After a challenging year for many businesses, most are more than happy to be starting with a clean sheet for 2021. Just how we would prepare ourselves for the new year ahead, the principles are the same for your business. Now is the best time to get your business ready and raring to hit the ground running after the Christmas break. But, have you checked your organisation’s IT systems are up-to-date?

The new year is a great excuse to get all your IT systems in order. As employees and clients begin to wind down for the Christmas break, it is the best time to update and back up all your systems, tighten your IT security, take stock of whereabouts your company laptops and phones are, and it is always encouraged to run an IT health check. 

Updating all IT Systems

Updating and refreshing your organisation’s computer systems is a good way to fix bugs and security problems. By keeping on top of the day-to-day tasks that your computer requires to function, you can ensure your IT hardware and software are running at optimum capacity. 

For some companies, this crucial job can feel like a never-ending battle, especially when you have lots of devices to update and check. It is possible to outsource your IT management to an expert organisation; these services can provide a single source for all your IT requirements. For more information, visit our Managed IT Services to see how we could help your business get the most from your IT assets.

When it comes to tackling the huge job of updating multiple IT systems, the best advice we can give is to keep on top of the processes. If you are able to find time to ‘patch’ software throughout the year, your systems will constantly download their new functions and fix minor bugs and security problems. Then, ‘critical updates’ can be carried out without taking quite so much time. These ‘critical updates’ include crucial tweaks and changes that without could put your whole IT system at risk. In keeping on top of all the smaller updates along the way, these larger reboots can be actioned and implemented sooner.

Now is also an excellent time to introduce new software into your company’s computer systems. While the office is empty and systems are just ticking over, implementing new features before your employees start back in the new year will allow them to revert to the new systems in January. It also allows you, as a company, time to put in place an adoption process and the relevant training and support that your employees may need.

In addition, if any employees are not convinced by the updates, introducing it before the start up again in the new year will give them time to adjust and time for the company to present the improvements and how they will help. 

Backing-Up your Organisation’s IT Systems

Moreover, it is always good practice to get into the habit of backing up your IT system. Businesses are always a risk of suffering ‘downtime’ due to power outages, hardware issues, malware attacks, as well as human error. And, despite advances in IT infrastructure, ‘downtime’ is always a possibility. Therefore, by ensuring all your systems are backed up and saved, your business’ continuity is protected.

The best practice is to backup your organisation’s data fairly consistently, reducing the chance of any data loss during ‘downtime.’  By outsourcing to an IT management company, your organisations’ files and data can be backed-up and protected by comprehensive disaster recovery systems; reducing the risk and damage from ‘downtime’ and, at the same time, providing an easy recovery solution. 

Tighten your Business’ IT Security

By carrying out updates and implementing new software, you will also tighten your IT security; removing any bugs and security glitches as they arise. However, there are other things you can do to ensure your system is safe and secure. 

With most of your employees working from home on work-owned devices, the last thing your organisation wants is a security breach, especially if customer, client or employee details could be at risk. Before starting back at work in 2021, use this period of time wisely to ensure all your IT assets are up-to-date on their antivirus and anti-spyware software, in addition to firewall and intrusion prevention. 

Moreover, now is as good a time as any to take stock of company computers, laptops and mobile phones. If any devices are no longer required or can be repurposed, look into wiping the hard drive to guarantee GDPR and other security legislations are not breached. 

Redeployment of IT Assets

When it comes to redeployed company IT assets, organisations have to be careful. Some data deletion methods do not entirely remove data from a hard drive, and, in these instances, data can be recovered. If your company is looking to wipe their laptops and mobile phones, you will need a product that can guarantee the highest security standard.

At Global EMEA, our deletion methods are the market-leading. We have partnered with WhiteCanyon Software which supplies the most highly certified data erasure software in the world. Our data-deletion product can be configured and have achieved tamperproof certification. 

WipeDrive 9 is one of WhiteCanyon’s flagship products and is available exclusively from Global EMEA. The technology has been successfully accredited to the EAL4+ Standard used by the US Department of Defence, and in the UK it has been awarded the NCSC certification from the UK’s authority on cybersecurity. 

To find out more about how WipeDrive can help your company redeploy its assets, follow this link to our blog. 

If you are struggling to manage all your company’s IT needs in-house and would like to seek advice from an IT management supplier, get in touch with us today. Here at Global EMEA, our experts can help devise a package which covers all of your IT needs. From delivering increased performance and security through support packages, upgrades, backups and disaster recovery systems, as well as much more. To speak to one of our team, call us on 0844 251 0472.