You’re the IT guy and its mid-August. You look around the office and hear crickets. The boss is on summer vacation, and things are pretty quiet.

Peace is hard to come by in the IT world, and when things simmer down just a bit you want to do nothing more than just relax.

That’s never the case, however. Today you’re not being pulled in 10 different directions by 20 different people in three different departments. This means you finally have the time to get some real work done to benefit your organization and the possibilities are endless.

If things happen to slow down this summer take the time to address these six important IT tasks you may not have otherwise had the time to tackle:

1. Write up a BYOD Policy

 

BYOD is no longer the equivalent of bringing your child or pet to work. It’s a necessary component of any working office in the United States. If your company does not have a BYOD policy in place take the time to evaluate the needs of your organization, and how secure data should be handled entering and exiting the building.

Draft a fair, easy-to-understand strategy that you, management and company employees can live with.

This post will give you a good idea of where to start

2. Look at Your Hardware Refresh Schedule & Order Budgeted Infrastructure

There’s no better feeling than coming back to work refreshed from a long vacation to find out that Santa’s little helper (i.e. – the IT guy) has replaced your PC with something more modern.

Summer is one of the best times to accomplish IT tasks related to hardware throughout the office, since things are generally a little slower and employees are in and out of the office more regularly.

Help get your business on schedule with this helpful video

3. Install Windows 10 Anniversary Update

The Windows 10 Anniversary Update came out on August 2, bringing along several additional security features. The update is being called the most “secure Windows to date” including new features like Windows Hello for apps & websites and Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection. This is a must IT task to look into this summer.

Windows Hello for Apps & Websites –  Windows Hello was part of the operating system’s launch, allowing for biometric authentication on the lock screen, but that technology has been extended to help users login to apps & websites on the Edge browser.

Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection –  Microsoft’s anti-malware service is expanding on the enterprise level to detect, investigate and respond to network attacks with enhanced threat intelligence and attack detection.

See “10 Hidden Features in Windows 10 You Should Be Using”

4. Shift to the Cloud If You Haven’t Already

The cloud is a wonderful place where data stays secure and never gets full. The date you had circled on the calendar to move forward with accomplishing these IT tasks have passed, but your ambitions have never wavered. Things are slow right now. There are fewer people working on the server than there was last month or will be next month. Take advantage of this time and make the transition happen as seamlessly as possible.

Weight the pros and cons of the cloud for your business

 

5. Get Yourself Out of the Office!

Scope out some lunch n’ learns or other summer IT Networking events near you to broaden your professional reach or learn about new industry trends. After all you’ve done, you deserve it. Plus, you’re technically still working.

Use these helpful tips to network like a pro

6. If You Can’t Do It Yourself, Talk to a Managed Network Provider

While you’ll probably need your boss’s permission to look outside the organization for help, conduct a thorough needs assessment of your operations while he’s on vacation – are you accomplishing all of the IT tasks on your agenda? Could an extra set of eyes help streamline processes and increase revenue? If so, ThrottleNet would love to be your business partner. Contact us today to learn about our Managed Network solutions for small business and start moving into Full-Throttle!