We know: You mean to do all kinds of things to keep your IT infrastructure in peak condition, but when the office gets busy, things fall through the cracks. The problems won’t go away on their own, though. Here are some of our suggestions for what you can think about doing to help your network and computing infrastructure help you have a successful and profitable New Year.

1. Tighten Up Your Security
2009 was a banner year for viruses, spyware, and spam. Now is the time to think how well you and your network are protected. Many offices are still using residential grade equipment, such as a Linksys home router, to act as their interface to the outside world. Simply be replacing those devices by a true firewall with comprehensive security you gain a whole host of security services and protection. Gateway anti-virus and anti-spyware will help protect your network by scanning everything coming in from the Internet. Also firewalls and intrusion detection will help protect your network from external threats.

2. Rethink Wireless Security
Chances are, you set up your Wi-Fi router in 2004 and haven’t given it another thought since. Well, in case you missed it, ye olde Wi-Fi security is hopelessly broken: WEP was cracked years ago to the point where breaking into a WEP-secured network is a matter of trivial simplicity. Upgrade to WPA2 if all the devices on your network support it, and seriously consider replacing anything that doesn’t support the current wireless security standards.

3. Get Serious About Backup
If you’re still delegating a staff member to haul tapes to and from the office for disaster recovery, it’s time for an upgrade. Consider online backup services, especially for your most critical data. We offer an off-site backup solution that can automatically take care of your backups, keeping them in a secure data-center protecting you against accidental deletion, fire and theft, and allowing you to get your servers up and running in the Cloud in the case of a hardware failure or disaster..

4. Set Up a CRM System
Now more than ever, it’s important not to let sales leads languish and die. Installing a CRM system can really help sales teams prioritize selling efforts and follow up at appropriate times. CRM’s acronym makes it sound daunting, but most customer relationship management systems are surprisingly simple to master.

5. Investigate VoIP
It may not be time to migrate the whole company to VoIP and dump the traditional analog system, but it is certainly time to begin invesitgating. VoIP systems are more flexible than traditional analog systems and can provide new features your existing setup might not have.

6. Test and Upgrade UPS Devices
If you think your wireless router is neglected, imagine how the UPS devices in the office feel. Often these battery-backup systems are purchased add-ons to newly bought PCs (and sometimes they come for free as promotional giveaways), and they’re promptly plugged in and forgotten, left to grow old under an increasingly thick layer of dust. The problem is that many UPS devices don’t put out enough power for the machines connected to them, as users frequently treat them like power strips instead of backup devices.

Carefully check the wattage ratings on your UPS devices and compare those numbers against what you have plugged in to make sure you aren’t exceeding the supported capacity. Be sure to install automated shutdown software if you haven’t already, and arrange a schedule to test the systems to ensure that they still work.

7. Clean Up the Mess in the Server Room
Cables sprawling everywhere (unlabeled, naturally). Dust accumulating in every crevice. Look under the pile of old CRTs, and you’re likely to find a rat’s nest–or worse. Most companies lock the janitorial staff out of the server room, but it’s one of the places in the office that can benefit the most from old-fashioned cleanliness and organization. Take a slow day when most of the staff is out and spend a little time organizing and labeling spare parts, dusting out the servers, and otherwise tidying up. You’ll be much happier once the clutter is cleared. Plus dust and debris can impact the reliability of your most critical IT components, your servers.