Why IT should be a top priority when moving offices

This may sound alarmist but if you neglect your IT move and hope it will all be OK, you could be jeopardising productivity. Turning it off and on again won’t cut it!

Problems that could occur if your IT move is not properly planned

IT systems are transformational for a business when they’re operating correctly. But IT systems are also complex and unfortunately you need to rely on a variety of external agencies to make all elements come together.

Carriers of your broadband, Wi-Fi and mobile networks can delay the transition of your IT to a new office due to immovable lead times. When your IT systems aren’t in place it affects your productivity and profitability.

The outside world doesn’t care about your IT problems so when service levels can’t be maintained, customers will go elsewhere. You also have an obligation to protect the data of your customers and if your IT systems aren’t operating correctly, data and security can be compromised. While cyber criminals continue to up their game, companies need to be vigilant and have robust cyber security in place at all times.

Where do you begin with planning your IT relocation?

This will depend on the nature of the move. If you are a startup moving to your first office, your priorities will differ to an established company moving from one office to another. Why? Because an established business has existing hardware, software, data, security and so on to relocate whereas a new business will have many choices to make about the IT they need before moving into an office. These include connectivity, cloud, servers, workstations, telephony, cabling and so on, whereas an established business will focus on moving existing IT supplies with as little downtime as possible.

Zestly offer managed IT support based on a fixed price per user. We can help you plan the IT element of your office move if you don’t have an inhouse IT team, or if you need additional IT support.

What should be on your to-do list for moving your IT infrastructure?

Firstly to avoid delays you should speak to your existing carrier of your broadband and telephony or choose a new one. Find out what lead times are involved in moving your IT to the new address in case there are any problems in the area. Particularly if you are a growing business, you should check if it is a straightforward process to upscale. As soon as everything is agreed you should get written confirmation of when installation will take place.

You will have already visited the office when you agreed to rent or buy it, but another site visit before planning your IT is advisable. If you use a managed IT provider like Zestly they may accompany you on that visit. Together you can check out the cabling, power, where a server or comms room will be housed if needed, connectivity and so on.

Telecoms integrate with your IT infrastructure so don’t forget to research which phone system is best for you. Depending on the needs of your business you can choose between a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system or PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) telephony. Going back to what we said about carriers and lead times, this will need to be organised well before moving day.

Take time to check any existing IT equipment and software before moving. What do you need to keep? What needs to be updated? Are you leasing any equipment you no longer need?

Avoid risk to data and prepare hardware for the move

To avoid risk to data which can cause loss of vital information, data breaches and downtime, make plans for backing up data.

Disconnect any hardware within protocols and safely pack all equipment with labelled cables. If you can gain access to the new property it is advisable to carry out connectivity tests before you move in. Anticipate delays at all stages of the process and you should be able to complete the move by the moving day!

Choose Zestly as your managed IT provider

Find out more about our fixed price IT support and how we can help with your move by contacting the Zestly team.