Network relocation is the process of moving your information technology infrastructure from one place to another. There are a number of reasons why you may need a service like this.
If you’ve outgrown your current office space and are looking to expand somewhere new, you’ll need to move the existing technology to your new location.
Perhaps you’re simply one cog in the overall corporate relocation and are tasked with the process of moving the IT infrastructure.
Maybe you’re simply ready for a move. Regardless of your reason, your new office needs to be able to support the technology required to conduct business and a network relocation company can help you safely and efficiently move everything.
Why is Network Moving Important?
Why does this matter? Why is it important to properly relocate your network to your new office?
Think of all the data and information your business uses in a day. What if all of those important files, customer information, and data sheets were gone? How would that impact your business?
In most cases, loss of data is a huge concern for businesses and can lead to the overall downfall of an otherwise successful business. By hiring a professional relocation company you can trust, you ensure that you’re dealing with people who do these kinds of jobs every day.
Plus, the company can help you think about things you might not have considered like servers, cabling, WiFi, and telephone plans.
How to Ensure a Smooth Network Relocation in 5 Steps
Having an overall office relocation checklist is important but you want to make sure the move management services you employ understand your goals and objectives.
One way to do this is by having a strategy to help make your network relocation run smoother. Here are five important things to think about.
1. Plan Now
Don’t wait, don’t assume, and plan ahead. Make sure your IT department (if you have one) has already seen the new location and has determined its feasible to simply move everything there. They should review the network requirements well ahead of time so they have time to plan and buy whatever you may need in the new office.
Also remember to contact your internet and phone service providers well ahead of time to alert them of the move. For some businesses, as little as one day without access to the internet could be catastrophic.
2. Back Up Data
When relocating a business, it doesn’t matter if it’s one small branch or the headquarters, every office has data. Make sure the person in charge has multiple full-recovery backups of servers, firewalls, and all data.
No matter what, things can go wrong and information loss is a real possibility in network relocation so it’s important to have multiple backups in case something happens to the main system or any of the duplicates.
Also, it’s a smart policy to transport the backups separate from the main system. In the event that the main system is lost due to something extreme, you’ll still have the backups.
3. Make a list of Equipment
A network relocation can be a great time to evaluate your current system and procedures and see if you can make any improvements. It’s also a time to look at the current hardware and see if it makes sense to move it or upgrade to something new.
If parts of your computer network are no longer fully functional, consider replacing or upgrading them. Be sure to dispose of them properly or see if there are programs in your area that allow you to donate them to growing businesses.
4. Hire Professionals
While DIY might be a bit cheaper, hiring professional commercial relocation services can help you tremendously in the long run. Dealing with computer networks, data rooms, software, work stations, and servers shouldn’t be left to a few of your buddies and a Uhaul truck.
Hiring certified movers can help ensure that the move runs smoothly and safely without the risk of losing any data. We’ve been doing this for decades and we’ve seen it all so it prepares us for the worst.
Many commercial moving companies will also help with the disconnection and reconnection of computer equipment as well as packing and crating in a safe and sturdy manner.
5. Run Diagnostic Tests After the Move
Once everything is set up in your new office, it’s time to test it out. Ensure that all the equipment is where it belongs and nothing is missing. Start all network servers, check to see that data has properly migrated, and make sure you can send and receive emails. This will prove that everything is properly connected and the network is up and running.
Final Thoughts
Network relocation is one of the most important pieces of your overall move. Transferring important and sensitive customer data is not something you want to play around with.
We highly recommend hiring a professional relocation company with experience in helping businesses relocate their networks. Click here to learn more about how ARC can make a difference in your move.