Pillars of Technology
What you build your business on is extremely important. Even in ancient times, architects and builders knew this. With their knowledge and trial and error, they developed pillars. These pillars held the roof and supported structures that stand the test of time. If you are a traveler or heck, even watch TV, you will see ancient ruins in which the columns are the part of the structure that are still standing!
Are you building your business on such pillars? or is it more of a house of cards, or build on a sand foundation with concepts that shift and change and are unable to hold the weight of your business?
SoHo Integration believes that these Pillars are constant. They don’t change – the methods behind them may, but the concepts and structure are the same. They are what makes a business strong and adaptable. They are what allows a business to grow and stand the test of time. Today’s news and ‘hot tech news’ love to throw the word ‘scale’ about – and with these columns you will be able to scale. And know that you are on strong footing.
Reliability
The systems must be available when needed. Whether it is from 8-5 or 24 hours a day 7 days a week, the system must be designed with that in mind. The system must be built using proven technologies. This encompasses the software, hardware, wiring.
Data Organization
A businesses data and data flow must be reviewed and taken into consideration. Data storage design relies on knowing this information – whether the data needs to be faster, more redundant, in the cloud (if people access it more remotely than locally), or distributed (for branch offices). The data storage piece isn’t even the only component here, the actual creation of the folder and shared folder hierarchy is critical to ease of use and keeping your data secure.
Data Insurance
This isn’t a policy that your insurance company can provide (though they are beginning to sell policies that cover data loss and I’m not sure how they calculate the value of your data). Data Insurance in this respect is about protecting your important data from loss, theft, and corruption. Using the Data Organization structure that we reviewed with the client, we know exactly where data is, frequency of use and importance (among other aspects). This information is crucial – we now know where all information is to make sure it is backed up local an off-site. Securely. It makes it much easier for both the client and us to sleep better at night.
Connectivity
Today’s businesses are (or need to be) much more dynamic than the past. Data is growing, people aren’t always stuck in a cubicle. The data must be accessible in a manner that meets the needs of the business. Whether it is just locked down to local office access, or if it is accessible remotely via tablet or phone – Connectivity is crucial. It is also however a gaping hole in the armor of your business. It is the double edge sword if not implemented correctly and monitored.
Housekeeping
Housekeeping involves the day to day maintenance of these systems. We don’t stop with just putting these Pillars into place – we monitor them. We manage them. We maintain them so that they continue to be reliable and provide for you what they are intended to provide.
(Continued) Evaluation
These Pillars are not stagnant in any business. The market changes, the needs change, the pillars are always moving to support the growth of your business. If they don’t change the business can topple. Additionally, if they aren’t maintained and monitored, the pillars crumble – and the system put into place two years ago begins to show signs of wear and fails. We are your CTO’s. We work with you to understand your business needs and growth rate to ensure that these Pillars remain Pillars – and not rubble underneath your team. We are only as strong as our weakest link.
* You will notice that ‘Security’ isn’t listed – in fact, most other technology consulting companies have started listing it as the #1 item… I too consider it the most important, but I also consider it a side effect of properly implementing and maintaining the 6 pillars. Without a correct implementation of the 6 pillars you will not be able to have a secure network. Therefore Security cannot stand on its own, it is tightly integrated into all of the pillars.