It’s vital for all businesses, brick and mortar or web-based, big or small, to plan for now and the future. This plan is especially important when thinking about your network; you’ll want to make sure your infrastructure is expandable and can handle a growing list of clients as your business expands. This is where having a colocation data center can play a major role in keeping your business up to date.
Scaling Your Business with a Data Center
Even the smallest businesses need to understand that IT infrastructure is essential to its growth and continued success. However, private data centers can cost upwards of $10,000 upfront and thousands of dollars after, making it nearly impossible for a small company to continue. Reasons for an off-site data center to use in tandem with your current systems include, but are not limited to:
- More Data Storage
- Better Connectivity Options
- Enhanced Security
The solution to your IT needs is to have an off-site data center allowing scalability and flexibility to your network. You never want to reach a point where you can no longer store data on your server. Having a data center makes it easier to upgrade when needed without scrambling last minute. They also offer enhanced security options to keep your business and customers safe from potential hacking or phishing scams.
Why Network Scalability Matters
Ensuring your network can keep up with your business demands is vital in saving both time and money. It’s important to set up your system so that it works now, but if your business grows quickly, you can adapt your network just as fast. Redesigning your entire network from scratch would take time and money that you don’t need to waste. There are several ways to test your system to guarantee it is ready for growth.
How to Conduct Scalability Testing
Testing is super important; before your network can go live, you’ll need to know the breaking point to know when and how to upgrade. Once you reach the breaking point, you’ll learn how far your business can grow before it needs to be updated. You’ll want to make sure you create different tests and keep testing and adding software or hardware appropriately until you reach a point your network can handle any foreseen issues that might arise.
The Value of IT Flexibility
As previously stated, having an infrastructure that can efficiently adapt can only ever help your business. Since no one can predict with any certainty how fast a company is going to grow, having plans in place as you move through the months will save you time and money in the long run. Time, because you won’t be scrambling to upgrade when your IT system hits maximum capacity and money from not having to start from scratch.
This is why IT flexibility is so essential to any business. You want to make sure your software and hardware systems grow as your company grows with little disruption to your work life. However, no matter how much you plan for the future, there will come a time when your system cannot be upgraded.
Managing Legacy Systems
Sometimes it seems that as soon as you purchase new technology, it’s already obsolete. While this is the perception, it’s not exactly reality. There are ways to manage your current hardware and software without buying a whole new IT infrastructure. For example, if your company needs a data center or your current operations have reached maximum capacity, companies like vXchnge offer their services by converting your existing network to their systems. They provide the necessary solutions for your business, whether upgrading to a cloud application or continuing with your current setup to ensure your legacy system continues to function as you need it. This way, you can focus on running your business without having to worry about the network behind it.