60 Second Rundown…
- Predictive Assessment: Assess company and industry trends to evaluate your organization’s growth potential.
- Bandwidth and Storage: Increases in personnel and productivity necessitate greater capacity than before.
- Network Segmentation: Strategically plan subnets for future growth
- Performance: Upgraded based on predicted growth potential for optimal performance
- Security: Greater data requires more network security.
- Availability: Develop off-site backups and server clustering to prevent disruption to critical services.
Even tech giants were small once upon a time. Two guys in their dorm rooms started Google. Apple began in Steve Jobs’ garage. Getting big takes time, effort, and forethought. Without proper planning, some companies wind up with a hodgepodge of unorganized servers and devices. To grow efficiently, small businesses need a strategic plan for expanding networks and infrastructure. When considering upgrades to your network, it may be the time to ask about migrating to the cloud versus investing more in premise based hardware.
Predictive Assessment
While no one can predict the future, you can make educated estimations about company growth. Start by assessing the present position and trends of your company and the industry at large. Evaluate growth potential based on specific requirements such as bandwidth, performance, and security.
Bandwidth and Storage
As your business grows, you will need increased bandwidth and storage to handle more personnel and productivity. Smaller capacity limits your productivity and functionality. Investing in more storage and bandwidth makes it easier to adopt new technologies in the future.
Network Segmentation
Segmenting the network necessitates installing new infrastructure and routers. A well-thought-out plan prevents costly restructuring down the road. Organizational variables will affect your overall subnet strategy. Will you divide the network based on physical location, departments, or some other logical grouping?
Performance
Your current network and server performance may not accommodate a growing company. Increased demand for speed and processes means new equipment, cabling, and server hardware. Upgrade based on trends and growth potential rather than current needs. Otherwise, you’ll be upgrading again before you know it.
Security
Security needs to grow with the company. The more data you have, the more you have to lose. Also, larger companies are usually more noticeable by hackers. Your strategic growth plan should include extra levels of security as the network grows.
Availability
Network downtime interrupts workflow and creates inefficiencies. The costs of server disruptions compound as the company grows. A strategic growth plan should consider off-site backup for mission-critical data, server clustering to prevent disruption to critical services, and redundancy of internet connections.
A strategically planned infrastructure will help the network handle company growth. Increasing bandwidth, performance, and security is part of taking your small business to the next level. Whether there are 5 employees or 500, an organization needs the right network to meet its current and future needs. Call SMB Support Corporation to help you review and plan for the future.
