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Clue #1 - Audit Your Internet Assets
All your emails and web pages are simply files
stored on your Personal Computer or on computers hosted by Internet
Service Providers. By knowing where you store information, in all
its forms, you can properly plan your requirements, buy smart and
reduce risk.
The Internet is not magic, it is engineering. You
own and lease technology, and services, which enables you to Interact
with your team and customers using the Internet.
The first step to saving money on Internet is to
be clear about what you already own and what you are paying for
as a service. To gain this clarity you need to make two lists:
- All Assets you own
- All Services you are paying for.
Areas you should investigate include, but are not limited to:
- List domain names, when their leases expire, which registrar
they are with and whether you need them or not. Add other domain
names you may need.
- List all your email addresses and those of your team members,
where they are located and how much you are paying for them. Are
they bundled in with your access costs?
- List the ways you and your team connect to the Internet and
how much you are paying for each connection.
- List all the available space you are currently leasing outside
your Local Area Network (LAN) for hosting web sites and emails
and note their costs.
- Describe what would happen to your business if your current
access provider suddenly ceased to exist.
- List your traffic requirements. That is, how much do you and
your team need to down load and up load to the Internet and how
much do your customers need to download from your website? These
are all costs.
Knowing what you have will allow you to shop around and compare
price and functionality of each of the bits. In other words, ‘to
buy smart’. You’ll also minimise your risk by controlling
things you own, like your domains.
In this brief recommendation, we have suggested that email, web
pages and documents are all files. By creating lists of your assets
and services, you can understand your requirements. With this understanding,
you can shop your requirements, save money and reduce risk.
Start simple and write down a list of all the
domains, email addresses, and other assets that you must control.
Create a second list of all the services you use and identify how
much you are spending today on these. Find service partners who
can give you only the pieces you need, in the most robust manner,
at the best prices.
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