ICT remains key to virtually any business, whether they use it
to manage their information or for their whole process.  As
such, it's important to ensure that the ICT infrastructure is set
up properly in your new property.  Here's our guide on
absolutely everything computer-related you'll need to look at when
setting up your new office.

Don't be afraid to get help

It's worth remembering that IT infrastructure can be very time
consuming for professionals, so it will usually be worth working
with a consultation firm to ensure that everything is managed
effectively.  As with any good consultation, you'll usually
save the money you'd spend on troubleshooting and managing the
problems yourself.

Know your hardware

These are the actually physical units you'll need to invest in
to do the work.

Computers. Needless to say, you'll need a
computer.  If you purchase a standard PC with hardware, an
operating system and MS Office, you're probably looking at
somewhere between £500 and £800.

Copiers, faxes and printers. Though faxes are generally
considered out of date, having one unit in the office will never
hurt.  There are a wide range of different options for copying
and scanning, but a company of a reasonable size will usually want
a unit on each floor.

Phones. Whilst phone lines are standard, a number of
ICT infrastructure systems link the phones up to the computers in
order to maintain consistency across communications. 
Configuring a system such as this is also best left to professional
vendors.

Software. Software costs will obviously depend on what
your needs are, but you will at the bare minimum normally be
expected to invest in both an operating system and on office
software.  You'll also be required to buy some form of virus
protection.  There are more options; you can also look at
installing a cloud based infrastructure, which can be very
beneficial.  However, this is again a complicated process.

The infrastructure itself

This is the side of your ICT that operates behind the scenes,
and should always be dealt with by an experienced specialist: there
is a lot that can go wrong if you don't know what you're doing!

Telecoms and lines

Typically, telecoms infrastructure can be set up within 10-65
working days depending on what your requirements are. 
However, if new phone lines need to be installed, then you're
likely looking at an additional 10-30 days or so.  Telecoms
are a major reason for fit-outs needing a good couple of months
worth of planning time.

File server & networks

A server is used to store the data and programs your company
uses, and to centralise your email and databases. It's an essential
part of your infrastructure.  The physical links will be made
between your internet, your servers and your computers using a
wireless LAN.  Once again, this is an area that network
professionals should take care of.

Telephony system

There are two main types of telephony system.

A key system, where calls come into a single number and
are then transferred.

Private branch exchange, which offers call logging,
individual voicemail and direct dial in.  This is ideal for
companies where a higher number of calls are expected.

Internet

Today, nothing less than an always-on broadband connection is
sufficient.  The most common times for setting up are 20-30
days for ADSL, 40-65 days for SDSL and Leased lines and then 3G and
public wireless, both of which can be set up within a day or
two.

Email

Like internet, email is an essential method of
communication.  There are three main options:

Owning your own email system, which is more expensive
but will be sufficient and secure for staff of up to around
5,000.

Piggy backing on another email system until you're
ready to pay for your own servers.

Basic e-mail functionality that is provided by a number
of web hosting companies.   (This isn't usually suitable
for more than 3-4 staff).

Security

This continues to be a substantial issue for companies, and
there are a number of things to bear in mind.

Firewalls and malicious software. Firewalls should
allow you to keep out issues such as viruses, worms, Trojans and
spyware.

Backups. Any company with data stored should ensure
that it is backed up. Back-ups can be made to portable media such
as external hard drives or stored on the cloud by a provider.

Disaster recovery. It's important to have systems in
place to recover from things like fire, floods and
earthquakes.  This isn't always essential, but if your
business is extremely sensitive to downtime or data loss, it's
probably a necessity.

Patch management. Careful management of patches and
software updates is important, as updates are often made to
increase security.

Maintenance and systems support

Finally, it's important to ensure that you have some sort of
support in place.  Most ICT firms will give you this option:
unless you're specialists yourself, it's invaluable to have a team
on hand to help you troubleshoot any problems.

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