Whether you run a small business or an enterprise, IT downtime can be hugely detrimental, both to the reputation and operation of your business. If your network goes down, you can lose productivity and potentially waste hours of time fixing avoidable issues. In order to avoid IT downtime, it’s important to use preventative measures. Learn how your business can prevent IT downtime with these four tips.
Backup all your data
This IT tip may seems obvious, but it’s easy to forget when you’re caught up in day-to-day operations. You can prevent a lot of stress (and potential downtime) by making sure you have an offsite backup solution in place. Not only will it protect your data from destruction, it also offers peace of mind that you can retrieve data even if you lose access to local files.
Spot the signs
Those frustrating spinning wheels and beachballs aren’t there just to annoy us; they can indicate a larger problem. Keep tuned into your hardware behaviour and you may be able to spot an issue before it becomes a problem. Unwanted reboots and unusual slowness may indicate a faulty server or failing hard drive, for example. If any of these signs pop up, early intervention is key.
Regular maintenance of your hardware
It’s easy to forget about your hardware when it’s running well, but regular maintenance is vital. Your computer is a complex machine, and when one part is compromised, others can soon follow. Regular maintenance of hardware is a little like a car service and MOT, catching and fixing issues before they become a problem.
Keep your software up-to-date
A common reason for technical difficulties is outdated software. Make sure your business uses up-to-date antivirus, operating systems, and any other software that’s mission critical. Not only will updated versions be more secure, but they’ll also have far fewer bugs, meaning less downtime in general. Software updates can even be automated (or scheduled) so once set up, will look after themselves.