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Hello Friend,
We have seen an increase in office relocations over the past few months, so we thought would share some tips for anyone considering a move in the near future. Sometimes, a new space can be refreshing for your staff, but the actual moving process is always daunting, especially for your IT infrastructure. It’s more than just plugging in a router and some computers; a new space presents new challenges. However, when you meticulously plan and rely on IT support, the moving process doesn’t have to be so stressful.
In this newsletter, we also give you advice on how to select new smart home technology and why to look out for the new U.S. Cyber Trust Mark..
Moving Offices?
Moving to a new location is exciting and new surroundings can be invigorating for your team. However, it’s not as simple as making sure the desks and office chairs get loaded and unloaded from the truck. Relocating your entire IT infrastructure while minimizing downtime can be tricky.
Take these six tips into consideration to ensure a smooth transition to your new office space:
Before you sign on the dotted line, evaluate your connectivity needs. It's vital to know if your area and internet service provider can provide the necessary bandwidth and provide reliability (coax/fiber/etc). We also recommend keeping the existing ISP service in place at the existing office until after the move. There are too many unforeseen issues that can arise and having the redundancy for a month can be very beneficial. Now is the time to also get multiple quotes from different vendors.
Create a detailed floor plan and wiring diagram. Account for all cabling drops that will be needed such as printers, wireless access points, smart TVs, etc.. It allows your team to plan a well-designed network layout.
Moving provides an opportunity to ditch your old phones and upgrade to a VoIP (voice over internet protocol) system. VoIP offers your team more flexibility and scalability and enhances collaboration.
Before you move, audit and upgrade your equipment where necessary. We suggest you replace anything that’s no longer efficient or compatible with modern systems.
One of the last things to do before you move is back up any data on systems that are not part of the daily backup process. While any critical data should always be backed up, there are occasions where users store data locally in folders that are not backed up. Transporting computer equipment can be dangerous with items stolen or damaged during the move. You should also make sure the data is encrypted while in transit. You want to preserve any critical data in case an issue arises during the transition.
Lastly, communicate with your team and vendors about the move timelines, how their new workstations will be set up, and any changes to your IT infrastructure.
Relocating an office is a significant task, but your partner at OrlanTech can help with your move, whether it’s through our expert support or information shared on our blog below.
Everything You Need to Know About the Cyber Trust Mark
The FCC has created the Cyber Trust Mark, which is a similar concept to the Energy Star Mark. The mark’s job is to ensure customers that the device they are using follows strict cybersecurity guidelines.
You may see this mark on internet of things (IoT) devices like your smart lock, smart home speaker (Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple HomePod), or any other internet-connected smart device.
