Modern businesses are reliant on technology. When this technology fails, work can be brought to a halt, which can then leave you unable to serve customers. It many cases, this can be costly both financially and reputation-wise. Fortunately, many tech disasters can be easily guarded against if you’re willing to invest some money into preventative measures. Here are just a few common tech disasters and how to reduce their impact.

IT issues

Bugs, viruses and software corruption can all interrupt business. Having to call out tech support each time can be slow and inefficient, whilst hiring on-site IT staff can be costly. A much better strategy is to outsource managed IT services to attend to problems remotely. You can find such IT services at sites like fidelisnw.com – these companies can not only respond to IT faults, but may be able to help you introduce new measures to prevent bugs and viruses. Simple things you can do yourself to prevent IT issues include regularly updating software, shutting down your computer regularly and listening to security software warnings regarding emails and sites.

Broken hardware

When machinery breaks, this too can be a big inconvenience. Some companies invest in spare machinery just in case one fails – this could include having two printers in an office or two POS displays in a retail outlet. However, the most reliable way to prevent broken tech is to simply invest in good technology and keep this machinery well maintained. Opting for the cheapest machinery won’t always save you money in the long run – in fact, some of this machinery may not be built for the high demands of a business (i.e. a cheap coffee machine or PC is likely to better for personal use). Read reviews of machinery and ensure that it is suitable for commercial use.

Wi-fi signal loss

Many companies can’t function without internet connection. If your company wi-fi regularly cuts out or needs to be reset, it could be a sign that you need to upgrade to a better provider. Business wi-fi as found at sites like iinet.net.au tends to be a lot more robust. On top of investing in better wi-fi, you could consider having a backup wi-fi source such as pay-as-you-go wi-fi, which you can switch to in the event that your primary wi-fi goes down.

Power failure

Even more debilitating than having no internet is having no electricity at all. Whilst power outages can be due to internal problems, they are often due to external issues that are out of your company’s control such as a broken power line or power station issue. Using an uninterruptible power supply can allow your company to still have electricity temporarily after a power cut by storing some power in reserves. Alternatively, you could consider investing in a backup off-grid power source to give you continuous power when the mains electricity stops working. You can find backup power generators at sites like westsideenergy.com. Solar generators are a popular option as they are sustainable and could improve your company’s green image.