Keeping It Safe

So you have taken a back up of your data, but is it safe?

In our earlier blog we talked about the need to have regular backups of data. This blog looks more at the hardware you need to work.

Having a copy of your data is a massive step forwards, however you also need to have something to run it on and not just the machine but also any bespoke software you need as well for your business.

Most businesses cannot afford to have spare machinery lying around just in case the one you’re using goes wrong. Apart from the financial cost, all machinery (be it a laptop or something as part of a production process) gets updated and no one wants to replace a faulty machine with one that’s already outdated.

Each business will approach this in a different way. For small items the annual budget may include a contingency for replacements. For larger machines you may look at service agreements to provide replacements within specific times. Either works, the important thing is you have something appropriate in place for your business.

Software does get updated, however the backups you have taken were run on the version you were using at the time, and may not be compatible with any upgrades.  A simple way to ensure you have acces to the required version is to safely store the system disks for the software so it can be installed on any new machinery if and when required.

As with backups mentioned in our earlier blog, where possible, keep these safe and secure.