IT maintenance has a way of taking up time and attention, either on the company’s terms or in the form of fires that must be put out in a costly and time-consuming way. Having a plan for IT maintenance can result in a better-structured solution to handling fires before they are in a full blaze.

As companies adopt cloud solutions for a range of software, data storage, and network options, IT maintenance becomes more complicated and requires a strategic approach. There are four main areas that need to be considered for a comprehensive maintenance plan:

Minimizing downtime: Businesses need to plan for inevitable system and hardware failure. While managed services cover a lot of problems, they won’t help in cases of failed hardware. A maintenance contract with the original equipment manufacturer will hold them accountable for streamlining the process to replace parts, while also reducing the burden on in-house IT staff.

Lowering the cost of ownership: Contracting for IT maintenance helps extend the manufacturer’s warranty. It also gives businesses the benefit of services like system performance tests and the cleaning and replacement of filters, which extends the life of system components. There’s also the benefit of potentially receiving advance warning if a piece of equipment is starting to show signs of age or wear and tear and might require replacement.

Improving security: While the connection between security and maintenance may not seem immediately clear, there are often vulnerabilities created by the failure to implement system updates. Planning for IT maintenance helps an enterprise stay up to date with the latest versions of systems and reduce the possibility of a security breach.

Better innovation: When the IT team is focused on putting out fires, they have little time left for strategizing new directions for infrastructure or performance improvement. As various cloud environments further complicate the maintenance of systems, IT staff may find all of their time dominated by maintenance. By having a plan in place, IT personnel has time to view infrastructure, storage, and applications more broadly.

eXemplify has over a decade of IT, telecom, and cloud experience, focusing on providing value to our partners so that you can better serve your clients. Contact us to talk about the right IT maintenance plan for your clients, creating the ideal business solution for their maintenance needs.