The high cost of I.T downtime
Did you know that the security of your I.T systems and infrastructure is constantly at risk?
According to the BBC, hackers are always on the lookout for companies with unsecured data systems so it is very important to use the most effective software and support to keep your data safe and secured at all times. You should also make sure that your malware and virus protection is kept updated at all times and be monitoring your system performance regularly so you can spot any potential issues before they become prominent.
The price of potential loss or downtime in the event that your IT systems go down or is hacked into, is another important consideration you should take into account when choosing your IT Support provider for your business. The intangible and tangible price you pay during system downtime and to get it back up and running can be significant but avoidable with the correct preventative measures.
For many small organizations, system downtime can have a very negative impact since the ability to generate revenue falls by almost 30%, not taking into account the delay while the system is being recovered.
According to UK studies, the loss of smaller businesses is much higher than the one of larger companies. So that it is even more important for smaller businesses to keep their systems up to date.
How to Prevent Such Operational Interruptions
Whilst system failures do happen, the fact is that the risk of this happening can be greatly reduced by following the correct measures beforehand and implementing certain best-practices.
Here are some suggestions on how you can make your IT systems and support more robust:
- Find issues before they are big enough to cause problems. This is a lot simpler than it may sound. Your IT engineer or IT Support company should have the necessary skills and expertise spot little issues and discrepancies in system performance with regular monitoring. A good practice is to ensure that even the smallest glitches are rectified immediately and properly logged. Not only will this ensure better performance but having access to historical data can help you improve your system support for the future.
- If going for an external IT support provider, make sure they offer you 24/7 support. Problems usually start during unusual hours so you need to be able to contact tech support when you need it, and not just during business hours. This should also give you and your business greater peace of mind and confidence in your system reliability.
- Update your system as soon as new updates are available and do this regularly. Updates don’t take much time to implement and major releases can sometimes improve performance significantly. Updates also help keep your systems armed with the latest firmware or security tools to help keep your IT system more stable and secured.
About Northern Star
If you are looking for a reliable IT support company in London or beyond, Northern Star can provide you with 24-7 support and advice for all your IT system requirements.
For a no obligation quote or to get more advice on how we can help and add value to your IT operations, please email sales@northernstar.co.uk or call 0800 3196032.