Unexpected downtime can wreak havoc on businesses large and small, which is especially bad when so many paths lead to it. Let’s explore some of downtime’s causes, and equally importantly, how it can be avoided.

What is Downtime, and What Causes It?

Simply put, downtime is when your technology cannot fulfill its function, disrupting your workflow and halting operations.

With how businesses run nowadays, any level of interruption is unacceptable. Not only does it put you at a competitive disadvantage, but it often costs a lot to resolve, on top of being expensive in the first place. You’re losing money because you’re missing out on revenue generation and productivity, and you’ll end up paying—both in terms of your actual recovery and damage to your business’ reputation. Combining all these factors reveals just how damaging a given downtime event is.

The Causes of Business Downtime Vary Wildly

• Cybersecurity Threats: It should be no surprise that cyberattacks often result in some level of downtime, particularly throughout the event and especially when attack vectors like ransomware are involved.
• Misconfigured Devices: On a related note, devices with errors in their configurations leave doors open for these cybersecurity threats to come in.
• Hardware or Software Failure: The older and more obsolete hardware and software become, the more likely they will hang up and fail.
• Natural Disasters: Inclement weather and other such events can lead to downtime in various ways, from power outages to damaging your business’ physical infrastructure.
• Human Error: Accidents, such as inadvertent data deletion or even tripping over the wrong power cable, can easily lead to downtime.

Make No Mistake: Downtime is No Fun

Fortunately, modern businesses have various means to help minimize, if not avoid, downtime… despite its unpredictable nature. 415 IT is committed to assisting the businesses of Bay Area & Northern California in utilizing them, including:

Backup and Disaster Recovery
Since downtime is frequently associated with disasters, being able to recover quickly from them can significantly reduce it. Having the preparations in place to do so will not only protect your business but also its productivity.

Help Desk
A help desk is intended to give your team a resource to turn to in case they encounter an issue. If they are experiencing downtime, a professional is on hand to diagnose and resolve it.

Remote Monitoring and Maintenance
Your devices will indicate if something is wrong, but someone must pay attention. An RMM tool does this for you, alerting you to problems while they are still impending and ensuring that the little things that also help prevent downtime, like updates, are attended to promptly.

If you would like to learn more about how to avoid the consequences of downtime, contact our team. Give us a call at (415) 295-4898.