Your IT systems are critical to the operation of your business and it’s therefore equally important that you budget to properly maintain and improve these systems. Following is a summary of what should be considered essential expenditure for your IT as part of your annual budget:
IT SUPPORT:
Your IT department, or otherwise your IT support company, as well as your regular IT backup
COMMUNICATION LINES:
All forms of communication fall in this category, including all telephone lines, internet connections, mobile service provider/s, analogue lines, ISDN & ASDL lines and all call costs
SOFTWARE LICENSING:
Your software will for the most part, need renewing on an annual basis, if not more regularly. It is essential that you consider all your software requirements, including your operational and financial packages, such as Sage, Trend Micro, SSL Certificates, VMWare Support and Microsoft/ Google licensing.
THIRD PARTY PROVIDERS:
These are all the external service providers that provide, amongst other things, your website domain provider, Cloud service provider, Message Labs, etc.
HARDWARE:
It can be an extremely expensive undertaking to replace outdated hardware all at the same time. Think about staggering the replacement of obsolete equipment, for example: if your business has 30 PC’s, replace 10 this year, 10 next year and the final 10 the year after that, if possible. Hardware includes all your PC’s, laptops, tablets, servers, smartphones, as well as the spare parts needed to keep them operational.
Please note that working out your hardware requirements can be an exercise on its own, as you have to take into account PC’s, switches, routers, servers, etc, which all have variable lifespans. Contact EC-MSP if you need a hand working it out.
EXTENDED WARRANTIES:
Warranties are essential for the smooth running of your business and should not be left to expire without the appropriate cover being replaced. HP, Cisco and Dell all provide warranties for their equipment that should be maintained in case of emergency.
MAINTENANCE AND PROPOSED WORKS:
You should be setting aside funds for routine annual system maintenance and/ or upgrades to ensure your systems remain operating in peak condition. This should part of your contract with your IT support provider and should include the air conditioning system for your servers, or IT room.
Download our IT Budget Template:
Simply fill out the form below and you’ll be directed directly to the template.
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