From an economic impact perspective, large-scale quarantines, travel restrictions and social distancing measures may drive a sharp fall in consumer and business spending in Q2 of this year.  However, I think that by reacting to this crisis as a short-term problem with an end in sight, smart business decisions will pay off once this epidemic has passed.  At Nexxtep, we break up the reaction during this crisis into three major pieces – Workforce Protection, Service & Supply Chain Management and Customer Engagement.   

Workforce Protection 

Our priority at Nexxtep and probably every other business, is the health and safety of our employees while also maintaining a somewhat normal level of service for our clients. Our workforce is our number one asset so as we transition to a work at home strategy to help prevent the spread, several items must be in place. 

• Policy and Management – While working from home – businesses must understand that their employees are still under attack from a security prospective.  Every business needs to have a work at home policy in place along with the appropriate security monitoring software in place. 
• Workplace Communication – The single most stressful issue with working from home is the inability to communicate efficiently.  Tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams or Zoom are critical to allow staff to be productive.  Video conferencing also allows for a more connected experience during quarantine.   
• Workplace Tiering – Note that not all employees can work from home.  Depending on your workplace, some employees can remain at your facility and segregate into smaller groups or stagger shifts. 

If your business needs help your remote work force, please click here and let us know how we can help. 

Service & Supply Chain Management  

As businesses around the world shut down, supply chains become an issue.  At Nexxtep, hardware such as laptops and servers are becoming more difficult to procure in a short time. 

With these challenges in place we look to the following for service and supply chain stabilization: 

• Inventory Management – Now is the time to take inventory of existing products and also fine tune your inventory systems.  Development of reports and dashboards to get the right information out of your systems are key right now.   
• Product and Service Optimization – determine during this time if products and services are optimized for upcoming demand.  With an opportunity to “breathe”, we now have the ability to slow down and decide what and where our products are placed.  I believe new products and services are born out of necessity. 

We can help with development projects / inventory reports etc. 

Ascend can help with product launches and changes via communication and website efforts. 

Customer Engagement 

Everyone, including your customers, are suddenly focused on this pandemic. We believe that now is the time to adjust customer experiences to better serve your customer during this time.  Many of the specifics vary by industry, but here are the three essentials that every organization should prioritize. 

Empathy — Understand Your Customers in This Moment 

Surveys alone are not enough in this situation. To build the customer understanding required, you should invest in live conversations now. 

• Direct every employee to look for ways to make your clients’ business processes flow easier. 
• Be proactive!  

Adapt Your Customer Service 

Understand that aspects of your customer experiences you’ve been delivering that may have been perfect a few weeks ago, may not work now. 

• Critically review the services and support you are delivering. 
• Hit the pause button where needed. 
• Prioritize simplicity more than ever. 

Help Your Employees Deliver Awesome Service Despite the Crisis 

Understand that many employees at this point are anxious. Whether it’s IT staff working around the clock to help the entire workforce be productive from home or front-line customer service representatives explaining supply chain issues to customers. Whatever their role in your company, this is a unique moment for them.  Just remember the following: 

• Employees face uncertainty and anxiety, too. 
• Customers in crisis drive up the stress level for employees 
• Communicate and remain positive. 

My advice is to focus on actions in your business that you can control.  Take time to evaluate “how you have always done it” and see if changes can be made. I firmly believe that a strong focus on business basics and customer service most businesses will come out of this crisis stronger than ever before.   

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What’s a Virtual Desktop?

Here’s the idea:

Every few years, your computer goes out of date. The CPU and RAM are outstripped by newer models, the hard drive becomes obsolete, and current-generation programs start to chug on your last-generation desktop. For you, this is annoying, but for businesses, it’s infuriating. After all, they paid anywhere from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars for your computer just a few years ago – and now they have to do it again.

Unfortunately, as much as it costs to continually upgrade and replace old machines, it can cost even more to simply keep old machines running. Older machines break more often, so they cost more to maintain. They’re also slower, as we’ve mentioned, which represents a drain on productivity. Lastly, they’re more vulnerable to cyberattacks, which now cost $4.6 million USD per incident on average.

Companies Benefit from Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

With the virtual desktop, companies can take the stress out of the continual upgrade cycle. Instead of hosting an operating system and file structure on a desktop, the virtual desktop gets primarily hosted in the cloud. This has many advantages.

• As long as your chosen device has a screen and a fast internet connection, it can run the virtual desktop and any applications you need. This means that organizations can save money by keeping older computers running, purchasing used hardware, or acquiring cheaper computers known as “thin clients” which are designed specifically to host virtual desktops.
• Not only do virtual desktops help companies save money on desktop infrastructure, they also let users work remotely with more effectiveness. Instead of constantly transferring files between different devices, they can access all their files and applications on the same operating system image using any device
• Lastly, the process of maintaining and updating a virtual desktop is quite different and in theory more streamlined. In fact, if you consume the virtual desktop as a service, patching and updating might not even be something that you have to worry about.

In spite of all these advantages, it’s not likely that your company has switched to virtual desktops. As of 2017, only about 35 percent of companies have adopted virtual desktops, even though those who have adopted the technology are very happy with it. This may be due to general unfamiliarity with the technology, or it may simply be that up until now, no official Microsoft support has existed for virtual desktops. As of September 30^th, 2019, however, that’s all changed.

How Will Microsoft Change the Game for the Virtual Desktop?

Throughout decades of technological dominance, it’s fair to say that Microsoft tends not to throw its influence behind a technology unless the time is right. Although companies such as Citrix and VMware have had virtual desktop products in place for years, Microsoft’s promotion of the technology could do for virtual desktops what Apple’s promotion of the iPhone did for smartphones in general.

Microsoft’s own flavor of virtual desktop piggybacks on the popularity of its Azure cloud in order to deliver a more seamless and user-friendly version of the technology than anything else currently out there. Most notably, Microsoft has changed its own licensing policies, introducing a new multi-user version of Windows 10 that lets companies add virtual desktops to their organization at no extra charge if they already use products such as Office 365. The Redmond giant also offers a platform-as-a-service version that reduces the maintenance overhead for inexperienced administrators.

Finally, Microsoft has sprung a final coup with its Windows Virtual Desktop offering. Due to the recent end-of-life date for Windows 7, many companies have been forced to either update their PCs or keep their older computers running past their date of obsolescence. With WVD, however, Microsoft offers a third way. Any company that uses WVD to migrate their existing Windows 7 implementation to Azure and then deliver it from the cloud is automatically enrolled in the Extended Support Update program that will keep Windows 7 current and secure for the next three years. In other words, Microsoft just created a vast market for WVD who will migrate because they have no other choice.

Migrate to Cloud-Based Virtual Desktops with Nexxtep

If you’re interested in changing the endless cycle of technology refreshes, Nexxtep can help. As an experienced managed services provider with deep experience in Microsoft products and architectures, we can help you create a desktop infrastructure that will eliminate obsolete hardware while creating a peerless user experience. From cloud to security to communications, we can help you do it all – contact Nexxtep today!

The post Why High Profit Companies Are Leveraging Virtual Desktop appeared first on Nexxtep Technology Services.

However, technology can also make running a business more challenging.

Your customers are counting on you to keep their data safe.

Your customers want peace of mind that their financial information is safe whenever they do a financial transaction with your company utilizing your website or payment processing system.

In just the first six months of 2019, there was a 54% increase in data breach cases.

In a study conducted by the Ponemon Institute, the average cost for a data breach in the United States was $8.19 million.

While some data breaches can be attributed to human error or system glitches, the majority of data breaches come from criminal or malicious attacks.

Simply having anti-virus protection alone is not going to cut it anymore because:

Viruses and other malware have advanced.

There are several classes of malware or malicious software.

Viruses are a computer program or even a malicious code that alter how a computer operates. They are designed to spread from one infected computer to another.

Some signs that your computer may be infected by a computer virus include pop-up messages that appear frequently, unusual programs that start up when you start your computer or a slowed-down system that crashes frequently.

Worms are similar to viruses, but they are self-contained. Worms don’t require a host file in order to replicate. Worms often target pre-existing vulnerabilities in a computer’s operating system and are difficult to detect.

Ransomware, as the name implies, is a type of malware that denies access to the computer or files and demands payment in order to gain access to them.

One of the most common ways ransomware is spread is through spam emails. These emails will look like they are from a legitimate source and often confuse or trick people into opening the email and downloading attachments or clicking on links within the email.

Trojans are malware that hide within what seems like harmless programs, and often trick people into downloading them.  Trojans are especially harmful because they can sit on your computer unnoticed.

Trojans often contain the ability to alter security systems and can install spyware on your computer which can be used to gain access to passwords or other sensitive information.

Bots can be tricky, as they are both good and bad. Good bots are like web crawlers that gather information from the web or chatbots that help a business interact with customers.

Bot malware on the other hand, that connects back to a server can utilize your computer for all kinds of purposes such as gaining access to financial information.

Malware that can wreak havoc on your company’s computer system is constantly evolving. Anti-virus software protection does help – but alone it won’t be enough to keep up with the new threats that are constantly arising.

Viruses are not the only threat to your computer.

As explained above, many threats exist beyond what is generally thought of as a computer virus.

System glitches can be another source of danger to your business technology. Now, sometimes glitches happen due to power surges, and things that are accidental.

It may surprise you to know that there is a type of computer attack known as glitching.  This is a type of attack that is difficult to pull off and does require the attacker having expert knowledge about the hardware and software that you are running, but it can be incredibly damaging.

Glitching seeks to either damage the functionality of a system or to gain access to information within a system.  This type of attack could be carried out by a former employee or a competitor and is definitely something worth watching out for, depending upon your industry.

Hackers and criminal activity are the other major threat to your business.

On any given day, hackers attack every 39 seconds, around 2,244 times per day.

Simply adopting a mindset that a hacker won’t attack your business and not worrying about it is an unwise business practice.

If you are a business that handles any type of customer data or payment information, a hacker may pick your company as a target.

Your other devices are vulnerable, too.

Desktop computers aren’t the only targets for malware and hackers. Phones, tablets, laptops and other tech that are part of your office’s daily routine are also vulnerable.

Smart devices, such as objects that can be controlled through a cell phone, are also at risk.

Making sure that all of these devices have updated security, and strong password protection is vital in keeping all your company’s assets safe.

With any IoT devices, check with the vendor about any security concerns that you may have, and don’t depend on factory default settings.

Identity theft is a threat, even at work.

Consumers are not the only ones who can suffer from identity theft. This security issue is also a risk for your business as well.

When it comes to your employees’ personal data, it is a good idea to be proactive and have security measures in place.

While many companies have security measures for protecting hard copies of employee data, keep in mind how vulnerable personal information for your employees is once it is stored digitally.

Just like you would keep paper files under lock and key and restrict access to those files, you must put in place similar systems for information that is kept digitally to avoid putting your employees’ information at risk.

Your employees may not be aware of all the safety measures required to keep your computers and company data safe.

If your company allows employees to visit social or non-work sites during breaks or lunches, chances are that leaning on common sense is not enough to keep your office safe.

While many people know not click on links or download links in strange emails, it is worth taking the time to educate employees about cybersecurity and their role in keeping the office computer system safe.

Educating your employees about Cybersecurity doesn’t have to mean hours and hours of training. Short videos, an infographic, or a demonstration can go a long way in driving home the importance of using safe practices with workplace computers and devices.

We’ve shared how your office can face several cybersecurity threats.

In order to keep your business running optimally and securely, you need these five computer protection tools.

1. Keep your computer software up to date – be vigilant about updates and security patches. Check for operating system updates, Internet browser updates, and software updates frequently.
2. Create strong passwords for systems and files that need to be protected, and change passwords on a schedule. While you may no longer need to change passwords as frequently, it’s still a good idea to make sure that you and your employees are using strong passwords.
3. If you or any of your employees work from home or from a virtual office, make sure to utilize a VPN. A Virtual Private Network can provide encryption and ensure that any data sharing or remote data access is done in a secure way.
4. Make sure that you not only have anti-virus but software that protects against other threats. Other helpful software to consider are pop-up blockers and making sure Firewall software is enabled. There are also additional anti-malware or anti-ransomware software programs that you might want to explore for your business.
5. Consider working with an IT services company that can keep up to date with the latest Cybersecurity threats and give you peace of mind.  With all that you have to handle for your business, handing off the Cybersecurity needs of your business to a professional IT Services company can reduce your anxiety about Cybersecurity issues.

No two businesses are alike.   Your business may need a custom security and optimization plan.  While you do need anti-virus software, consider investing more of your company’s security budget into learning how attackers may target your specific business – and how to change your business operations accordingly.

A professional IT Services company can provide you with education, as well as customized Cybersecurity strategies that will help to keep your business running smoothly.   Instead of having to spend time and money putting together a plan that may not be optimal for your business, consider investing in the help of an IT Services company for a customizable solution that will help to keep your business secure.

Recovering from a Cybersecurity breach or attack can be costly in both money and time. Save your resources and peace of mind by investing in professional IT services to handle your Cybersecurity business solutions.

The post The Top 5 Computer Protection Tools Your Business Needs (Antivirus alone is not enough!) appeared first on Nexxtep Technology Services.

Interestingly, some things stayed the same.  Cyber threats continue to be pervasive.  And of course, we never did get those flying cars the Jetsons promised us, although self-driving cars could very well be the norm just a few short years from now.

Let’s continue the tradition into the next decade! Here are our 2020 Technology Predictions:

Ransomware Won’t Quit

Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or malware, that was designed to deny access to a computer system or data until a ransom is paid. It typically spreads through phishing emails or by unknowingly visiting an infected website. 

Ransomware can devastate a business or organization, including government agencies. Anyone who has valuable information stored on their computer or network is at risk. Recovering lost data can be a challenging process that will require the service and assistance of a data recovery specialist. Even if the ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that individuals will recover all their files. 

Ransomware will continue its rapid growth with no end in sight. Therefore, it is essential to be cautious and to take preventative steps to ensure you’re not held captive by a hacker’s ransom. Ensure that your data is backed up and secure. Educate your self and employees on how to spot phishing scams. Know that you can’t be overly cautious about clicking on links or opening attachments in emails. If you’re not sure, call the person who purportedly sent the email.

For the perpetrators, the punishment (which rarely occurs) doesn’t fit the crime, so there is nothing that is slowing down or stopping criminals from continuing these campaigns.

• Want to know more about other preventative measures that you can take, check out this article by Norton. 

Cloud Computing: Living on the Edge

Cloud computing has been around for approximately thirteen years. It is the delivery of computing services – including servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence – over the Internet (aka “the cloud”) to offer faster innovation, flexible resources, and economies of scales.

There are many benefits in incorporating cloud computing to your business or organization.  These benefits include:

• Cost – Cloud computing removes the expense of purchasing hardware and software, the cost to set up the equipment, and running on-site data centers.
  
• Global Scale – It allows the ability to scale elastically, meaning it can deliver the right amount of IT resources such as storage and bandwidth right when it’s needed from the right geographic location.
• Performance – Large-scaled cloud computing services run on a worldwide network of secure datacenters that are regularly upgraded to the latest generation of fast and efficient computing hardware. 
• Security – Cloud providers offer a broad set of policies, technologies, and controls that strengthen the overall security posture for any individual, business, or organization. It helps to protect one’s data, apps, and infrastructure from threats.
• Speed – Most, if not all, cloud computing services provide self-service on demand; therefore, even vast amounts of computing resources can be provisioned in minutes.
• Productivity – Cloud computing removes the need for “racking and stacking”, which another name for hardware setup, software patching, and other time-consuming IT tasks. 
• Reliability – Cloud computing makes data backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity easier and less expensive since data can easily be mirrored at multiple redundant sites on the cloud provider’s network.

One of the top emerging technologies that is starting to take shape as a result of cloud computing is being called “edge computing”. It effectively brings the computer resources closer to the source. This new technology will be necessary as we move forward with IOT, smart devices and cars. Some technology simply needs faster communication, and “edge computing” is one way in which that goal can be accomplished.

• To read more on cloud computing, click here. To read more on edge computing, click here.

Virtual Reality Goes Mainstream

Virtual reality is not new. If you haven’t tried the consumer products that Oculus, Samsung or Sony PlayStation is putting out, you will be blown away. I can see this type of experience being utilized in classroom education, on the job training, sales improvements, public safety, tourism…the list goes on and on.

• To get a more in-depth understanding of virtual reality, check this article out.

We’re excited to see what the next decade holds! We’ll see you back here next year to see how much we got right this time around. If you want to see how we fared last year, check out our 2019 Tech Predictions.

The post Technology Predictions for 2020 appeared first on Nexxtep Technology Services.

We know you have a million things on your plate, and that you have to prioritize those things. Whether it’s closing out month-end, saving a critical client relationship, preparing for a big case, etc. The list goes on. It doesn’t end.

We know.

But friends, cybersecurity can’t be at the bottom of your list for one more day.

You don’t think cyber attacks are a threat? Take a look at these statistics:

• Half of all cyber attacks are targeted at small and mid-sized businesses.
• 60% of small businesses fold within 6 months of a cyber attack.
• Cybercrime will cost the world $6 trillion by 2021
• The average cost of a data breach (just one data breach) is $3.6 million.

There is a silent war waging, and your business is a target. We are not exaggerating. 

Here’s what you need to do:

• Educate your employees on what to look for in terms of phishing scams and other cybersecurity threats. (We offer these services, which even include certifications, to your employees).
• Implement the latest technical security including firewall, antivirus and spam filtering.
• Use managed security services that uses artificial intelligence to proactively identify and respond to threats.
• Implement multi-factor authentication for all employees.

If you are a Nexxtep partner, and you’re not sure you’re doing everything you can to protect your business from cybercrime, contact us today. If you’re not a partner but want to learn more about securing your business, book some time with us to chat.

The post We Need to Talk About Cybersecurity. Today. appeared first on Nexxtep Technology Services.

First: let’s define Managed Services Provider (MSP). It’s a common acronym used in our industry, but most business owners aren’t familiar with this terminology. A managed services provider is a technology (IT) services provider that manages and assumes responsibility for providing a defined set of services to its clients. Managed Services Providers often act as the IT department for businesses who do not have their own IT department or IT staff, or they complement a business’s existing IT staff.

Now let’s discuss these 5 factors to consider when choosing a managed IT services provider:

• • Do their services and partnered solutions fit your needs?
  • Experience with past clients in similar industry
  • Expertise in applications
  • Technical support ability
  • Culture and people running the MSP

Do Their Services and Partnered Solutions Fit Your Needs?

First you must assess the structure and systems in place already, then ask: what do we need to improve? Where do we have inefficiencies? Where are we most at risk? There are endless solutions available, and it’s difficult to determine the best fits when you don’t know where to start.

For instance, is your business running an outdated accounting system? Are you doing things with pen and paper that should be digitized? Are you entering the same data into multiple programs?

If you’re not sure where to start, no worries. Many MSPs will offer a technology auditing service to help you take stock of your current situation, identify risks and opportunities, and give you a path forward.

The point here is to examine what you have, what you want/need, and what the MSP has in the form of services and partnered solutions. This is an important part of the evaluation period, which you’ll have with the MSP’s consultants. All questions should be exhausted until you understand whether or not they offer the specific solutions your unique business needs.

Experience With Past Clients in Similar Industry

This is a very important consideration to make when choosing an MSP. Examining their past and current clients in similar industries as yours gives you a good estimate of their capabilities. What do their testimonials and reviews say? Is there a list of past projects and clients on their website? Do they offer a list of references whom you can contact? Can they discuss freely a past client they’ve helped similar to your situation?

From this research, a business will start to understand if this is the right MSP for them. Not every MSP is the same. For instance, some may be more geared toward helping the healthcare industry and not retail. Others may be less expensive, but have a small or inexperienced staff.

Expertise in Applications and Partnered Solutions

OK, so they’re offering some great sounding solutions, but what level of expertise do they have with these applications and partners? Are they an Amazon Web Services certified partner for instance, and what other certifications and qualifications can they show you?

When trying to gauge this criteria, take a look at the personnel working at the MSP. After looking at the expertise and experience of each employee, partner, and founder – gauge the company holistically, to measure what their weaknesses and strengths are.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions to gain further insight into this important factor to consider. An MSP is only as good as the people who are working in it.

Technical Support Ability

Many times technical support issues are what drive businesses to a new MSP in the first place. The headaches of downtime, coupled with security threats and slow response from existing support, make outsourcing the IT department and gaining cloud computing capabilities very alluring. Thus, businesses are laboriously searching around seeking the right provider for them.

Check out the MSP’s technical support promises and options within their services. For example, do they offer a guaranteed response time for service requests? Do they rank customer satisfaction through continuous surveys? How do they cover after hours support? Are they available to handle emergency requests 24/7/365?

Then check out what past clients say about them, concerning their technical support abilities.  Ask them direct questions about how they plan to provide technical support and the price structure around it. This should give you a good picture of what sort of MSP you’re choosing.

Culture and People Running the MSP

This is the last factor to consider, but not the least important. Think of this as if you’re hiring a person to work for your business in-house, because this is the type of working relationship you’ll want to have. What is the culture like in their office? Are they located close to you geographically? Are the employees able to relate to clients without talking down to them or using “Geek Speak?”

After researching the first 4 factors to consider, this one will naturally be apparent. Don’t disregard a negative feeling you may have when dealing with certain candidates, and make sure to talk with more than one person to begin with. Ask to meet some of the support engineers you will be working with on a regular basis. Although you might be meeting with the owners and sales reps to begin with, the day-to-day relationship you will have will be with the MSP’s support staff. You want to choose a MSP with employees (not just owners) that truly care about your business’s issues and success, and will hold up their end of the bargain.

Conclusion

When choosing an MSP, considering these 5 factors will help ensure a good fit for your business. Remember, not all MSPs are the same, and you should heavily vet them to find one that speaks your language and connects with your ideals. This way when problem-solving occurs, a profitable relationship will be formed. This relationship should have mutual respect and consideration for the success of both.

The post 5 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Managed Services Provider appeared first on Nexxtep Technology Services.

This proactive approach represents a radical break from traditional perception. Regardless of size, every business needs a technology plan. This article will help you understand why, before getting into the details on exactly how you can build such a plan to maximize potential and growth opportunities.

Why Does Your Business Need a Technology Plan?

No modern business operates without technology. Whether your field service workers need a smartphone to communicate during appointments or your office workers use accounting software to make accurate calculations, technology has become ubiquitous across situations. As Forbes put it a few months ago, “Every business is now a technology business.”

A thorough strategy helps to guide you through any needs that come with that technology. More specifically, the right plan can accomplish a variety of goals for your business:

• Anticipate and plan for potential growth.
• Forecast future IT needs that come with that growth.
• Mitigate the risks that come from data breaches and cybersecurity threats.
• Better allocate your budget by removing unnecessary technology spend and prioritize areas that accomplish strategic goals.

Take that third reason as an example. Data breaches are all too common in today’s business environment. According to one survey, more than half of small businesses report having experienced a cyber attack in the past 12 months. That number only rises for larger businesses holding larger volumes of more sensitive data. A technology plan can help you better prepare for and defend against such attacks.

7 Steps to Create a Technology Plan

The why is clear, so let’s focus on the how. Knowing that you need a plan doesn’t help much if you don’t know how to accomplish that feat. Consider these 7 steps to create a technology plan designed to protect and propel your business into the future.

1) Get the Right People Involved

Building a technology plan makes little sense if it’s not organized by the right people. On the other side of the coin, the best plans are built when the people with the highest stakes and knowledge involved have a part in it.

That’s why the first step needs to revolve around getting the right members of your business involved. You need a variety of viewpoints represented in the process:

• Leaders who understand the business at its deepest level, including the goals and plan to reach those larger goals.
• IT professionals who understand the technology involved, its impact on the business, and the greater industry standards and developments for potential future initiatives.
• Operations professionals who have a close understanding of the daily tasks involved in running the organization.
• End users of the technology who can provide an outside perspective of current platforms and potential improvement opportunities.

Each of them might have different roles in the process. They all should be involved to make sure that their perspective is heard and, when deemed relevant, acted upon.

2) Build Objectives that Match Your Business Goals

With the right people at the table, it’s time to start building the plan itself. That begins with a summary of the plan itself, along with overarching objectives that describe what you’re setting out to accomplish.

Don’t get too specific at this point. Instead, focus on the overarching vision for the plan itself. It can be a draft document for now; ideally, you can revisit this document throughout the planning process and one final time once the rest of the plan is built to make sure everything you’re doing leads back to these core objectives.

Integration with your business goals is absolutely crucial at this stage. Your technology plan has to make sense not just for the platforms involved, but your business vision and strategy as a whole. Ideally, each of your objectives should match directly to one of your larger business goals.

3) Perform a Technology Needs Assessment

Once your overarching objectives are in place, it’s time to get specific. The next step involves an exact technology needs assessment, a systematic review of what types of tech your business needs to accomplish its goals now and in the future.

That assessment should have a number of components:

1. An overview of existing technology, typically accomplished through a technology audit, to set the baseline.
2. An estimate of immediate needs on an operational level: what barriers do your teams currently have that could be solved with technology?
3. A forecast of potential future needs, based on industry trends and competitor activity.
4. A comprehensive summary that finds gap between current environment and both present and future needs.

Done right, this needs assessment allows you to further break down exactly what your technology plan needs to accomplish. It also leads right into the next steps of breaking down those needs into achievable goals

4) Specify SMART Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

No strategy, technology or otherwise, can be complete without goals. They anchor your document, connecting the larger objectives and needs directly to a plan of execution that helps you accomplish them. The best goals are SMART:

• Specific, allowing even people who weren’t involved in the process to easily understand and process them
• Measurable, allowing you to track progress to goal and success (or failure) of your plan as a whole.
• Attainable, realistic for your company’s budget, human resources, and company attention.
• Relevant, especially as it connects to both your overarching objective and the larger business goals your plan is connected to.
• Time-bound, with a specific horizon in which the goal needs to be achieved an a good reason why.

Each goal should have every one of those characteristics. It also makes sense to spread out your goals: establish some short-term needs with a shorter horizon, as well as more ambitious long-term goals designed to keep your entire business striving towards a more positive future of business growth.

5) Establish Resource Requirement to Meet these Goals

With your goals in place, it’s time to start planning the resources you have available to meet these goals. Here, a thorough technology plan doesn’t just estimate a dollar amount. Instead, it breaks down each of the resources needed, from human to budgetary, for each goals.

Your plan should identify these resources as specifically as possible, knowing of course that most of them will still be estimates. At the same time, it also makes sense to include various tiers that helps anyone reading the plan understand the nuances: full goal attainment is possible with a specific amount, whereas a lower amount (perhaps 75%) should get you close but not quite there.

Done right, your technology plan can function as a budget request for executive leadership. If the resource requirements are laid out specifically, and connect directly with the why of the plan and its close connection to business objectives, you can make a strong case for getting the budget you need to move forward.

6) Build a Road Map of Implementation

Next comes the final step before the plan goes into action. Businesses that successfully implement their technology plans do so because they know exactly what they’re doing, and have known for a while. That’s because part of the plan itself is a road map that lays out exactly what should be done, and when.

This road map is hypothetical. It includes general timelines for phasing out old technology, implementing new platforms, and training employees to function well in the changing environment. Laid out as a Gantt chart or other visual, it’s easy to follow for both internal and external stakeholders who need to review the plan at various points.

7) Implement Your Plan with Regular Checkpoints

Finally, it’s time for implementation. It’s important to consider this step as part of the plan itself; after all, a strategy means little if it never sees the light of day. Implementation means following the road map you built, as well as possible, to meet your objectives with the resources you have been provided.

Regular benchmarks are important in this process. They allow you to make sure you remain on track with your various goals. Because they’re measurable and time-bound, you can easily relate to whether or not your implementation is going well. Many businesses integrate a quarterly check-in to evaluate their progress and estimate where improvements still need made.

Of course, each of these steps can take significant time. It’s not uncommon for months to pass between gathering a strategic team and actually implementing the outcomes of that initial conceptualizing. That effort, however, is well worth it.

Building a strategy this comprehensively allows you to account for not just current expectations but future needs, as well. It turns your IT operations into a proactive, strategic part of the business that plays a vital role in its growth and success. From mitigating cybersecurity risks to allowing you to better allocate your budget, it’s a must-have for small and large businesses alike.

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Quantum Computing

Quantum Computing is a complex concept. Here’s a good explanation if you want some background. Quantum computing will allow us to make infinitely faster calculations and predictions, invent new medicines and materials, protect data, and predict weather events farther in advance.

Blockchain

Blockchain technology created the backbone for a newer, decentralized internet that is being used today for Bitcoin. In the future, Blockchain could be used for everything from financial transactions to file storage to supply chain auditing. Further reading on Blockchain here.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. AI is possible because systems can now process huge amounts of data. For more info, we wrote about AI a few months ago in this post.

The future is coming whether we’re ready or not. The good news is that even though automation and technologies like the ones I mentioned above are projected to displace 75 million jobs by 2022, 133 million jobs are expected to be created (Source: World Economic Forum).

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You can read the article we referenced here.

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