We've entered the twilight of 2022, and as we prepare for the onset of 2023, we often hear several IT considerations from our clients during this time of year.
Naturally, due to the holidays and many workers opting to take time off, some companies will decide to perform significant infrastructure overhauls during this time frame while things are quieter. It can certainly be beneficial to start the year fresh with new equipment or software. To your employees, a fresh start is likely to be...well—refreshing!
But on the flip side, you may find that in your situation that the chaotic nature of the holiday season is not conducive to completing major IT projects. Many industries are busier than ever during winter and seek stability without major infrastructure shake-ups.
Whatever your situation, if you are looking for guidance and recommendations for what your company should be doing during these last months of the year, read on or contact us for support. Here is what we've been hearing our clients buzzing about as we head into the end of 2022:
1. New Equipment Purchases
Who hasn't taken advantage of the end-of-the-year deals on electronics? Whether you're a parent purchasing a laptop for your college-bound teen or a business owner looking to outfit the office with new tech, the holiday season is truly one of the best times to buy electronics. While everyone is free to enjoy Cyber Monday sales, the motivations of a company's IT leadership are much different than the average Joe buying Christmas gifts. It simply comes down to everyone's favorite—taxes. According to BITS Account Executive Kevin Lackey, "It's typical for our clients to purchase PCs and laptops at year's end for tax purposes."
If your budget has not been met or there are tax benefits, purchasing new tech is a great way to meet any requirements. And at BITS, we help our clients keep track of these things, "I send reminders before year-end as clients are finishing budgets and thinking about year-end purchases," says Kevin.
2. Updating Infrastructure
Making necessary updates to your hardware and software infrastructures are tasks that will often need to happen swiftly and on a deadline but require careful planning. For contract reasons, you may have some tasks that need to be completed by the end of the year; perhaps you are replacing one 3rd party vendor with another. Or there could be some internal benchmarks you had set for your business that your team is driving to fulfill before the end of the year. The point is IT updates are often critical to your business's success.
"When I meet with clients at our quarterly or six-month check-ins, I usually discuss infrastructure that needs to be replaced," says Kevin.
Prioritizing and planning for said infrastructure updates is crucial to consider, and for many, deadlines are scheduled for the year's end. BITS' project managers will ensure you meet those deadlines, even during the holiday season. We will handle the literal infrastructure updates, such as any new equipment installations and overhauls to your network, and we'll also keep you advised of why and when you need them.
3. Shipping & Supply Chain Delays
Yes, there are still issues with the global supply chain, as you may already be acutely aware. However, even without delays in the supply chain, the end of the year is a chaotic time for domestic shipping and receiving in general. Fortunately, things are looking better for the IT world, and the semiconductor shortage is slowly improving.
"Items we are currently experiencing shipping delays on are firewalls and network equipment," says Kevin. So if you are planning any firewall updates or are seeking to purchase new network technology, get in touch with us sooner rather than later to anticipate any shipping difficulties.
4. Dell Pricing & Scarcity
Our last insight is specific to the Dell brand of PCs, laptops, and accessory equipment. "Dell raises prices a bit because they know demand will be higher, " reports Kevin. It makes sense—Dell isn't the first and won't be the last company to fiddle with their prices because of supply and demand.
However, this is essential to consider because we've already heard reports of Dell laptops being more challenging to acquire this year. If you are planning an upcoming Dell purchase, keep in mind that while the supply chain issues are improving, we're not out of the woods yet. Plus, it's also normal to expect less availability of top brands such as Dell around the end of the year as general consumers purchase gifts for the holidays and increase overall demand. Getting ahead of considerations like these and keeping them top of mind is just one example of BITS' commitment to our clients.
Onward to Successful IT in 2023
Do you have IT concerns or questions about your end-of-year planning, or are you already looking ahead to 2023? Get in touch with our team today and see the difference in having BITS on your side to keep your infrastructure always humming.
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