Is your organization ready for IT budget season?
Local government has already begun IT budgeting for 2022 while private businesses are beginning to create a budget that meets new challenges like rising cybersecurity threats.
While the divide between the budget you have and the budget you need may be widening year after year, there are certain priorities to keep in mind when creating your 2022 IT budget.
1) Cyber Liability Insurance
With a rise in inquiries and premiums, cyber liability insurance is a hot topic these days, The requirements for this type of insurance are changing. Be sure to speak with your insurance carrier about the latest changes you might need in place to remain covered or obtain coverage.
2) Supply Chain Shortages
With some equipment unavailable until 2022, the current supply chain shortages are effecting hardware demands. When creating your IT budget, it’s important to understand how supply chain constraints might factor into your upcoming projects.
[ss_click_to_tweet content=”When creating your IT budget, it’s important to understand how supply chain constraints might factor into your upcoming projects.” style=”2″]3) Microsoft 365 and Office 365 Price Increase
Microsoft has announced price increases across six different products that are scheduled to come into effect on March 1, 2022. If your organization uses any of these products, it is worthwhile to update your budget accordingly.
4) Cyber Security
A rising risk to businesses of all sizes has long been cyber security threats – and this won’t be changing anytime soon.
Cyber criminals often zero in on sectors related to finance or those with sensitive information like accountants, law firms, investment companies/brokers, manufacturing and even small businesses.
In 2021, we’re seeing more sophisticated attacks targeted at individuals. The sophistication of these attacks lays in the laser targeted approach of finding a source and then researching all related connections to that source. When budgeting for the upcoming year, one of the best defenses is having a solid cyber security solution and backup that is tested on a regular basis, security awareness training and strong password best practices.
5) Windows 11
The new Windows 11 update is now available for download. With that said, be sure to check out these “need to knows” before you jump in and upgrade your devices.
6) Disaster Recovery
It used to be that Ontech recommended conducting a disaster recovery test every other year, but due to rampant ransomware and security threats, we now recommend DR testing every year. After all, what good is backing up data if you can’t restore it?
If you haven’t tested your backup for some time now, contact our support team at info@ontech.com today. Disaster recovery is a regular part of our managed services where we determine if your backup is successful or if it fails. We even take it a step further. Our technicians simulate a disaster and take a network down in a controlled environment. We ask questions that might otherwise not be considered like what department needs to be restored first, second, etc.
If you’re an existing Ontech client, call us at 262-522-8560 to request a budget meeting. If you’re new to Ontech, we can begin with a free Network Discovery to assess your network before we strategize your budget for the upcoming year. We’ll discuss things like what to replace next year, the next 3 years, and how to stretch your IT budget to meet your current and future goals.
