Planning an Expansion For the New Year

With only two weeks left in the year, it is time to think about new computer equipment for the new year. If you are looking to expand, you might want to consider buying now to claim a capital expense for 2014.

I help a lot of companies with their computer problems as they occur but I especially like working with companies when they are in the planning stages and help them to avoid problems in the first place. I have been supporting Apple computers for over 30 years and use that experience to know what questions to ask my clients so they get what they need. Technology is constantly changing and it is practically a full time job to keep up with the changes. The average business owner doesn’t have time to do this. They have to take care of their clients. This is what I do for my clients so that they can run their business and the computers don’t get in the way.

With all the portable device we have available, a business person can work anywhere they wish. The problem always is what is the proper tool for the job. Even if we restrict the discussion to just Apple products, you have phones, tablets, laptops and desktops. Does the average business person need all 4? Probably not. I help my clients pick the devices they need and set them up to work together. As companies get bigger the problem increases geometrically. Different individuals have different tasks so their computer needs could be different.

I constantly get asked, “What kind of computer should I buy for business?” as if there was a single answer. My answer is usually the same, “I don’t know, what problem are you trying to solve or what do you wan to accomplish?”

The more people in the company, the more information needs to be shared with each other and with clients and vendors. I specialize in networking a company’s computers and other devices together to achieve their maximum efficiency. Over many years, I have seen the problems and pitfalls that might develop and help my clients avoid them. This usually means thinking out of the box and coming up with weird ideas that other people wouldn’t think of.

When preparing to move into a new office, the earlier a company brings in an experienced computer consultant the better. There are a lot of factors that affect network performance that most people don’t think about until it is to late. The type of walls in the office affect wireless network performance. Does my wireless signal reach the street? Is there a server closet and is it ventilated? and any number of other things.

If you follow the headlines, you know about all the security problems that have occurred lately with companies of all sizes. It is probably impossible to plan for every eventuality but I can help a company do a risk to benefits assessment that they are comfortable with.

In summary, think ahead when you are planning an expansion of your computers and your computer network and consult with someone that can review the options and help you to avoid bigger problems later on.