The Top 4 Technology Issues Every Business Must Plan For

Managing a business is difficult enough without technology issues getting in the way of operations. Therefore, when an issue does pop up in a company’s IT, it can be a very frustrating experience for everyone involved. Here are a few common issues that have been known to trip up businesses more than they should.

1. Data leaks and security issues: Considering the sheer number of businesses with valuable data out there to steal, many decision makers fall into a false sense of security by assuming that their company will be overlooked on account of its size. As a result, these companies may have substandard or outdated security solutions put in place that simply are not adequate protection for the data they have.
   
   These companies are often prone to have their data compromised as a result of their lax security, damaging their reputation and, by extension, the business itself. After all, if you were doing business with a company and they allowed your credit card information to be compromised, would you feel inclined to continue doing business with them?
   
   
2. Inadequate hardware and software: It only makes sense that many companies will put off buying hardware until they absolutely to. However, this strategy is a risky gambit, and will much more likely wind up costing these companies more in the long run.
   
   Not only is it more difficult to repair older hardware, as the components involved will become harder to find and more costly to procure, but it becomes dangerous to neglect updating software. This is because software is regularly updated by its developers to resist newly discovered vulnerabilities and other serious issues, and without these updates, your solutions will still be exposed to these dangerous vulnerabilities.
   
   Also, while a software developer might provide tools and instructions for moving from an older version of their application to the next, it may become drastically more difficult to pull your data over from a more ancient version that is several iterations behind.
   
   
3. No backup: It’s amazing how much damage lost data can do to a business. 60 percent of small business that suffer from data loss have to shut down within six months, and only 57 percent of medium-sized businesses reopen after experiencing a major data-loss incident.
   
   These outcomes could be mitigated with a properly managed backup solution, but too many companies either find it to be an unnecessary expense or simply aren’t as diligent in taking a backup as they need to be. The best backup solutions are those that take an incremental backup multiple times each day and store the data offsite.
   
   We also firmly believe that an unmanaged, unmonitored backup is about as good as no backup at all. If your backup isn’t being regularly maintained and tested, you have no idea if it’s even doing its job.
   
   
4. Insufficient IT support: Consider how many people you currently have on your staff as an IT resource. Chances are, if you wanted them to work on projects to drive business forward and properly service the equipment in your office, you might find your current in-house resources aren’t enough. The simple answer would be hiring more IT staff, but this isn’t a reality for many companies.
   
   Fortunately, there is an option that can fulfill all of these needs and then some--a managed service provider. A good MSP will ensure that your infrastructure and software solutions are optimized to your needs, and maintain your security as well as your backup solution in case of emergency. With an MSP, you will never be short on support for your IT needs.

Direct Technology Group can be that MSP for you. Give us a call at (954) 739-4700 to get started today.