I think we should discuss the one thing that seems to be on the bottom of everyone’s list: IT inventory. I know most people do not find this to be important, but it is very important because when it comes down to it, it affects the bottom line, your money.
Everything has a shelf life
Now as a small business you probably did not purchase everything at once, but everything has a shelf life, Firewalls, switches, servers, computers, printers, wireless access points and even battery backups. (you mean the batteries do not last forever?)
Don't learn it the hard way
There are some things that you should not learn the hard way and one of them is not being prepared for IT expenses. Having an up-to-date and accurate inventory can help you budget and be prepared, you can create a plan for computer replacements, or computer upgrades. It helps you keep track of EOL (End of life) support for things like your firewall and servers. It also allows you to easily identify where you could be vulnerable for example, a computer that still has Windows 7 on it, and that computer is connected to the internet. This leaves your entire network vulnerable to hackers because you are running a system that is no longer supported or getting security updates.
It also gives you a chance to look at how you are running things to assess if there is a way that might be more beneficial for you such as moving some things to the cloud. It also allows for better maintenance and firmware updates to keep you more secure by knowing what you need to keep updated.
I like to keep two separate types of inventory lists. I like to keep one for all IT equipment and then a separate one for just computers, laptops and tablets.
Do you have an inventory?
If you do not have an inventory of your IT assets feel free to download the templates below that I give to my clients. Or you can give us a call to come in and do an assessment of your network and equipment.