How to Choose the Software & Hardware for Business

When you’re running your business, you may be relying on internal staff or an outsourced provider to help make the right recommendations for software, hardware, and cloud services for daily business operations.  While one provider may be able to help you choose software, a different provider may be the expert on hardware.  How do you ensure that these technologies integrate and work well together?   In this article, we will provide tips to help you choose the right software and hardware for business technology and provide resources that can help!

Software

There are literally millions of software products and Apps to solve any business challenge but each and every piece of software typically requires expertise and resources to:

• Monitor Licensing (per user, per occurrence, etc.) & Costs
• Install Routine Updates
• Provide Technical Support or Pay for Support Services

In addition, as your business grows, the software that worked a year or two ago may not be able to accommodate your growing business needs.  In addition, there may be newer technologies, sometimes at lower costs, which can better serve the user or company needs.  The biggest cost-savings can occur when you evaluate the different types of software, licensing, and support your company uses, only to find that one platform can meet all or most of these requirements. A strategic technology partner can perform a software audit to make recommendations for today’s needs and tomorrow’s scaling opportunities.

Hardware

Every business has laptops, printers or MFDs, mobile devices, and servers (virtual or on-site) that access your company’s valuable data.  Some of this hardware is on-site while other hardware is virtual – in the cloud, mobile, or at a data center.  Not only is it important that your hardware be responsive, efficient, and perform well, but it’s also critically important to ensure that it’s configured for maximum security, to protect your data.  Is your internal team capable of meeting all those requirements?  If not, outsourcing software and hardware purchases may be worth considering.  How and why?

Your hardware must also be upgraded or scaled, according to your needs. You must determine if vertical, horizontal, or cloud scaling is appropriate for your current needs and future requirements.  All of this ‘technology know-how’ may put a strain on your staffing and resources or, worst case, be performed inadequately, placing your data at risk.   An infrastructure assessment can be a valuable tool to ensure that your current hardware is ‘up to speed’ and obtain suggestions on new equipment before you make any capital investments.

Technology Integration

You likely have a combination of software, hardware, and cloud-based technologies supporting your business.  It’s important to make informed decisions so that all of technologies and platforms integrate well into your existing infrastructure and processes.  The user adoption rate will go up or down based on this integration and deployment process.  A technology advisor can help you weigh all of the pros and cons, when choosing software and hardware for your business, while evaluating the ROI and efficiencies that can be created.

Be Proactive

The biggest challenge, with most businesses, is that many of the decisions about software and hardware are done reactively, when the need is critical.  Your server went down.  A laptop was stolen.  Your software is no longer meeting your needs.  The decision about replacements or upgrades can be costly and the integration may be complex.   Rather than make these decisions reactively, a proactive approach can be extremely beneficial when choosing software and hardware for businesses.  A strategic technology partner, typically outsourced, can help you evaluate your current technology (hardware & software), your operations and processes, and your plans for future growth.  This holistic approach allows you to make more informed decisions that are almost always more methodical and cost-effective.  Are you looking for an outsourced technology partner?  Conscious Networks can help!  Start the conversation today!