Knowing what you already have in your toolbox before heading out to buy new tools is common sense. However, sometimes you can lose track of what you own and find yourself buying the same screwdriver over and over again. This can happen in your IT environment too if you don’t have a good system of keeping track of what’s in there.

Previous to my position at Softchoice I worked in IT Support for a small sized not for profit organization, and I’m well acquainted with the unique challenges and situations that arise in these environments.  Lack of documentation, lack of resources and indifferent or unknowing management can be huge stumbling blocks for those who are working in technology within organizations.  I can’t count the number of occasions when IT decisions were made based on strict monetary considerations and not on best practices for your environment. These pressures are understandable when resources are limited, but the best thing that you can do as an IT worker in these situations is to have a firm handle on your resources and to understand exactly where pennies can be saved and what areas are in the most urgent need of attention.

Now that I’ve been working directly with Softchoice’s Network Discovery Assessment team it has become really apparent to me how valuable a tool like this can be to a small or medium sized organization.  When I first started at my previous organization I spent my few weeks simply getting a handle on inventory, figuring out licensing and examining the gaps in coverage.  It was at times confusing, sometimes frustrating, and not least of all tedious.  If I’d been aware [Read more...]