What is an IT Infrastructure Assessment, and how do you do one?

As the world keeps moving faster, there will be a higher demand for your IT infrastructure in terms of speed, performance, security, reach and scale.

Besides the challenge of keeping up-to-date your technological assets, you also need to take into account that your users will be demanding a lot more from you. 

If you want to gain a solid competitive advantage with your IT infrastructure, your business must be able to deliver services fast and without interruptions. This is exactly why an IT infrastructure assessment is necessary if you want to be competitive.

With the help of an Infrastructure Assessment, you will be able to evaluate your IT environment. In other words, an assessment is a tool that increases the visibility and comprehension of your infrastructure. It additionally features holes in your current framework and gives an exact premise to arranging the infrastructure redesign or upgrade.

Besides, as outsourcing IT infrastructure is a complex process, using business, application, and infrastructure assessments is a key driver of success.

The following questions will help you get a better vision of where you are and where you want to be.

IT Infrastructure Assessment: Questions to include

1. Do you have any compliance concerns? 

When engaging with 3rd-party vendors, use a risk analysis checklist so you fully understand what security controls they are responsible for, and which you are responsible for. 

2. Do you have a tested disaster recovery plan in place? 

You need to decide how important down time is to your company. It’s one thing to say you have a disaster recovery plan and another to know that your plan works effectively when it’s really needed. 

3. How much of your infrastructure do you feel comfortable managing internally? 

It’s increasingly more expensive to hire top notch engineering or security resources needed for developing and implementing key strategies. Using managed services from a service provider is becoming a norm for companies of all sizes. Consider using a 3rd-party expert where it makes sense to get the most bang for your buck with your IT resources.

4. Do you need all locations to talk to each other? How is each location getting access to the Internet? 

Keep this in mind as you scale your network, solutions can get costly as your company grows or expands to new regions. Consider new technologies like SD-WAN as an alternative to traditional MPLS. 

5. Do you plan on opening or acquiring offices in remote locations? 

Do an initial discovery exercise to get an estimate of your connectivity costs before signing the lease for new office space. Your Internet solution can become very costly if construction is required, which could make that inexpensive building lease much less optimal. 

6. How are you managing security and network firewalls? Are your applications latency dependent? 

Consider the most effective design/delivery method for your network and security services. While you may normally purchase hardware, it may be more cost-efficient to let a vendor manage your network and security. 

7. Do you know when your existing contracts expire and if they have an auto-renew clause? 

It can be challenging to keep track of your contracts, especially as you grow, add new services and locations. The last thing you want to do is to get stuck in a contract for services that no longer meet your business needs.

Save money and time with the help of Experienced Tech Advisors

Remaining relevant to your customers is never an easy task. However, it is essential for the survival of your company in a world where everything moves so fast.

As the number of challenges in the IT world increases, you need the help of experts to help you save valuable time and resources when sourcing, negotiating, and managing services.

StrataCore will be your advocate to get you better results, vendors, and service solutions that meet your company’s business and technical needs.

Don’t hesitate and contact us.