RiverTrail Technology Blog

Small businesses regularly invest thousands of dollars into sophisticated digital defenses—centrally managed firewalls, enterprise email filters, and endpoint software protection—to keep hackers out of their networks. The problem is, many of those same organizations leave their physical network hardware completely exposed. It is common to find main network switches sitting on open shelves in shared spaces like copy rooms, or located in server closets that are left completely unlocked.

Every technology provider has a list of core values on their website. They use words like efficiency, innovation, and speed. And while we use these outcomes as much as anyone, we want to be completely candid about the ultimate boundary line in modern IT. Today, there’s a constant tug-of-war between security and convenience.

Business owners frequently ask about the cost difference between managed IT services and the traditional repair model. Looking at a flat monthly service plan next to a bill from a technician who only comes out when things break can make proactive management look expensive. However, evaluating these two options requires looking at the actual impact on your daily business operations.

How many vendors and subscriptions does your business rely on to function day to day?

Now ask a second question that should have the exact same answer but rarely does: How many vendors and subscriptions does your business currently pay for?

Historically, how have you invested in your business technology? Do your purchases tend to follow hardware failures and other issues, or do you plan ahead and have a replacement on hand before an old option is retired? The former is reactive, which means that there are likely to be redundant costs and inconsistencies in your systems.

To succeed, you need a strategy to keep your hardware optimized for your needs.