No matter what industry your business specializes in, IT is vital to keeping your operations running for employees and customers. Unfortunately, it can sometimes feel like the various components of your company's infrastructure are working against you. If your IT is outdated or dysfunctional, working with a managed service provider (MSP) to optimize your technology can give your operations a much-needed boost. Learn what makes up your infrastructure and how you can benefit from optimizing it with an MSP.
What makes up my IT infrastructure?
TechTarget defines IT infrastructure as the collection of physical and virtual resources that enable your company to process, store, and analyze data. Every component of your technology is integral to ensuring the overall efficiency of your architecture. Traditionally, infrastructure was stored onsite or in data centers, but the more common trend follows a hybrid approach that combines onsite advantages and cloud cost benefits.
Hardware
Any tangible part of your infrastructure is considered hardware, like:
- Computers
- Servers
- Routers
- Switches
- Storage systems
Software
Your infrastructure's digital and virtual components are software, such as:
Networks
A combination of hardware and software supports your networks, enabling different devices and locations to connect to the internet and share data. Switches, routers, servers, and other components connect on local area networks (LANs) as individual units or collective groups through hubs. Additionally, firewalls and other security components provide reinforced cybersecurity and reduced risks of data loss.
Cloud systems
Another virtual element critical to resilient infrastructures is the cloud. Cloud systems enable your business to run processes and store data in a decentralized manner. You can access your files and programs wherever you have an internet connection, and the various options for capacity and specialty mean your operations are more scalable and resilient.
How do I know my IT needs to be optimized?
If your technology does more harm than good to your business, it's probably time to consider an optimization with an MSP. Outdated hardware and software elements in your IT environment can create significant obstacles, leading to lost productivity and customer trust. Depending on the nature of your IT issues, your MSP can better deduce what components are causing your inefficiencies and how to resolve them.
Common symptoms that could suggest your infrastructure needs optimization include:
- Slow boot-up times for devices and programs
- Frequent software crashes or loading failures
- Inconsistent network and internet connectivity
- Data storage space running low on or out of space
- Backups that can't be used to restore data
- Issues with employee and customer communication
- Incompatibility with older hardware and software
- Increased costs related to energy and power usage
How often should I optimize my IT infrastructure?
There's no universal answer for how frequently your infrastructure needs optimization. Various hardware and software elements age at different rates based on their functions and use frequency, so computers and management programs may require more frequent attention than firewalls or servers. The staggered need for improvements can make finding the sweet spot for optimizations challenging.
If you or your employees manage your infrastructure while managing your day-to-day roles in the company, tracking each element and finding the right time to optimize can be challenging. Partnering with an MSP is one of the best ways to ensure your IT architecture receives regular maintenance and timely upgrades. Having an MSP assess your infrastructure annually gives your company the best chance of catching needed upgrades before they create more significant issues.
How does infrastructure optimization benefit my business?
Just as a well-oiled machine can produce better results, an optimized infrastructure can help your business support its employees and customers. With regular assessments and optimizations from your MSP, your IT environment can perform more efficiently while avoiding service interruptions. Your MSP can ensure your infrastructure performs precisely as intended, leaving you and your employees to focus on your business.
Generally, partnering with an MSP for a well-maintained and optimized infrastructure can offer benefits like:
What does infrastructure optimization involve?
Optimizing your IT architecture can seem simple because it focuses on identifying and improving older inventory, but the reality is that infrastructure optimizations are long-term projects that take significant preparation and effort. While some businesses can manage their infrastructure, many benefit from working with an MSP to maintain their IT environment. No matter who leads an infrastructure optimization, the various processes and approaches typically follow three essential steps.
1. Audit your current system
Before improving your IT, you must thoroughly audit every infrastructure element to ensure your efforts make a significant positive impact. An inventory of every device, program, and subscription your company uses should be created and reviewed with a fine-tooth comb to check version history, age, cost, and more. Once you've made a complete list of everything in your infrastructure, you can start flagging hardware and software components that are outdated and need upgrades. As you consider what needs to be updated, identify the level of urgency and potential benefits for each part.
2. Plan for component upgrades
After determining what parts of your infrastructure need optimization, the next phase is creating a detailed timeline of what's optimized at different stages. While it seems logical to update everything at once, doing so can cause a cascading effect of compatibility issues. On top of that, it takes significant time and effort for more wide-reaching upgrades, like migrating physical servers to the cloud or implementing artificial intelligence (AI) throughout your company's operations. Ensure that each update is given a realistic timeline and that high-demand improvements aren't combined with others.
3. Implement planned changes
Once you have a priorities-based list and timeline, the final step is to execute your optimization in phases. As each outdated element is improved or replaced, track your efforts and verify that the optimized components are producing the expected results without adding issues. If a specific phase or component takes longer than expected, it's better to optimize it properly and extend your timeline instead of pushing to meet deadlines and creating more work and stress down the road. Whenever a part of the upgrade is completed, your inventory should be updated to reflect the new component and identify when it may need to be optimized again.
Let Bit-Wizards work magic on your infrastructure
Infrastructure optimizations seem easy at face value, but IT environments and business operations are unique in their circumstances and needs. Depending on your company's functions and current infrastructure capabilities, you may require a more long-running or short-term optimization project. If your company doesn't have a dedicated IT team to handle every phase and run the process regularly, your infrastructure may sit on the back burner and increasingly need updates.
When you need your IT to work for you and not against you, Bit-Wizards is here to help. Infrastructure optimizations are a core component of our Managed IT Services (MITS), meaning our clients get the upgrades they need without the hassle of managing it themselves. Our team of Wizards has varying specialties and certifications, meaning we have experts who have solutions no matter what issues our clients face.
Ready to optimize your IT with a provider that cares? Contact us today.