The Hex Files
The business side of IT
Budgets, planning and how to work well with an IT provider.
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The business side of IT
Budgets, planning and how to work well with an IT provider.
- Explainer
Managed IT or pay-as-you-go: what's the difference?
Break-fix support is paid when something breaks. Managed IT is paid to keep things from breaking. Here is how they compare.
1 min readRead - Explainer
What co-managed IT means for your IT team
Co-managed IT adds an outside team's people and tools to your own IT staff, for the work they cannot cover alone.
1 min readRead - Explainer
How to budget for IT without surprises
Most IT surprises are predictable: aging laptops, expiring licenses, end-of-support deadlines. A simple budget catches them early.
1 min readRead - Explainer
What a technology roadmap is, and why you want one
A roadmap is a short, plain-language plan for what changes in your technology over the next year or two, and why.
1 min readRead - Explainer
What to expect in your first month with a new IT provider
A good start involves discovery, documentation, security fixes and one simple way for staff to get help. Here is what usually happens.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Is it time to replace your office phone system?
Seven signs your phone system is holding the business back, and what to plan before you switch.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Questions to ask any IT provider
Ten questions that reveal how a provider really works: security, accountability, what is included and what happens when things go wrong.
1 min readRead - Explainer
UCaaS and CCaaS: what the letters mean
Two acronyms you will meet when shopping for business phones, and how to tell which one you need.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Make sure your business owns its own accounts
Your domain name, Microsoft 365, website and key vendor accounts should be in the business's name, with access you control.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Getting a new hire ready for day one
A new hire with a working laptop, accounts and access on their first morning starts on the right foot. Here is what to arrange.
1 min readRead - Explainer
Buying licenses and hardware through an IT provider
Buying through a provider can mean the right equipment, set up to your standard, with warranties and renewals tracked, even without a managed agreement.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Questions to ask before you sign up for business software
New business software usually means trusting a vendor with your data. A few questions up front can prevent problems later.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Setting up staff to work from anywhere
Remote and hybrid work needs more than a laptop. A short checklist covers the equipment, access and habits that make it work securely.
1 min readRead - Checklist
What an acceptable use policy covers
An acceptable use policy sets out how staff may use company devices, accounts and data. Short and clear beats long and ignored.
1 min readRead - Checklist
When the person who knows your IT leaves
Many small businesses rely on one person for IT. When they leave, the passwords, knowledge and accounts can go with them.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Why you need a list of every device and account
An up-to-date list of your computers, network equipment, software and accounts makes support, security, budgeting and audits much easier.
1 min readRead - Explainer
Shadow IT: the apps your business does not know it uses
When staff sign up for tools on their own, the business loses track of its data and accounts. The answer is making the approved way easier.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Does your business need an AI policy?
Staff are already using AI tools. A short policy says which ones, for what, and what must never be pasted in.
1 min readRead - Explainer
What to decide before a cyberattack happens
An incident response plan sets out who does what in the first hours of an attack, when there is no time to work it out.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Who else can get into your systems?
Software vendors, equipment suppliers and contractors often have remote access to your network. Each one is a door to manage.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Moving offices: the technology checklist
Internet lines and cabling take longer than anyone expects. Start the technology side of an office move months ahead.
1 min readRead - Explainer
Choosing a business internet connection
Upload speed, reliability and support matter as much as the headline speed. Here is what to compare.
1 min readRead - Explainer
Server in the office, or in the cloud?
Moving to the cloud is not always cheaper or better. It depends on what the server does, how people work and what the software needs.
1 min readRead - Checklist
Opening a second location: getting the technology right
A second site should work like the first from day one, with the same security, without becoming a separate IT setup to manage.
1 min readRead - Explainer
What downtime really costs a business
When systems go down, the costs go well beyond IT. Working them out helps decide how much protection is worth paying for.
1 min readRead
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