Having a healthy network to support your business processes is essential for the success of your organisation. Your server and website should be up 24/7 to allow your customers and other stakeholders remote access. Internally, your employees should have an uninterrupted connection to support processes such as collaboration, communication, or access to networked equipment such as printers. Good business network uptime doesn’t just refer to mere connection only but also to quality internet speed.
Several factors can result in poor business connectivity. These may include outdated equipment, overutilised equipment, or a security breach resulting in inaccessible internet resources. To help you keep your IT infrastructure at an optimum level, here are some strategies you need to be aware of in order to sustain your business uptime:
Partnering With Managed IT Services
The demand for IT infrastructure monitoring can take a toll on you if you’re not an IT expert. But even if you’re a professional in the field, you might be limited, especially when you need certain resources that can be very costly but can be easily provided by managed services.
With managed services, you have access to the latest cutting-edge technology that ensures 24/7 uptime, better cybersecurity, improved productivity, and excellent network monitoring. Sometimes, businesses suffer a crisis that could’ve been averted before it happened. A managed service provider (MSP) can monitor your internet remotely and identify suspicious activities such as cyberattacks and seal all loopholes.
In the United States, you can easily seek the assistance of an MSP regardless of the state your business is operating in. For instance, you can request Sacramento based IT services companies and see to it that your business enjoys a competitive advantage if your company is in California.
Upgrading Your Infrastructure
If your business has seen tremendous growth, you need to carry out an IT audit to ascertain whether your infrastructure can sustain your current traffic. Your software might be a drawback with bottlenecks when it comes to providing efficient services. For you to improve your service delivery, you may have to upgrade your software. However, before getting new applications, you should upgrade your server to a more powerful one with better speed.
Installing a fibre-optic network might give you better internet connectivity if you’re using a wired connection involving copper cables. On the other hand, if you’re use a wireless connection within your premises, you may upgrade the Wi-Fi transmitters you have. Furthermore, to complement the upgrade of your equipment, you may get a modern router for fast routing of data.
Establishing Network Redundancy
Network redundancy is essential in ensuring that you have more than one point of network connection to your business. Achieving connectivity redundancy may be done in a couple of ways. First, if you have one internet service provider, you can partner with a second one. This’ll be your safety net if your primary provider experiences a network outage. In such a time, you can change the network gateway to that of the second provider.
Second, you can establish an alternative server that’s placed outside your premises. This’ll be your failover point if the first one breaks down, is hacked, or is affected by natural forces like fire. Having more than one server ensures business continuity should the primary server fail.
Planning Your Network Security
Cybersecurity is a major concern for all businesses. Whether you own a small business or a large corporation, implementing a robust cybersecurity strategy is paramount. Many cybercriminals target small businesses and hack their networks or carry out malware attacks. This is because such businesses often struggle to set and follow strong security protocols. However, elite hackers go after large corporations as well, and some of those enterprises have fallen victim to cyberattacks. Thus, regardless of size, businesses must be vigilant at all times.
Successful cybersecurity breaches through malware can compromise your computers and also your server, leading to disruption of service. In addition, hackers can take control of your server, dislodging you from its access. Therefore, you should use measures such as using a virtual private network (VPN), installing antivirus software in all business gadgets, and establishing a password policy in your company. In addition, you can use a firewall, which is an extra security layer apart from a VPN.
For a more professional and efficient solution, you can hire managed service providers to monitor your network’s security. Because they enjoy economies of scale, MSPs can use the latest internet security resources, which you may not have in your business.
Conclusion
Business uptime may be a matter of improved sales or no sales at all, especially for online or e-commerce shops. A downtime of a few minutes may cause a loss to the tune of thousands of dollars. With that said, employing the measures listed in this article would help you ensure that your business uptime is maximized in the long run.
