If you’re scaling a business, your infrastructure and hardware installation needs should also scale along with you. You may already have some of the standards covered, like connecting A to B to ensure you have enough space to hold your data. But you also need to take your hardware to the next level to enhance overall performance, reliability, and longevity.
Research and Planning Phase
When you first started your business, you probably didn’t require all that much in the way of hardware installation. But a growing business needs more than a set-it-and-forget-it strategy. You also need to research and plan what you need to install everything, how it all works together, and familiarize yourself with all the specifications, compatibility requirements, and drawbacks involved. You can tackle it all yourself or rely on the experts at Balata One™ for all your hardware installation needs for small businesses to enterprise-level organizations.
Grounding and ESD Protection
Beyond making mistakes with your hardware installation, personal safety and consideration of your equipment is also vital. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage sensitive electronic components that could create vulnerabilities in your systems. It can also give your team a shock if they’re not careful when handling your hardware or other equipment. You can minimize the risk with anti-static tools or ground yourself before handling sensitive hardware to create a layer of protection.
Cable Management Strategy
Effective cable management dramatically improves the aesthetics of your data center or server room while enhancing airflow and organization. If you’re constantly adding cables to your infrastructure without proactive labeling and cross-referencing how everything works together, you’re setting yourself up for damage. Everything should be routed appropriately and neatly secured while keeping cables away from heat sources, fans, or sharp edges to take a proactive approach to hardware installation.
Thermal Management Solutions
It’s easy to overlook the need for optimal thermal management, but it’s a critical part of hardware installation and maintaining its longevity. There are several proactive cooling solutions to stay ahead of the issue, including larger CPU coolers or liquid cooling systems to help reduce the heat. In some cases, strategic fans for airflow and regular maintenance to clean dust filters and adding heatsinks can help.
Regular Firmware and Driver Updates
Are you sure you’re using the latest firmware and drivers for all your hardware components? You could be leaving your data open to catastrophic vulnerabilities and risk. Balata One™ keeps your latest firmware drivers for your hardware components up to date to improve bug fixes, stability improvements, and the latest features. The results are more security for your data and enhanced hardware performance to address compatibility issues.
Hardware and System Stress Testing
Hardware installation isn’t the end of the journey. You must also perform ongoing stress testing to keep your system stable and working reliably. Balata One™ can help proactively monitor and test your hardware to identify potential issues before the spiral. Comprehensive testing is also necessary to scale up to heavier workloads or rapidly scale your business.
Upgrade Your Hardware While Maintaining Your Operational Budget
At some point, all hardware needs to be updated due to age, usability, or damage. Balata One™ helps you prioritize hardware upgrades with new or certified refurbished options that undergo a rigorous inspection and checklist process. We can also safely decommission your old hardware to wipe your data or customize cold storage solutions for businesses to stay compliant with industry regulations.
If you need a more customizable solution, we provide reliable leasing solutions with one to three-year options to help with your company’s cash flow and reduce depreciation risk. You can choose to lease or lease to own, so you can choose to own the equipment outright at the end of your contract term.
Get Dependable Hardware Installation Today
Hardware installation isn’t something to DIY in your business. You can get it all set up correctly the first time, but it may not be able to scale or sustain as your business grows. Hardware also ages out without realizing it, and ongoing monitoring proactively addresses the updates and upgrades you need. Balata One™ helps you prioritize your hardware installation needs while protecting your business’s overall infrastructure and data. We also provide the flexible service plans you need, including everything from remote monitoring to deploying an expert technician to your business within hours. Contact us today to discuss your business and data needs.