Drive IT productivity with these 3 tweaks to your business infrastructure

[RobertChecketts]

If your organization works the way most small and midsize businesses (SMBs) do, technology touches every aspect of your day-to-day operations. But never-ending advancement (and the costs that come with it) can make choosing your main areas of focus a tough task indeed—meaning technology can actually hinder productivity when it's supposed to improve it. That said, you don't have to be an IT pro to make smart tech decisions for your company. Start with these three key elements of your IT infrastructure, and you'll be ahead of the game.

1. Data Storage

At some point, slow, limited, and out-of-date storage will become inadequate for your company's needs. When you rely on high-volume network file transmission and storage, you need to make sure that both are done quickly and securely.

For SMB data storage infrastructure needs, the biggest benefit of networked storage is access. With a properly configured solution, your employee base—whether it numbers in the dozens or thousands—can access mission-critical data from anywhere on any device, a particularly big perk in distributed workplaces and companies with mobile employees. The same applies to document storage, allowing for the fast transfer of spreadsheets, sales documents, receipts, and more. Better yet, good storage solutions have strong backup and restore capabilities, meaning a catastrophic loss won't affect your operations.

2. Servers

For SMBs that need a true IT environment with centralized control and big-time processing power, servers represent a key point of infrastructure, handling multiple important tasks from a single location.

Take desktop virtualization. Done right, a virtualized environment can eliminate the need for powerful hardware on your business's frontlines. Though work is still done on the employee's computer, the server handles all the hard labor on the back end. Centralized control and sharing also make it easy for your IT personnel to administrate from one location; it's generally a lot easier to patch or install software on virtual devices than it is to individually manage each of your company's computers, for example.

3. Networking

Business needs for networking solutions vary, but performance and the number of connected devices should always be the top factors you consider when choosing a network solution.

Let's say that your business operates in several locations, with each running multiple networked computers. A VPN router allows you to run all these devices on a single network. This can be largely helpful for SMBs with employees who work from home or in the field.

Besides the ease and speed of access, administration is another big benefit. Whether your IT guy needs to remotely log in from his home base or you need to make sure a critical document is easily accessible from every machine, dependable and secure network access is essential. Whether it's local, mobile, or remote, a well-designed and well-implemented business network needs these components to function.

By focusing on these three key areas, you can ensure your business keeps productivity high and stays technologically efficient for years to come.

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