It's no secret that investing in a solid IT infrastructure is key to your overall cybersecurity and technology strategy. No matter the market or industry, your business's competitiveness depends on innovation, strategic budgeting, and planning for any possible obstacles.
On the flip side, failing to properly organize your business technology framework can set you back in many ways. Here are some of the ways you might fall behind if you have faulty or outdated IT.
How Does Poor IT Infrastructure Affect Business?
Businesses suffer greatly when IT tools and devices are mismanaged or faulty. A slow server can frustrate staff and clients, and outdated devices can leave you vulnerable to cyber-attacks. In fact, according to IDC, 70% of cyber attacks originate from network endpoints.
A network endpoint is any device or tool that connects to your business network. Vulnerabilities often arise with smart devices that aren't properly patched to protect against cyber attacks.
To learn about different methods businesses use to mitigate the risk of endpoint attacks, read our blog: EDR vs Enterprise Antivirus: What’s the Difference?
Aside from cybersecurity issues, outdated technology is often harder to use and troubleshoot, which can cause downtime for employees.
Losses in productivity cause businesses to lose out on potential revenue, and can even harm client relationships due to outages.
The True Cost of Cyber Attacks
Loss of productivity isn't the only danger of letting your technology become outdated. Cybersecurity breaches can be extremely costly, sometimes leading to expenses like:
- Sizable ransomware payments
- Legal expenses from class-action lawsuits and investigations
- Government fines depending on the severity of attacks
The reputational damage caused by cyber-attacks is much harder to assign a definitive cost to, as this can lead to exponential losses in sales and relationships down the line.
The good news is, nowadays cybersecurity tools and management are often included in IT services for small businesses.
To read more about the harm that cyber breaches can do to your business, read our blog: Can My Business Get Sued for a Cybersecurity Breach?
What Happens When Outdated Technology Fails You?
Network outages can quickly turn into a nightmare of angry clients, frustrated staff, and costly fixes. Along with the hidden costs of downtime, the break-fix method often used in IT can cost you way more in the long run.
Like any investment, it's wise to invest in quality products and business computer support services instead of waiting until you need to replace an aging asset when it fails.
To learn more about the issues with the break-fix method and how to approach IT instead, read our blog: Break-Fix Method vs Managed IT Services.
The Solution: Proactive IT Planning and Budget Management
Taking a proactive approach by investing in updated hardware and software is a great way to prevent surprise expenses. There are specialty IT service providers for small businesses that can help you plan via technology roadmaps and subsequent budgeting.
Along with operational efficiency, cybersecurity is also easier to achieve with updated devices with the latest protections and software updates.
An MSP or MSSP can help you stay on top of these updates as needed. To learn about other services an MSP or MSSP would provide, read our article: MSP vs MSSP: What’s the Difference?
How to Reduce IT Infrastructure Costs & Increase Efficiency
Overall, technology is the backbone of your staff's ability to perform work and serve your customers. High-quality IT support for business operations can be a game-changer for business growth, especially if your business is on the smaller side.
If you are ready to revamp your information technology, looking at different local managed IT services is a great place to start. Managed IT services for businesses will typically offer services including:
- Virtual Chief Information Officers (VCIOs)
- Day-to-day technical support
- Technology roadmaps
- Network monitoring tools and services
- Cybersecurity services
This is not an exhaustive list of services, as MSPs will differ in their offerings.
If managed IT support and solutions sound ideal for your small business, click the button below to speak to an expert about your needs.
