Along with business planning, staffing, and budgeting, you need a way to chart a course for your technology. You're pulled in many directions so simplifying IT decisions down to a methodical process that bolsters your other business efforts is a time-saving step you can start taking today! In this article, we present an outline of an IT Roadmap from a managed IT service provider's point of view that can provide a starting point for most businesses no matter where their technology is currently.
Kosh took the complexities of business technology and presents it in an easy-to-follow map.
This article is intended to provide a framework that you can then adapt to your unique business situation. Always consult an IT expert or managed IT service provider to get accurate guidance for your organization. If you don't have a trusted technology expert or want a 2nd opinion, feel free to reach out to Kosh: cyber@koshsolutions.com
What's in the IT Roadmap?
The roadmap is a framework covering eight critical elements of your technology. With our experience providing IT services across New Mexico, Southern Colorado, and Orange County, Kosh Solutions developed simple questions that break down complicated technology decisions. With this information, we can determine where your organization's IT is currently and where you need to put resources.
One powerful feature of using a well-thought-out technology map is it can take your business needs and put them in relation to your technology. Kosh's expert technicians have developed standards for each component within the roadmap to guide your decisions.
Another valuable outcome that occurs when completing the roadmap is to get your technology documented in such a way that it's easier to see what areas may be lagging. The IT Roadmap can help determine which areas need to be dealt with first, second, and so on. This is why it's a "map" because it can tell you where you are, where to go next, and where to go after that.
Below are the eight elements currently in the IT Roadmap. Inside each element there're more detailed components. The components will change over time due to the changing nature of technology, which is why it's important to revisit your IT Roadmap annually.
Inside each of those components are expert recommendations and standards to guide decision-making. This roadmap takes a lot of complexity and places it on one sheet and then in one document.
Kosh developed a fillable form that takes you through the eight elements. After filling out the form, Kosh will offer recommendations based on your answers. All of this is handled via email - no sales call. This is a service and a tool provided for free to help businesses get a handle on their IT. Click the button below to get started.
IT Roadmap Example: Infrastructure
Here's an example of one of the components inside the infrastructure element.
Internet Service Provider (Primary)
To follow along, fill out the following chart.
ISP Company | |
Type of Service | |
Download Speeds | |
Upload Speeds | |
Now we compare your answers with the Kosh Solutions standards. Kosh ISP standards:
preferred service - fiber
acceptable service - DSL/cable
not recommended service - satellite/wireless
Next, we offer these recommendations:
download speeds of 25MB or higher
upload speeds of 10MB or higher
The business impact of this element is connectivity between the internet, cloud-hosted software, and remote offices. Comparing what you currently use and our recommendation provides a guideline on what type of internet service you should have and key specs (download and upload speeds) you should be on the lookout for.
Example: Network
Here's an example of one of the components inside the network element.
Firewall
There's a lot to be said about sizing, installing, and setting up a firewall properly, but simply getting your firewalls documented is the first step.
Device Make/Model | |
UTM Enabled | |
Location Description | |
The Kosh standard is a next-generation Unified Threat Management enabled firewall.
Kosh's recommendation is a Fortinet Fortigate F Series device. The exact recommendation for your organization will depend on a few other factors, but this is a good rule of thumb.
Having a properly sized and configured firewall will ensure threat protection is not slowing down your connection or leaving your data vulnerable to a breach.
Example: Computing
For this last example, fill out the table regarding your server.
Model | |
Operating System | |
Serial Number | |
EXP Warranty | |
Virtual Machines (OS-VM name) | |
The Kosh minimum standard is:
Intel Xeon 8-core processor
multiple Intel NIC
32GM RAM
redundant power supply
RAID 1 or 10
3-year warranty
Microsoft server 2016 (or higher) Standard or Datacenter Edition
Recommended physical is HPE virtualized with Hyper V.
Recommended cloud is Azure or Kosh's private cloud.
The business impact of having sub-par servers are:
slow performance
reduced productivity
loss of data
increased risk of security breaches and hardware failure
longer downtime when hardware failure occurs
Importance of Starting Your IT Roadmap
If you've made it this far, you can probably see how useful stacking up your current technology to a standard can help you make decisions. The above is just a sample of the 30+ components you should consider when making IT decisions.
Building your IT roadmap is challenging, but so is creating a budget, hiring and firing, and charting a large-scale strategy for your organization! Technology plays a critical role in achieving your company’s objectives and to achieve these goals, you’ll need a detailed technology plan that leads to growth.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this communication is intended for limited use for informational purposes only. It is not considered professional advice, and instead, is general information that may or may not apply to specific situations. Each case is unique and should be evaluated on its own by a professional qualified to provide advice specifically intended to protect your individual situation. Kosh is not liable for improper use of this information.