If you own a small business, you have probably made an investment in a server on which to run the applications your business needs. It is an important part of how we do business in the modern world. In order for your business to grow, investing in the technology that will best foster that growth is extremely important. Knowing when it is the proper time to upgrade is doubly important to both ensure growth and predict spending, and requires proactive planning. To accomplish this there are several concepts to consider. In this blog, we’ll focus on two core tenets: lifecycle / server refresh and consolidations.
Lifecycle / Server Refresh
Developing a plan on when you will need to refresh your IT hardware and software is an important part of business development. A server refresh allows for a company to plan major upgrades ahead of time and also take advantage of new advances in the marketplace. Refreshing also helps to minimize the risk of old hardware breaking down and causing productivity loss; rather than reacting to a failing server causing critical business downtime, you can identify potential problems and make replacements before they occur.
Consolidation
Over time a business can start to develop practices that are inefficient in regards to their IT. In order to prevent inefficiencies like multiple applications running and bogging down a single server, consolidations of server hardware should be considered. Server consolidation & virtualization is the practice of reducing the number of servers a company needs, while not losing any of the productivity. By consolidating a company’s server hardware, a business can reduce both clutter and energy costs associated with their IT. The use of virtualization has become a favored resource for consolidation that many businesses consider in order to reduce existing hardware requirements by a 10:1 ratio.
There are many factors to consider when choosing to upgrade any IT infrastructure. By effectively planning and consulting with us you can reduce some of the stress of upgrades and make business more successful in the transition. Penn Systems Group has the knowledge and training you need to make that transition as simple as possible.