No matter the reason for your company moving from one location to another, the entire process can seem rather overwhelming. As with a residential move, the sheer amount of “stuff” which has been accumulated over the years generally takes office managers off guard, and the logistics of moving everyone and everything – on time and on budget – may seem to stressful to contemplate.
However, businesses in 2019 who are facing office relocation have the added challenge of not disrupting their online presence, order processing, and telephone systems. The key to a successful move of your IT and communications departments is likely a partnership with a managed services firm who can help you to make sure every base is covered.
Office Relocation in 2019
Just a decade or so ago, moving an office was likely to include setting aside a weekend and summoning every employee for “all hands on deck”. You would then unplug, move and reconnect your technology as quickly as possible. But the cloud solutions, managed services, and server virtualization capability which are becoming the standard in many workplaces are also revolutionizing office relocation. Whether you are moving because of an emergency or disaster situation, or the move is planned, having these services in place beforehand can significantly reduce your stress levels.
Let’s take a few moments to define each of these services:
Cloud Computing: “The cloud” refers to the on demand availability of computer and IT system resources, especially data storage and computing power. Cloud services are delivered from data centers which are available to many users over the Internet, generally without direct active management by the end user. Large clouds most often have distributed functions over multiple locations from central servers. Examples of cloud computing are Google apps and email programs, which reside offsite and not on your organization’s hardware.
Server Virtualization: Server virtualization represents the conversion of one physical server into several compartmentalized “virtual servers” which can be utilized by multiple users on disparate operating systems. While traditionally a single server would have performed a single function, virtualization software now allows servers to achieve maximum productivity by running several operations simultaneously from the same piece of hardware. The ability to easily mirror a server on a different virtual server – without expensive hardware investment or costly time resource – allows for much more reliable uptime.
Managed Services: Managed services represent the opportunity for organizations to proactively outsource IT and communication processes and functions; in order to improve operations and cut expenses. Under a retainer-pay model, the client and the managed services provider (MSP) are bound by a contractual, service-level agreement that states the performance and quality metrics of their relationship. Essentially, all of your operations are running from the MSP, who is responsible for maintaining hardware, communications, and downtime. This solution allows individual organizations to offload the day-to-day headaches of hardware maintenance, obsolescence issues, software upgrades, and exorbitant hardware and software replacement needs.
Each of these IT structures guarantee that when you plan your office relocation, you do not have to worry about your network or service to your customers going down. When working with Alliance IT, you simply plan your move with us. We will ensure that your calls are forwarded, your employees can work remotely, and your clients will experience no disruption of service.
Then it is simply up to you to pack boxes and move into your new space. When everything is reconnected locally, we will turn the communications back to your new location. Whether during a move or in the process of everyday operations, utilizing managed services from Alliance IT will make sure your stress level remains low.
