Information Technology: How to Handle the Inevitable

Sometimes it might feel like your technology never works as you want it to. You might try to open up a software application only to find an error message that keeps you from being productive. The error doesn’t go away no matter how many times you reload the application. How can you eliminate these issues that threaten to derail your productivity throughout the workday?

It doesn’t matter if the technology your business acquires is top-of-the-line--the fact remains that it will fail someday, no matter what you do. This is true for just about any business technology asset you can obtain for your organization, and the possibility should never be dismissed. You always want to have a backup plan with technology, as it’s unpredictable in when it will fail.

Broken Technology
We’re sure you have plenty of technology your business needs to get work done, but if it tends to malfunction at the most inopportune times, perhaps it’s time to think up a better strategy to monitor and maintain it. There’s nothing wrong with this; all kinds of business suffer from the same troubles. Some of the major problems your business could face in the future include:

• Software problems: Software problems are commonplace in the business environment for both users and IT administrators. Software solutions might be released with bugs that need to be resolved, but users don’t necessarily know this; they have an unrealistic expectation that all software they use will be perfect the second they use it. Software issues become multi-faceted when employees can’t get work done and get frustrated. Many software issues also come from malware and other systems or networks your software is located on.
• Hardware problems: Hardware problems can cause software problems, but for the most part, hardware problems almost guarantee downtime, whereas software problems are a little less wasteful. Think about it this way--if Word isn’t working properly, you can do something else, but if your monitor isn’t working, you probably can’t do any work at all. Hardware generally needs to be repaired or replaced, leading to even more of a waste on your business’ part.
• Peripheral problems: Other problems with your business could stem from the other devices associated with your computer--not just your hardware, but peripherals like the keyboard, computer mouse, scanner, printer, copier, etc. These peripherals, depending on what they are, could either cost you very little or far too much.

Whether or not your IT infrastructure is currently failing, you’ll more likely than not have to replace at least some kind of technology at some point. If too much of your infrastructure starts to fail all at once, you could be facing down a serious issue that needs to be solved as soon as possible.

What Are My Options?
If you’re worried about your technology failing at any given moment, managed IT services can help your organization avoid the costs and stress associated with technology troubles. Horne & Benik provides managed IT services, including monitoring and proactive maintenance, to make sure that your organization’s network is in tip-top shape at all times. You can trust us to be proactive with replacing any faulty parts of your IT infrastructure; this helps you offset the costs of replacing them at a later date after they have caused considerable trouble for your business. Furthermore, we can back up and maintain your business’ data off-site in a secure location, keeping your data safe and redundant in the event you ever need it in a pinch down the road.

To learn more about how Horne & Benik can help you secure your business’ future, reach out to us at (603) 499-4400.