What Tech Should Your Business Be Upgrading This Year?
The modern world is filled with technology. The right tools can help to make a business much more competitive, and in some cases make the difference between viability and non-viability. In recent decades, we’ve seen entire industries emerge from the advent of the modern internet – and often, small gains have been made possible by technology in less conspicuous places.
If you’re looking to get the best from your SME, then the investment in the right equipment and technology might help to provide you with the required edge. But exactly which investments are worthwhile?
Rethink your broadband infrastructure
A reliable internet connection is essential. If your customers experience a delay because your internet has dropped out, or your office loses its connection to a remote storage server, then the result may be a loss of productivity, frustration, and a poor reputation.
Make sure that your existing internet provider is fit for purpose, and investigate the low-cost, high-speed options available to you. The best broadband for business is often the one that’s rock-solid, rather than the one that has the highest download speed.
Invest in cyber security upgrades
If your business works through the internet, then it’s vulnerable to cybercrime. According to recent statistics from the latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey, around four in ten businesses have suffered a breach in the twelve-month period in question. Precautions are therefore warranted.
These precautions might take the form of firewalls, password managers, software updates, and staff training. What matters is that you periodically review your own systems, and probe them for vulnerabilities. This is where the assistance of a specialist outside firm can make a big difference – although there are free resources available, too.
Improve your video and collaboration tools
If you want to collaborate remotely, then you’ll need to be able to talk to your colleagues via several different channels. Where important topics need to be discussed in detail, a video-conferencing platform might be ideal. When you need an asynchronous way to coordinate colleagues in different time zones, email, and platforms like Slack and Trello can be effective.
Upgrade your hardware sensibly
If your team is having to make do with old, unreliable hardware, then you might enjoy significant productivity gains by simply swapping it out for something more current. Think about where your money will yield the biggest performance uptick. If your staff are having to peer at dim, outdated monitors, then investing in something large and bright might be worthwhile.
In some cases, software changes might necessitate a change in hardware. For example, Windows 10 will no longer be supported on October 14, 2025 – and so many firms might seek to upgrade, or to switch to another OS, like Linux.
Automate repetitive tasks
Certain administrative tasks can be safely automated, leaving human beings free to focus their efforts on creative problem-solving. For example, you might use a service like Chat GPT to devise a script that will rename documents according to your preferred conventions.
In Conclusion
Investing in the right tech doesn’t have to be hugely costly. What matters is that you focus your spending where it will produce the best result. Often, this means reviewing your performance, and consulting with the employees who actually interact with your systems. It might be that they can provide valuable insights into where changes are warranted.
