Moving? Don’t Forget About Your Business Communications
We have all had to move at one time or another, whether ourselves, a friend or a relative. If you are helping, it is not that bad, especially if they provide pizza and beer. And if you’re the guy that owns a truck, you may get asked a lot! But if you are the one moving, it can be a pretty stressful time.
Now think about moving your business. That includes your desks, chairs, file cabinets, and bookcases. And don’t forget you need to submit a change of address for your subscriptions, business cards, and all marketing materials, to name a few.
CommWest On the Move (Part 1) – Moving Your Business Takes Planning
But what about your business communications? You know, the telephone that needs to ring to make you money and the computer that needs to connect to the internet so you can receive or place orders? Or the server and email that need to work so you can talk to the rest of the world? At your apartment, if your cable does not show up for a few days, you can get along without your TV, phone, and internet. But how long can your business operate without these services?
It is essential you work with your Managed IT Services Provider. Moving your business needs to be well thought out and coordinated with the vendors you depend upon for all your services. Without this, you will come to Move Day, and your business will settle into this new location, but you are not going to be able to open the doors because your business phone service or computer network has not made the move with you.
CommWest On the Move (Part 2) – Remodel and Cabling Your New Office
Are you rearranging offices? There comes a time when you need to move a desk or rearrange your office to make room for new employees. When you reach this time, make sure to consider these items:
- What technology needs connecting at the new location – computer, phone, printer?
- Is this existing or additional technology? If additional, you will need to confirm that your system and network can support the new equipment.
- Is there a data and phone jack available in a suitable location?
- Is the jack active?
Bonus Tip: Before unplugging any technology, make sure to take a picture of the connections to the device and the power/wall jack. You can use this to reference connecting the equipment back in.
- It is always best to check with your Managed IT Service Partner before unplugging any equipment, as there may be concerns with specific phone types or servers.
CommWest On the Move (Part 3) – Coordinating Your Business Move
Are you moving to a new address? Business communications are often entirely overlooked with a new office or move, which can be a costly mistake. Thinking about these things ahead of time will save you a lot of headaches, time, and money:
- Does the new building have existing cable? Is it adequate for your technology needs?
- Is there an available carrier service in the area? Can you transfer your current service to the new address (See additional ‘reminder’ below)?
- How will you transport the technology, and over what timeframe?
- Does the new floorplan allow for proper power and ventilation of equipment?
Reminder: Your voice and internet carrier(s) will have a timeframe for how long it will take to move your services. This timeframe might be a week or up to 90 days in some cases. They will need to determine if the new location has the proper feeds or cable to the building to move your services. They may need to schedule a construction project to install the correct entrance services to bring in your circuits. If you use different carriers for voice and internet, you will need to engage them both. The construction could include some costs, but in most cases, the carrier absorbs those costs unless the project is extensive.
What it comes down to when you are moving: Keep your Technology Partner engaged at the forefront. They will be able to coordinate with carriers, navigate the logistics and provide insights that you may overlook.
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