The decision to upgrade your IT infrastructure is important and can have a major impact on your company’s future. With the growing number of employees preferring to shift to a hybrid work model, it’s reasonable to question whether investing in new IT infrastructure is the right course to take.
For many businesses this decision will be based on financial considerations, whether it’s more cost-effective to upgrade now or wait until they get an upgrade with their next purchase of new systems and hardware.
Technology modernization and digital transformation are terms used in IT, which share some key benefits. Modernization is the process of upgrading or implementing new technology and can enable organizations to streamline processes, boost productivity, and even improve security by moving away from legacy systems in favor of more innovative ones. This might include cloud computing solutions or automated processes that improve customer experience.
An overview of your business’ direction is the first step to understanding whether or not upgrading your IT infrastructure will be a good decision. You can plan out strategies for what you’re going to do with these new developments in technology as they come up and follow through with them into action.
IT infrastructure traditionally was centered in dedicated office spaces, but with the future predicted to be hybrid work models, organizations need to accommodate this as part of their technology. It is not uncommon for various aspects of your business to change at the same time, causing a ripple effect throughout. The more advanced elements of your IT infrastructure may become outdated while other areas remain static.
You must assess the requirements for your company and how likely these resources will be needed for future business strategies. If your company is considering moving to a hybrid infrastructure model, it can feel overwhelming to decide on what is needed. Connecting remote employees so they can collaborate in real-time will help foster an efficient culture of productivity. If you have employees who work at the office and are off-site, you’ll need something like Microsoft 365 – an easy-to-use Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that’s designed for collaboration across devices. The versatility of this service means there will be no need for new infrastructure, as your subscription can scale depending on use or business direction changes while maintaining peak operational continuity.
Your business may want to take your computing infrastructure in the cloud and scale it up or down so you don’t have to invest in hardware, servers, data centers, and security applications. This is where Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) such as Microsoft Azure can be of benefit. With subscription-based payment for unlimited scalability without physical overhauls of your current setup, it is more cost-effective than traditional on-premise solutions that require significant investments.
When you’re looking at what kind of upgrade will work best for your needs, it makes sense to weigh all factors and decide whether a new or upgraded version would be more cost-effective.
The cost of an IT system is a crucial factor when deciding what upgrade to go with and when comparing the costs, you have to consider all aspects. This includes hardware and software upgrades, installation services and service contracts, and being aware of potential long-term costs that will help you maintain your investment over time.
How much should you plan to spend on an IT system? The best course of action is to assess whether there are any gaps or inconsistencies in your current infrastructure. This will help inform the decision about whether migrating to new technology such as cloud computing would benefit your business and save money down the line. With a clear picture of what needs improvement and how much that project would cost, it should be easier to decide how upgrading now will affect future investments.
It is important to be clear about why you want to modernize legacy IT or invest in new technology. There can be the temptation to take advantage of emerging technologies to simply keep up with the competition and while staying competitive is important, it should not be the only driving force. Work out what the current and future needs of your business are to make clear strategic decisions about investing in new technology. The importance of digital agility cannot be overstated when it comes to making such key decisions about your technology.
Technology is key and planning any changes should be done strategically, so your business has maximum potential for return on investment. The technology experts at BCS365 can help reshape and modernize your IT infrastructure today, with robust solutions tailored for your business growth and success.