations unknowingly overpay for unnecessary internet, as well as analog phone lines and digital PBXs. Voice Over IP (VOIP) services can provide a cost-effective alternative to analog lines.
Be wary: 3rd party providers are often motivated to sell the most robust versions of technology available, without evaluating whether your organization truly needs all the bells and whistles. During a mid-year review, identify what you are – and aren’t – utilizing in your current IT landscape to plan efficiently for the year ahead.
3. IT Productivity
Your technology should be adding to your productivity, not depleting it. If you find yourself constantly having to troubleshoot IT issues, spending time and money on temporary solutions, a mid-year review is an opportunity to reassess and get back on track.
Some opportunities found in these assessments allow organizations to consider cost-effective platforms like Microsoft Teams, which can enable your organization to do more and collaborate remotely – all within a consolidated solution.
Save Thousands on IT Costs
Planning isn’t just about being prepared; it’s about evaluating your costs to ensure you aren’t overpaying for your current services. Recently, an assessment revealed that one client was paying more than $1,800 a month for internet; in just 20-minutes on the phone, we were able to lower costs to $200 per month.
As an experienced MSP, GO Technology can determine your IT needs to ensure you aren’t paying for technology you don’t need. Our team works closely with you to review IT invoices, identify cost savings and opportunities to boost productivity, and implement the right technology to keep your organization running smoothly year-round.
Get Started with a Consultation
Not sure where to start? The GO Technology team can guide you through this process, starting with a mid-year technology review. We will evaluate your technology infrastructure, communications, device usage, ransomware risk, and other IT needs for the next six months and beyond. Planning now will help ensure technology optimization for next year and well into the future.
With the help of an experienced partner, your IT problems can be solved and new opportunities captured – so that technology works for you and not the other way around.