As we continue with the next installment in our series about changes that impacted the IT industry during the Covid-19 pandemic, today we’re looking at how IT budgeting has changed in the wake of the pandemic.
Did you miss our previous installments? Feel free to check them out here:
- The Impact of Covid-19 on Cloud Services
- 5 Cyber Security Lessons Learned from Covid-19
- Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan Strategies
It’s no secret that many businesses have seen their earnings collapse – even organizations that have held steady are wondering about the uncertain future. As a result, businesses everywhere are facing tighter IT budgets, even as their need for enhanced security, better worker support and other key challenges have increased.
Stretch Your Budget with Vendor Management
IT managers have had to scramble, finding ways to do more with less and looking for strategies that maximize the funds they do have available. In this difficult environment, Ontech is proud to offer vendor management, helping IT managers evaluate competing offers to ensure they are getting the most value for their investment.
Whether the product in question is a VoIP business phone solution, cloud storage provider, enhanced internet protection, a more robust VPN or another IT solution, Ontech can evaluate the proposed solution, provide impartial expert advice and help IT managers make the most of every IT dollar. Vendor management has always been important, but in a post Covid world, it can be a great way to find hidden savings.
Life Cycle Management of Equipment
Businesses are now looking for ways to predict their IT spend more than ever. Being prepared for the unexpected and reducing variable costs is a big step in the right direction.
At the same time, it’s important to take a proactive approach and not let current hardware get too old. From incompatibility with newer systems to unpatched security holes, aging hardware poses big risks. The problem? Managing hardware can be a daunting task to stay on top of.
When you work with Ontech as your dedicated IT provider, we help you manage all your hardware. We will evaluate your entire IT infrastructure and take assessment of equipment that is in great condition, in need of replacement or will soon need to be replaced – and we can offer recommendations that fit your budget.
Managed Security Services
While some businesses were prepared for the sudden rise of telecommuting, many others were caught off guard, leaving IT professionals scrambling as workers headed home in droves.
The business world is seeing a huge rise in cyber security services for back-end operations. These smart security solutions are AI driven, making use of artificial intelligence to protect employees no matter where they are working.
A big part of this trend is the replacement of traditional antivirus solutions with AI-driven detection. Over time, this smart antivirus software can track user behavior, detect anomalies and provide proactive protection.
If a telecommuter’s account is hacked or otherwise compromised, this new AI antivirus software can detect the anomaly, quarantining not just individual files but entire accounts. As telecommuting becomes the norm, the importance of proactive protection will only continue to grow.
Increased Budgets for Mobility
While some IT budgets have been reduced, there are other areas where spending is actually growing – namely, mobile solutions. In a post-pandemic workplace, laptops are replacing desktops and mobile devices are providing vital backup for workers on the go.
Today, IT budgets are focused on secure connection solutions and procedures like file sharing that allow workers to access the files they need without putting the rest of the IT network at risk. By researching and investing in ways to be more mobile friendly, companies are focusing their efforts where they matter most.
Many businesses are putting their mobile security under a single umbrella known as mobile device management or MDM. Businesses can purchase MDM solutions from many phone providers, or from Microsoft, a leader in the field. In fact, Microsoft has built MDM into its high-end Office 365 plans, giving IT managers and decision makers one less thing to worry about as the world recovers from the coronavirus crisis.
Best Advice for a Post-Covid World?
As the world emerges from the depths of the pandemic, one of the best ways to protect your business is with a proactive approach to security and backup that will actually save you money in the long run.
While you might need to carve out an area of your budget to be prepared for the unexpected today, in the long term this proactive approach will actually be far less costly than if you were to get caught by a ransomware breach for example.
In a 24/7 always on world, downtime is expensive in more ways than one and a little bit of planning is the best way to head it off. If you need help putting that proactive IT solution in place, just reach out to Ontech at 262-522-8560 to build a customized proactive plan that fits your budget today.
