How to Leverage Existing Hardware for Maximum ROI

August 7, 2014

Growing your IT department’s capabilities doesn’t mean you have to invest in new hardware. First consider how you can maximize ROI for the equipment and solutions your company already has. By leveraging existing hardware for maximum ROI, you boost internal efficiency while helping your company’s bottom line.

• Choose compatible backup and recovery software. Replication software should enable users to either “throttle” the data or let them control when backups are transmitted (so they won’t disrupt performance).

• Consider the cloud. Cloud storage makes it possible to pay only for what is necessary to add to a single infrastructure or piece of hardware. Cloud backup and recovery can be completely automated, and storage can scale automatically as well. This saves significant administrative time and does not require hardware updates. 

• Send changes only. There is no need to send the same data repeatedly. This is inefficient and unnecessarily usurps bandwidth and processing power. Replicating only the data that has been changed saves resources. 

• Assess hardware assets against software upgrades prior to implementation. Be sure that existing hardware is capable of running any new software programs or upgrades to existing ones. If any sort of incompatibility is suspected, explore alternate options. There may be others that are just as efficient – perhaps more so. 

• Audit current and future needs. Maintain a clear understanding of how well the hardware can accommodate current needs, but also anticipate needs according to the strategic plan of the business. It may or may not be possible to adjust company plans to leverage currently used hardware, but this knowledge must be gleaned as early as possible to plan accordingly.

• Maintain compliance. Ensure that existing hardware will be able to accommodate changes to industry regulations, such as those relative to privacy and confidentiality, for instance. This is especially important regarding cloud technology. Furthermore, some web hosting programs are more secure than others, which should also be considered. These actions will help you avoid later penalties.

• Stay up-to-date. There is a seemingly perpetual release of new tools and programs designed to maximize ROI. Stay abreast of industry trends to take advantage of all available options for preserving existing hardware without sacrificing business.

For more information about leveraging existing hardware, contact us today to discuss ITS’ consolidation services.

 Thanks for reading,

Rob Connary, President - COO

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