IT Managed Services
Growing businesses quickly outgrow their offices. Moving offices with minimal interruption to your business can be a challenge.
On average, a business will relocate offices every 7-10 years. The company is looking to freshen up, utilize space better, or upgrade their IT infrastructure. Plus, moving your business is one of the easiest times to upgrade your AV equipment.
However, juggling the tasks associated with a corporate move can be a huge headache, so where do you get started?
Here are a few things to keep in mind when considering moving offices.
Tell Your MSP That You’re Moving Offices
When you think about moving offices, contact your Managed Service Provider (MSP) in the beginning. Let them know your plans and timelines early in the process.
If you have an internal IT staff, they can help move things like desktops and printers. However, when it comes to network equipment and servers, work with your MSP to determine what to move, and what to replace or upgrade.
It’s likely that a good portion of your network equipment and servers are already getting old or reaching their end-of-life. As a result, certain equipment will need to be reconfigured or upgraded to accommodate the new space. For the equipment needing to be moved, ask your MSP to move them.
Involving your MSP with your plan helps ensure that all your technology considerations are covered. This will make your move smoother and help you to avoid downtime.
For example, if you’re building a new construction that requires you to meet ERRC requirements, you’ll want to know what that entails before being denied a certificate of occupancy.
Setup Your New ISP ASAP
When you sign a lease for the new space, the very first thing you need to do is contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Get service at your new location as soon as possible.
Expect an ISP to take 90 to 120 days to setup a connection at a new location. If the office you’re moving to is a newly constructed building, your ISP may have to install a new line. If your ISP doesn’t offer service at the new location, you may have to switch ISPs. Be sure to understand what changes may be required to your phone system in order to support the new location as well.
Keep this 90 to 120-day time frame in mind when planning to move offices. Reach out to your ISP as soon as you know where you’re moving to avoid any scheduling complications or delays.
New Office, New Network
Moving to a new office means you’re going to have a new layout. A new layout means you need a new plan for connectivity. Offices, desks, and other areas will need cabling installed for wired connections as well as for the wireless access points that provide WiFi.
As you think about the layout of your space, think about where your people will work and collaborate. This is where you need WiFi connectivity. Both density and coverage play into the quality of a wireless network. Planning for connectivity means anticipating where people will be on the network and how many people will need access at once.
WiFi networks are created using radio signals that are sensitive to building materials and interference. An incomplete plan for your wireless network could result in poor performance and lost productivity.
For example: If your new space has a large conference room, consider how many people will need access to WiFi at any given time in that room. Will there be 10 people or 100 people?
Your MSP can help plan your connectivity needs. Once a plan is in place that matches your new office layout, your MSP will set up your network to get everyone online reliably and quickly.
Invest in Growth
Most companies grow slowly over time. Their technology needs are addressed as they come up. A new multi function printer here, a new desk and workstation there—these are harmless changes that add a few extra devices to a network.
Moving into a new office is the perfect time to plan for your company’s growth. Create a network architecture to better support your security needs.
Talk to your MSP about the safest and most efficient way to upgrade your network infrastructure to avoid big picture problems down the line.
Don’t Forget Your IP Address
When moving offices, it is typical for your public IP address to change. Your IP address is your address on the internet. Any resources pointing at that address (VPN, for example) will need to be configured to point to your new IP address.
Additionally, if you have any internally developed applications that are hard-coded to that IP address, those will need to be updated as well.
Make a list of any company resources or DNS records that point to that address. Share that list with your MSP to help plan for changing those references when the time comes.
Outsource Those Extra Support Tickets
If you’re moving to accommodate your growing business, chances are good that you’re in the market for an MSP if you don’t already have one. Moving offices is a great time to consider partnering with a quality MSP who can help you get set up quickly and efficiently.
As people get settled into the new office, there is bound to be a surge in IT support requests with users asking your IT staff for cables, accessories, and reporting network issues. An MSP can easily handle the influx of IT tickets that you’ll experience post-move.
They can also keep you on track with best practices for security and access control for your new building.
