How To Upgrade Your IT Infrastructure & When Should You Do it

IT Infrastructure

Adding a virtual server, Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, or cloud service can be viable options for an IT infrastructure upgrade.

A business that focuses entirely on IT-based works or services needs a timely upgrade to keep up with today’s fast-paced companies.

Most companies stick to their outdated, slow IT technologies. Therefore, they cannot satisfy customer needs & eventually lose potential clients. If you haven’t changed outdated networks, use slow-paced networks, you are still in the Bronze Age. Within a few years, the number of online devices will exceed the earth’s total human population.

So if you aim to beat your competition & provide the best user-friendly services to the customers, upgrading your IT infrastructure is of optimum importance.

Signs That Tell You That You Need An Upgrade

Stats show that, on average, most IT companies spend most of their time maintaining service quality rather than working on innovating. That happens when you use backdated, old, slow-paced networks.

The following signs are the red flags that tell you to take a look at your IT infrastructure-

1. Backdated Software

Software is the oil that keeps your IT infrastructure running. If you still like to stick to the saying, “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?” then that’s not going to work.

An almost dead software is too slow & puts your entire system at risk. You can never tell when the software will shut down as it is approaching its end.

So, update your software’s security patches regularly & if it’s closing to the end of life, upgrade it. Using up-to-date software can guarantee you improved productivity & better cybersecurity. By minimizing the long-term costs, you can achieve better efficiency. Moreover, the employees can enjoy hassle-free service.

You can hire professionals like Real Computer Solutions to upgrade your software and provide many other services like software and IT management, development, and maintenance. You can visit https://www.realcomputersolutions.com to know more about their services.

2. Slow System

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing the loading sign blinking for eternity on your computer’s screen. A slow system is worse than a nuisance. It affects your employees’ productivity & willingness badly.

Moreover, the whole company comes to a standstill, not to mention your service’s image to the clients.

If you regularly face slow system issues, the problem is severe & needs immediate attention. However, the underlying issues can be storage shortage, limited bandwidth, or low processing power.

3. Regular Server Crashing

If you experience server crashing issues more randomly, it’s a red flag. The problem may be more severe than you think. The primary reasons for server crashing are low airflow to the server room, low processing power, or storage shortage.

In the worst-case scenario, your server may get attacked by malware infection or corrupted disks. If the server remains down for a while, your business can be affected badly.

4. No Cloud Service

In today’s fast-paced IT industry, the importance of cloud service is known to everyone. If your company isn’t using cloud computing, you are lagging in the IT sector’s revolution.

With the assurance of higher collaboration, scalability & flexibility, cloud computing can keep all your employees on the same software level.

Migrating to the cloud service will help the employees achieve flexibility, improved collaboration with others & overall consistency. Cloud service increases processing power & storage facilities, too.

5. No Reliable Backups

A reliable backup is pivotal for conducting any IT-based business. Sadly, most companies do not pay attention to a solid backup plan.

That said, in terms of emergency or breach, your company may get destroyed. With no solid recovery plan or backup, you may suffer from vital data loss & in large quantities.

That said, investing in a solid backup is important. Implementing a system for data recovery & establishing that process is crucial. Cloud hosting can be a viable option in this regard.

6. IT Solutions Cost Too Much

The older the technology, the more the cost for the upgrade & repair. This situation is more like the nickel & dime effect as costs build up alarmingly over the long haul.

However, your cost shouldn’t balloon out of control just to make sure your technology is up & running.

Instead of using the stopgap strategy to address the issues close to hand, focus on the existing technology’s long-term upgrade.

7. System Breach

It is the final & the worst-case scenario that reminds you to upgrade the infrastructure. No matter how minor the breach is, it’s a reminder of your service’s vulnerabilities.

That said, you should do a complete upgrading of the technology, starting from changing your old hardware, updating security and software, and implementing a devops platform as a service to better manage cloud infrastructure.

System breach can affect your reputation badly. So, take caution of the situation before it happens.

Possible Solutions To Updating Your IT Infrastructure

If you want to upgrade the pre-existing IT infrastructure, the methods discussed here can come in handy:

1. Adopting Virtual Server

Server virtualization is an excellent deal if you want to transfer to a new platform of data analyzing, sorting & sharing. Surprisingly, making this recent transition move is relatively easy & straightforward.

However, you also have to consider the limitations too. Sometimes it becomes tough to make changes & accommodate accordingly in comparison to the traditional infrastructure.

2. Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) is one of the most recent technologies for updating IT infrastructure. Here you move on from hardware-based services & adopt new form factor node technologies.

These small nodes work as storage providers to RAM, CPU & Storage with little complexity. However, to avail of this service, you need to give up the traditional infrastructure. HCI also offers many intricate services like disaster data recovery, reduplication & backup.

But this method isn’t flawless either. You become dependent on one sole provider for such services as this technology is still developing & uncommon. That said, it raises substantial financial risks.

3. Cloud Computing Services

As mentioned earlier, cloud computing services can be a viable option. It mitigates the issues with traditional IT infrastructure by allowing greater agility, performance & flexibility.

However, it’s not a cost-saving approach. You need to pay a hefty amount to keep the cloud running.

Final Thoughts

Upgrading your IT infrastructure can be daunting as there is no universal solution. You need to select one based on your suitability & convenience. However, it’s better to consult with a specialist before undertaking any upgrade for his unbiased opinion.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of The World Financial Review.