Data protection involves more than simply having a backup of essential information to recover from a catastrophe. To gain the most benefit from managed IT services, businesses must use an approach that caters equally to security and productivity in different ways. While there is plenty of emphasis on what data services to employ, businesses must also consider the hidden mistakes that could unknowingly undermine those efforts.
Considering this, companies must be sure to avoid these 5 common issues that could create inefficiencies that reduce security, productivity, and an overall return on the investment made in managed services.
1. Don’t Hamper Productivity
Businesses are generating data and utilizing more technology at incredible rates today. This leaves companies with mountains of information that must be managed so it is secure yet also accessible. Managing this data frequently uses up much more time than it needs to while reducing overall employee productivity.
To alleviate the problem of inefficient information management, companies need to choose data services that integrate well while providing the best solutions for deployment and information management. Integrated purpose-built backup appliances (PBBAs) solve many productivity issues, resulting in reduced operational expenses.
2. Don’t Ignore Application Integration
Another pitfall that may go undetected, affecting data security and company productivity as it does, is a lack of application integration. When applications do not integrate well with security software, everything is left at risk. It is essential that businesses work with managed IT services that make use of security applications that can actually integrate with work applications to provide necessary protection.
3. Don’t Consider All Data to Be Equal
All information is important to business operations and must be protected; however, some of that information will always be more valuable than the rest. Rather than trying to protect all data equally and leave some data underprotected, it is essential to work with data services in developing a strategy for categorizing and prioritizing information, then protecting it as needed.
4. Don’t Pay Unwarranted Fees
In an effort to protect backed up data, many companies pay unnecessary, extra licensing fees. Avoid this issue by prioritizing information as mentioned above, then only duplicate the most critical information for storage in multiple locations. In addition, work with managed IT services that provide licensing based on front-end capacity, then make sure that separate hardware and software licensing is obtained.
5. Don’t Stay Static
Above all, when planning an effective system for data management and protection, it is essential that companies learn to adapt. Technology, security risks, and business demands are constantly changing. This means companies must continually account for all this change and do it using a proactive strategy. Remaining static with the same strategy year after year almost guarantees operational concerns that can greatly reduce productivity and security.
Companies seeking the most effective solutions for their data services need to address multiple ideas at once to keep information safe, secure, and accessible. Overall productivity and operational cost control demand the creation of strategies that deal with obvious information concerns, as well as the not-so-obvious. Developed with the assistance of an experienced managed IT services provider, these strategies offer high levels of protection on all accounts, minus the common mistakes that can inhibit these efforts!
