Let’s rewind to early 2020.
Practically overnight, companies were thrown into a remote work experiment—one they didn’t exactly sign up for. Offices emptied, and dining room tables turned into workspaces.
And in the rush to keep things running, a lot of businesses did what they had to do and slapped on digital band-aids.
It worked. For a while.
But years later, those temporary fixes are still the foundation of many company IT systems. Band-aids meant for a few months are now holding together entire operations.
Why modernization matters
The way we work has fundamentally changed. Remote and hybrid have become part of our forever-normal. And while businesses have adapted culturally, many haven’t updated the underlying technology to truly support that change. Instead, they’re making do with a patchwork of solutions that were never designed to be long-term.
Take one company we met with recently. They still rely on on-premise servers, and there’s nothing wrong with that in theory. But in practice? These servers are nearly a decade old. Rather than moving to a cloud-based infrastructure, their solution has been to let employees remote into a bunch of independent desktop computers sitting in the office. So while employees are working remotely, all the company’s data is still tethered to aging physical hardware in a building many of them haven’t set foot in for years.
It works, but it’s clunky and slow. It’s also vulnerable.
The case for cloud-based infrastructure
Modern IT infrastructure isn’t about flashy tech. It’s about flexibility, security, and scalability.
Cloud platforms like Microsoft 365 and Dropbox Business allow businesses to store data securely off-site while making it easily accessible from anywhere. No more worrying about whether the office internet went down or if the server room has overheated.
Moving to the cloud means:
- Better collaboration tools: Real-time document sharing, video conferencing, and instant messaging are built in.
- Scalability: Need more storage or add users? It can be done in minutes.
- Automatic updates: Security patches and system upgrades happen without interrupting your team.
- Improved security: Modern cloud services come with robust data encryption, multifactor authentication, and advanced threat detection.
Most importantly, cloud infrastructure is built for the way we work now—distributed, flexible, and fast.
Say goodbye to legacy equipment
One of the biggest blockers to IT modernization is hanging on to outdated hardware. It's understandable, since servers and workstations are big investments, and companies want to get their money’s worth. But after 5-7 years, those machines are becoming more of a liability than an asset.
Outdated equipment struggles to run modern software efficiently. It lacks compatibility with new operating systems like Windows 11. It poses major security risks due to unsupported firmware and outdated security protocols. And it costs more to maintain and repair than to replace in many cases.
Retiring legacy systems isn’t just about replacing “old stuff,” it’s about laying the groundwork for a more agile and resilient business.
Equipping employees for a hybrid world
Another common pain point we see is employees still relying on personal devices or remote connections to desktops back at the office. This creates a weird hybrid setup where nothing is truly seamless. It’s not ideal for performance, and it’s a huge risk when it comes to security.
A better approach is equipping employees with modern, portable laptops that are set up from the start to work in a hybrid environment. We're talking about:
- Devices running Windows 11 that are optimized for remote management and performance
- Pre-installed security tools, such as endpoint detection & responseand secure VPNs
- Cloud integration, so users can securely access company data from anywhere without the need to remote into a dusty desktop back at headquarters
With the right tools, employees can work from anywhere without compromising productivity or company data.
A roadmap to modernization
Modernizing your IT environment might sound daunting, but it doesn’t have to happen all at once. Here’s a phased approach we often recommend:
- Assessing your current environment: Comprehensive audits of your infrastructure, devices, software, and security posture. Where are the gaps? What’s still working? What’s slowing you down?
- Prioritizing cloud migration: Start moving key data and services to the cloud. That might mean transitioning your email to Microsoft 365, moving files to SharePoint or Dropbox Business, or adopting a cloud-based CRM system.
- Upgrading devices: Ensure employees are equipped with up-to-date laptops or tablets that support remote work securely and efficiently.
- Retiring legacy systems: Develop a timeline for decommissioning aging hardware and replacing it with more modern, maintainable solutions.
- Implementing strong remote security protocols: This includes single sign-on services, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and regular security awareness training for employees, just to name a few.
We’re here to help
If your business is still running on patchwork IT systems held together by pandemic-era quick fixes, it might be time to hit the refresh button.
Whether you’re ready to make a full transition to the cloud, replace aging hardware, or just want to explore your options for building a remote-ready IT environment, we can help guide you through it.
