Information Technology

There are a few basic things that most big businesses do and most Small Businesses don't. While there are myriad business structures that are simply inappropriate for small business, the IT Infrastructure Core is not one you can afford to forgo. Establishing a sound IT Infrastructure Core will help you be more scalable and responsive. It will add to your professional, trustworthy image, and it will help protect your digital assets.

Waht do I mean by an IT Infrastructure Core? The IT Infrastructure Core is the center of your business network. It is the basic, must have components that separate ad-hoc, un-controlled, expensive networks from the smooth running, secure, profit generating networks that allow big businesses to compete on cost and convenience.

A sound business network has at least one server. Why do you need a server? Serer's offer rel.iability and control. Server's allow you to take all that information distrubuted across all the computers in your organization and put it one place. Servers allow you to both share and protect your critical information at the same time. What happens when a sales person's computer dies the morning before a presentation? If you're like most companies, everyone panics as you scramble first to fix the broken computer, then to rebuild the presentation from memory and notes. What if you didn't have to scramble? What if you could simply hand your salesperson another computer and send him on his way, with all of his information already on it? What if your accountant's computer crashes? Do you have all the information backed-up? How long will it be until she can work again? With a properly structured network core you're protected against this kind of worst-case scenario.

Business networks also have a firewall and some form of VPN authentication. What about security? Are your customer records protected? Do you know who can actually get to them, or are you forced to trust people to be honest. This is where servers, firewalls, and secure networks come to the rescue. Did you know that mosst wireless networks are completely open. If you have a wireless network in your office and it's not configured properly, someone could be eve's dropping on your digital conversations. Worse, they could be browsing your network, viewing and perhaps even changing sensitive information without you even knowing about it. While we all want to believe the best in others, the reality is that not everyone out there is honest. By controlling access to your netwokr, and the data that moves over it, you protect yourself from both intentional and accidental damage.

Many of the componentsthat make up your IT Infrastructre Core require extra equipment and time to install and manage. They also provide convenience and paeace of mind. The same technologies that can help secure your wireless netowrk can be leveraged to help you and your employeees work securely from and the road.An associate of mine likes to talk about the lawyer with dreams of working on his laptop while sipping Mai Ties on the lanie while vacationing in Hawaii. This dream can be a reality with the right attention given to your IT Infrastructure Core.