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A New Year's IT Resolution Checklist for Your Business

This article originally appeared on JNTTek.com

The New Year is a time for celebration. It's an acknowledgment of where we've been, and what's next to come — something new around the corner. The great, big, beautiful unknown. Uncertainty can be a wonderful thing; exciting, even. Just think, it's the crux of every great movie. But when it comes to the health of your business' technology, you don't want uncertainty. You don't want the unknown. You want confidence, peace of mind, and security.

You want JNT TEK.

One of the ideas we live by is that information technology isn't one size fits all. Every business has its own unique computing needs. It's why we work so closely with our clients to design and implement solutions that fit their individual needs and goals — what they see for themselves in the coming New Year.

To identify these needs, it's often helpful to ask yourself a few questions about your organization's present IT strategy. Don't have an IT strategy? There is no better time than now to develop one.

To get you started, here's a New Year's IT resolution checklist for your business.

1. Establish a company password policy. Is it up to standards?

One of the biggest priorities of any business must be security, and one of the most crucial elements of that is developing an effective password policy. Your data is the beating heart of your company, and the best way to safeguard it is to start internally. By developing password policies that are human-friendly first, a business can empower its employees to craft passwords that will stand up to even the most stubborn hackers. Security will naturally follow.

2. Create onboarding and offboarding policies and workflows for employees. Is this process efficient?

Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. Say the word too many times, and it starts to lose meaning… but it is oh-so important. Onboarding and offboarding employees are two areas where companies often drag their feet. If the onboarding process takes too long, you might lose weeks of your new employee's potential. You hired them for a reason, so it's in your best interests to get them up to speed as quickly as possible. On the flipside, prolonged offboarding for an employee who is no longer with your company potentially opens you up to security breaches and lost data.

3. Review server hardware and software. Are you running Windows Server 2008?

In the software world, everything has a life cycle. When a piece of software reaches end of life, the developer stops releasing updates and security patches for it, which will leave your business vulnerable to hackers. Such is the case with Windows Server 2008, which will achieve end of life in 2020. If you're still running Windows Server 2008 software, it's important you make a plan to upgrade to the latest version to make sure you have all of the latest security updates.

4. Check internet bills to see if there is a better deal. Am I paying too much?

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who enjoys paying more than they should. One of the best ways to run a lean business is to check your company's utility bills. Don't pay too much for your internet when there are better options out there.

5. Check vendor contracts. Are they up to date?

Things change. Tech needs shift. Take a look at your vendor contracts and make sure the services you're paying for are aligned with your company's goals. Get a headstart on your 2019 success with this important check.

6. Inventory workstations. Are they the right specs for my team?

We'd like to welcome our old friend Efficiency back to the article. One of the biggest issues that companies with large inventories face is outdated workstations. Not only is this frustrating for the workers who use them, which is bad for employee morale, but it can also hamper productivity. One of the easiest ways to empower excellence is to make sure the systems your workers use every day are right for the job. Have you checked their specs lately?

7. Develop IT Lifecycle Management Strategy. What's my plan?

Is a service contract out of date? Is your operating system reaching end of life? If you don't know the answers to these questions, you risk a lapse in technology, which would prove to be a major setback for your company. Keeping on top of your IT assets with a robust lifecycle management strategy will mean you never miss a step.

8. Design a disaster recovery plan. What happens to my data if the worst should happen?

It's the phone call no business owner wants to get. Catastrophe has struck. A giant Kaiju monster has attacked the city block your company is located on, and now a Chevy Impala is embedded in your 5th-floor server room. What's a CEO to do? Short of an acquiring a time machine: plan ahead for disaster, and make sure your business data is backed up to the cloud. When it comes to the beating heart of your company, data redundancy is a good thing.

9. Confirm software needs. Am I over/under-licensed?

Perhaps your company recently went through a shift, or a merger, and you know have a whole new set of employees with software needs. If you're over-licensed, you're going to be spending more money than you need. If you're under-licensed, you risk productivity by having employees who can't access the systems they need to do their jobs.

10. Mobile Device Management. How do I manage my data in a mobile world?

For the businessperson on the go, mobile devices were a revelation. With the whole world in the palm of their hands, workers are able to stay on top of projects even when they aren't in the office. The downside is that all of your company's internal information could be accidentally left behind in a coffee shop on Sunset Boulevard. Smart Mobile Device Management means taking a holistic approach to data security, to make sure your data never falls into the wrong hands.

So there you have it: Your New Year's Resolution IT Checklist. Get 2019 off to a great start: call JNT TEK and we will help you develop an IT development strategy for a prosperous new year!

We want to wish everyone a Happy New Year for the entire JNT TEK Team! Thank you for being the best part of JNT TEK and we look forward to working with you in 2019!