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Hotmix Group can help with your office move by pointing out any issues with an existing network or telephone cabling before your team moves in. We can also assist with the design of any new network or telephone installations required.
Our team can you identify where the cabling should go, the number of telephone and network points you will need and the best location for your company’s servers and communications or network hub.
Here are a few IT tips for moving office:
Test existing network cables to make sure they are in working order
Many offices are vacated and the old network and telephone cabling is left behind. Its possible several businesses have been there before you and the left over cable could be from 1 or 2 tenants before you.
Cable testing checks the cable to ensure it is clear of interference and is not damaged anywhere. Damaged cable can be detected and even where the damage is, can be pinpointed.
Network Cable can be used as telephone cable.
This is one of our favourite tips although its often difficult to get your head around in the beginning. You can use network cable as telephone cable for your telephone system. If you use network cable for the computer network and for the telephone points in each office you get significantly more flexibility than if you use telephone cable for the telephone system.
If I have 2 network cables to each work space, I can run either:
- 1 computer on a network and 1 telephone or,
- 2 computers on a network and 0 telephones or
- 2 telephones and 0 computers
This give you plenty of flexibility when you need it and because of the way network cables are patched (I wont go into that here) its very easy to move a staff member from one desk to another without having to do things like reprogramming telephone handsets.
Pick a secure and preferably cool area for your servers.
Selecting the right location for your servers is important. The best location is one that is cool, dust free and not in a high traffic area. The temperature of the air around a computer affects its ability to remain cool. If a computer is drawing in warm air to cool itself, this will be less effective than cool air. Heat is now the number 1 threat to servers and computers.
If you place your server in a high traffic area the potential for people interference increases. As your business server holds your critical business data, limiting staff access to a chosen few is a must. If you can secure your server location, this is preferred.
The network patch panel and your telephone system should all be located in this same location. This simplifies managing your network, servers and telephone system.
Check your printers, photocopies and fax machines
Every business has at least one of these devices and quite often they are overlooked in the plan to move office. Check each of your printers, photocopiers and faxes to see if any are using a network connection. If they are, make sure you include network points for each of these devices in your new office.
Check Power availability.
This is another big one for businesses moving office. Check each work space to ensure that:
a) there are enough electrical points installed
b) those electrical points are in the right location.
Regularly we find an office has either not enough power points per work space or those power points are in the wrong location. Checking each workspace and ensuring the power points are in the right location is important. Remember to think about how the desks and furniture will be laid out in that workspace and make sure that the network points and electrical points are in usable locations.
And don’t forget your printers, photocopiers, faxes and especially the coffee machine. All of these need power.
Order your telephone services early
Make sure that you order your new telephone lines and other services early so that they are ready to go when you move into your new office. Telephone services can take a couple of weeks to get installed so its important to get this underway as soon as you have signed your new office lease.
ADSL or broadband internet uses telephone lines and cannot be ordered until you have your new lines installed and operational. Telstra and other ISP's cannot install an ADSL service until they know the telephone number and until the line your ADSL is going on is actually active.
ADSL takes 7 - 10 days to install So make sure you get your lines ordered early and once they are active order your ADSL from your ISP. This way you won't be without ADSL broadband internet when you move.
Power Boards and Extension Leads
When the day finally comes to move office, pack a few extra power boards and extension leads. Chances are you could need them for those unforeseen hiccups.
Obtain Insurance for your move.
This might seem obvious but in some cases, IT equipment may not be covered by your removalists insurance policy. If necessary check with your removalists to make sure and if need be, obtain a short term policy to handle the move.
Get your IT company to assist you.
In many instances Hotmix Group has actually handled the moving of the IT equipment separately to the main office move. We have visited the existing office, safely shut down all systems and then moved those systems for our client. Hotmix Group is full insured for our clients systems while they are in our possession and we can deliver the equipment to site once all of the furniture is in place making for a cleaner smoother office move.
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