The Best Internet Quote Ever
“Never before has so much technology and information been available to mankind.
Never before has mankind been so utterly confused.”
To simplify the confusion around the available technology, we adhere to some pretty basic but very important IT Management rules:
1. The Business Needs Should Drive Your Use of Technology
Match your information technology plan with your business plan Do a business case for each major proposal; does it justify the expenditure and how does it take the business towards your destination? It is important to keep on top of advances in computing - don’t be at the bleeding edge – let others assume that risk For smaller scale technologies like handheld computing, use the system first on a personal level
2. Have a forward-looking IT plan
IT planning should cover a 3 year rolling period; IT plans should cover major expenditures and system rollouts. Recurring IT activity is now a part of daily business life Allow enough time – even small systems can take months to implement IT plans should include team member training on all applications – most people only use a fraction of the features of a product and do not exploit what they have paid for; Make the owners and other techno avoiders take the training
3. Invest in High Quality Components
Use high quality hardware form a single manufacturer offering 24/7 phone and Web support and next day on site service Memory and disk space are relatively inexpensive so don’t crimp – set a minimum standard for your business and review it annually Consider higher bandwidth for office Internet applications – the productivity and reliability outweigh the cost Microsoft products are familiar, inexpensive and reliable – consider the alternatives carefully before committing to other software for your business
4. Set and Use Standards and Policies
Have standards in place for configuring your PCs and be consistent Use the same general configuration of each PC, install software in the same location; Be consistent with naming conventions for files and take advantage of long, descriptive file names Publish policies for appropriate use of systems Team members should NOT install personally licensed copies of software, especially things like games and cutesy screen savers
5. Keep it Legal
Using “pirated” software for which you have no license is against the law. Planning ahead and buying software in volume can save you money, keep your systems consistent and keep the Company onside with vendor agreements In some cases you may only need the license, rather than the full package with CD and manuals. These open licenses or license packs are readily available at a substantial discount in price Standard software upgrades keep you current with software releases while keeping costs down; Keep your licenses together with your product in a safe and central place
6. Know Your Own Capabilities
Know the areas that you have expertise and those you don’t. Don’t play with mission critical systems Partner with a reliable and reputable service, check at least three recent work references Everyone should understand the processes to which the computer systems are being applied, even if they can’t manage it IT management is now a core activity and increasingly you will need to have in house expertise – consider it a cost of doing business much like rent
7. Ensure Availability
Have computer systems available 24/7 Design redundancy through the use of drive arrays and hot swappable drives in server class machines Keep on-hand floater equipment that can be deployed on immediate notice Maintain one or more dial up lines and modems as a back up to your leased data line Cross-train team members and formally document how to use critical systems so that the knowledge does not reside with just one team member
8. Disaster Recovery is Vital
Perform incremental back ups nightly and full back ups weekly Keep the back up media in a safe and secure location If back up is moved offsite ensure it is insured and with responsible personnel who are aware of the integrity and confidentiality of the dataDon’t forget your Web site
9. Take Virus Protection Seriously
Things will only get worse so be prepared Buy and religiously use software such as Norton AntiVirus to protect your systems Regularly update your virus definition files to ensure protection against the latest viruses – these updates are free once you purchase the software Take advantage of free software updates available from Microsoft that protect users of Office applications against macro viruses and worms
10. Take Security Seriously
Require passwords to all systems containing confidential information. Use passwords at least eight (8) characters in length that contain both alpha and numeric characters Anonymous logons to any systems should not be allowed Dedicated connection to the Internet should have a firewall or similar control in place to block unwarranted attempts to gain access Avoid giving contractors and outsiders “God” rights on your network
