IT Solutions IT Services Company Blog 763.475.5500 Contact IT Infrastructure Returning to the Office: Assessing Your IT Infrastructure Tana Larsen Apr 29, 2021 As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are starting to plan the return to the office. Over the past year, remote connectivity has been the focus and has required many changes to be made to IT infrastructure. Regardless of whether a company plans to return to 100% in-office operations, create hybrid work models, or stay remote, the IT infrastructure will need to be assessed. We are already seeing a lot of companies identify needs to upgrade and make changes due to the speed in which businesses moved to remote work in 2020. What do you mean, IT infrastructure assessment? An IT infrastructure assessment can mean anything from a formal site survey to simply looking at your business operation needs and comparing it to how you feel your network is functioning. In general, we recommend an annual review of IT systems and infrastructure to ensure that you are always at peak performance. The IT infrastructure is the backbone of your internal and external communications, data, and security. It is critical to keep it healthy to prevent cyberattacks, physical break-ins, data/file loss, and to keep your communication lines open. What is a site survey? A site survey of IT infrastructure is where a provider (like Matrix-NDI) visits your location and analyzes your physical network. Your physical network is your data center or closet, switches and routers, all low voltage cabling throughout your building, and connectivity locations such as ethernet ports at your desk. We create a blueprint or map of your existing network if you do not already have one and discuss where improvements can be made. Site surveys can be done during construction of new buildings, or on your existing space. These are an in-depth assessment of your IT infrastructure. What are some examples of IT infrastructure issues that we are looking for? Your IT infrastructure is as unique as your business. There is an endless list of things that can improve or interrupt day to day business function when it comes to your network. A few examples of things we would look for when assessing your IT infrastructure are: Whether your existing low voltage cabling is adequate for the size of your building and your network demands. Internet connectivity being consistent throughout your space Latency issues with voice and data applications Accuracy of your existing IT infrastructure mapping and labeling The age and purpose of the hardware used in your space The health of your cybersecurity systems (firewalls etc.…) Physical security cameras, door access, alarm systems This list is by no means all encompassing but it gives you an idea of some of the things we look at when assessing IT infrastructure. The best way to plan IT infrastructure upgrades, refreshes or fixes is to assess your needs and come up with a budget and timeline to get things done. What does this have to do with returning to in-office work or hybrid models? As I mentioned above, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, countless businesses were forced to shut their doors quickly. The goal was to provide employees with remote connectivity- immediately. This included adopting things like new applications for voice and data, laptops, webcams, and headsets. Your business could look a lot different today than it did a year ago. If you were using desk phones, your employees are probably using a voice application such as RingCentral. Meetings are no longer held in conference rooms, but on Zoom, Google, or Microsoft Teams. If your business stores data on site (not in the cloud), you would have needed to provide VPN access to each employee. These changes impact your IT infrastructure in a lot of different ways. This may sound daunting, but in most cases, we find that some additional or upgraded cabling and additional Wi-Fi access points help immensely. We can work with you on budget and timeline to ensure that your business is running safely and efficiently. If you are aware that you need a large project done but do not have the budget this year, we can work with what you have and put a plan in place for the future. We are here to help answer any questions you have and help support your business moving forward, whether you plan to move back to the office or continue working remotely. If you have any questions about IT Infrastructure assessments or Site Surveys, reach out to us at ContactUs@Matrix-NDI.com or call 763-475-5500. IT Infrastructure Similar posts Cloud Top 5 Reasons to Implement Cloud Video Surveillance - VSaaS Cloud Video Surveillance is called Video Surveillance as a Service (VSaaS). VSaaS is cloud-based, therefore has less need or on-premise IT... TANA LARSEN AUG 12, 2021 Structure Cabling Solutions How Structured IT Cabling is Important in the Age of Cloud Solutions Structured IT Cabling is a necessity to support Cloud Solutions. Here we discuss how structured IT cabling supports the cloud. TANA LARSEN APR 1, 2021 IT Infrastructure The Importance of IT Infrastructure Health Checks An IT Infrastructure Health Check is essentially when we send a subject matter expert to your site to analyze your existing equipment and systems... TANA LARSEN MAY 20, 2021 Get notified on new marketing insights Be the first to know about new B2B SaaS Marketing insights to build or refine your marketing function with the tools and knowledge of today’s industry. Email* Matrix-NDI 171 Cheshire Lane Suite 700 Plymouth, MN 55441 Nationwide IT Solutions Structured Cabling Solutions IT Infrastructure Solutions Telecom Solutions IT Access Control Solutions Cloud IT Solutions National IT Services Nationwide IT Project Team Nationwide IT Support Partner Managed IT Services Provider Network Design Engineering Enterprise IT Standards Cabling & WLAN Site Surveys Company About Us IT Careers Technology Blog Client Testimonials Contact Matrix-NDI © 2021 Matrix-NDI. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Accessibility