Technology for small businesses can have a significant impact on productivity, customer service, and overall efficiency. In fact, maintaining a well-planned-out and up-to-date stack can be the difference between your business’s success or failure.
What is a Technology Stack?
A technology stack is a collection of different technologies that work together within your IT environment. It comprises hardware, software, applications, and helpful tools that work together to make your systems run smoothly.
Many different front-end and back-end technologies can go into a technology stack. All the software, hardware, and tools you choose to configure your IT environment must work in sync with each other to create a fully optimized environment.
How Do I Build A Technology Stack?
The main points to remember when creating your unique tech stack include infrastructure support, finding the best quality tools, optimizing for your industry, cybersecurity considerations, and scalability.
1. Find a Tech Stack to Reflect Your Existing Infrastructure
It's essential to evaluate what type of tools you currently have in your stack when choosing new devices, as you want to ensure they're compatible with the ones you already have in place. This will help you avoid reworking your entire existing infrastructure.
2. Consider Your Industry Requirements
It can be helpful to research what technology brands and models others in your industry typically use. Make sure to take data security requirements into account when selecting your suite of tools, so they can adhere to all necessary guidelines with ease.
Some tools are made with specific industries in mind, such as Microsoft365 and Teams that have admin controls to comply with HIPAA and protect patent data from getting into the wrong hands. To read more about how Teams has tackled HIPAA compliance in healthcare communications, read our blog: Is Microsoft Teams HIPAA Compliant?
3. Look At Reviews to Find the Best Quality Tools
Once you determine the technology needs of your business model, you'll want to investigate the best technology to fit those needs.
It's safest to go with established technology. Look into how many years they have been providing their technology. This will help you determine the sophistication of their user experience, cybersecurity, and troubleshooting capabilities.
Overall, reviews will speak to which tools offer the best integrations and seamless functionality you're after to support your needs.
4. Ensure Your Chosen Tools and Services Are Scalable and Secure
Scalability and security are also crucial to the technology stack you choose. Find tools to add more processes and hardware to improve overall performance.
In the age of cyberattacks, cybersecurity should always be a top priority. Ensure the tools you put in your stack prevent data breaches and loss from keeping your business secure. To read about critical security tools every business should have, get our free cybersecurity checklist here.
What should a Technology Stack Consist Of?
Technology stacks will involve hardware, software, and applications in the server environment, infrastructure, security, user devices, and the cloud. Each piece of technology must be chosen carefully so your domain functions at the highest quality. Below is an example of what a typical technology stack includes:
Server Environment - This refers to programs that manage access to different tools or services on your business network. These might include print, file, network, or database servers.
Drives and virtualization also fall under this aspect of your tech stack.
Infrastructure - This branch of your tech stack will include things like firewalls, switch environment, wireless access points, network cabling, and power protection
Security - This refers to the cybersecurity tools and processes you have in place within your tech stack to mitigate the risk of cyber breaches or data leaks.
This might include DNS-based security, firewalls, managed detection and response services, user authentication, cybersecurity training for employees, and vulnerability management.
User Devices - This may be what you think of when you hear the term "tech stack", since it consists of the tools and hardware you choose for staff to use to access the network and perform business functions. These could include things like:
- Desktops
- Laptop
- Tablet Operating System
- Microsoft
- Printers
- Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP phone systems)
- Security Surveillance Systems
Cloud Computing - This refers to your arsenal of cloud tools, including cloud servers, backups, email/Microsoft365, and communications tools.
To read a more in-depth overview of what a tech stack will consist of, read our blog: What is a Tech Stack, and Why Does it Matter To My Business?
Why Does a Technology Stack Matter?
Investing in updated, integrated technology allows you to focus on your business goals while your tools run seamlessly in the background.
In this way, your technology stack can give your business a better user experience for both employees and clients. Implementing the right tools can seem daunting and expensive, but your IT decisions can give you the edge you need if you're strategic.
MSPs Find the Best Technology Solutions for Small Businesses
A thoroughly tested and verified tech stack will feature tools that complement each other for a more optimized environment. That's why it's helpful to partner with an MSP who has taken the guesswork out, testing these tools for efficiency, integration, and security.
If you're interested in constructing a tech stack that makes sense for your everyday operations, click the button below to speak to an IT professional.
